Shopify for Dropshipping Entrepreneurs: Learn the Winning Formula
Last updated on
June 7, 2024
There is nothing like being your own boss and having the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world. "Dropshipping" is one such choice that can break the chain and give you this freedom. The only catch in this low-risk, high-reward venture is choosing the right e-commerce platform.
If you choose the right e-commerce platform, then half the battle has already been won. Among the number of e-commerce platforms out there, learning how to use Shopify for dropshipping will help you easily start your venture.
Its user-friendly interface, robust features tailored to dropshipping needs, and extensive app ecosystem make it the undisputed champion in the world of e-commerce platforms. In this blog, we'll explore how Shopify and Dropshipping make the best pair.
What is Dropshipping?
If you ever had the idea of starting an e-commerce store, the fear of maintaining the inventory and warehouse may pull you back from getting started. To tackle this problem and to encourage every aspiring entrepreneur to start their own venture, the concept of dropshipping emerged, where you don't want to do much physical work like shipping or maintaining stocks.
Dropshipping allows the sellers to sell products without even holding them in the stock. If you wonder how to make passive income with dropshipping or how dropshippers get profit, here's the steps in dropshipping.
Dropshipping owner acts as the bridge between the seller and customer. The other benefits include, minimal upfront capital, low risk of overstocking and having various product portfolios.
Even though there are numerous benefits with dropshipping, it all can be covered only under certain circumstances. One such essential thing to consider is choosing the right E-Commerce platform
Choosing the right E-Commerce platform
To be successful in your dropshipping business, you need to consider the following factors.
- Type of product/ Product Niche
- Selling platform
- Marketing Tools and Strategies
- 3rd party sellers
- Shipping requirements
The other 4 parts of dropshipping will work within the selling platform, i.e., the e-commerce platform, and it has the complete responsibility to carry out the whole dropshipping process. Thus, choosing a good e-commerce platform holds much importance.
Even though the other E-commerce platforms like Magento and WooCommerce have some benefits, Shopify brings them as well with some unique features with regard to dropshipping. Let us discuss them in detail.
Why Shopify for Dropshipping?
Dropshipping on Shopify is the choice that you can't deny because of the undeniable features and advantages it has. Shopify is a platform that has a tremendous reputation and is very popular among newbie online sellers. This is because of the ease-of-use features it has. The user-friendly interface and intuitive design make it accessible even by beginners.
Another attractive feature is the Shopify App store, which offers a vast array of products and dropshipping specific tools. Whatever your need is, the app store has an app to make it happen.
Nowadays, a major part of online shopping is done only on smartphones. Shopify can seamlessly create websites that are compatible with all kinds of devices and you don't have to make edits for every device type.
To keep the mobile phone users informed about you, Shopify also has marketing tools to mark your foot in every Social Media platform which you can easily integrate into your store.
The built-in payment gateway allows users to make transactions without incurring any extra charges from third-party carriers. Shopify also has built-in tools to manage SEO, analytics, marketing, and create offers and discounts. Let us explore them in detail.
Benefits of dropshipping with Shopify
Creating a fully functional professional e-commerce website with inventory management is already much easier with Shopify. In dropshipping, we have already skipped the process of creating inventory, and Shopify's features will help you stay ahead of your competitors and to reach your goal quickly. Here are some of the features that will lure you to Shopify:
1. Drag and Drop:
The intuitive drag-and-drop design tools, coupled with a bundle of customizable themes, make store setup a cakewalk for non-techies too, eliminating the need for extensive coding knowledge. There are both free and premium themes that can help you customize your store.
2. App Store:
Shopify has a dedicated app store which allows you to seamlessly integrate apps into your store. To enhance the user experience and the functionality of your store, there are thousands of apps that are easy to configure and use.
3. Payment Processing:
The most important phase of every online purchase is the payment. Shopify simplifies it with their built-in payment options like Amazon Pay, Paypal, Authorize.net, etc. There is no need for any third-party payment gateway when you have Shopify.
4. SEO:
In the overcrowded e-commerce environment, you need to be unique if you want your store to get noticed. Luckily, Shopify eliminates the guesswork and can help you strategize your store's performance with built-in SEO tools.
Shopify can assist you with SEO features like creating meta tags for titles and descriptions for products, pages, and blogs as well. You don't need to worry about handling technical SEO like robots.txt and sitemap settings, as Shopify will do it for you.
5. Customer Support:
Shopify had already made everything simple. Despite, if you got struck anywhere, Shopify has 24*7 customer support via chat, phone, and email to show you the way out.
6. No Hosting Needs:
Usually, every website or ecommerce store needs hosting to run on, which can bring some extra cost. But with Shopify, there is no need for separate hosting services. Creating an e-commerce store is as simple as a click with Shopify.
