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16 Dropshipping Tips for Beginners

Table of Contents:

Focus on Mastering Marketing
Create Compelling Offers
Avoid Underpricing Your Products
Remove Bad Suppliers Quickly
Automate as much of your business as possible
Make sure your website is presentable
General Store vs Niche Store
Be prepared to pivot... fast
Offer exceptional customer service
Use Data to Inform Your Inventory
Always choose ePacket
Be Active Daily
Import 10-25 items to start
Monitor your competition
Change the Oberlo Custom Note
Use Oberlo Supply

16 dropshipping Tips for Beginners

Dropshipping is a popular business model that offers low risk and low cost to start up. It allows entrepreneurs to automate many aspects of their business and focus on marketing. If you're new to dropshipping, there are several key tips you should keep in mind to set yourself up for success.

1. Focus on Mastering Marketing

While dropshipping provides automation for many tasks, marketing should be your primary focus. Your website may look impressive, but without targeted traffic, it won't lead to sales. Invest in driving traffic through paid ads, SEO, social media, video marketing, or influencer partnerships. Choose a few marketing techniques that come naturally to you and focus on mastering them.

2. Create Compelling Offers

To stand out from the competition, create compelling offers that make buying from you more enticing. Bundle complementary products at a discounted rate or offer exclusive deals to first-time buyers. Put yourself in your visitors' shoes and ask, "What's in it for me?" Ensure your offers are genuinely good and difficult to ignore.

3. Avoid Underpricing Your Products

While competitive pricing is essential, avoid underpricing your products just to remain competitive. Selling everything at rock-bottom prices can negatively impact your brand's perception and profit margins. Instead of slashing prices, focus on driving traffic and improving your offers. It's better to find new ways to attract customers than to exacerbate the problem by lowering prices.

4. Remove Bad Suppliers Quickly

While most AliExpress suppliers are reliable, occasionally, you may encounter a bad apple. If a supplier consistently delivers faulty products or fails to use your chosen shipping method, swiftly remove their products from your store. Replace them with trustworthy suppliers who offer quality service and support. Oberlo Supply is a network of pre-screened suppliers known for their consistency and reliability.

5. Automate as much of your business as possible

Take advantage of dropshipping tools like Oberlo to automate various aspects of your business. Use tools like Kit for advertising and retargeting, Buffer for scheduling social media posts, and Zapier to connect your Shopify store to other tools. Automating tasks will free up your time to focus on growing your store and driving sales.

6. Make sure your website is presentable

Invest time in creating a professional and presentable website. Avoid launching a site with missing images, placeholder text, or disorganized product categories. Research other websites in your niche and take note of their design, layout, and features. Browse through the Shopify app store to find apps that can replicate the most common features found on successful ecommerce websites.

7. General Store vs Niche Store

When starting a dropshipping store, you can choose between a general store or a niche store. General stores offer a wide range of products, requiring more effort to organize and market. Niche stores focus on a specific audience and product category, allowing for more targeted marketing. Consider your tolerance for managing different products and your ability to drive traffic when deciding which approach to take.

8. Be prepared to pivot... fast

Running a business comes with unexpected challenges and the need for adaptability. Be prepared to pivot quickly when a supplier discontinues a product, a new trend emerges, or customer feedback necessitates change. Flexibility and decisiveness will be crucial in navigating these situations and ensuring the success of your dropshipping business.

9. Offer exceptional customer service

Differentiate yourself from competitors by offering exceptional customer service. Go beyond offering refunds and responding to inquiries promptly. Take the extra step to surprise and delight customers with personal touches. Maya Angelou's famous quote applies here – people will remember how you made them feel. Aim to create memorable experiences for your customers.

10. Use Data to Inform Your Inventory

Be selective when choosing the products to add to your store. Don't rely solely on personal preferences; instead, analyze sales data, customer feedback, and product reviews. Evaluate the order volume, reviews, customer photos, and seller ratings when assessing the reliability of a supplier. Partnering with trustworthy suppliers will ensure customer satisfaction and increase the likelihood of repeat business.

11. Always choose ePacket

When sorting products for your dropshipping business, prioritize those with ePacket shipping. ePacket is an affordable and fast shipping method that ensures quick delivery to customers without breaking the bank. By choosing products with ePacket, you can offer faster shipping times and improve customer satisfaction.

12. Be Active Daily

Building a successful dropshipping business requires consistent effort. Although you may not need to work eight hours a day, set aside at least an hour each day to grow and maintain your store. Process orders, respond to customer inquiries promptly, drive traffic, and monitor the overall functioning of your business. A daily commitment is essential to keep your business running smoothly.

13. Import 10-25 items to start

Instead of overwhelming yourself with hundreds of products, start with a smaller collection of 10-25 items. Managing a smaller inventory is more manageable, especially if you have limited time due to other commitments. Begin with a focused selection of products and expand gradually as your business develops.

14. Monitor your competition

Stay ahead of your competitors by closely monitoring their strategies and actions. Create a spreadsheet with links to their websites and social media accounts, and sign up for their email lists. Regularly check their positioning, email campaigns, sales, and retargeting efforts. This competitive analysis will provide insights into their operations and help you identify areas where you can improve and differentiate your business.

15. Change the Oberlo Custom Note

Communicate with your suppliers effectively by customizing the message in the Oberlo Custom Note feature. Remind suppliers to use ePacket shipping and avoid adding invoices or promotional materials. Specify that you're dropshipping to ensure a seamless experience for your customers. By setting clear expectations with your suppliers, you can minimize any potential issues with packaging and delivery.

16. Use Oberlo Supply

When launching your first dropshipping store, consider using Oberlo Supply. This service allows you to dropship quality products from trusted suppliers, offering a wide variety of products across various niches. With Oberlo Supply, incoming orders are promptly sent to suppliers, allowing you to focus on marketing and maximizing profits.

Implement these 16 dropshipping tips, and you'll position yourself for success in the competitive ecommerce landscape. By mastering marketing, creating compelling offers, and providing exceptional customer service, you can build a profitable dropshipping business. Stay agile, automate where possible, and constantly learn and adapt to achieve your entrepreneurial goals.

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