As customers order from your online retail store, all you have to do is contact your Dropshipper- who will in turn, prepare the orders for shipment. You get to purchase the item at a wholesale price and place your own mark-up price.  

Most dropship Wholesale Suppliers practice “blind dropshipping” which means, you can use your own brand name in reselling the products. When customers purchase from your shop, they won’t even know that you are just a reseller.

Nevertheless, the concept of a dropshipping business is not without challenges. As the number of online retailers increase, you need to be a lot smarter to stay competitive and survive the business.

Challenges of Dropshipping

If you are an online retailer or planning to start your own dropshipping online business, you need to be ready to face up to the challenges. Below are some tips:

Make sure that you are dealing with a legal and trusted Dropshipper. Bear in mind that scammers abound in the industry. If you are not careful, you could be working with a middleman who is making a much bigger profit from the sales you make. See to it that you are dealing directly with a legitimate Wholesale Supplier, not just another retailer or another link in the chain.

Ensure your customer’s satisfaction. As a reseller, it is your reputation that is directly on the line. Therefore, it is your duty to ensure that your Wholesale Dropshipper can live up to its promises. Before reselling, make sure that you are confident about the products you will market. It is a must to order sample products from your dropshipper.

Can you be sure that only quality products will be shipped out to your customer? Can you monitor the status of the orders from your end? Will your customers be given guarantee for their purchases?

Watch out for dropshippers that charge fees. A legitimate dropshipper will never require upfront payment just to open an account. You will only be required to submit payment once you have made a sale from your site.

Offer more than one product. It is advisable to offer more than one type of product from your store. If your dropshipper offers only one kind of product, try to find other legitimate dropshippers with products to complement your store.

However, some may people plunge into the business without first doing research and investigation. As a result, they may find themselves facing failure as soon as they start up a dropshipping business. Below are common dropshipping mistakes that you should avoid:

Finding Wholesale Suppliers from search engines.

Although you can find a lot of information you need from the internet, it is actually not a recommended resource when looking for Dropship Wholesale Suppliers.

You should know that genuine Wholesalers do not really advertise online. They only enlist their contact information exclusively in dropshipping directories to avoid dealing with a large bulk of unqualified applications.

Most so-called “Wholesale Dropshippers” that you can find online are actually middlemen who are directly in contact with the real Supplier. If you really want to get the best wholesale price, make sure that you are dealing with a legitimate Wholesaler.

Not considering the Terms and Conditions.

As a reseller, you have responsibilities to fulfill to your customers as your Wholesaler has to you. Therefore, it is very important on your part to understand the Terms and Conditions of your Wholesale Supplier. Pay special attention to the disclosures included in your contract.

How can you ensure the quality of products that will be delivered to your customers? Can you track the delivery of customer orders on your end? What happens if a customer complains about the order?

Can your dropshipper guarantee that they have sufficient stock to carry? Beware of middlemen scammers who disguise themselves as Wholesalers when in fact, they are just another link to the chain, making profit from your sales.

Accepting “Fake” Branded Goods from a Supplier.

Watch out for suppliers that offer designer label items which can turn out to be fake.  If you want to resell branded goods, you really want to do further investigation as to the source of the products.

If you are being offered designer items at incredibly cheap prices, it should be a warning not to sign up for the deal.  Remember, if you have been found to be selling fake items, it can badly damage your reputation as well as your company’s name for a long time.

If you want to get the lowest possible price for your purchases, you need to partner directly with a Wholesale Supplier. So how do you know that you’ve found the right one?

Consider the following tips on evaluating a trustworthy Wholesale Dropshipper:

Use a Dropshipping Directory. When in search of wholesalers, it is best to use a real dropshipping directory than online search engines. Although there may exist a few legitimate Wholesale Dropshippers online, it would be very difficult to identify them from the fake ones.

Legitimate dropship suppliers do not advertise their services over the internet. You are most likely to contact middleman scammers especially if you’re not familiar with the trade. To avoid getting scammed and wasting your time dealing with the wrong people, use a dropshipping directory from a reliable source.

Learn everything about dropshipping. You will need to do more than just a few readings to really understand the ins and outs of a dropshipping business. Nevertheless, being knowledgeable will protect you from being victimized by scammers.

Successful dropshipping greatly depends on using online marketing tools effective, partnering with a reliable dropshipper, selling high quality products, and making sure that customer orders are delivered on time.

Conduct marketing studies. Before plunging into a dropshipping business, market research must be conducted. What kind of products do you plan to sell? Who is your target market?  Who are your competitors? How do you plan to promote the products? Do not simply make a decision based upon the trends. Always consider the long term possibilities of the business.

