Any type of ecommerce store has a hard road ahead of them. When failure occurs, as it often does, the beginning of the store's opening could have been successful. When looking at all of the stores and their patterns, it's clear to see one of the most problematic parts of the business is how dropshipping is handled.
Dropshipping is full of benefits to a store owner. When drop shipping, a store is able to have products sent to the consumer directly from the manufacturer. There are definitely errors in the way store owners handle this. Here are the 5 mistakes to avoid when starting drop shipping.
1. Not Researching Manufacturers
Once a market and target consumer is identified, the next important choice is who the supplier of the drop ship will be. The wrong choice is most often the quickest choice. Browse different manufacturing options. Many places all you to do a test order, or you could place a full order for a trial basis.
Only do this after reading any reviews on the supplier or getting advice from a professional in the field. Most questions you could think of about from shipping have been asked, simply search the internet. Also, there are plenty of people who are successful and will answer questions or have conversations about their journey.
2. Putting All Of Your Eggs In One Basket
Even though you have spent valuable time narrowing down your search for a supplier, do not only have one option in mind. If something goes wrong with your supplier, it is difficult to keep things going without a major hiccup in order processing and customer satisfaction.
It is even possible to go through more than one supplier at a time, so consider spreading inventory among them. Some contracts with drop shipping suppliers are strict, so read it thoroughly. It is common for them to forbid a contract with another supplier. There are companies that allow it, so be sure to check.
3. Unexpected Shipping Costs
Once you offer a certain shipping price, always add that upfront. The 'fine print' should never leave a consumer confused during check out. If the shipping cost is too surprising to the customer, they will very well cancel the order, or never order from the store again. Flat rates are the best way to show consumers the truth on shipping costs, all while having the shipping financial data easily handleable by the company.
4. Not Having Tracking Available
With the world of quick-access shopping among us, customer tracking should always be available with products. Even if shipping times are long, if they are disclosed, consumers will still check the tracking out of excitement. Customers are more likely to review, and even purchase, if you have tracking available for the item.
Do not let your company's interaction with the order and customer end once the purchase is made. Think of the business as responsible for all parts, so there are no hiccups along the way. This goes for handling refunds and returns.
5. Not Owning Multiple Stores
No ecommerce store gives an immediate return, or turns over high profits in small time frames. The best way to make a success of dropshipping is targeting different niches and created more than one store. Serve different demographics in specialized ways.
DropShipping Is Smart, If You Do It Smartly
None of these common mistakes should lead you to not use drop shipping for your business. As long as you are dedicated to getting the customers the correct items at the appropriate speed, drop shipping can help a business scale at a quick rate.
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