I have decided to write dropshipping for beginners based on my years of experience with WordPress and some dropshipping companies like Spocket and Alidropship.
Dropshipping has been profitable, and I will be teaching you how to start a successful dropshipping business. Also, I will help you scale your business if you have already started and are looking for new strategies.
What Determines A Successful Dropshipping Business.
A successful business cannot be wished into existence but worked out with a strategy.
As a drop shipper, I use some tools to aid my work; I work on autopilot most times; this is the goal of every business, especially if you have other sources of income.
I have highlighted below some tips to guarantee your success. After which, I will explain dropshipping in detail.
First, have the desire to make money. Set a goal for the amount you want to make from your business. When I started, my goal was $10k on autopilot. This goal keeps taking me higher.
I took courses, got a mentor, and implemented several Ads campaigns; I Used email marketing tools like Getresponse to send emails to my 3000 emails on new product alerts and discounts.
The second is to get a mentor in the business; whom have you found doing well? Can you approach them for questions and ask them how much for mentorship? Make sure you are committed to people who can be of help at any point in time.
Thirdly, I used Alidropship and Spocket, which gave me speed. Initially, I started designing my store with WordPress; I saw I needed many integrations; these integrations can slow down your website if you’re not using a good hosting like Namecheap business plan.
I wrote a review on Namecheap Hosting Services Read it here.
So I decided to get an already-made store with imported products, and the customer assisted me in the setup.
Check out Spocket Start for Free Here
I already did my research on the niche.
Next, I started running Facebook Ads and Google Adwords; I knew a good Google Ads expert. He worked on my Google Ads in 3 weeks; I already started seeing traction sale strickle.
Later in the post, I discussed products you should not drop ship and the top 10 product niches you should drop ship.
Please ensure you have an email marketing service if you are serious about your dropshipping business.
I use Getresponse, and many times I can send automated messages for one month; I use autoresponders to respond to those who clicked on my notes, who saw my emails and did not click, and finally, to those that bought something.
If you can grow your email list to 10k, you have an 80% chance that 1k people will buy from you whenever you have a campaign.
Try our Getresponse for free now
And Finally, invest in marketing paid Ads. Use Facebook, Google Ads, and Native Ads. I have explained the different types you should try out in this article.
What is Dropshipping?
Dropshipping is a business model where you sell products without carrying any inventory. This means that you get products from suppliers and then resell them online. You have the leverage not to store the products; you find a manufacturer who can deliver to your target location and order directly from them.
How to Get Started with Dropshipping
First, identify what kind of products you would like to sell.
Many dropshipping products and companies will help you find suitable suppliers, like Spocket, so selecting a product that fascinates your prospective customers and a good supplier that consistently delivers quality products is critical.
Before I break this down, I want to highlight dropships’ mistakes. The most important factor is quality and shipping time. A quality product will bring positive reviews and possible referrals to your store. A quick delivery is the icing on the cake.
You may have many canceled orders if your supplier cannot deliver quickly. I use Spocket to find suppliers; this is because Spocket verifies their suppliers, and also provides quick shipping.
Can Dropshipping Be Profitable?
Dropshipping has been a profitable business from the onset; Back in 2017, dropshipping accounted for 23% of online sales valued at $85 billion, among other fulfillment models. The best time to dropship is now because experts envisage a continuous climb in that yearly retail figure.
How To Profit from Dropshipping Quickly.
Only pro dropshipper knows this and they don’t tell you.
The best way to dropship is to get an already-made store set up. Don’t get me wrong if you decide to build your own store you can be profitable too.
Imagine I introduce you to a process that will give you your desired products in 30 minutes, you also have vetted suppliers in the United States that can ship in the hour to anywhere in the world.
In 2 days you have your store, you started your marketing on the third day and the next week, you are seeing sales trickle in.
Within a month you are already making sales and crushing it.
This is how it is done and one tool that will give you that is Spocket.
Let me introduce you to my beautiful Spocket
Spocket houses suppliers based in the USA and Europe as well as globally, You’ll have access to unique high-quality winning products to sell – with fast shipping.
Spocket has pre-vetted dropshipping suppliers, all products are high-quality with dependable and easy-to-track shipping.
They offer generous discounts on their products so you can generate a generous profit margin.
