8 Strategies to Find the Right Dropshipping Suppliers for your Store
Just like every other business model, dropshipping, as well, has its challenges, pros, and cons. If you’re a newcomer, we’ve already covered the basics of dropshipping – where you can learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of the business model. However, it’s safe to assume that, if you’re reading this, you’ve already done your research and learned about the core principles of the dropshipping model.
So, we’ll continue with the scenario in which you have already explored and learned the fundamentals of the chain ‘customer-your store-supplier’. What comes next? In general, starting and growing a dropshipping business is not difficult, however, there are a few elements that can make or break your success in this industry. Speaking of, finding legitimate dropshipping suppliers is one of those crucial factors for expanding your business in the right direction and securing both general online store traffic and peak eCommerce traffic.
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Spotting fake supplier deals
Before diving deeper into the key aspects of ‘how to find dropshipping suppliers that are right for your dropshipping business, let’s cover a little of the topic ‘how to recognize and avoid fake dropshipping suppliers’.
You might think that you’ve figured it all out, but not so fast. This is where things get complicated. A lot of questions will pop up in your head now that you need to learn how to find dropshipping suppliers. Also, you’ll need to start making profits at full speed. If you don’t think your business plan through and do quick research, you risk getting fooled by dropship scams.
Here are some green flags that are a sign for legit suppliers, so if you don’t recognize these in your potential supplier, you’ll know that it’s most likely a scam.
- Legitimate dropshipping suppliers get their products directly from authorized vendors and ensure 100% authenticity;
- Legitimate wholesale suppliers don’t sell products directly to end customers, they’re operating a B2B and sell to owners of online stores based on Shopify, Shift4Shop, WooCommerce, and Wix, which additionally have exquisite app extensions such as these best WooCommerce plugins;
- Legitimate suppliers usually charge an ongoing monthly fee for subscribed dropshippers in their network;
- Legitimate suppliers have a wide network of dropshipping partners who are satisfied with their service and support;
- Legitimate suppliers pride themselves on fast product dispatch and secure delivery with reliable couriers.
An example of a legitimate dropshipping supplier is BrandsGateway which covers all of the above-mentioned criteria that make a dropshipping supplier a good choice. BrandsGateway offers three different dropshipping subscription packages that vary in prices based on the period of time one is subscribed to their service. BrandsGateway ensures automated dropshipping solution which includes automatic order placement and automatic updates of inventory – features that make the experience smooth and seamless.
Dropshippers can choose from packages that are for a monthly, 3-months, and annual subscription. Furthermore, BrandsGateway sells only authentic items from premium fashion brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, and many more.
Identifying good supplier deals
Now that you know the tricks for spotting illegitimate dropshipping suppliers, the next step is identifying the right dropshipping suppliers for you. This is the phase when you need to be patient and verify the information you stumble upon on the internet. There are several aspects that make a supplier trustworthy and good to build a business relationship with. What you need to do here is follow the tips we gathered because they can ease your process of researching, finding, and vetting good dropshipping suppliers.
Research and vet suppliers using Google
Google is a search engine that owns tons of valuable, but also fake information. So if you decide to go on Google and do research for suppliers, don’t forget to have in mind the above-mentioned tips about fake suppliers. Aside from that, you will have to do extensive research and use a lot of short-tail and long-tail keywords in order to come across the information that would bring value to your business.
Identify your competitors’ suppliers
When starting a new business, everyone takes the time to research the market and identify and analyze your competitors and what they have to offer. Learning the strengths and weaknesses of the competitors within your market can be a big advantage. In the dropshipping business, for example, it’s important to find out who are the suppliers of your competitors. You can use this strategy as a starting point as it can help you identify the most reputable suppliers very quickly and you won’t have to lose time to research on your own.
For this strategy to succeed, you or someone you know and trust will need to order a product from your competitors. When the package arrives, you can look up the address on Google in order to find out who shipped the product. In the end, if everything goes well, this could be your new potential dropshipping supplier you can make a business arrangement with.
Use dropshipping supplier directories or platforms
The majority of dropshipping suppliers pay to get listed on various directories. The reason behind this step is to get more visible and discovered by future dropshippers. In other words, people are looking to find reliable suppliers listed on sites with a good reputation. The downside of this is – it’s just time-consuming. You’ll have to do a lot of research on your own, and even that won’t guarantee you results. On the other hand, dropshipping platforms allow for an automatic search of your desired products. Moreover, you’ll be able to integrate these products into your store within minutes.
Find suppliers that ship to popular countries
This is a very important step if you want to grow your business effectively and stay competitive in the market. You’ll get a bigger chance for success in the industry by choosing to go for suppliers that ship to the popular countries for dropshipping, such as:
- dropshipping suppliers in the USA
- dropshipping suppliers in the UK
- dropshipping suppliers in Canada
- dropshipping suppliers in Australia
- dropshipping suppliers in Germany
In the last years, the percentage of people who buy online is increasing significantly. Therefore, when looking for the right suppliers, be sure to not overlook this aspect as it will ensure that your business is more profitable and competitive.
Participate in industry events and shows
Finding authentic suppliers and building a good relationship with them is easier if you invest in attending dropshipping and eCommerce conferences and events. Events and shows are great for networking and building relationships with professionals within the dropshipping industry. By participating in such events, you can increase your chances to strike good deals with suppliers right away. This way, you’ll escape the extremely tiring and time-consuming step of looking for suppliers on the internet. However, before deciding to participate in such events, make sure that you’ve prepared everything down to the last detail and you’re ready to promote your business and negotiate the best terms. On the contrary, you could impact your image and make your business appear unprofessional. This can result in not getting the best deals.
Join forums where professionals from the dropshipping industry hang
Another great strategy is to join dropshipping groups and dropshipping forums such as the eCommerce business Reddit ones. There are many professionals here, who can offer good advice or help in many ways. Most of them share their experiences and will give you lots of ideas. This way, you’ll learn a lot of new things and tricks and keep up with the latest dropshipping trends.
Aside from allowing you to constantly stay in the loop by learning wide-ranging tips and tricks, this can also simplify the process of looking for the right suppliers for you. Finally, this approach will help you grow your business.
In a nutshell
Many factors influence the process of building a successful dropshipping business. However, if you invest time and energy into developing and creating a good strategy, you can achieve it before you know it. Having a dropshipping supplier that you can trust and rely on is one major factor to succeed, so follow these tips. From then on, begin your journey to the top.
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