The Do's and Don'ts of Shopify Dropshipping

Suppose you're searching for a way to start an eCommerce business without having the initial capital investment. In that case, dropshipping may be the perfect fit. It's easy, it's flexible, and it can give you the freedom to set your hours—and still make a profit. But if you don't know what you're doing, dropshipping can also be a massive headache.

So, how do you ensure that your dropshipping shop is running smoothly?

What is Shopify?

Shopify is a platform that allows you to create an online store for your business. Think of it like Google Docs, but for creating an online store instead of writing a document. You can customize your storefront to fit your brand and make it look however you want it to look—you can choose from thousands of templates or build one from scratch.

When someone visits your store, they'll see all the available products, and they'll be able to purchase them right then and there (or if they're not ready yet, they can add them to their cart). 

What is Dropshipping?

Dropshipping is one of many business models where a retailer doesn't keep any product inventory on hand; instead, they purchase inventory from wholesalers or manufacturers and then pass it along to customers through the third-party logistics (3PL) provider. 

It's an easy way to begin selling products online: you don't have to pay for the items until someone buys them. It's an easy way to start selling products online because it doesn't require any upfront investment—you have no obligation to buy the product until someone else has ordered it.

However, this also means you don't have much control over the product. There's no guarantee that orders will arrive at their destination or meet customer expectations. If a customer orders something from your site and it never arrives, you'll have no idea where or why it went missing. It could be due to poor packaging by the manufacturer or wholesaler or even theft by an employee of one of these companies.

Is Shopify Dropshipping Hard?

When joining the dropshipping industry, the first thing you'll likely ask yourself is, "is it hard?" Unfortunately, the answer isn't always easy to come by. Some people will tell you that dropshipping is easy because you have to set up your store and promote it on social media. Others will tell you that it's hard because of the amount of work that goes into sourcing products and managing inventory.

So what's the truth? Is Shopify dropshipping hard or not? As with most things, your level of experience and commitment can impact the rate at which you learn. Building a new website might seem daunting if you've never run a business before. But if you've been around the block a few times, setting up an online shop shouldn't be too difficult for someone with basic web development knowledge.

The best part of dropshipping is that you don't have to worry about inventory management, shipping costs, or customer service. Instead, you use the platform that connects you with your supplier and let them handle everything else.

That means the only thing you need to focus on is getting your store set up and making sure it looks professional, and your products are priced competitively.

What Are the Benefits of Shopify Dropshipping?

When you're dropshipping, you don't have to store any inventory or risk buying products that won't sell—you buy from the manufacturer, ship them to your customer, and make money when the customer pays for their order.

While there are many benefits to dropshipping, here are a few of the biggest ones:

You Have Control Over Your Margins

If you're unfamiliar, the margin is the difference between how much money you make on a sale and how much it costs to make and ship an item.

For example, when you sell something on Amazon, Amazon sets the price for your product. They also handle shipping costs for you, so all you have to do is turn a profit on your item. 

You'll never know exactly how much money Amazon makes from selling your product because they don't share that information with anyone. Still, it's fair to say that they take a pretty big cut—and you get a small slice of what's left over in return for doing all their work for them.

With Shopify Dropshipping, things are different: You set prices and decide how much profit margin is acceptable for each item sold. You also take care of shipping costs yourself through UPS or FedEx or whatever other carrier works best for your business model—which means that if any part of your process breaks down, it's YOU who has to deal with any fallout from those problems instead of passing them off onto someone else.

That's not to say that dropshipping is entirely free. You'll still have to pay for the items you sell, and those costs can add up fast if you're not careful about what you're selling. 

Luckily, however, there are ways to mitigate these expenses—like using coupons or discounts as part of your marketing strategy—dropshipping opportunities may offer you more flexibility in how you operate your business, but it might not be worth the initial cost.

Easy Scaling

Shopify Dropshipping offers an easy way for your store to grow with your business by allowing you to scale quickly and easily. 

With a Shopify dropship store, all you have to do is update inventory quantities on each item page and let Shopify handle the rest—it automatically updates prices based on how many items are in stock, calculates shipping rates based on where customers live, and even handles payment processing automatically through Stripe or PayPal.

You can build a successful e-commerce business using Shopify Dropshipping, whether by selling one product or many: You need to ensure that there are enough products in stock for each item listed on your site. This means that as long as enough products are available for sale (and as long as people continue buying them), your store will continue growing—and the more it grows, the better it will become.

Easily Customizable Store Designs

Shopify Dropshipping is an excellent way for businesses to get started because it's easy and quick to set up. Your store can be created in under an hour.

But what if you want a store that looks unique, not like every other store on the internet? Shopify offers personalized themes for all their plans, so you can customize your site however you like. They have over 100+ themes to choose from, so finding one that fits your brand is easy.

You can also add widgets to your site—for example, if you sell clothing, you could add a widget that shows off some of the products currently in stock. That makes it easy for customers to browse through what they have available without going through each product individually.

