How to start dropshipping?

What is dropshipping?

First of all, what exactly is dropshipping? It is simply an e-commerce method of reselling products or services without inventory. This solution allows e-merchants to sell products without having to physically store them.

His supplier takes care of supplying the product and shipping it to the final customer while the e-merchant takes care of the communication and marketing of the product. This method is very appreciated, because it allows to generate a turnover without necessarily having to worry about the charges relating to the stock of its goods (place and conditions of storage of the goods) or its supply.

What are the differences with traditional e-commerce?

The main difference between a classic online store and a dropshipping site is the storage of the merchandise which does not have to be stored and managed by the store owner. With dropshipping, this is no longer a concern.

The dropshipping site gets its products from one or more suppliers and does not need to store goods, which allows the site owners to concentrate on the commercial aspect. Traditional e-commerce sites, on the other hand, require a much heavier organization with staff allocated to this single task of logistics, storage and supply of goods.

What are the benefits of dropshipping?

Dropshipping is a great solution that allows anyone to get into the online business without too much commitment, responsibility or experience.

This process considerably reduces the financial risks and allows you to conduct market research on a particular type of product without investing in it beforehand and of course having the possibility to fulfill all orders made during your market analysis.

You will therefore be able to withdraw very easily if the results of your activity do not meet your expectations.

How do I find suppliers for my online store?

Before you can open a dropshipping online store, you need to find reliable suppliers. To do this, you can start by searching the Internet and studying the market to determine which suppliers are best suited to your business plan.

It is recommended that you take the time to compare the different suppliers and consider their quality, pricing and services to avoid any surprises when you receive orders for the products. We also recommend that you contact the suppliers to discuss the details and conditions of their service.

If you lack time or do not know where to look, several tools for creating e-commerce sites specializing in dropshipping such as Dropizi, greatly facilitate the task and provide directly in their platform a section for connecting with reliable suppliers, referenced on major platforms of wholesale products such as AlieExpress for example.

What budget to start dropshipping?

Dropshipping is a simple and cost-effective way to sell products online without having to manage inventory, which means you don't need a large budget to get started.

But you will probably need to budget for hosting and marketing costs related to your website. Your main expense will be the time you invest in finding the right supplier, building your online store and advertising it. Once these steps are completed, you will actually start selling your products.

However, it is now possible to create an online dropshipping store for free, thanks to Dropizi.

Specialized in the creation and management of dropshipping online stores, Dropizi provides all the necessary tools to create an e-commerce site at no cost for 15 days, giving you time to do your free test of their services and see if Dropshipping is for you.

What strategy for good performance?

Take care of the descriptions of your items

When designing your dropshipping online store, don't forget that Internet users need to have a good understanding of what you are selling and how they can benefit from it.

Your potential customers are more likely to make a purchase when they have a good understanding of the product upon reading, so take care with the descriptions you write for each.

Also, make sure the images you use to illustrate your product are of good quality. Your audience wants to see the product they are about to buy and clear images will help them understand what you are offering and therefore feel more comfortable pulling out the credit card.

Communicate on social networks

Once your website is online, it is important to communicate on social networks to promote your products and gain traffic. Social networks are a great way to create an online presence and get closer to your audience.

You can also use these media to run promotional campaigns for your customers, which can be useful in encouraging people to buy your products.

Enfin, ils sont également un moyen pratique d'obtenir des retours sur vos produits et services, ce qui peut être très utile pour améliorer votre site web et votre stratégie.Finally, they are also a convenient way to get feedback on your products and services, which can be very useful to improve your website and your strategy.

Never disregard SEO

Search Engine Optimization is an essential tool to increase your visibility on search engines and allow you to attract more qualified traffic to your store.

To improve SEO, you can start by optimizing the content of your e-commerce site by integrating relevant keywords and if possible have a domain name in line with the products and services you sell.

We also advise you to add a blog and to publish articles related to your activity regularly.

Finally, you can use tools like Google Analytics or Search Console to analyze your store's performance and help you understand which pages are driving the majority of your traffic and optimize the less visible ones for a better overall SEO of your site.

Offer locally made products

This is an excellent option to stand out from the competition and attract more customers and increase your sales. Many Internet users are looking for products made locally because of the level of quality that distinguishes them.

By offering local products on your e-shop, you can not only increase sales, but also enhance the visibility and brand image of your site.

From a logistical point of view, product returns will naturally be simplified as it will not be necessary for your customers to ship them back to a Asia as it is often the case.

How to create a dropshipping website?

Outsource to a professional

If you don't have technical knowledge or are looking for a turnkey solution, hiring a specialized freelancer is a great way to create an e-commerce site. Freelancers will be able to help you choose the right software and set up all the necessary tools to start your e-commerce site.

Another option is to use an agency. An agency can help you set up and manage your e-shop in the best possible conditions thanks to its expertise and skills, which will allow you to sell quickly.

Agencies are generally more expensive than a freelancer, but they can offer a much higher level of service and expertise than a single individual could provide.

Don't hesitate to ask them for examples of comparable sites they have already built and to check their references before making your decision.

Do-it-yourself

If you have time on your hands and want to launch your dropshipping store on a budget, the best thing to do is to build your online store yourself.

There are many tools and services that can help you quickly create a dropshipping e-commerce site.

We recommend Dropizi to quickly create an e-shop and find products to sell on your site.

Indeed, their e-commerce solution offers to put you directly in touch with suppliers and brands to find the products that interest you in order to save a considerable amount of time in launching your business.

On the other hand, the interconnection with the proposed suppliers allows you to automatically update the stocks displayed on your website according to the real stocks of your partners.

If you want to compare this solution to other platforms, also take a look at Shopify and Webflow. Both can also help you launch your dropshipping website.

Conclusion

Dropshipping is a great option for entrepreneurs who want to get into e-commerce without having to manage logistics. With the right supplier and the right tools, you will be able to easily manage your business and increase profits.

Using a platform like Dropizi, you can easily create and manage your dropshipping online store.

However, to get good performance with your dropshipping e-shop, you need to implement an effective strategy. You will have to take care of the product descriptions and use quality images, communicate on social networks and optimize the natural referencing of your store.

If you want to expand your knowledge on the subject of dropshipping, we recommend you to check out this comprehensive and very detailed guide from Dropizi (in french) to learn more. This guide offers in-depth information on how dropshipping works as well as practical tips on how to make your project successful.