Benefit Of Using Spocket
- Appealing to US and EU markets is easier when shipping meets their expectations. With fast shipping and thousands of suppliers globally, you can stay competitive with your Shopify dropshipping store using Spocket.
- Unique products that will appeal to your audience, from handmade handbags to unique custom rings, and many other quality products
- A dedicated support team is available to chat 24/7. You’ll always have someone to assist you and answer your questions
- Vetted dropshipping suppliers discount their products up to 30% so you can gain a competitive advantage and maximize your profit.
- Spocket integrates with all your favorite eCommerce platforms.
How Can A Beginner Start Dropshipping?
- Choose a niche.
- Research products
- Analyze your competition.
- Research on platforms
- Find a dropshipping supplier.
- Build your online store.
- Make a test sale
- SetupSetup Customer support
- Promote a dropshipping business.
- Be prepared to put in the work.
1. Choose a niche that interests you.
You need to understand your target market well if you want to be successful in drop shipping.
If you choose a niche that’s not your true passion, it will be harder to stick with it and generate consistent sales. Find something that interests you and focus on selling products to people who share that interest.
2. Research your competition.
Before starting dropshipping, you must understand your competitors and what they’re doing well.
Do some research online to find out what they’re selling, how much they charge for their products, and what kind of customer base they have. This will help you create better products that fit into the market and stand out from the competition.
3. Develop an effective marketing strategy.
Your marketing strategy is critical in getting people interested in buying your products. There are many different ways to market your dropshipping business, but the most important thing is finding an approach that works for you and your unique situation.
Your marketing strategy must include your weekly and monthly goals: They may consist of how many sales you must make per week, how many subscribers you should target per month, and how many visitors must be on your website every month.
This has been how I have been profitable in a short time.
It would be best if you also considered SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy for your store; you could be ranking organically for some keywords that can bring in up to 20k organic traffic monthly in a short time.
You may also want to consider hiring a marketing consultant, if your budget is much, to help guide and support your efforts throughout the entire marketing process.
4. Research on Best platforms:
I explained in the second paragraph, “What Determine A Successful Dropshipping Business,” that I got an already-made shop from Alidropship, and in 3 weeks, I was already implementing my Facebook ads. Many people are sorry about the right design, payment setup, and branding.
Your worry should only be finding the right products after that, your marketing.
5. Find a dropshipping supplier.
This is important if you are not using already mad store setup like Alidropship. I recommend extensive research on whom to drop ship from and checking for metrics like positive reviews, shipping costs and fees, quality of products, and shipping duration.
However, Spocket has made the job very easy for you; they have already vetted suppliers to help you make your work easy. Also, they handle the shipping for you.
6. Set up a robust eCommerce platform.
Your eCommerce platform is vital in running your dropshipping business. It’s essential to have a forum that’s easy to use, like Alidroship, that has everything set up for you. You manage your inventory, sales data, and customer relations all in one place.
Some other popular eCommerce platforms for dropshipping include Shopify and eBay Commerce.
7. Make a test Sale:
After the store is set up, buy something yourself from your store, and go through the process to see if there is any other thing you are leaving on the table. You don’t know if you will find another hurdle to cross.
8. Setup Customer support:
Everyone loves good customer service.
New drop shippers may not be aware of this; your store will respond to calls and emails from buyers once you begin selling.
People will call to ask for the shipping fee, location, shipping time, refunds, coupon not working, this page is a down payment issue, etc.
Your ability to work with them and solve their problem on time will make your brand sound.
9: Promote a dropshipping business.
Traffic is the breath of your business; how good can you bring quality traffic to your store? How often can you deliver the traffic, and how much money can you invest to achieve your weekly and monthly financial goals?
Start promoting your store immediately after you finish the set-up.
10. Be prepared to work hard.
Dropshipping is a business model that requires a lot of hard work and dedication. If you’re not willing to put in the effort, you won’t be successful with dropshipping. Make sure you have a good business plan, a strong marketing strategy, and the necessary eCommerce resources before starting your own dropshipping business.
