See if you know these typical mistakes made by novices and experienced fashion dropshippers alike
How can you avoid common dropshipping mistakes?
Last week we shared our top 5 strategies for successful branding to help you get your business ahead. However, successful branding is just one step on the ladder to success.
Not only do you have to strive to reach higher rungs, you also have to watch out for faulty ones which can lead to an awful fall. Not to worry, we’re here to keep you from taking a tumble by going over the top 5 dropshipping mistakes to avoid, as well as the perfect solutions to keep you on the rise.
What happens when dropshippers make mistakes?
No one’s perfect, especially when it comes to dropshipping. Mistakes are common and overly abundant when first starting out. Even the most successful dropshippers will admit to a few errors in judgment in their beginning stages.
Rough starts are expected and provide much-needed learning experiences to develop your profitable empire. However, if you cannot learn from mistakes you are bound to repeat them.
While a few early problems may put a damper on your spirits, they are unlikely to destroy your progress (as long as you remain motivated. The same cannot be said for repeated mistakes made later in your business development.
How can you learn to avoid dropshipping mistakes?
It is nearly impossible to avoid all mistakes. We’re only human, no matter how perfect the technology is that we use to help us. That being said, we can surely decrease the number of mistakes we make and prepare ourselves for solving any common crises in the field. To do this your first step is to consult articles on the most popular and infamous dropshipping issues that plague even the best of us.
Luckily for you, we have compiled a list of 5 which we found extremely commonplace. We will discuss them in detail, allowing you to see the ways they can be avoided and the best solutions when mistakes happen.
- Marketplace Scams: from Gurus to Good Guys
It’s human nature to think of ourselves as untrickable. Unfortunately, it’s also human nature to get tricked. Conmen have been around for a long time, and it’s not just because of criminal persistence. They continue to pop up in nearly every industry, fooling people and taking their money. Dropshipping is no different.
Thankfully we have gathered the tell-tale signs of a dropshipping scam to teach you how to avoid losses firsthand.
They can’t back up their arguments with several years of revenue
Perhaps you’re looking at a self-proclaimed guru’s course and notice a revenue screenshot as “evidence” of their progress.
Please beware of this red flag: taking a single screenshot is very easy to do.
When you have been dropshipping for years, you have seen a fair share of ups and downs. Anyone can show a screenshot of their best month and say that this is how things are always. It is far from proof their strategies are anything exceptional.
2. Liar, Liar, Supplier
Suppliers are a necessity. The Yin to your Yang. Your supplier can truly make or break your dropshipping efforts and unfortunately for some the latter has been true more than not. You cannot fix a bad supplier, and even if you could we cannot advise investing the time and money to do so.
There are plenty of suppliers out there, even for the most niche markets, that would be more than happy to have your business. The secret is finding these gems, diamonds amongst the rubble, and throwing back any others who don’t make the cut.
Communication is Key
Being able to easily communicate with your supplier is vital. You must be able to quickly reach them if an issue occurs so that your orders can proceed and your customers are kept happy.
For that very reason, bad suppliers often have poor communication practices. They need to make it difficult for you to contact them so that they can avoid consequences for their own bad performance.
Here is a list from sellbrite.com that outlines the main communication red flags to look out for:
- The supplier does not have any contact information on their website, making it very easy for them to disappear with your money and leave you with no way of contacting customer service.
- Similarly, the wholesale supplier may also provide phony contact information, which will also leave you with no method of contact.
- When you contact the supplier, the person who answers does not state his or her name or the company name, making you feel like you are calling an individual’s private number and not a business, which you probably are.
- Without notice, you can no longer contact your wholesale supplier. It is as if the company no longer exists or never existed in the first place.
- Avoid suppliers with poor communication skills as this is often a clear sign of a scammer.
If any of these become apparent we suggest you hit the road. Trust is necessary for any relationship, and without proper communication, there is no hope to build that. Save yourself seasons of stress and find a great supplier that will make your job a whole lot easier.
3. Not Legit, Forced to Quit
Dropshipping can get a bad wrap but it is a legitimate business that takes a lot of work to succeed at. Unfortunately, some large platforms have yet to come around to such progressive thinking, especially if they consider what you are conducting to be “risky business.”
Facebook and PayPal don’t like dropshippers who use high-risk methods, such as AliExpress, and can shut down your account, hold payment, or just simply refuse service. This can make your reality a nightmare, ruining profits, destroying customer and supplier relationships, and otherwise wreaking havoc.
There is more to say than keep this in mind if you plan to join the growing eBay dropshipping community. It may seem like an easy way to get started, but it is far from worth it if you have to end your business on their terms and at their whim.
4. Troubles with the Trifecta (Oberlo/AliExpress/Shopify) and Facebook Ad Tips
The big three each come with their benefits. Their popularity didn’t arise by accident after all.
However, they hold their own dark secrets. We are not saying you can’t use them, let’s be honest it can be awfully hard not to, but we want you to be aware of these commonly concealed shortcomings, so you won’t ever fall victim to an undisclosed gap in policy.
Revamp your business using the following insights and tips.
- When buying products in USD instead of local currency (GBP) — banks can charge around 0.30 per transaction which can result in some big costs. Utilize shopping tools that let you purchase in local currencies to avoid paying additional fees.
- Going over the free banking period and not noticing can also lead to some difficult payments. Use dropshipping tools to set reminders and even mark the end of the period on your personal calendar.
- Starting a big-budget Facebook ad right before midnight can spend nearly 1.5k in less than 5 minutes sending really awful traffic. Instead, aim to start in the morning or afternoon, when people are checking social media before work or during their lunch break.
- Not using cashback when starting out, which can allow AliExpress to get 5–8 percent money back per order for most categories. Cashback is usually a must for beginners.
5. Quality Before Quantity
If your products are not of the expected quality it can be extremely difficult to retain customers and even make consistent sales. You can forget brand identity if you cannot even ensure your products will meet expectations.
Poor products may not be directly your fault, but you’ll find you’re often the main target of blame from your unhappy consumers. How can we avoid this consumer crisis?
Put Your Orders to the Test
As Ecommerce Pro states, the only way to make certain of product quality is to either ask your suppliers to send you samples or to just go ahead and order the same items as a customer.
Test orders are extremely important for dropshippers. It allows them to control the quality of the products they sell. As a dropshipper you are attesting to the quality of your products and have a duty to fulfill the promises made in your marketing messages and product descriptions. It is part of your job to verify their quality yourself rather than make the mistake of trusting your supplier blindly.
Thankfully it isn’t too difficult, all you must do is order the products yourself and have them shipped out to your address. You will be getting the experience firsthand on the kind of service your store will be providing its customers. It’s a great way for you to observe how your supplier operates.
Takeaways for Clothing Dropshippers
These are far from all the mistakes you may find yourself making at the start of your dropshipping journey, however, they make up the basics that can deprive you of a rewarding and profitable experience.
Keep these mistakes (and solutions) in mind as you traverse through the often overwhelming landscape of online sales. Remember initial mistakes are normal but don’t get fooled again!
You can learn even more about solving common dropshipping mistakes, such as out of stock issues, by visiting the OMNIOUS.AI blog.
Sources:
https://dropshippinghelps.com/scamming-techniques-of-shopify-dropshipping-gurus1/
https://www.sellbrite.com/blog/wholesale-buying-reviews/
https://medium.com/@bella.piccioli/quality-control-in-dropshipping-a124fd392fcd