Provide quality service. Customer satisfaction is very important for any kind of business. You need to really understand the products you are selling. Before dealing with a Wholesale Supplier, ask samples of the products so you can use them firsthand. If you know that your products are worth buying, it will be easier to convince other people to purchase.

Make your customers feel important. The secret to building good and lasting customer relationship is to give your customers the best treatment at all times. Apart from effective advertisements, never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth. Happy customers will surely come back to do business with you and you will stay on top of the market.

A lot of people dream of starting their own business online yet may be hesitant because they lack financial resources. Yet, with the introduction of online drop shipping, the doors of opportunity have opened for aspiring entrepreneurs. Today, let’s talk about how opening an account on eBay can help you start up your very own online dropshipping business.

Limited Budget – Getting Past The Roadblock

Dropshipping is a business partnership between a retailer and a wholesale supplier. In this arrangement, the wholesaler takes care of the stocks or inventory along with the packaging and delivery of the products. Meanwhile, the retailer is in charge of marketing or selling the products which is generally done online. When a customer places an order, the retailer contacts the wholesale supplier so that the goods can be shipped to the customer’s home as soon as possible.

In this arrangement, a retailer doesn’t need to invest a large sum of money on inventory or supplies. There is also no need to rent or build a storage space or an actual store to start a business. Hence, having a small budget doesn’t need to be a hindrance for starting a business. All the retailer needs is an online shop to start selling products to the market.

The most important thing about this arrangement is finding a reliable dropship wholesale supplier. Watch out for middlemen scammers who may disguise themselves as wholesalers when in fact, they are retailers just like you who are in direct contact with the real suppliers. Bear in mind that genuine dropshippers do not advertise in search engines. To avoid being scammed, you’ll need to use a dropship wholesale directory so you can start your search of potential dropshippers.

Why Open an eBay Seller Account

Once you’ve found your dropshipping partner, the next step to do is open your online store. For new entrepreneurs who are not familiar with internet marketing, you may consider setting up an online store with an existing business hosting site like eBay. eBay is a popular auction site where buyers and sellers meet online. For a price of $19.95 a month, you can build your eBay store using readily available templates.

Opening an account with eBay is an easy step to establish a good reputation on the web. Of course, you’ll need to make sure that all your customer orders are delivered on time and that the products get to them in the best condition. You’ll want to guarantee that the products you’re selling are of high quality and not just cheap imitations of the original brand.

Remember, customers can easily post their reviews about your products and services and those reviews can make or break your reputation as a merchant.

True, some sellers on eBay actually sell fake items at very cheap prices. As a buyer, you can avoid being a victim of these scammers by knowing the do’s and don’ts when purchasing from eBay.

Common Fake Items at eBay

What items can be faked or counterfeited? Almost every product sold on eBay can be counterfeited but some product categories are more prone to counterfeiting because they of their large demand in the market. If you’re going to buy an item from any of these product categories, bear in mind that you should be extra careful before making a deal.

Computer Software Application. It is so easy to sell fake software applications in the market because all they need to do is copy or burn from the original CD or DVD .

Entertainment Media. Again, movies, music, and every other form of media entertainment can be easily copied in CDs or DVDs and sold at very cheap prices.

Designer Signature Products. Thousands of signature items on the web may very well be faked. From clothes, shoes, bags, watches to jewellery and other accessories, a buyer needs to be very picky when making a purchase.

Antiques, memorabilia and vintage items. Some people can pay big money for so-called “collectible” items that are actually fake. Remember, although most fake items are sold cheaply, a FAKE collectible item can still be sold at a slightly higher price.

Appliances and Gadgets. Some people get tricked into buying fake appliances and gadgets thinking that these items are on SALE when the truth is, they are poor quality versions of the original brand.

Don’t be Fooled!

Certainly, buying something at a low price is never worth if you’ll get poor quality in return. Why invest your money in items that will not

last for a long time or may not even last for a week in good condition? Buying fake items from eBay can be avoided by following these practical strategies:

Know the signs. Before buying a product, study the specific indications on how you can tell a fake item from a genuine one. Because the signs can differ depending on the product and the brand, you should do your own research before scouting for possible buys.

Is it priced to cheap? If something is sold at an UNBELIEVABLY low price, you got to ask “what’s the catch?” Surely, no seller would sell something without getting any profit in return. If you think that a product is being sold too cheap for its value, you’re better off to find another seller.

Check out the seller’s record. Always check the eBay seller’s rating and read feedbacks from previous customers.

