Guest Post by Kelly Opferman
You want to start your own business, but you also want to work from home so you can have greater flexibility in your schedule, spend more time with your family, and keep your operation small and manageable.
Drop shipping is a great solution that offers you the potential for great success. You can create a powerful online store without ever having to purchase a single piece of merchandise. Instead, you sell the items through your website and they ship directly from the wholesaler to the customer. You handle the transaction but you never have to handle merchandise or deal with shipping.
Here are a few tips for how you can get started with drop shipping:
Follow Your Passion
No business venture can be successful for the long-term if you don’t feel passionate about what you’re doing. You need to start by brainstorming how your passions can intersect with products that you may be able to sell. Do you have a passion for health and fitness? You can sell workout gear or videos. Do you love pets? Maybe you can sell top quality pet food or pet costumes.
Do Market Research
Once you brainstorm all the possibilities, do some market research to find out what products are in demand. You may have a passion for pets, but that doesn’t mean that princess tiaras for Chihuahuas have a market. If your business is going to be successful, there has to be demand for what you’re selling. Be thorough in your research to make sure that there is potential for the long-term success of your business.
Find a Reputable Supplier
The success of your drop shipping business hinges on the quality of the supplier you choose. Not only does it need to offer quality products but also quality service. If there is a problem with shipping or with the product, the customer is going to have to deal with the manufacturer directly in most cases. Yet your company will take the fall since you are the face of the product. Make sure that you align yourself with a supplier you trust — your reputation will depend upon it.
Build a Top-Quality Website
Your website is your store. The quality of your website is what will set you apart from your competition and will get you the sales that you need. Make sure the design is both user-friendly and eye-catching. Write compelling copy that gets conversions. Test the functionality to ensure it does everything it needs to do for your customers.
If you aren’t able to create a professional website yourself, hire someone to do it for you. It is one of the most important things you’ll need to create a successful drop shipping business.
Market, Market, Market
There are so many drop shippers out there that the key to being successful is to set yourself apart with the right marketing. Develop a marketing plan that includes content marketing, social media marketing, link building, press release distribution, contests, and more. Do A/B testing to find out which strategies are the most successful and then build on those gains.
Drop shipping is a great way to build a successful business from your home. The key to success is in making the right choices. You have the find the right products to sell, work with the right supplier, and create the right online presence to get customers. With the right choices, the sky is the limit for the success that you can create.
The Author: Kelly Opferman is a seasoned writer who at this time focuses on her autoloancalculator.org site. Her educational background includes finance, teaching, and economics.
