How to find suppliers for dropshipping?
Dropshipping is quite a popular, highly lucrative, and inexpensive way to start an eCommerce business nowadays. It is no wonder that startupreneurs with less capital want to increasingly grow their business process in the market.
Dropshipping is a convenient way to launch an online store because of its less capital, no worry for stock and inventory, and easy to start methods. However, anyone who wants to start their own dropshipping business must pass through some hardships to accomplish the significant tasks in this process.
In order for dropshipping to work, the key elements that you need to know carefully are finding the right supplier or dropshipper for your business. There are many factors need to be considered before selecting a supplier.
You need to make sure you have got genuine dropshippers who can provide high-quality service that your business needs. A good supplier can multiply your revenue, brand, and value of your store. On the other hand, a bad supplier can destroy your achieved credibility in the market. You will face many challenges in finding an ideal dropshipping supplier for your business. That’s exactly what we are going to explain everything you need to know how to find dropshipping suppliers for your store.
Let’s go find suppliers!
But before jumping to choose the suppliers, know how to identify a fake dropshipper. This will make sure your e-commerce store to go smoothly. Know the following tips which will help you whether to consider or avoid a potential partner!
How to spot the fake drop shipping wholesalers?
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Negative Reviews:
Online reviews are valuable things in searching for a good dropshipping supplier. Check the reviews on Google, independent websites that will prove more helpful to you. You will find many retailers honest reviews and critiques of their supply partners with all their pros and cons.
If one company’s reviews are negative, you can be confident that you would have an unpleasant experience if you do business with them. However, no company will have a 100% positive review. Thus, you need to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the given supplier and check if their strengths can balance with your business.
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Poor quality products:
Your supplier should provide high-quality merchandise to your store. As your customers always prefer well-made products, any kind of cheap item will fall apart from your business. Thus, you can investigate by ordering for yourself from them to check the quality of the supplier’s products. Perhaps, decide yourself from the perspective of customers and think would the product satisfy the customer.
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Signs of scams:
Choosing a supplier can be a crucial task as the suppliers are not even what they claim to be. There are lots of people who provide dropshipping services as a scam. Any newcomer or inexperienced eCommerce business owner can easily be a victim of them. So, check the suppliers provide much contact information on their site. Be cautious while searching the suppliers online to avoid dropshipping scam.
How to find dropshipping suppliers?
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Familiarize yourself with different distribution channels:
It is important for you to know the distribution channels where you fit in the supply chain. Let’s know the different types of wholesalers to get a clear picture.
Manufacturer: You need to get some products directly from the manufactures. For example, a boutique eCommerce store usually buys products from manufacturers.
Exclusive Distributor: The distributors can import a particular product in specific industries.
Wholesaler or regional distributor: The regional dropshipping suppliers deliver in boxcar-sized lots, breaking them down into smaller boxes of products, and then selling them to the wholesalers.
Contacting the manufacturer will help you in a lot more ways. They will be able to point you to the authorized distributors who can help in establishing a dropshipping relationship with your business.
In this way, you can get the handy lists of identifying top distributors to potentially partner up with.
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Contact the suppliers:
Talk and give clarity about your needs with the dropshipping supplier. You can also ask questions about the services they provide. Some genuine suppliers also give the contact information of some of their customers to get the first-hand experience to get commitment and trust. However, sticking to a single supplier could be a risky approach for any eCommerce marketplace. Thus, you need to collaborate with multiple suppliers to have more products in your catalog by building a good relationship. This helps you to maintain a constant stream of supply without failing to fulfill any order.
Order sample from Suppliers: Once you chose the suppliers, order some samples from them. Test the quality of service, packaging, and other supply-related questions that your customer might face in the future. It allows you to witness firsthand how customers will experience your products.
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Find-out a legitimate supplier:
More often than not, it’s relatively a challenge to find out a certified dropshipping company. You can’t find on the internet typing the best dropshipper as there are many middlemen and scammers.
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Have a look at support services:
Support service is one of the most prominent ways to identify a genuine supplier. Genuine suppliers offer top-notch support to their clients. They have representatives who can guide you throughout the process and offer assistance to get on with the deal. The quality of support gives more chance to know a legitimate supplier.
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Check the formal contract process:
The authentic suppliers generally have an application process to work. They don’t work without getting into a legal contract. A formal contract is signed before the incorporation and approval of your deal.
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Search in Google for high-quality suppliers:
Once you’ve decided your products to sell, research in Google which dropshipping suppliers are out there and suitable according to your needs. Dive deep into the reviews, raw material sourcing, delivery times, and service potential.
If you want to sell your products online by connecting to dropshipping suppliers across the globe, there are many platforms available where you can find dropshipping suppliers. You can just add them into your website with just a few clicks to your eCommerce store by dropshipping integration. Once you’ve made a sale, the supplier will ship the products from their warehouse to the customer’s doorstep.
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Follow and check your competitor’s suppliers:
If one of your competitors is having the same supplier, then you can find how the supplier offers the services. Be in line with your competitors by analyzing the services they offer.
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Attend a trade show:
Attending a trade show can be an expensive way for startup owners. However, you will get in contact with top businesses, retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers. A well-presented proposal can give you a great deal. You can try this method if you have enough time and resources.
Conclusion:
If you are a full-blown eCommerce store or starting a new dropshipping business, locating the best manufacturer or supplier can be an overwhelming task. There are numerous ways to find out the supplier. Keep in mind that there are advantages or disadvantages whichever sourcing method you choose for your eCommerce platform. It’s not easy to operate the eCommerce business successfully. One small wrong decision will give you a threat to your business. We hope this article could help the startup owners and beginners in the eCommerce sector to find an ideal channel.
Author By-line:
Jessica Bruce
I am a professional blogger, guest writer, Influencer & an eCommerce expert. Currently associated with ShopyGen.Com as a content marketing strategist. I also report on the latest happenings and trends associated with the eCommerce industry.
Follow me on Twitter @Jessicabruc (https://twitter.com/Jessicabruc)