You’ve landed here since you’ve decided what categories of products to sell now that you’ve mastered identifying and validating a niche. Today we are looking into how to choose products and suppliers for your dropshipping business.
The next step outlines how to select specific products and suppliers so that you can begin adding them to your store right away.
If a decent store lacks great products, it isn’t worth much. Furthermore, you must make a good relationship with suppliers who do an excellent job.
It is important to have suppliers who are on time and follow good business practices because you will not be able to control your products.
Take my word for it when I posit that good products and suppliers will save you a lot of time and money in the long run. They’ll also set you up for more future success quickly by providing you with the necessary tools.
Chapter 4 Table Of Content
- Product Statistics
- Search On AliExpress
- Choose a product with ePacket
- Finding Suppliers to work with.
- Adding Products to Import List
- Guru-Inspired Insights: Tips & Tricks from the Best People in the Business
When selecting a good product that will make and keep customers satisfied, there are three primary things to look for:
- The product’s quality and popularity
- The supplier’s reputation and practices that communicate it to your customers.
- Your clients’ shipping options. Your customers can receive things from you in a lot of ways.
We will break these down.
Products
- Products: It’s risky to receive a rating of less than 4.6 since that’s when things start to go wrong.
- Reviews: You should have a lot of positive feedback from customers who used to work for you.
- Orders: As a general rule, you should have at least 100 orders to show that your product is in demand.
- Image: Have intriguing photos that you can use in your store (though there are other ways you can get photos)
Supplier
- Have a feedback rating of 95% or higher
Shipping
- ePacket shipping, often the fastest way to procure stuff, should be available in countries.
- Shipping times should be as short as possible so that customers do not need to contact customer support to find out where their products are.
Now that you’ve figured out the fundamentals, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of choosing great products and outstanding suppliers.
Oberlo Product Statistics
It’s your best pal. At the set of the project, it’s essential to remove some of the guesswork associated with locating a good product and make you make data-driven decisions about which products are best for your business.
This is what the Oberlo Product Statistics are all about.
This section will look at Oberlo’s new data points and show you how to use them to find outstanding products.
When you search for products on Oberlo, you will see four separate statistics for each one. There are several:
Rating: The average rating out of five stars and the number of customers who have submitted a review on AliExpress are essential reviews.
Look for a product with many good reviews and good ratings if it has a lot of good reviews and good ratings. If you find a product with no reviews, it could be because it does not sell on AliExpress or because Oberlo is still in its early stages.
Import: The number of Oberlo merchants who have bought a product from another country or brought it into their store in recent years. Imports This number reflects what the dropshipper desires rather than what the customer desires.
Products in high demand and that have a good reputation are more important than what the customer wishes. This might help you determine whether other dropshippers have already discovered a good product or if it is a diamond in the rough that has yet to be found.
Pageviews: This counts the number of times a product has been seen by people who have used Shopify on other websites in the last 30 days. Pages show how many people visited a store’s website and looked at a specific item.
Orders: The count of times a product has been bought through an Oberlo-powered store and AliExpress in the last 30 days: When you click on a product and navigate to the product page, you can see how well it has performed in the past.
These statistics are valuable in and of themselves. People frequently remark that when they put two things, they can find wonderful things.
Let’s look at four different products that won to show how to do this.
- Products in Demand
- Rising Stars
- High Potential Products
Oberlo Product Statistics might help you look more about each one and where to find them.
#1: Hot Or Products in Demand
Look for products that match the following:
- More than 500 orders have been placed in the last 30 days.
If a product has already been sold, there is no better indicator that it will sell in the future than proof that it has already been sold. Products bought more than 500 times in the last 30 days already have a good track record.
Oberlo and AliExpress ship our orders. Even if you notice a product with many orders, you should still test it in your store. To determine whether a product is suitable for dropshipping or simply for selling successfully on AliExpress, consider how many people have purchased it.
#2: Emerging or Rising Products
Look for products with these words on them.
- In the last 30 days, between 100 and 500 people have bought something.
- 500 people have viewed this page.
