Dropshipping can be a great option for new online merchants who don’t have the time or money to invest in maintaining a large inventory. Dropshipping is a time- and effort-saving e-commerce strategy that can help you get your online store up and running quickly.
Now that you’ve decided to launch a drop-shipping enterprise, you might be wondering how to get started with drop-shipping at no cost. An online business can be launched at no cost, yes. Learn about dropshipping and how to get started with it in this article.
What Is Dropshipping
By ordering goods from wholesalers and having them shipped directly to customers, online merchants can easily keep track of inventory. You can focus on growing your business without worrying about stocking products when you use dropshipping, as orders placed on your website will be fulfilled by the suppliers themselves. That is to say, you act as a go-between in the transaction.
Accepting orders from customers and placing them with suppliers are two essential tasks in any dropshipping operation. Dropshipping apps like Dropship corporation, which has been downloaded thousands of times on Shopify, can help you streamline this process and automate your business.
Using dropshipping, you can learn a lot about selecting and marketing high-demand products quickly at low risk and with few resources.
There are several pros of dropshipping.
- Less capital required
- Easy to get started
- Low overhead \sFlexible location
- Wide selection of products to sell \sEasier to test trending and general products
- Simpler to expand
For more information on dropshipping and why it may be a good option for your online store, see our companion piece, What is Dropshipping.
Dropshipping: How to Get Started for Free
Here are 5 easy steps to get into dropshipping without spending a dime. It also includes a number of paid services that, while not required, could help your dropshipping business expand and thrive. Your drop-shipping business can fit into your schedule and budget.
First, Determine Your Market and Offerings
Discovering your market and potential inventory items is the first step in launching a successful online dropshipping enterprise. Spending time learning about a specific subset of your target audience through niche marketing research will pay off. Helium 10 and Jungle Scout are two great tools for doing product research, and they both offer 50% off coupons to first-time users.
The best-selling items on AliExpress can serve as a source of inspiration as you search for the perfect market niche and merchandise to sell in it. You can look through some top sellers on AliExpress. Each one, regardless of its subject matter, is guaranteed to spark an idea. Check out our article on the 100+ AliExpress best-selling categories you can buy and sell to make a profit for more information.
- Motivated by curiosity and enthusiasm, focus on a field that appeals to your special set of hobbies and pastimes. In other words, use the passions to kick off and market your dropshipping enterprise.
- Your own specific requirements can be met by drawing on your own life experiences. In knowing that others face the same challenges, you can work together to find answers. Perhaps they represent your ideal clientele, and you’ve found your niche by catering to their specific wants and needs.
- Determine who else is offering similar products or services by doing some research. If the competition is fierce, it could be tough to turn a profit.
- Make sure it’s a profitable niche by picking one where you can expect a profit margin of at least 40% after accounting for shipping costs, seller fees, and taxes. You might not make as much cash if the products don’t sell well.
The Second Step Is to Locate Trustworthy Vendors
Since you already have a product in mind, the next step is to locate potential vendors. Among online marketplaces, AliExpress has the most comprehensive lists of reliable vendors. The majority of them are located in China and offer astonishingly low prices. You can pick and choose the ones that work best with your online store.
Many people use it as a dropshipping hub because of the following:
Among dropshipping marketplaces, it is widely recognised as among the best.
With the help of Dropship corporation (the official AliExpress dropshipping partner), dropshippers can streamline and automate many of their processes.
You can do dropshipping with the help of a few different tools and plugins (like social integration, timely insights, and more).
AliExpress allows you to start a dropshipping business with little to no initial capital.
Read our article How to Find a Reliable AliExpress Supplier with Dropship corporation for more information on the subject.
In Stage 3, You Will Create Your No Cost Internet Shop
The next step, establishing your virtual storefront, is crucial. Your store’s design, homepage, and images, product catalogue, payment gateways, checkout, and shipping options, domain registration, and store launch are all part of the process.
If you have access to the necessary tools, you can create your own online store for zero dollars. A website and hosting service, if used, will cost you money.
In addition, you can open a virtual shop right from your social media profile (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.). There is no financial outlay required, but you should be aware of the potential pitfalls: if the account doesn’t have enough followers, it may be difficult to advertise your goods.
You should look into other e-commerce platforms if you plan on selling a lot of products online. Although it will require some investment of your time and resources, extravagant store interior design and decorations are unnecessary.
Shopify, BigCommerce, Squarespace, and WooCommerce are just some of the options out there. The most common and easy-to-use is Shopify. There’s a free trial period of 14 days.
Shopify
Shopify is a good choice if you want a cheap or free online store. You can increase your store’s credibility by purchasing a domain name from providers like Shopify and WordPress.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce’s prices are the same as Shopify’s, but if you sign up for a Shopify plan for an annual subscription, you can save 10% and if you commit to two years, you can save 20%.
This means you can save nearly $200 per year on the Shopify plan after taking into account the 20% discount.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is rooted in the WordPress platform. If you already have a WordPress site up and running, WooCommerce is a simple plugin to add. You can convert your site into a fully operational online store powered by WordPress with just a few mouse clicks.
As can be seen from the above comparison, Shopify has clear advantages, particularly for those on a tighter budget.
Shopify is a more cost-effective option for new online merchants than BigCommerce or WooCommerce.
Fourth, decide on a free dropshipping software.
It would be much easier for dropshippers to run their businesses if they had access to a reliable dropshipping tool that would help them connect with suppliers from all over the world.
If you’re serious about dropshipping, Dropship corporat has a lot of tools at your disposal to help you succeed. It will automatically synchronise order details, let you manage multiple stores from a single account, offer round-the-clock support, submit orders to AliExpress, accept payments in bulk, and provide access to a plethora of AliExpress vendor options with just a click.
Getting Your Products Out There is Step 5
Now that you have set up shop, it’s time to start selling your wares. To increase sales, the top three marketing strategies are as follows.
- SEO stands for “search engine optimization,” and you should tweak it so that your online shop shows up higher on Google’s search results page.
Select the most appropriate social media platform for your company’s needs; for example, not all businesses or stores would benefit from being promoted on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Pick the best social media platform to promote your products. - Email marketing, as the name suggests, entails using electronic mail to publicise business activities such as the introduction of new products or the promotion of sales. A powerful and low-cost method of attracting and retaining customers. Check out the article “What Is Email Marketing?” for additional information.
- Additionally, you can utilise your existing circle of friends and family. If you think they might be interested in what you have to offer, you could send them free samples and ask them to spread the word about your business online. Most importantly, they can be used to promote your products without requiring a hefty financial outlay.
Insight: Once your online shop and goods are up and running you can’t just sit back and wait for people to discover them. The internet is a big network, so you need to give your products the attention that matches their value.,
Conclusion
Dropshipping has a low barrier to entry, and once you’ve gotten started, you can further streamline your operations by picking the right tools.
Now that you know the 5 essential steps to launching a profitable dropshipping business with zero out of pocket expenses, you can get to work on turning your brilliant business plan into a reality. Do not neglect product promotion after launching your online store. Before beginning dropshipping, you have time to investigate your advertising options and make an informed decision. Yes, advertisements do increase website visits.
