Building a successful dropshipping store can be fun and exciting, but also a real challenge at the start.
So if you want to accelerate your progress as a beginner, then it’s important you adopt the key strategies and techniques that make a dropshipping store successful.
With this in mind, this article will outline 10 key tips that will help you convert more visitors into customers in your online store.
Tip 1) Focus on items that have demand.
One of the biggest mistakes that store owners make is not selling what their marketplace really wants.
In fact, this is a big reason why most people fail at dropshipping.
The truth is, it will be very difficult to succeed with dropshipping if you have no idea whatsoever about how well your products sell in the marketplace. It’s not enough to sell a product based on your own opinion, as such a risk could turn out to be very costly, if the product doesn’t sell.
Wise dropshippers focus on selling products that are in demand. These are “hot” products that customers already desire already buying in the marketplace.
These products are easier to sell because you don’t have to create desire for it out of thin air, which can be incredibly challenging when you’re just starting out.
With this in mind, focus on sourcing products that are in constant, high demand. Research product data such as customer feedback, monthly sales, orders and ratings. It’s smarter and wiser to base your decisions on metrics like this.
And one more thing… While doing research, lock your own opinions in a box! A lot of the time our own emotions can “blur” the real picture and we can find ourselves missing out on potential opportunities to make big profits.
Recommended article: How to pick winning products for a 1-product dropshippiing store
Tip 2) Sell what customers want. Not what they need.
This is what separates a thriving online store from a failing one.
Selling items that are only basic needs to the customer is never a profitable strategy to take.
Rarely would someone ever wait two to four weeks to buy a basic need like cooking cutlery, when they can easily buy the same thing at their local supermarket.
Rather than focusing on needs, good dropshippers solely focus on what customers WANT, and put these products in front of them.
It’s why high-end brands like Gucci are able to ask for higher prices because they appeal to what the customer wants, even though they don’t need it.
If you want to sell high-profit items, then appeal to a customer’s wants rather than their needs.
Tip 3) Be patient with organic traffic.
Free traffic isn’t so speed-savvy as paid traffic.
It takes a while before you start seeing results from your SEO efforts. Which can be rather frustrating if you are eager to see quick results.
But this doesn’t mean you should throw in the towel. SEO traffic may take a while, but can in the long-term be just as effective as paid ads in consistently driving relevant visitors to your store.
Recommended article: How to start a dropshipping store for less than $50
Tip 4) Use paid ads to find highly profitable items.
One of the benefits of paid traffic is that you can use it to quickly test whether a product is profitable or not.
This is important because 90% of your sales will come from a single “winning” product. This is the product that gives you a positive return on your ad spend.
Once you have found a winning product, you can reinvest its profits back into ad spend, and scale your revenue at a faster rate.
To find a winner, you need to put your products out there and measure how your audience responds. Not every product will turn out profitable. But the quicker you test, the quicker it will be to eventually find that winning product.
Tip 5) You don’t need the lowest price to succeed in dropshipping.
Most sellers believe that lowering their prices or a high feedback score is what you need to have a successful online store. But this is nothing but made up assumption.
Sure, low prices can lure in customers. But dropshippers focus on selling products that most people have NEVER seen before.
And because of this unawareness, customers can’t put a price on your product, as they can’t compare it to anything similar.
This now gives you the power to charge higher prices for your items, without the worry of customers price checking your product against something else.
Knowing this, focus on selling rare, unique items that will allow to set your own prices.
Recommended article: How to pick winning products with dropshipping
Tip 6) Build a sales funnel.
This one here is big.
A sales funnel is a structured sales process a customer goes through, from when they first see your product as a prospect, to when they leave your store as a paying customer. And it is by far one of the most easy and effective ways to increase your profits.
Why? Because in a sales funnel, there are a number of opportunities to “bump” up your profit margin, through upselling customers on additional items in your store.
On top of your front-end item, upsells can literally double or triple the amount you make per customer.
And unlike front-end items, you don’t need to spend money on advertising, so most of the money made is yours to keep after deducting expenses.
Another benefit of building a sales funnel is that you’ll earn a higher CPM (cost-per-mile) than your competitors that aren’t building a funnel. You can then afford to out-buy their paid traffic because you’re earning more money than them.
Tip 7) Avoid being attached to a “dead” product.
As mentioned in tip number one, our emotions can distort how we feel about a certain product.
These emotions can be so strong that they dictate what product you end up selling, even if the product is BAD.
While it’s extremely fun to make money selling something you love, chances are, this won’t always be the case.
In reality, it’s a much wiser option sell products that actually make money.
You may not have a personal interest in what you sell, but if it’s wrenching in tens of thousands of dollars, it’s pretty fair to say you’ll end up falling in love with it!
When choosing a product to sell, make sure you do so from the perspective of your customers and NOT yourself.
Don’t just sell a product because you like it. If a product doesn’t have interest, then drop it, and focus on finding a new product that converts better – even if you think it is great.
Recommended article: 6 tips for choosing a product to sell on Amazon FBA
Tip 8) Don’t wait, act now.
Many aspiring entrepreneurs are scared to start their own business.
They wait and wait until the time is “right” to finally take action… But rarely does the “perfect day” ever come by.
The truth is, the longer you put a good opportunity on hold, the more time you have to talk yourself out of it.
And if you don’t act quick, these opportunities can eventually slip away for good.
This is especially true if you want to build an online store. The ecommerce industry is constantly changing, so what is currently working now may not work a year later.
Want to start a dropshipping business? Do it? Want to sell that product? Do it. Delaying life changing opportunities will only teach you stay within your comfort zone…
…and it’s your comfort zone where your goals, dreams, and aspirations will slowly die (if you don’t take action).
Tip 9) Shoot first, aim later.
Successful dropshippers are well-trained in the art of taking IMPERFECT action.
Because they understand that their first go at something will never be perfect, they don’t waste time trying to get “all their ducks in a row” before they start something, and are brave enough to take the first swing in the shortest amount of time possible.
Rather than ‘hem and haw’ about something for months on end, make a conscious decision to take action anyway, even if you fail.
Building a successful dropshipping business will take time, and you won’t get to “millionaire status” overnight. Every new skill, whether that is learning how source products or creating a Facebook ad, comes with a learning curve that you have to overcome.
Bite the bullet and start your ecommerce store, create an Aliexpress store, list your first product on Amazon or create your first Amazon listing. It won’t be perfect but that is OK, because you are learning. It’s easier to understand what we teach when you’d tried it yourself.
Recommended article: How to create a dropshipping store with Shopify & Aliexpress
Tip 10) Diversify your products.
A good dropshipping store knows it’s customer isn’t only interested in just one product.
For example, if you were selling a tent in your store, chances are customers will also be interested in buying other camp related products, like flashlights, backpacks or survival knives.
With this in mind, try to think about other items you can sell your customers. Research what customers are also buying in addition to what you sell, then add these products to your store.
It’s always a good idea to diversify what you’re selling so you can upsell your customers and make more money from them.
Bottom line
Building a full-fledged, profitable dropshipping store is no breeze. But these ten powerful tips outlined in this article will surely help to accelerate your results and your success.