A low number of page views isn’t always a bad thing! A product is referred to as a “Rising Star” if it has a low lot of page views but a high number of orders. So get your hands on these products as soon as possible to stay ahead of the competition.
To get the most out of Rising Stars, consider the following:
- Import & pageviews. Imports and page views don’t appear to be too distinct. In this situation, several stores may have imported this product, but only a handful have been able to direct customers to the product page. That means that dedicated marketers have a shot. You might be able to increase sales of this product if you’re willing to conduct some study and spend money on marketing.
- Orders less than 1%. There aren’t a lot of orders. Many people may have been interested in the product but were unable to purchase it due to the product sites of other merchants. Make a good product page if you want to reclaim those customers. Product photographs are good; if they aren’t up to par, take your own and put them on the website. Make careful to write your product descriptions well if you want them to be epic.
#3: High Potential Products
Look for products with these:
- In the last 30 days, there have been 50 to 500 orders.
- Less than 100 pageviews
- Where possible, multiple 5-star reviews
Products with a few sales, a few page views, and a few good reviews (if any) fall between Rising Stars and Hidden Gems, but they aren’t either of them.
That is why it is essential to pay attention to the numbers. Do the same thing I did for Rising Stars. When you’re finished, ask:
- Orders in the past 6 months: How many orders have people placed in the last six months? Product: A single sale in the last 30 days and a few dozen in the last six months may be more promising than initially believed. People who buy many things from a dropshipping store may have numbers similar to these. These are good things to have in a store that sells similar items. Also, keep in mind that a product that hasn’t sold in the last six months may be new to Oberlo.
- AliExpress reviews: Are there any reviews on it if it’s from AliExpress? Look for 4- to 5-star reviews from many products on AliExpress for statistics. People who offer a product a lot of good feedback may believe it’s new to drop shipping if there aren’t a lot of imports or page views.
Search On AliExpress
Before you begin, install the Oberlo Chrome extension and then start. If you don’t already have Chrome, download it and use it for Oberlo.
To access it, go to Chrome and click the button. Then, click the “Add to Chrome” button to get it.
When you search for something on AliExpress, below is how it now looks: Many results have green boxes around them-extension: This indicates whether the product can be shipped via ePack and how long it takes to ship each order.
Hovering your mouse over a product will reveal a blue Oberlo logo icon in the shape of a blue circle. The product will be added to your import list when you click this. You can then add it to your store.
eCommerce 101
Import list: Oberlo’s import list displays all of the items you want to add to your store. You can change details like the name or description, as well as the photos, from there. In other words, the import list functions similarly to a “draughts” folder. This means that no products will be live until added to your store.
So, let us come back to the search results, shall we?
Before you even click on a listing, you’ll see a lot of information in the first few results. Like:
- Cost per piece: The cost per piece of the product, including any current sales.
- Shipping costs and ePacket accessibility
- Product rating: The Product’s rating and the number of people who gave it a favorable rating.
- Order count: How many people do you think are purchasing it?
When you sort by “Orders,” you’ll find products that have been purchased frequently and have received positive feedback.
These figures are accurate, but they aren’t particularly significant. You should be good to go if you have at least 100 orders and 4.8 stars. So you start playing with fire when you get below 100.
See what you can find by clicking on one of the listings.
The supplier’s rating is shown at the top. Don’t waste your time with any business that hasn’t received a rating of at least 95%.
In the main section, listings come in various styles and colors.
When you visit the website, you will also view the shipping options. It’s similar to Oberlo in some ways. When you click the arrow, you will see shipping options and prices for various countries.
So, if you continue to scroll down, you’ll see more information about the products and more details.
Hack!
Your AliExpress credit card will be put on hold from time to time. They may require you to prove you are who you claim to be. A copy of your passport will be required each time you apply for a visa.
You must also send a photo of your credit card and a credit card statement. Do not be concerned; this is how AliExpress ensures that no one attempts to steal their money. This process could take up to three business days.
