5 tips on how to get your start with dropshipping

If you haven’t been watching the numbers, it may feel like the best time to start an online store was ten years ago. But that is not true.

Just this year, Shopify reported that the eCommerce market is expected to account for 20.8% of all sales by 2023 and 23% by 2025.

Someone has to meet that increase in demand. Therefore, if you’ve ever dreamed of becoming a web entrepreneur, now is the best time to ensure that someone will be you.

Of course, creating a successful online store is not easy, but you can boost your chances of success by following some good advice.

Here are five tips to greatly increase your chances of creating a successful online store.

Do your research

There is much more to running a store than just designing and marketing the website.

Therefore, the more you know about the everyday routine of successful eCommerce entrepreneurs, the better you’ll be able to prepare for the journey.

Start with the basics. Check the history of eCommerce and learn how it works. Then look into the experiences of other entrepreneurs.

Follow influential entrepreneurs on social media, join eCommerce and dropshipping communities, and do whatever you can to get a peek behind the curtain of how this market works.

However, doing this will also give you a nice opportunity to network with other entrepreneurs in the field.

Get a simple design

One mistake that beginners often make is spending too much time and resources on the design of their store.

Your store design is a tool, not a status symbol, and trying to overcomplicate often leads to websites that are unresponsive or don’t work well across different devices.

Stick with a popular and responsive template. Once your store starts making money, you can invest in getting a customized template designed by a professional.

But until then, your time and resources are better spent elsewhere.

Choose your platform carefully

Launching an online store without signing up with an eCommerce platform like Shopify is difficult.

And while working with a platform is usually a good idea, it’s important to pay attention to the fine print when choosing who to work with.

Different platforms have different rules, fees, and limitations. And while working with one of the most popular platforms may be easier, it can also cost more in the long run.

Whatever platform you decide to work with, this is a choice that needs to be made carefully, as migrating to a different platform is not easy.

Consider dropshipping

Drop shipping can be a godsend for new stores, as it lets you get started without needing to deal with logistics.

You won’t need to order, store, or ship items yourself — you can let your drop shipping supplier take care of all that.

This is not to say that drop shipping doesn’t have weaknesses. But when done well, it can be incredibly effective.

Just make sure you do your research before getting started. This guide on how to start dropshipping is a good read for beginners.

Study sales and digital marketing

These days even entrepreneurs on a tight budget can afford to outsource their marketing efforts.

However, making informed decisions about your business can be hard if you don’t understand how you’re getting customers.

You should always stay on top of your marketing strategies, why they work, and what you can do to help them work better.

Therefore, if you’re outsourcing your marketing efforts, it’s a good idea to favor service providers willing to be transparent about what they’re doing.

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