A Search Engine Optimized Website That Can Be Accessed on Any Device

Shopify Dropshipping is a great way to start your own business, but it also has some downsides. One of the benefits of Shopify Dropshipping is that it's a search engine-optimized website that can be accessed on any device.

A search engine optimized website means that it's built so that when people type keywords into Google or other search engines, they'll find your site. This makes it easier for people to find you—and therefore, easier for them to buy from you!

This is especially important because many websites aren't search engine optimized, which means they're not ranked highly by Google and other search engines. So the higher your site appears in their rankings, the more likely people are to click on your link and visit your site (and hopefully buy something).

It's Easy to Learn

Shopify Dropshipping is one of the easiest e-commerce platforms to use because it has many built-in features that help you get started immediately. For example, you can import products directly from your supplier and set up shipping rates and processes, which means that you don't have to worry about spending time on tedious tasks like creating product listings or writing descriptions. 

In addition, Shopify has a large and active community of users who are willing to help each other out.—you could easily find someone who has already solved your problem!

What Are the Things You Should Do When It Comes to Shopify Dropshipping?

Shopify dropshipping is a great way to get started in e-commerce. It's simple, easy, and can help you make money without having to spend a lot of time or money on inventory. But how do you know when to begin exploring your options?

Research Your Niche and the Product You Want to Sell

When it comes to Shopify dropshipping, one of the things you should do is research your niche and the product you want to sell.

Researching your niche and the product can help you determine whether or not there's a market for it, which will influence your decision on whether or not you should sell that product. If a product is already being sold, then you should research how it has been marketed and whether the market for it will grow or shrink.

If there isn't a market for the product, then it may be difficult for you to find customers who are interested in buying from your store.

You should also figure out how much competition there is within those niches or markets so that you know what kind of marketing will work best for them (or if they even respond well at all).

For example: If there's much competition within a certain niche or market space, then people are probably already aware of what products exist and how much they cost, so they won't be interested in buying something else unless it has some unique features (which would require more money).

Set Realistic Goals

When you're starting with your Shopify dropshipping business, it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of the process. After all, if you're like most people who are just getting started with their dropshipping store, you might never have done anything like this before.

But it's important that you don't let your excitement get the best of you. Instead, make sure you set realistic goals for yourself and your business.

The reason for this is simple: if you don't set realistic goals for yourself and your business, then it's likely that you'll end up disappointed when things don't go exactly as planned. And when you're disappointed with the results of your business efforts, staying motivated and working toward those goals becomes much harder.

Choose a Good Product for Your Store

The reason why you should choose a good product is that it will help you grow your sales and make more profit.

A good product is one that people are willing to buy and will be happy with their purchase. If they're not happy with their purchase, then they're not going to buy from you again, which means no more profit for you. So if no one buys from your store, then there's no point in having one!

You also want something that has many variations so that there can be different colors or sizes available for people who want them. The more choices people have, the greater their chances of finding something that meets their needs.

Create a Landing Page for Your Store

Landing pages are designed specifically to direct traffic from other sites, such as advertisements or social media posts. It's a reflection of your business, so it's important to make sure it looks good.

Your landing page should contain all of the information someone would need to make a purchase: what products are available, how much they cost, shipping rates, payment methods accepted (if any), etc. 

You'll also want to include any promotional offers or discounts that apply to specific products or categories of products—so if you're running a "buy one get one free" sale on shoes, put that on the landing page too!

A landing page is a website page that serves as an introduction to your product or service, explains why it's valuable, and tries to persuade visitors to take action.

Generate Traffic for Your Store

You can drive traffic to your Shopify dropshipping store through two channels: search engine optimization (SEO) and paid advertising. Both can be effective, but each has its own pros and cons.

Search engine optimization is free, which makes it a great choice for new businesses with limited budgets. It also helps your store appear when people search for products like yours. However, SEO takes time and effort—you'll have to learn how to optimize your site's title tags and meta descriptions, create compelling content that attracts visitors, and make sure your site is easy to navigate, so customers don't leave before they find what they need!

Paid advertising may cost money upfront, but it tends to be more targeted than SEO, so it gets better results faster (if done right). If you know exactly whom you want as customers—like people who live in a certain area or work at a specific company—then paid ads can help bring them into your store much faster than organic search results would.

Another advantage of paid advertising is measuring how many people click on your ads and how much revenue they generate. This way, you know exactly what works and what doesn't, so you can make changes to improve your ROI (return on investment).

Optimize Your Store for Conversions

Optimizing your store for conversions means that you're making it easier for customers to buy from you.

For example, let's say you sell yoga pants sets. If people go to your website and see a picture of pants but have no way to buy them, they'll leave—so how do you keep that from happening?

You could add an "Add To Cart" button so that people can easily click on it and add the item(s) they want to their cart. This would allow people who want something from your site to go ahead and get it without having to do anything else!

Another thing that helps optimize your store for conversions is a clear call-to-action on every page of your site. This means that there should be one main goal for each page on the site—and it should be obvious what that goal is! For example, suppose someone lands on your homepage. In that case, they should immediately know what they can do here: either browse around or start shopping right away.