Choose Products that come with ePacket
You’ve probably heard the term “package” a few times now that this post is done. So it’s only fitting that you find out what it is at long last.
eCommerce 101
ePacket: In China and Hong Kong, suppliers and merchants can send goods using the ePacket shipping option. Products residing in these countries can send ePackets to many other parts of the world more quickly.
One of the most popular methods for Chinese and Hong Kong merchants to send goods to customers is ePacket delivery. Why? It has many positive aspects:
- It’s one of the quickest methods of sending items to people in other countries. It may take a long time if your customers use alternative methods. ePacket, on the other hand, takes approximately three weeks.
- It has lower shipping costs, allowing you to keep your products competitive.
- You can keep track of your ePacket tracking numbers through companies such as EMS and USPS, which is beneficial to your customer service skills.
- You will not be charged to return any unfit items to be shipped.
Countries that Use ePacket
ePacket deliveries from people in China or Hong Kong are possible in more than 40 countries. Customers in one of these countries can use your company’s ePacket shipping.
- Vietnam
- America
- Britain
- Ukraine
- Turkey
- Thailand
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- Spain
- Singapore
- Saudi Arabia
- Russia
- Portugal
- Poland
- Norway
- New Zealand
- Netherlands
- Mexico
- Malta
- Malaysia
- Luxembourg
- Lithuania
- Latvia
- Korea
- Kazakhstan
- Japan
- Italy
- Israel
- Ireland
- Indonesia
- Hungary
- Hong Kong
- Greece
- Germany
- France
- Finland
- Denmark
- Canada
- Brazil
- Belgium
- Austria
- Australia
ePacket Delivery Prerequisites
To be eligible for ePacket, a product must meet a few requirements:
- Weight: The package cannot weigh more than two kg (4.4 lbs).
- Value: In the United States, the product cannot be worth more than $400.
- Size: The package’s length should be at least 14 cm, but no longer than 60 cm on its longest side. If your item is less than 14 cm in length, the merchant will most likely place it in a larger box with some filler.
Hack!
Finally, try to sell small items that can be shipped using ePacket. You will save a lot of money for a long time if you do this. Tracking the item will also save you time and trouble when dealing with customers.
Find Trustworthy Suppliers
It makes no difference how well-known your products are or how certain you are that they will be a success. You must make that the dropshipping suppliers you select can provide the high-quality service your business requires.
Your suppliers should be dependable specialists in their domains:
When your suppliers are in Asia and do not speak a lot of English, this can be a problem because they may not understand you.
Try to respond to all of your messages within 24 hours.
It’s better to make sure your orders are correct the first time, so you don’t have to deal with many customer complaints or returns.
Have positive feedback from previous customers so that they can gain more business.
Find the right ones using these tips:
Research
On account of the number of suppliers in your chosen product field, you may choose between a domestic and an international supplier. Consider the following:
- How long it takes them to receive your order and whether they offer ePacket for small enough items.
- It is imperative to understand their customer service options, such as whether they provide refunds for returned items.
- How they make their products with the raw materials they use
- If their Oberlo and AliExpress reviews are good,
Contact Them Before You Deal
Get in touch with them before deciding which one to buy.
Begin a relationship with the dropshipping supplier who best meets your needs and communicates with them. You can converse with them and ask them questions about their services in this manner.
Maintaining a positive relationship with your suppliers ensures that when you begin doing business together, you will be able to trust each other, which is critical.
This will benefit everyone because you will be able to get your questions answered quickly and your disputes swiftly resolved.
Order Samples
Once you’ve decided on the two or three suppliers you want to work with, order samples from them to see how they work. Then, test their service, delivery times, packaging, and any other supplier-related questions you have so that you are completely satisfied with your choice and do not have to change your mind.
When you’re looking for a supplier, it’s important to order samples from a dropship supplier because it allows you to see how customers will interact with your store in real life.
Choose a Good Fit for Your Business.
Suppliers who work with you may appear to be a good fit when you look at their reviews and their products, but they may not be the best fit for your target audience when you dig deeper. These things could be because of their materials, how they run their business, or how they handle returns.