There are a few different types of dropshipping, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. Here’s a breakdown of the different types:
5 Different Types of Dropshipping Models
- Storefront dropshipping
- Private label dropshipping
- Co-op Dropshipping
- Clickbank Dropshipping
- Affiliate marketing
1. Storefront dropshipping:
This is probably the most common type. You set up a store on Amazon or eBay and sell products from that store. This is the most accessible dropshipping type because you don’t need to create any products. All you need is a suitable shipping address, an Amazon or eBay account, and enough product inventory to meet customer demand.
2. Private Label Dropshipping:
This is similar to storefront dropshipping, but instead of selling products from your store, you sell products that have been branded with your company name or logo.
This dropshipping can be more challenging than storefront dropshipping because you have to create high-quality products that match the branding standards of your competition.
3. Co-op Dropshipping:
Co-op dropshipping is similar to private label dropshipping, but it involves forming a cooperative relationship with other businesses in your industry. For example, you could create a collaborative relationship with other online retailers to source products for sale on your website.
This approach can be more efficient than a private label or storefront dropshipping because you won’t have to compete with other sellers for customer attention.
4. Clickbank Dropshipping:
Clickbank dropshipping is a popular style of dropshipping that uses Clickbank as your auction platform.
This approach is easy to set up because you only need an account with Clickbank and an inventory of products you can sell. Clickbank dropshipping is lucrative because you can earn a commission on every sale.
5. Affiliate Marketing:
Affiliate marketing is another popular option for Dropshipping entrepreneurs. With affiliate marketing, you partner with other businesses to promote their products.
You earn a commission when a customer clicks through your link and makes a purchase. This commission structure is one of the main reasons why affiliate marketing is such a powerful tool for online entrepreneurs.
Types Of Products You Can Dropship
There are three primary types of dropshipping: premium, discount, and wholesale.
Premium dropshipping is best suited for high-demand products and an elevated price point. You’ll need to find products with a high demand and price point and then focus on providing superior quality and customer service so that buyers are willing to pay a premium for your product.
Discount dropshipping is perfect for products that have a lower demand but still have some appeal. You’ll need to find products with a low order and price point, but ensure you provide excellent quality and customer service to keep buyers happy.
Wholesale dropshipping is perfect for products that don’t have much appeal or demand but still need to be sold. You’ll need to find products that aren’t popular or in high order, but you can still make money by selling them through your website at a discounted price.
3 Different Types Of Dropshipping Setup
- Storefront Dropshipping
- Amazon FBA
- Dropship services
1. Storefront Dropshipping:
This is the most accessible type of dropshipping. You set up an online store using a website like Alidropship and Shopify list your products there. Then, add a virtual “shop shelf” shipping container to your store and start selling!
2. Get started with dropshipping with Amazon FBA:
If you’re comfortable working with digital products, then this is the perfect type of dropshipping for you! You set up an Amazon account and warehouse (or “FBA”) and then start selling products you already have or producing yourself. You’ll need to find suppliers who offer quality products at competitive prices. However, this approach can be very successful if done correctly.
3. Dropship services:
If you’re not interested in starting your own eCommerce business from scratch, consider using a dropshipper as your partner. These companies take care of all the setup for you, from setting up your online, Alidropship and Spocket
How Can I start Dropshipping with no Money?
If you’re looking to start a dropshipping business and don’t have any money, to begin with, there are a few different ways to get started.
You can either find a partner willing to invest in your business, or you can find products you can sell on dropshipping platforms without spending any money yourself.
As I will explain below, forums are a good start for you.
If you make forums your home and marketplace, you will do great because of the free traffic.
How to Market Dropshipping Products Without Money?
You can market your dropshipping products on popular Facebook groups in your niche, but don’t market a pet product in a women’s beauty Facebook group; this will earn you a ban or no interactions.
The technique for marketing dropshipping products is simply by sharing the benefits of the products. Don’t sell the products directly. For example, if you are selling a pet product, you could come up with pros and cons, benefits, how to, and when to types of posts. When people interact with your content, you can redirect them to your DM for further details. That is where you share your product link.
Another place with high engagement rates is forums. Forums like Reddit, quora have proven to be very effective.
Choosing the proper forum is essential to selling your dropshipping products. Finding the ideal community relevant to your product niche would be best.
Select popular forums with a large number of participants and posts. Make sure that members post regularly.
How to Market Your Products on Forums Effectively.