What Should You Not Do When it Comes to Shopify Dropshipping?

Putting up Too Many Products on Your Store Without Testing Them

As a beginner, you should understand that testing different products in your store is not a bad thing. In fact, it's a good way to figure out which products will sell well and which won't. Once you've identified your target market, it will be easier to decide what kinds of products would sell.

However, it's crucial to test these products before implementing them on your site. You don't want to put up an item on your site only to find out later that no one wants it or needs it because it doesn't meet their needs or expectations.

To make the most of your Shopify dropshipping store, you should carefully consider how many products you carry. If you put up many items and they don't sell, it will be a waste of time and money. You'll spend all that money on shipping costs and customer service while getting nothing in return.

Lie About Your Products or Their Prices

If you are running a dropshipping business, it means that you don't have the items in stock. Instead, you have a list of items and their prices on your website, which you then purchase from a third-party supplier when a customer orders one of them.

Because of this, when it comes to selling items through your store, honesty is key. If customers see that they can get an item for less than what you're charging them, they will likely go elsewhere—and rightfully so!

When it comes to product descriptions, make sure that everything is accurate and truthful. For example, instead of trying to hide flaws in an item or mask them with flowery language, be upfront about the problem. Since the quality of your product directly affects the success or failure of your business.

If you want people to trust your brand and continue coming back for more purchases throughout their lives (and even send referrals!), being honest about every aspect of what you do is essential!

Use Fake Reviews to Promote Your Shop

Fake reviews are a common tactic for online merchants, which can seriously damage your business if you're not careful.

Suppose you're trying to build up a store that sells products from another company. In that case, you need to be able to show that people are interested in what you have to offer. If people see that others have purchased the product and loved it, they're more likely to buy it themselves.

That's why many online merchants will try to fake reviews by offering discounts or other incentives in exchange for positive feedback on their product pages. But this is a dangerous game to play—and one that could get you into trouble with the law!

We recommend using honest reviews from real customers who have bought the product rather than trying to manipulate numbers with fake reviews.

Set up Multiple Stores

When it comes to Shopify dropshipping, there are many things you should not do. One of those things is setting up multiple stores. This can be very tempting, especially if you're starting out and want to give yourself more room for error. But in reality, doing so is a bad idea because it will lead to more work for you and fewer sales.

Suppose you set up multiple stores on Shopify all at once. In that case, you'll have to spend time setting them up and creating product pages for them all without knowing if any of them will be successful or not. It's possible that one or two may take off, but chances are good that most won't. 

This means that the bulk of your time will be spent managing stores that aren't actually making any money—and those that are could easily be neglected because they're "less important" than the others (even though they wouldn't be if they weren't there).

Avoiding this can be done by starting slowly and building up your business slowly so that when one store starts making money, you can focus all of your energy on it until it's running smoothly and efficiently before adding another one (or two).

Skipping the Shipping Cost

If you are a new e-commerce entrepreneur, you probably already know that shipping can be expensive and eat into your profit margin. But it doesn't mean that you should pay no attention to costs at all. On the contrary, adding a reasonable shipping cost is better than leaving it out altogether.

You see, when customers see that there is no shipping charge for their order or if they do not see any charges at all, they may think that you are charging them too much for your products. Resulting in a negative customer experience, which may cause them to look elsewhere for their purchases.

However, suppose you add an appropriate shipping fee for every item or product sale. In that case, customers will know that they are paying for what they want and need without worrying about paying extra for something entirely unrelated."

Using Unverified Suppliers

When deciding where to buy your products, you want to be sure that you're getting them from a trusted source. This means that you need to be sure that your supplier is verified. When you're using an unverified supplier, there's no way for you to know for sure if the product is authentic or not—and that can have serious consequences for your business.

Suppose you're going to use a dropshipping business model with Shopify and other eCommerce platforms. In that case, it's essential that you only work with suppliers who are verified through their platforms. This means they've been vetted and are known entities in the community. You should ensure that the company has a solid track record of providing quality products and stellar customer service.

When choosing a supplier, make sure that they've been in business long enough to provide solid customer service and support if anything goes wrong with your order or shipment.

But what does it mean to be "verified"? Well, if a supplier is verified, that means they've gone through an extensive process of proving their legitimacy. 

This involves things like providing proof of address and tax information, having their business license or other documentation verified by an official source, and so on. Conversely, if a supplier is not verified, they may not be legitimate and can cause problems for your business.

The Takeaway

In summary, dropshipping is a great way to start your business. While some challenges come with it, there are also plenty of advantages. If you know what to do and what not to do, you can impact the market using this type of business model.

The best thing about Shopify Dropshipping is that it is so flexible. You can change your store as much as you want without having to worry about breaking anything or having to rebuild a site. In this way, you can test out many approaches until you find one that brings in a satisfactory amount of money.

Ready to get started with Shopify dropshipping? Reach out to our experts at Webinopoly today to put you on the right track.