Starting an e-commerce business? How about dropshipping? It happens to be the most convenient entry into the e-commerce game, if you really want to just get started. Need to start out your own Shopify e-commerce store and avoid a lot of fuss with inventory management? Then dropshipping on Shopify might be your magic solution. Dropshipping doesn’t require any previous experience; basic knowledge of only a few items is enough.
Dropshipping lets you sell products to your customers without touching or handling the products directly. Yes this all can happen, when a customer places an order, your supplier ships the products directly to your customer. This model makes it easy to run a business without requiring extra time in inventory directly or to worry about shipping logistics.
Let’s explore how to start dropshipping with Shopify and everything you need to know to start your online store. You will build a good understanding of Shopify dropshipping, finding products, and when to hire a Shopify expert to make things easier.
What is Dropshipping?
Before we start with how to start dropshipping with Shopify, one needs to understand the concept of dropshipping. In dropshipping you do not keep a product in stock, rather when a customer places an order, your partnered supplier will ship the product to the customer directly, which means you never touched the product yourself, and you only pay for the product once you have made the sale! Let’s understand the advantages:
- Low startup costs, no need to invest in inventory.
- No need for a warehouse, no inventories to store.
- Your focus would be more on growing your business not on inventory and shipping.
All the time it’s not about the advantages, sometimes it is about drawbacks as well. One of the cons you would face is that you do not hold any control over the quality of the product. You trust or rely on the supply for stock. Which means if they run out of stock, you lose sales until they restock it.
How to Start Dropshipping on Shopify
Here is a guide to help you on how to get started with Shopify dropshipping.
Step 1: Create a Shopify Account
The first step is to create a Shopify account. Go to the Shopify website and click on sign up. Shopify is currently offering a free trial, three days free and after that you will be charged $1/month for the next 3 months (subject to change by Shopify). This is a great way to set up your store before signing up for any huge payment plans.
Click on the signup and fill in all the details about you and your business. Then, you are all set to explore Shopify to build your profitable online store.
Step 2: Choose a Brand Name and Niche for Your Store
Now as you have created your account, the next step is to decide on a creative yet easy to find brand name for your store. The brand name should convey your identity. For names, you can search some business-related keywords, take ideas from other brands, your brand should be easy to pronounce and should stay in a customers mind. You can also use a business name generator or tools like ChatGPT.
Niche is equally important. Because it’s important to define the market you want to target. For example, if you are planning to deal in beauty products or home decor, then choosing a niche is essential as it helps to define your marketing strategies to attract the right customers. Here are some tips.
- Choose a product or niche you are truly passionate or interested about. This will help you market the product easily as you know the product in and out!
- Digging, digging, and digging. Research what is trending, what product people are searching for. Tools like Google trends, product recommendations, and Google Search Console can help you find popular products on Shopify.
- You should look for niches which are not too competitive but still have a demand. Try to avoid overly saturated or crowded markets.
Step 3: Research Your Competitors
Competitor analysis is a must. You should be aware of the potential we are launching ourselves against. This helps when starting a dropshipping business. Observe what other dropshippers are doing. Check offerings, products, and marketing strategies. Also keep an eye on their product review page, social media pages, and ads to see what attracts the customers.
Step 4: Find Dropshipping Suppliers
The next step is looking for suppliers who offer dropshipping services. The supplier will do everything, including sourcing, managing inventory,accepting orders, payments, and shipping the product to customer address. All this is a huge responsibility, and the choice of supplier can create an impact on your dropshipping business.
Shopify has many apps and integrations which will connect you to dropshipping suppliers. Keeping single or multiple dropshipping suppliers is your choice. Shopify apps help you find products, import them to your Shopify store, and regulate the order fulfillment process.
- Before committing to the supplier, always check reviews and order a sample to check the quality the supplier is going to provide to your customers.
- Look for suppliers that have lesser or reasonable shipping times. Delay or longer delivery period might upset your customers and get you a negative review.
- Price, price, price. Do not blindly choose just any supplier, make sure the supplier’s pricing allows you to set a reasonable markup and still make a profit.
Step 5: Curate Products That Resonate with Audience and Define Prices
In dropshipping, the products in your online store are defined by the supplier’s inventory. It’s important to define a selection that connects with your niche audience. Right product strategy creates cross-selling opportunities, which makes shoppers add additional products to their cart.
Choose a price strategy that includes the supplier price, your profit, as well as other operating expenses. Set the margin correctly by calculating your costs. Ensure you don’t overprice your product, keep a balance to make your store competitive.
Step 6: Set Up Your Shopify Store
Once you’ve chosen your niche and found suppliers, it’s time to set up your Shopify store. Shopify offers a simple drag-and-drop interface, so you don’t need to know any coding to create your website.
- Pick a theme: Shopify has both free and paid themes. Choose a theme that matches the vibe of your niche.
- Add your products: Import products from your supplier or use the product recommendations app for Shopify to find products.
- Set up payment gateways: Shopify has tie-ups with several payment providers like PayPal and Stripe, so you can start accepting payments.
- Create your “About Us” page and policies: About us page creates authority and reliability. People can go to your about us page and see the information which will make them satisfied that they are genuine. It’s also important to have clear return and shipping policies.
Step 7: Market Your Store
Setting up your store is no small task, however you cannot forget the marketing aspect. Creating an advertising strategy is important in gathering attention and making sales for your store. Here are ways people promote their dropshipping stores:
- Social media marketing: Set up your accounts on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook and share posts relevant to your product!
- Paid advertising: Creating Facebook or Google ads and using them to reach out to potential customers.
- Influencer marketing: Collaboration with influencers allows people to showcase and promote your product to their broader audiences.
When to Hire a Shopify Expert
If you feel that marketing is too overwhelming or if you don’t want to set up a shop yourself and want to outsource, hire a Shopify expert. They can do wonders for your dropshipping store. Shopify experts are people who have dedicated their knowledge to helping owners of Shopify stores set them up as well as improve their overall organization.
There are many compelling reasons to hire a Shopify expert:
- Custom web design: A Shopify expert can create a functioning design fitting for your brand, should you wish for your store to appear rather unique.
- Store optimization: Shopify experts assist in optimizing your store by loading it fast or by optimizing it for mobile.
- Want some marketing help: E-commerce experts help you in running paid ads or building a conversion funnel to reach a higher number of conversions.
What does a Shopify development company do that’s beyond your reach?
It is possible to set up a Shopify store by yourself. But a Shopify development company has so many different services to offer that a lot of them might be able to prove a challenge for someone who is just starting. Many of you are not aware about product recommendation apps for Shopify, which an expert can utilize for you. Here is what a development company can do for you:
- Custom development: A development company can help you create custom apps or features for your Shopify store, which is usually difficult for someone without experience.
- Store migrations: If you’re moving from another platform to Shopify, a development company can help ensure your transition is smooth.
- SEO optimization: SEO-savvy development companies can help optimize your store and get a good ranking to drive organic traffic.
- Long-term support: They offer ongoing support and maintenance, which helps ensure your store smoothly runs through and can be expanded.
- Product recommendation: Analyze your store data and help you make product suggestions for your customers based on their searches or preferences
Dropshipping is Booming, and Now It’s Time for Your Business as Well!
It’s easier to get into e-commerce with dropshipping by way of starting a Shopify store without worrying about inventory or shipping. Following these steps will take you to starting a store, finding your suppliers, and marketing of the products. Although it can be run single-handedly, you may think about hiring Shopify development companies or E-commerce experts that can undoubtedly save you lots of time and work towards the next level for your enterprise. Now take the leap and get into the dropshipping journey today!