The first step is to sign up to quora.com; this is relatively simple; you have different options; one is to use your Gmail. Another is to sign up with Facebook, and the last chance is with your email.
The second step will be to search for topics in your niche, and if you want to micro-niche, you can do the same. See picture below
Finally, searching for posts with high engagement, updated daily or weekly, should be your focus; this ensures that your comment will be seen by hundreds weekly. If your post has brought value to people, be sure that you can get up to one thousand views every week.
Focus on the top influencers:
- Find the influencers in the forums where you participate. You can accomplish this by participating in active debates.
- Participate in their postings and ask them questions.
- Once you’ve established a connection with them, ask if they’d want to join in your product releases or advertise your items.
Post Frequently: Post replies to topics regularly, participate in forums, and provide helpful information to users. You will find getting recognized on the platform difficult unless you post frequently. People will be more eager to engage with you and your business if you post regularly.
Don’t Spam Forum: Avoid sending spam or getting embroiled in debates. Members will lose trust in you, and you may be banned. Your top priority should be to be trustworthy and to create links on forums.
The Best Products To Dropship Now
When brainstorming dropshipping product ideas, look for niches with little competition and high search volume.
Alternatively, you might ride the trend wave and go for things that sell like hotcakes for a limited time.
One tool that helps with this is Google Trends.
You can let Spocket do the job for you to find vetted products, suppliers, and fast shipping.
Here Is A List Of 10 Products that Must Consider Dropshipping
- Beauty products for women
- Personal care products
- Kids products
- iPhone USB Cable and Type C Fast Charger
- Gaming products
- Pets
- Gaming Headsets
- Repair Tool Kit
- Massage kits
- Weigh loss Kits
Dropshipping Niches To Avoid: Bad for Dropshipping
Not every product is appropriate for dropshipping. In truth, Many products are unsuitable for dropshipping because of their return rates and health concerns.
Some of the Products include the following:
1. Dangerous goods are not suitable for dropshipping (e.g., kitchen knives, flammable products).
2. fragile Products are not suitable for dropshipping. You cannot control how they’re packaged or handled during transit, and fragile items may arrive shattered.
3. Products containing copyrighted imagery (e.g., branded clothing, devices with manufacturers’ names).
4. weighty Items. Shipping heavy items are more expensive, especially for international orders.
5. Certain clothing styles (e.g., fitted clothing, couture, high-end fashion). More returns are likely when there is a higher risk of an item not working.
Where To Advertise Dropshipping
Do you feel you are not getting so many returns in your store, or are you just starting and want to be sure you are taking the proper steps?
After picking the right products and getting your store up and running, paid advertising will help you get returns quickly.
It would help if you started with Facebooks Ads. Why? It is a guaranteed way to make returns on investment if done correctly. From my experience, do not treat Facebook as just one part of business; let it be the core of it.
Invest more money in your Ads than in your store. Do you know why? Without good traffic, you will have a good store without sales.
So, you must be willing to test what works until you have a result.
Many times, I run two different Ads at the same time. I use other images, the exact location of different target audiences, and after three days, I turn off the one with low results. It has always worked that way.
Below Are The Places Where To Advertise Dropshipping Products
- YouTube adsFacebook Ads
- Facebook Ads
- Quora Ads
- Google Ads
- Instagram Ads
- Instagram Influencers
- Twitter Ads
- Outbrain Ads
- Propeller Ads
- Influencer Advertising
1. YouTube ads:
YouTube is a great place to promote your dropshipping products and company. Especially if your product is a tool for weight loss, and if you consider a video description will drive home the point quickly.
You have a few possibilities for using YouTube as an advertising platform.
Another option for YouTube is influencers. People believe what influencers say and pay attention to the items and businesses they suggest in YouTube videos.
If you’re looking for a particular niche, you can always browse around to see if there are any YouTube influencers available!
If you’ve identified a YouTube influencer in your niche, you may approach them to perform a product review.
Remember to provide a link to the product in your store!
2. Facebook Ads:
I have emphasized that paid advertising is better if you want o make money quickly. Paid social media advertising is an immediate approach to increasing the reach of your products and store. Facebook is the most popular social media network selling adverts, with 2.91 billion active members.
Facebook collects many user data and makes it available to marketers to target their consumers.
