The world of eCommerce is growing at an exponential rate. Millions of people want to start an online business but do not know where to start. We have all heard about the big dropshipping players on Amazon and eBay, but what about smaller retailers?
Dropshipping is an excellent option for those looking to sell their products online without having to deal with the hassle of running their website or its costs. It is also easy to set up using popular and well-supported tools such as WordPress and Woocommerce. If you are looking to start a dropshipping store, here is everything you need to know.
What is Dropshipping?
Dropshipping is a new business model that has emerged in recent years. It is different from traditional online retailing because the retailer does not own or store the products they sell. Instead, the retailer resells products from other vendors and collects payments for the product based on how much profit they make on each sale.
The idea behind dropshipping is simple: you sell products without actually owning them. To do this, you will need to find suppliers who offer high-quality products at low prices, then buy bulk quantities and sell them online through your online store.
How Does Dropshipping Work?
Dropshipping is a framework in which retailers sell their products through an external marketplace like Amazon or eBay while maintaining control of their inventory, branding, and shipping department. So it is when a company sells its products directly on another retailer’s website. The retailer, in this case, acts as an intermediary between the consumer and the supplier. And they package up their orders in a way that looks appealing on the site they sell. This saves both parties time and money by eliminating unnecessary steps like packaging items separately or paying for expensive shipping fees.
Besides, dropshipping stores have no physical location and operate online only. Therefore, they do not need traditional storefronts or storefront employees because they sell directly to consumers through an online marketplace such as Amazon or eBay or their own eCommerce sites.
In addition, dropshipping fulfillment centers are usually located around the world, so you do not have to worry about shipping fees or taxes. You also will not need to worry about storing inventory as long as a vendor has enough stock for you to fulfill orders when they come in.
However, if you are considering diving into the world of dropshipping, setting up your own store on WooCommerce is a good option. Not only is it one of the best platforms for creating a dropshipping store, but it is also affordable and easy to use. Here is why you should go for WooCommerce for dropshipping;
Why is WooCommerce the best for Dropshipping?
WooCommerce is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms used by online stores today with many features and plugins – easily customizable to fulfill the needs of a store owner. It can be used to run a wide variety of businesses. For example, you can use WooCommerce for B2B, use WooCommerce with LearnDash to sell online courses, offer subscriptions and more. Dropshipping is just one of many possibilities.
Conveniently, you can use WooCommerce with Elementor and other page builders and there are many WooCommerce themes at your disposal. As a result, it is easy to create an attractive storefront with very little coding.
The platform enables you to sell products directly on your website or via other marketplaces such as Amazon or eBay. If you choose to, you can integrate with these marketplaces to give your business more exposure or better reach. Also, you can easily add products from any third-party marketplace with just a few clicks, create custom product variations, and set up multiple shipping options.
Most importantly, due to the great variety of extensions and plugins for WooCommerce in the market, you’ll find no shortage of specialized dropshipping solutions.
WooCommerce Dropshipping Plugins
With so many options, it can be challenging to know which dropshipping tools are worth using. Therefore, we have put together this list to help you get started.
WooDropship
WooDropship is a premium WooCommerce plugin that allows you to create your dropshipping store. The plugin works by helping you add Aliexpress products to your store on auto. Products, with images, titles, descriptions, pricing, and variants are imported with a few clicks for you to resell on your own WordPress site.
With the plugin, you can set up multiple shipping options with separate pricing for each. The plugin also allows you to add tracking numbers to orders so that you can keep tabs on their status in real-time.
Features
- Intuitive tools and navigations.
- Order fulfillment with a single click.
- Complete control over items and their appearance.
- A Google Chrome extension for quick product import.
The WooDropship plugin has a one-time charge of $97.
AliDropship
AliDropship is a powerful and flexible dropshipping plugin for WooCommerce. Like the previous option, it provides you with the tools for selling, shipping, and delivering products from Aliexpress through your online store. It automatically imports products into WooCommerce based on their SKU numbers or UPCs. What’s best is that you can save time from placing orders manually, since the orders are placed to Aliexpress vendors automatically.
Features
- Easy to set up and use.
- Get access to AliDropship’s product feed and data right away.
- Manage orders and customers in real-time.
- Place orders from vendors automatically
- Set prices automatically using the plugin’s pricing markup formula.
- Import reviews into your site directly from AliExpress.
The AliDropship plugin costs $89 as a one-time fee.
DropshipMe
DropshipMe is a plugin that automates the process of drop shipping. It allows you to create your storefront, add products, and edit them anytime. You can also use this plugin to set up shipping, coupon codes, and more.
One of the features that make this plugin stand out is that it can help you with product selection, as they pick out the best dropshipping products for you. It also lets you quickly search for products and automatically import them to your site. Plus, customer reviews are automatically imported to your site.
DropshipMe is a free plugin however, you will need to pay for one of their pay packages if you need to import more than 50 products. The pricing starts from $29 for 100 products to $199 for 1000 products.
Features
- Search for and import products with a few clicks.
- Access to their selection of curated products from Aliexpress
- Optimized product titles and images were done for you.
- Management for taxes and shipping.
- Shipping label creation and printing.
- Returns management (both manual and automatic).
Spocket
Spocket is a service that allows you to choose products to sell from a wide range of dropshipping suppliers in the category of your choice. It also allows you to order samples and manage all of your orders directly from their dashboard. Spocket can be connected to WooCommerce through a plugin, making sure all of its data is synced with your WordPress online store. Plus you get 24/7 access to Spocket’s dedicated support team.
Features
- Vetted US and global dropshipping suppliers
- Easy to install and use
- One-click order fulfillment
- Shipment tracking
- Real-time inventory updates
- Branded invoicing to give your business a professional look
Spocket costs from $12 to $299 a month, depending on the store size.