Before you decide to work with a supplier, inquire about how they conduct business. Even if you can choose not to work with a supplier after problems start, your brand can be harmed if you already have issues that your customers dislike, hurting your business.
Suppliers to Avoid When Dropshipping
Because there are so many dropshippers to choose from, it can be difficult to decide which to use. It’s not always easy to tell when a supplier is bad, but some costs are to keep an eye out for. Bad reviews, negative feedback, and cheap, low-quality products are some other things that a supplier is untrustworthy.
Here are a few things to keep an eye out for:
- You may be told that you must pay a dropship supplier once a month or once a year to work with them. There is a chance that a supplier is part of a directory rather than a single supplier.
- In this case, they may force you to make 200 items at once. Do not do this unless you are sure that the item will be a success. If you don’t, you might end up with a bad deal.
Add Products to Your Import List
Add the products you want to sell to your Oberlo import list once you’ve decided. This will make it easier for you to import them.
This is an easy task. To add a product to your list in Oberlo, simply click the “Add to import list” button above the product information on the product page.
AliExpress: Click the blue Oberlo logo that shows next to the product in the store. We’ve already discussed this.
When looking at an AliExpress item, the same button is at the bottom right of the screen—the same thing.
When your list is complete, navigate to the left sidebar in Oberlo to view it.
Hack!
Adding products to your import list is the first step in getting them into your Shopify store, so do that first. Then, in Chapter 5, we’ll go into great detail about how to make each product and then add it to your shop.
Guru-Inspired Insights: Tips & Tricks from the Best People in the Business
1. Leverage AliExpress reviews to assess the opportunity
Check out the reviews on AliExpress to see if you have a good chance of making money with it.
Yuanda Wang implemented a shared concept. The order history of a supplier assists him in determining whether the supplier is dropshipping or if the demand is coming from individual customers.
He then applies this knowledge to determine whether there is a profitable way to profit from this situation. Then he says:
Before he found his store, he’d look up the Product on AliExpress, find a supplier, and discover that many people were purchasing the product for themselves rather than their friends or family.
You can usually tell if someone is dropshipping by looking at their order history. If there are a lot of names, they’re probably drop shipping, especially if it’s to the United States.
Wang is now looking for products with organic sales from people who use AliExpress to buy things rather than people who sell them. The product is because it shows a high level of demand for what you’re selling. So the supplier isn’t doing much dropshipping, so you have a chance to join them.
2. Your first products might come from a cropper.
The second thing you should do is accept that some of your first products may not be your best.
Shishir and Namrata had to wait months before they could try out new products and see a return on their Facebook ads. They also wasted a lot of money on ineffective advertisements. They tried 20 to 30 products in total, spending $50 to $100 on each one to see if it was a winner or not.
Many people believe this is an excessive amount of money to spend. It was well worth every penny. When they found their first winner, the costs were well worth it. So when they found their first winner, they were able to make these costs and more.
Patience is the most important thing to have when searching for products first, so you should be patient enough to try out the products.
3. Fewer suppliers foster stronger relationships
Use fewer suppliers so that you can develop strong relationships with your customers.
When you use too many suppliers, you have to do a lot more work to get everything you need while maintaining good relationships, and the fact that it can be highly stressful.
When dropshippers use too many suppliers, they claim to be wasting money. But, according to Andreas and Alexander, this is correct. They only bought from two suppliers and maintained a good relationship with them to get the best information, so they learned things they wouldn’t have known otherwise.
This is how it worked: the two opened their first store, which featured 40 different products from various suppliers. That’s a big mistake. This means they had to scale down to the point where they now have two suppliers and a good relationship.
As long as you have a good product and a good relationship with your supplier, you can talk to them about what else they sell that is also very popular in their store.
In this fashion, they will be able to share their thoughts with you. They understand what that type of customer desires because they work in the same business.
Start Shopify For Only $1 A Month
Sign Up For A Free Trial and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for $1/month on select plans.
Try Shopify free for 3 days, no credit card required. By entering your email, you agree to receive marketing emails from Shopify.
