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7 Essential Steps to Building a Successful Drop Shipping Business

April 14, 2019 0eCommerce Tips

The online business space is booming and drop shipping has become one of the most popular business models of the century. There are several things that make drop shipping attractive. It is one of the easiest ways to start making money online with very little risks involved. Depending on the kind of products you choose to handle, the business can be started with very little capital.

Although drop shipping is considered relatively easy to start. Nevertheless, building a successful drop shipping business, especially with an eCommerce platform like Shopify, takes planning and sustained effort. With several people already engaged in the most profitable niches, new entrants will have to work smarter to make headway. In this article, we will discuss seven essential steps anyone can take to build a successful drop shipping business:

Choose the Right Niche

Find your niche.

The need to choose the right niche cannot be overemphasized. Some assume they can start with anything at all and figure out what they really want to handle with time. While this may work for some, it doesn’t always work out for several others. It is important that you choose a niche that you are actually interested in.

However, it does not have to be about passion; consider what you really want to achieve with your drop shipping business and choose a niche with the right potentials. Some important factors you should consider while choosing a niche include attractive profits, low shipping cost, appealing products, products that are being searched for, and products that are not readily available in the local market. It will also be helpful to choose products you can easily brand and sell as your own.

Research the Competition

As hinted in the introductory part of the article, there can be serious competition in drop shipping. Some of the most profitable niches already have individuals that are doing so well. If you are interested in such niches, you will have to work harder and smarter to make a name for your business. It is wrong to run from competition: serious competition is a sign that a particular niche has serious demand.

Research the competition and understand how they are doing their thing. During your research, it will be helpful to find a differentiator. When you are able to successfully make your shop different from the rest, it will be easier to get the attention of your audience and sell more.

Choose Your Supplier

This is another important step you have to handle with care. When you work with the right people, your business stands a better chance of becoming successful. On the other hand, choosing the wrong partners can ruin your drop shipping business as soon as you start. There is no need to rush this process.

Take your time to search for suppliers and consider such important factors as reputation and communication style before deciding to work with any supplier. Ask your potential supplier important questions to understand their production capabilities. They should be able to scale with you when your business starts growing rapidly.

Create Your E-Commerce Website

Your website will significantly influence your drop shipping business. You need the type of website that your potential customers will enjoy shopping from. The fastest way to create such a website is to use a simple e-commerce platform like Shopify. You don’t need a tech background to get this done and there are lots of helpful features that make selling easier.

Although, it is not a bad idea to hire professionals to create a custom e-commerce website for you but ensure that you hire the right people that can create a unique website that is easy to browse. It should be a responsive website that can work for mobile and desktop browsers perfectly. Your website should also be easy for your customers to check out.

Develop a Business Plan

You need a solid plan to succeed at anything and drop shipping is not an exception. With your great product and awesome website in place, the next important thing is to develop a business plan to work with. Your audience, product, partners, and competitions should be featured in your plan. As mentioned earlier, finding a differentiator can be very helpful. You have to do more, however. Customer acquisition and plan for profitability should be prioritized.

Market Your Business

Marketing is an essential aspect of any business. Online marketing, therefore, is very critical for your drop shopping business. Your competitors are marketing, and it is required that you market, too, to get ahead. In fact, it is expected that you market like crazy when you want to build a successful drop shipping business.

Marketing like crazy doesn’t mean you should throw away money; you can be aggressive with marketing and still remain profitable. Facebook advertising is one of the best ways to reach new customers but it is not the only way. Your marketing plan should include a strong mix of SEO, email, social media, and content.

Analyze and Optimize

Depending on your major customer acquisition channel, you need to analyze available data and optimize your strategy. Google Analytics and Facebook pixel data are among the data sources you will need to understand how your online endeavors are going. By analyzing your data, you can see what is working and what is not. Do not be afraid to make changes: do more of the things that work and eliminate the things that don’t work.

 

With drop shipping, starting a business can be very fun. It offers an amazing way to build successful online businesses and you can join the smart individuals making so much money from it. By following the steps discussed here diligently, you stand a great chance of building a very successful online business through drop shipping.

Do you need help with your drop shipping business? Contact us today at Fulfillman. We are leading service provider of Drop Shipping, China sourcing, Warehouse fulfillment, Third Party Logistics, and many more. Our dedicated team will be available to speak with you and discuss your needs. With our state-of-the-art technology, we can help you achieve your short and long-term business goals. An amazing experience awaits you.