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Starting a Small Business With Drop Shipping and Shopify

Dropshipping is a solution for people who want to start an online business without worrying about the packing, storing, and shipping of the products. It’s a lot simpler than being an entrepreneur who creates handmade products and sells them to customers. If you want to start a small business using Shopify dropshipping, here’s a guide for you:

Step 1: Learn About Dropshipping

Before diving into any business, of course, you’ll have to have sufficient knowledge about the ins and outs. E-commerce is popular nowadays thanks to the globalization of the Internet. So, before you quit your 8-5 office job, you need to learn about managing this kind of business. If you need various articles about handling business in the digital world, click here.

Step 2: Find A Niche

Once you’ve read what you can, and you’re still determined to start a drop shipping business, you can start thinking about your product niche. You have to think long and hard because the products you’ll choose is crucial for your success. Here are some tips to help you:

• Choose unique products. Even though it’s tempting to sell the hottest items on the market right now, there’s also a high chance that you’ll have lots of competitors.
• Stick with one niche. Don’t sell too many random products. If you’re selling phone accessories, don’t try and sell cooking tools also. Those two niches are very different. Focus on one first, so you can become an expert and price your products right.
• Sell seasonal products, too. As long as it’s still related to your niche, you can sell seasonal products to entice more customers during special holidays.

Step 3: Choose A Supplier

The best thing about drop shipping is probably the part where you don’t have to make, pack, store, and ship the products. You only have to start a website, choose products to sell, and be like the middleman between the customer and the manufacturer.

Once you have decided on what kind of products you want to sell, it’s time to look for a supplier. It’s vital that you choose a reliable supplier to minimize common manufacturing challenges. This decision can be a little tricky because choosing known brands will make your small shop seem like it’s selling counterfeit products. What you want to do is select products that can really earn you some money. You can find products that have a good reputation, even though they’re not well-known.

Step 4: Build A Shopify Site

When you have finally decided on what to sell, you can now build your website. Set up your Shopify account and then you can start designing your store, adding products, adding a domain, and many more.

• When you add the products, include all the essential details such as product descriptions and the price. You can also edit them later on if you want to add products and configure the settings first.
• Design your store according to your niche. Make it appealing, so the theme suits the products you sell. It’s best to keep it simple. Don’t go overboard with flashy colors and graphics that can be distracting to your shoppers.
• Make sure that you keep the buying process simple for your customers, so they don’t get bored or frustrated, and don’t proceed to the checkout.
• Create product groups or categories such as what’s on sale or product type, so they’re organized.

Step 5: Add Extra Pages

When you create your website, make sure to include these extra pages:

• Shipping & Returns Page – This should include your policies regarding shipping and returns. If your customer received a defective product, they might want to have it replaced. You should make it clear for them if they can qualify for a refund, replacement, or return of the product.
• Contact Page – This should include all your contact details where the customers can reach you. You can put your business address, phone number, email, social media accounts, and anywhere else they may contact you.
• FAQ Page – This should have the most common questions that customers may ask. If you don’t want customers to ask you the same questions over and over, then create an FAQ page.
• About Page – This should include details about you or your business. It provides transparency about the legitimacy of your store because it’s like an introduction of yourself.

Final Thoughts

Once your site is up and running, don’t forget to promote it on social media as well. Find ways how you can bring in more customers to your website. Remember to have patience because your success will likely not happen overnight. Give it some time and do your responsibilities in managing your Shopify store, and soon you might earn more than a regular office job could give you.