New dropshippers and prospective dropshippers often ask this. Why buy dropshippers?
Let’s look at a few reasons why AliExpress’s low prices won’t hurt your business.
Ignorance
Most consumers don’t know what AliExpress is, but you do. AliExpress receives only 5.11% US traffic.
Look closer.
Google is where many shoppers begin. I also did this article. Searched “Green Utility Jacket”. I scrolled through the entire “shopping” tab at the top of Google search, and guess how many green utility jackets AliExpress listed?
None.
I then examined the search result pages. Although 45% of shoppers don’t scroll past the second page of search results, I kept scrolling. I lasted until page 12 before giving up. My “green utility jacket” AliExpress search yielded no results after 12 pages.
If you’re worried about competing with Google ads and AliExpress listings, don’t be—they’re not.
Trust
Consumers are becoming more comfortable giving their credit card information to online stores, but their experience will greatly influence whether they buy.
Let’s pretend I’m a consumer who knows about AliExpress. I’m typing “green utility jacket women aliexpress” into Google now.
You must be nervous!
(So was I, lol.)
This happened.
Google Shopping had no AliExpress listings.
I clicked on Google’s first link and was taken to a page with 154 results, but only two of them were utility jackets. I clicked the first image and saw:
- Grainy product images.
- No product reviews.
- The “Asia sizing” text warned me to measure myself.
The fine print stated that they “do not guarantee delivery time on all international shipments” even though my purchase was estimated to arrive in 2 1/2 weeks.
I liked the price, but the information was lacking.
As a consumer, this jacket seemed “risky,” so I went back to my Google search and clicked on the second link for “green utility jacket women aliexpress”.
14,742 results appeared. Overwhelming!!
I scrolled through the first page and saw no green utility jackets for women. I could scroll another 60+ pages.
No. Thank you.
Instead of looking through 14,724 results, I changed the AliExpress search field back to “utility jacket women green” instead of using the Google search link.
This happened.
Results:
- One jacket didn’t fit my search.
- 5 repeated my discouraging experience.
- Two more were unfavorable.
- One product had two reviews, but when I tried to read them, they weren’t there.
- The pricing was good, but my mistrust of the product overshadowed it.
Would you buy from AliExpress if this was your experience? Did Alixpress do well on Google? Do AliExpress sellers care about product listings? Are these products reliable?
What about shoppers who browse AliExpress.com?
Truth is:
AliExpress can overwhelm consumers. It’s like the New York Stock Exchange, with sellers urging you to buy. Without AliExpress experience, you may not know how to:
Use AliExpress-recognized search terms (e.g., “utility jacket women green” should be “army green jacket women”). This search term returned 2,299 results compared to 8), weed through the potentially thousands of relevant and irrelevant products that show up in an AliExpress search result to find a quality product, communicate with, and determine which seller to purchase from when there are so many sellers offering the same product, know which products aren’t worth buying from AliExpress, and determine which shipping method is most reliable for you.
AliExpress product reviews show how frustrating it is for customers to deal with sellers directly. The average consumer will “tap out” rather than learn AliExpress. Your average AliExpress customer may doubt their purchase.
Step in.
Your Advantages?
To build trust, improve customer service.
1. Buy Top-Rated Products for Potential Customers
To save your customers time, research products and find top-rated suppliers. They’ll pay more because you’re saving them time and hassle by sourcing trusted products.
I found an AliExpress women’s utility jacket using AliExtractor. What’s AliExtractor? The Chrome Extension crawls AliExpress pages and displays product results based on your filters.
AliExtractor filters only show products with:
- 4.8+ stars
- 25+ reviews
- 50+ orders
- ePacket tracking and shipping
- 98% seller satisfaction…
- I found this in minutes.
This jacket has high-quality product images, positive reviews, and a reputable supplier. If I want to take product photos or make a video (recommended!), I might order and test this product.
Discuss price.
Dropshipping products may seem expensive at $30.09. I found several similar jackets on Google Shopping, Pinterest, Amazon, and eBay.
Similar jackets averaged $59. They shipped in 8-10 days, which was a couple days faster than the AliExpress jacket I found.
I could sell this jacket for $59.99– $69.99 (including free shipping) and make $29.90–39.90. Despite advertising costs, I think this jacket could compete with what I found in my research.
Why would I price this jacket higher than my competitors’ average price? Why not price the jacket below all my competitors?
Because I’ll:
offer a great “customer experience” (that customers won’t mind paying a little extra for), create a buffer for ad costs, and give me more room to offer coupons/discounts if I have a sale or promotion.
2. Make Your Online Store Trustworthy.
Yes, I’ve waited a month for products from several online stores. I didn’t mind as a customer because:
- Customers who bought the same product left many positive reviews.
- High-quality images and videos accurately described the product, according to product reviews.
- I purchased knowing the estimated shipping time.
- I knew the store’s return policy and guarantees before buying.
- The store displayed SSL certificates and trust logos.
- My product’s tracking information showed me when it was processed, shipped, and delivered.
- Customer service was polite and helpful.
- The product was as described, and the online store’s sizing was “true to size” for clothing.
This matters. Your dropshipping business must be taken seriously. Creating an online experience that shows customers what to expect when they buy from you will set you apart from your competitors.
3. Contrary.
Beware! Many online store owners simply:
fill their stores with untested products, copy and paste product descriptions and images from the supplier, and not carefully consider the buyer’s experience.
Remember, you don’t need to sell the cheapest products to make sales. You need to prove you offer a trustworthy buying experience.
If this means making your own videos and product shots to differentiate from your competitors, do it. For true-to-size clothing, make your own sizing chart. For unexpected delivery delays, add a couple of days to your shipping policy. Take time to create a solid return policy. Send extra emails to reassure a worried customer that their order is on its way.
Conclusion
A pricing and customer experience tale.
My sons follow several obscure “bands” on Instagram and Spotify. These bands’ online stores are only open 2-3 times a year. The bands reveal only a few of their products until the online store “opens.”
Prices are outrageous, shipping is extortion, and delivery can take 6-8 weeks or more.
That’s crazy…
When these bands open their stores for a few days, they sell out in minutes.
They’ve shown it’s not about price. About
knowing their audience, selecting desirable products, interacting with customers, and creating excitement about their products.
No, you don’t need to be a rockstar to create demand, but if you take the time to know your audience, select and offer great products, and build a trusting relationship with your customers by creating a great customer buying experience, you’ll be well on your way to rockstar sales.
