Normally when you want to sell a product, you go for it from the producer or supplier and then keep it in your warehouse/store. You wait for a customer to place an order then you ship it to them. With drop shipping, this traditional means of supplying is ruled out. Here, a customer makes an order; you forward the order to your supplier who in turn ships the product to the customer directly. Note that you have no contact with the product hence saving you costs such as storage costs.
Below are seven tips one needs to put in mind while setting up a drop shipping business;
- It is better to have your own website; it is very profitable to have your own page to market the products you offer. Starting out is not all that easy as there are so many competitors out there but having a page of your own is more profitable than using other pages like Amazon, eBay. Some of them actually require you to pay some annual fee to be able to use their page. There are several online platforms that can help you setup your own website without having to hire the services of a programmer and they have simple do-it-yourself steps to help you do so.
- Find your market niche; what is your target group? If you have in mind what type of customers you are targeting, then you need to specialize in that specific area. This is what interested you in the first place so that you decide to get into the business. So find your niche and stick to providing products in that area and you are guaranteed of success.
- Marketing; you need to make sure that your services are known. This is important so that you can get customers. There are so many platforms where you can market, starting with the social media. You can also offer freebies to suppliers that you are targeting.
- Source for suppliers; you need to find suppliers for your products. This entails a lot of research on your part since you would not want to have your customers unsatisfied with your services. Start by looking at the suppliers at your local area, see if they offer what you want and then move on to online reliable suppliers. With online suppliers you have to be keen, check out reviews and be the judge of which one suits you.
- Focus on value addition; it’s not just about providing services, aim at being exemplary at providing those services. Keep in mind that you have other competitors in the business and most have more experience than you do. So focus on adding value rather than the returns and it will pay off eventually.
- Long-term projection; when you start up a business your main aim is to earn money and online jobs give you an opportunity to do that. Do not go with the mind of making money right away since that is what most people do and after a few months they quit. It takes time and commitment as well as hard work for a business to finally pay off. Start it with this view that in the long run things will finally go as you wished.
- Customer service; make sure that you provide a satisfactory service to your customers. You are building your business and the people you offer services will review your work make sure it is to their satisfaction. In turn they will recommend other customers and your business will grow.
With the above tips you will find that starting up a drop shipping business is easy but remember as stated above patience pays. Don’t be in a hurry to make quick money. Research keenly and then get started as soon as you can.