The certificate of authenticity. See to it that the item you’ll purchase includes a Certificate of Authenticity with the Manufacturer Serial Number and a Warranty Card.

eBay’s Verified Rights Online (VeRO) program. Although many legitimate eBay sellers are not necessarily members of the VeRO program, you can be more confident with your purchase if you buy from an eBay VeRo merchant.

What are the myths about wholesale purchasing that you should know about?  In this article, we’ve listed the four most common misconceptions that people have about buying wholesale products.  If you’re planning to start your own online retail shop or dropshipping business, knowing these facts should help you.

You should sell your products ONLY at Ebay.

It is a good idea to explore what eBay can do for you.  Opening an eBay is technically easier than launching a business website immediately.  However, just because eBay is a huge market doesn’t mean you should concentrate all your budget, time and effort in this one auction hosting site.  Don’t limit yourself to eBay.  Find other opportunities to get your brand out in the market and let more people know you.

Wholesale Suppliers can easily be found in the internet.

When in search of a wholesale supplier, all you need to do is just type in the keywords “wholesalers” in your search bar and you’re all set, right?  WRONG.  Most of the wholesalers you’ll find listed in the search engines are not REAL Wholesalers.  These are middlemen scammers who want to get in your way to cut back from your profit.  Never use the internet for contacting prospective wholesaler suppliers.  Instead, use a dropshipping wholesale directory or look in trade magazines for information.

There’s no need to do market research.

Some people are too excited about the prospect of having an online business that they forget to do the most important preparations like market research.  Never plunge into a business without conducting your own feasibility studies or market research.

Get to know your target market as well as your competitors.  What products would be most profitable for your niche?  How much will you spend for overhead costs and how much is your estimated profit?  These are essential questions that you can only answer accurately once you’re done with your market research.

Finding the right Wholesale Supplier is a piece of cake.

Through the internet, finding anything should be easy.  But with regards to finding legitimate Wholesale Suppliers, it may not be as easy as you think.  You’ll need to do your homework.  As we’ve said, most of the “suppliers” advertised in the search engines are either middlemen or scammers.  Even if a few are legitimate, it would be very hard to distinguish them from the rest.

By using a dropshipping directory, you’ll need to exert some time and effort getting to know a prospective Wholesale Supplier.  Before applying for an account, you should make sure that you have a Business Tax ID since legitimate suppliers will NEVER work with an unregistered business.  If a certain wholesaler tells you that you can open an account with them without having to provide your Business Tax ID, then chances are, you’re dealing with a fake Wholesaler.

Learning how to differentiate legitimate home business opportunities from scams is important.  At first glance, all work-at-home businesses or dropshipping businesses offered in the market may seem genuine but once you take a closer look, you’ll see that many of these opportunities are actually rip-offs. Take a look at the following signs of home based business or dropshipping scams:

No track record of history. One of the best ways to find out whether a dropshipping opportunity is fake or real is by checking the dropshipping company’s track record.  This isn’t possible if the company is too new or has only been in the business for a few months or less than a year.

Find a dropshipping company that has been in business for at least 5 years or longer so you can use its track record to check its legitimacy and stability.  Also, check from the Better Business Bureau if the company has received any complaints from its clients in the past.  If there were complaints files against the company, examine how these conflicts were resolved.

No physical address and telephone number. A real dropshipping provider must have a physical location where its main operations take place.  Whenever possible, personally visit the manufacturer or supplier you intend to partner with.  If it’s not possible to visit, check the validity of the address that the dropshipper advertises.  Perhaps you may ask some friends or relatives who live near the area to check out address for you.

Most dropshipping scammers use fake addresses or do not give out this important information at all.  Scammers often request interested applicants to call their cell phone number or send an e-mail to get more information.  Instead of using their office, seminars may also be held in hotels, parks, diners and other public places.

Pay now, earn later. Are you requested to send in a one-time payment through money transfer?  Are you required to pay a “registration fee”, or “membership fee”  to get hired.  If so, then this is a major red flag that the dropshipping business could be a scam.  If you’re encouraged to invest a considerable sum of money to receive your “starter kit” or “sales kit”, it would be best to look for another opportunity that doesn’t require any payment.

Product descriptions are not clearly defined. What exactly does the dropshipper sell?  What kind of products does it offer?  Is it know to manufacture or supply high-quality products?  Real dropship providers should be able to clearly define what they offer.

To be sure, it’s wise to ask for samples of the products that you’ll be marketing.  Do your own research and find out feedbacks from customers who had the chance to use the product.  Are they satisfied with the product they received?  Was their order delivered on time?  Did the product arrive in good condition?  These are important aspects of the dropshipping products you need to know.