You can target only women who show interest in that particular product or niche you are.
When designing a Facebook Ad, you can include demographic information such as gender, location, and age, this makes it very easy to sell, and Facebook truly distinguishes itself from other platforms with all these features.
3. Quora Ads
People visit Quora to ask questions and read and exchange intelligent responses. People looking for trustworthy information about your company, goods, rivals, and industry fall into this category.
Your company can impact a high-intent audience at the consideration stage of their purchasing process by using Quora Ads. This makes Quora great for reaching clients actively looking for a product.
4. Google Ads For Dropshipping:
Using Google Ads for dropshipping has always proven to be effective. 73% of the paid search market belongs to Google, which is very effective.
One Google Ads trick will be if you see that one product is delivering a high volume of conversions at a low cost-per-conversion, you may choose to raise the maximum CPC bid on that product. You can lower your bids accordingly if your other products aren’t performing well.
5. Instagram Ads:
You can also advertise your dropshipping store on Instagram. You can run your Ads campaign in two ways.
One way to do this is by using your Facebook Ads manager, while the second is by boosting a post directly from your Instagram page.
I will recommend you try both and choose which brings in more conversion.
6. Instagram Influencers:
After setting up your store, you pay someone to recommend one of your products in their post on their Instagram feed for a set period.
After that period, the influencer will remove your post from their page, but you may try to work out a contract in which they will keep it on their page for a longer time.
The cost of an influencer shoutout is determined by the size of their followers and the quality of their engagement rate.
7. Twitter Ads
Twitter Ads are another way to advertise your dropshipping store.
Twitter is another popular social networking platform that you’ve undoubtedly heard of. In the fourth quarter of 2018, it had an average of 321 million monthly users!
Twitter Ads can be added to your marketing campaign framework.
8. Outbrain Ads:
Outbrain is an excellent example of native Ads meant for dropshippers.
Native advertisements act more subtly. The primary goal of a native ad is not to sell; instead, it is to provide value to the audience by assisting them in solving issues or improving their lives.
Native advertising educates or informs potential customers. In other words, they engage them with helpful, relevant material.
You can use a good blog post about a particular product to promote your hot niche.
9. Propeller Ads:
Propeller Ads are another native ad type that can help your store convert traffic to customers quickly. Many marketers use these as alternatives to Facebook Ads and Google Ads. You should include this in your marketing campaign plan.
10. Influencer Advertising:
Influencer marketing is good for dropshipping because your influencer is a social media god.
It relies on product endorsements and mentions from influencers—individuals with a large social following are regarded as experts in their field.
It would help if you searched for influencer marketing agencies; this can be an added advantage for your business.
The Pros and Cons of Dropshipping
Dropshipping is a great way to start your own business, but it has some cons you should be aware of. Here are the pros and cons of dropshipping:
Pros:
-You can start your own business without any upfront investment.
-You can work from home.
-You can set your hours.
-You can control your marketing and sales strategy.
-You can make great money with Dropshipping if you do it correctly.
Cons:
-It can be challenging to find products to dropship.
-It can be hard to find suppliers who will drop ship with you.
That is why I recommend Spocket.
Do You Need Money to Start Dropshipping?
You don’t need money to start dropshipping, but this will limit your growth. You can sign up on Aliexpress and use forums and Facebook groups to promote your products.
There are a few things you need to do to dropship successfully:
- You’ll need to find products that customers want.
- You’ll need to find a way to connect with potential customers.
- You’ll need to find ways to promote your products and generate sales.
Do You Need A Website To Dropship?
You do not need a website to dropship because of platforms like Facebook, Alidropship, Instagram, TikTok, and forum sites.
A website is just one of the many channels to dropship.
If you have a good following on your Facebook page, TikTok, and Forums, you may not need a website to dropship.
What you must do is create value every time and build trust. Suggest your products in our reels and short videos, and drop your affiliate links.
Be sure to use a URL shortener to shorten your URLs before you drop them.
Final Thought
The article is long that is because I tried to answer many questions you could possibly ask about dropshipping.
When I visit forum sites, I noticed many people still can find their feet. You might have to read through again so that you can pick the lines that are specific for you.
You can use my recommended tools for good and fast results, they are Spocket and Alidropship
Thank you for reading.