Tips For Starting a Successful WooCommerce Dropshipping Business
The key to starting a successful WooCommerce dropshipping business is to have a plan. There are many things to consider when starting a WooCommerce dropshipping store. However, if you are ready to take the plunge and give it a try, here are some tips that will help you get started:
Choose your niche
Choosing a niche is the most crucial step in starting a WooCommerce dropshipping business. The key to success is finding a product in high demand, but unfortunately, it is not nearly as simple as it seems.
The best way to find out which product you should sell is to do your research. You can use Google Trends or product hunting tools to find what people are searching for. You can also use Google or Amazon’s sales rank and the number of reviews to see what products are selling well and then use those items as inspiration. Some WooCommerce dropshipping plugins can also provide you with product recommendations.
Once you have a list of products, start by looking at their reviews and customer ratings on Amazon or eBay. If they have lots of positive feedback and high sales numbers, they will be successful too!
For example, if you want to sell clothes, go through each item in your wardrobe and figure out which ones you would be willing to buy from other stores. If none fit your needs, maybe you need something else. Once you figure out what works for you, you can work on building your brand around it by going into more detail about who makes these clothes and why they are worth buying from them instead of other places.
Find The Right Supplier
Another important tip in your quest for dropshipping success is to find the right supplier. That might sound obvious, but many suppliers out there are not ready or willing to work with you. A lot of WooCommerce plugins work directly with Aliexpress while other services like Spocket have their own list of vetted suppliers.
So what should you look for? Here are some of the things you can consider when vetting your suppliers:
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Research The Company Before Contacting Them
Determine whether they are trustworthy or not. Look at their website and social media pages, read reviews from past customers and see if they have any negative feedback. Also, check their site’s FAQ page to see what frequent questions people ask.
Therefore, you will have an idea of whether or not they are knowledgeable about their products or services or if any hidden costs need to be considered before working with them.
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Examine Suppliers’ Quality Control Processes
Quality control is one of the most important aspects of running a business. You must ensure that your suppliers can produce high-quality products without any issues or delays.
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Check Shipping Policies
Does the supplier charge extra fees for large orders or shipping outside their country? For example, many drop shippers will offer free shipping on small orders and then charge extra for large ones; others charge more than just delivery costs.
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Check Their Turnaround Time
Look at how long it takes them to deliver their products. Due to high shipping costs and customs taxes, most suppliers are very busy and may take 3-4 weeks to ship out orders from China.
Create And Optimize Your E-Commerce Website
If you are launching a dropshipping business, you will need a great eCommerce website. If you are using WooCommerce, the best approach is to invest in WooCommerce development to build a site that is well designed, optimized for search engines, has quick page loading times, and is easy to navigate.
A well-optimized WooCommerce store can help you succeed in the dropshipping business. A well-designed website will help you increase your conversion rate, get more sales, and ultimately save more money because of less inventory management.
Here are some tips for optimizing your eCommerce website:
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Create Content
Write articles and blog posts about how to use your products and what they are used for. This will help people learn more about how to use them and why they should be using them.
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Use Images
Ensure that you have well-developed images on your site so that customers can see what the product looks like before purchasing it.
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Ensure Everything Works
Make sure that everything on your site works correctly and functions as intended. If anything does not work properly, then it could be causing confusion or frustration for visitors who come to your site looking for information on how to use your products.
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Clear CTAs
Use clear call-to-action buttons that encourage users to add items to their cart or make a purchase.
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Integrate Social Media
Add social media icons on product pages so customers can share their purchases with friends or followers directly from their browser.
Conduct Competitive Research
You must conduct competitive research to see if your niche has any competition. The best way to do this is by using Google Trends.
You can also use the WooCommerce Add-On Store Statistics plugin, which shows you how many products are sold on each site and their average prices. This will give you a good idea of how much you need to sell your products.
Next, check out your competitors’ websites and determine their selling prices. Then make a list of all the available products, their selling price per product, and the quantity available per product. You can also use the WooCommerce Add-On Store Statistics plugin for this step.
Make A Customer Acquisition Strategy
If you are new to the world of dropshipping, you may be wondering how to go about making a business from scratch. The best way is to figure out your customer acquisition strategy.
Start by defining your ideal customer and how many of them you want to reach with your products. You can also see if there are any trends or patterns in your industry that could help you identify a market that is ripe for being tapped into as an eCommerce business. Once you have all this information, it is time to start creating a plan of action.
The next step is to create content that will appeal to your target audience while also providing value. This content should be good quality and well-written, as you want it to be easy for your customers to find and read through.
You can use these articles as an introduction when contacting potential customers or as a sales tool. Also, you should use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as part of your marketing strategy. This will allow you to gain more exposure for your products, which is vital if you want to grow your business in the long term.
Deliver Excellent Customer Service.
One of the most important things you can do to start a successful WooCommerce dropshipping business is to deliver excellent customer service. This will be your way of thanking your customers for their business and encouraging them to return in the future.
If you want people to choose your products over others, you need to ensure that you are always there for them. It is not enough to have a website and product database — you must be able to offer tangible help and support when people get stuck or confused.
Excellent service will help you stand out from the crowd and get people to trust you. If you are selling a physical product, you must make sure that your customers feel valued and listened to. If you can offer excellent customer service, it will also help them feel like they are getting a product that fits their needs, rather than just another random one-off purchase from some random website or marketplace.
Final Words
Do not be afraid to put yourself out there! Starting a dropshipping store is easy; the proper education and guidance will make things much more manageable. If setting up your WooCommerce site seems like a lot, you can enlist the help of our expert WooCommerce developers to do the heavy lifting. Use these tips to get started, and hopefully, you will also start seeing some positive trends in your business. Good luck!