Shopify also ensures your site's and your customers' safety by providing free SSL-certified websites. HTTPS and SSL certification are essential to carry out safe transactions.
7. Shopify Mobile Apps:
If you are someone who doesn't want to rely much on computers, then the Shopify mobile app is just for you. The app is available on both iOS and Android, with which you can track your store's functionality and performance.
It will keep you informed with stats like the number of visitors and transactions and you don't have to run to the back-end every time..
8. Pricing:
If you are already in awe with the features that Shopify offers, you may have some figures in mind about the price structure. Shopify is here again to surprise you with their affordable pricing, which starts at $39 per month and a 14-day free trial too, which is much lower when compared to the features it offers.
The best Shopify apps for dropshipping
An option that makes Shopify a better choice for dropshipping is its app store. If you are already a Shopify user, you know the value of these apps. If you want to start Shopify dropshipping and to be successful, you will need several apps to make your store awesome. Either you are a dropshipper or a retailer, you shouldn't miss the following apps.
Apps for Product Sourcing and Management:
Once you decide on your product, you need a source to acquire it. Having a product sourcing app will help you create a complete fulfillment model, i.e., from ordering to delivery to the customer.
DSers:
Aliexpress owns this app and it is completely dedicated to do dropshipping. A good thing about this app is that you can connect multiple suppliers for a single product by which your product will never go out of stock.
Spocket:
If you are from the US or Europe, Spocket is the product sourcing app for you. It has a large portfolio of different products that you can add to your store. Spocket is the best alternative for Obrelo, a Shopify owned product sourcing app which was disabled from 2022.
Syncee:
If you want to find trustworthy suppliers from every part of the world, Syncee will let you do so.
There are many other dedicated apps for printing goods, selling art, and more. If you have clear planning towards the best products for shopify dropshipping, finding suppliers is not so tough.
Best Marketing and Sales Optimization Apps:
Having good products and reliable suppliers will not only make your dropshipping business a success, you need better marketing and sales-boosting apps.
Selleasy:
Want to increase your AOV and inside sales from your Shopify store? Then, Selleasy is the app that you need for all your upselling and cross-selling needs. Selleasy has different kinds of options to place your cross-sell and up-sell products. Check out more about it and try the free version here.
Privy:
Marketing automation is the easiest way to acquire customers and keep them engaged. Privy will help you do it. Privy offers the essentials for SMS and email marketing. With Privy, you can have a better conversion rate.
OptinMonster:
OptinMonster is one of the best apps to create leads and track them. It offers various options to create leads, like a lucky spin wheel, free offer pop-ups, short deals, and more.
Shipping and Order Tracking made easy:
Shipeasy:
The only big challenge in dropshipping is calculating the shipping rates for various products and locations. Shipeasy can make this tough job easy by automating the rate calculation based on various factors like postal/zip code, distance, product dimensions, and more. Explore more about the functionalities of Shipeasy here.
Aftership:
?There are customers who want immediate updates about their order, and some are anxious to get their order in hand as soon as they place the order. For those customers, you can install Aftership and provide them with live tracking details and keep them engaged.
Boost your store's Performance and Analytics:
To improve your store's visibility, you can use SEO Manager which can help with on-page optimization, and Booster: Page Speed Optimizer ensures fast-loading pages, which are critical for retaining visitors. QuickBooks is an app that aids in financial management, while Google Analytics provides valuable insights into visitor behavior.
Incorporating these essential Shopify apps into your dropshipping arsenal will not only streamline your operations but also empower your store to flourish in the highly competitive world of e-commerce.
Full-time/Passive Income with Dropshipping
Most of us are stuck between a single stream of income which is insufficient, and being timeless doing high-paying side hustle. To overcome this hurdle, dropshipping passive income has emerged as a compelling choice.
Dropshipping with Shopify is uniquely suited to the modern entrepreneur looking to minimize the traditional hassles associated with running a business. The beauty of dropshipping lies in its simplicity. You don't need to,
- Hold inventory
- Manage warehouses
- Handle shipping logistics
Instead, you source products directly from suppliers and only purchase items when you make a sale, mitigating the financial risks.
The only thing you need to focus on is having a good product and a well-created Shopify store. In addition to that, effective marketing strategies can help you reach a global customer base.
This means that while you're asleep, on vacation, or pursuing other interests, your dropshipping business can continue to generate sales and income. While it requires initial effort to set up, dropshipping ultimately offers the potential for a truly passive income stream, allowing you to achieve financial freedom and flexibility.
More than a passive income, dropshipping has the potential to be turned into an entrepreneurial venture.
Do you still think, 'Is Shopify good for dropshipping?'
Disclaimer:
All brand and app names mentioned in this blog are subjected to the copyrights of their respective owners. Their inclusion here is for informational purposes only and does not imply endorsement or affiliation.