Published on April 27th, 2019 | by Guest

Everything You Must Know Before Starting a Dropshipping Business

In the 21^st century there are dozens of ways to earn money using the Internet. From methods like partnering with Uber or Lyft and joining the gig economy, to becoming a software developer, there is no shortage of modes to make a living via the web. Many entrepreneurs have been using the Internet to build their own businesses for decades, and there is no better time than 2019 to do this. While there are numerous types of web-based enterprises to get involved in, the business of dropshipping is certainly one of the best.

Dropshipping is an innovative retail technique where the vendor has an online store, without having any inventory. The practice involves setting up an ecommerce store, getting customers to purchase orders online, and then placing an order with a wholesaler who then ships the products directly to the purchasing customer. What is so ground-breaking about dropshipping is the freedom it provides the owner of the company, combined with low possibility for risk because you have no inventory. It may sound simple to run a dropshipping company, and although the concept is easy to grasp, the reality of running this type of enterprise is certainly difficult if you do not know what to do. Learning about the industry is imperative if you truly want to get into this pioneering field.

Learn About E-commerce Platforms

The main driving force behind running a dropshipping company is your e-commerce platform. You will need a high-quality dropship e-commerce platform like Shopify on your company website to entice your customers. A good e-commerce platform will make your site look professional and function efficiently, so you can minimize issues, and have the ability to work fewer hours. It can also provide you with minimal upfront costs, allow you to work on optimizing your marketing, experiment with new products and suppliers, and sell to customers from all around the globe.

Properly Price Your Products

Dropshipping makes you the intermediary entity between wholesalers and consumers. Because of this, you get to set the price on what the product will cost for the consumer. Obviously, your price has to be more expensive than what you are paying the wholesaler in order to earn a profit, but do not go overboard with how expensive you make it. You are not the only dropshipping company that exists, and if consumers feel your prices are too high, they will go somewhere else. You should also not feel like you need to price your products too low in an effort to stay competitive – as long as you price your products fairly you should be successful.

Be Active on Social Media

In the 21^st century, every business needs to use social media. From local restaurants to billion-dollar enterprises, all companies are required to have social media accounts in order to be productive. Being that dropshipping companies rely on repeat business, you want to connect with your customers in order to retain their sales. Creating accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Tumblr, and other platforms will not only help with customer retention, it will give your company legitimacy. Posting about relevant topics on a regular basis is essential for positive social media use.

Final Thoughts

As the Internet age progresses, web-based businesses will only become more relevant to the economy. While there are numerous ways for online companies to be prolific, dropshipping is one of the top methods for making money on the web. When starting your own dropshipping business, as long as you remember to learn about ecommerce platforms, properly price your products, and be active on social media, you are sure to attain success.

Tags: business, ecommerce, shipping, social