There is no doubt that e-commerce opportunities have transformed the business landscape. In fact, the number of internet users making online purchases is expected to surpass 65% by 2021. It follows that getting your products to all of these customers efficiently can be critical to your success.
Fortunately, as the e-commerce marketplace evolves, so do your production and shipping options. Dropshipping is an excellent way to accomplish both of these tasks. It also allows you to avoid certain production challenges and streamline your workflow.
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In this article, we’ll take a look at what dropshipping is and how it works. We will also discuss how you can use WordPress to set up this feature. If you’re ready to get started, let’s dive right in!
What is dropshipping?
Dropshipping involves outsourcing the production and shipping of a product directly to a supplier. That means you don’t have to create, store and ship your product. Instead, you simply list the product for sale and work directly with a supplier to coordinate fulfillment.
The dropshipping business model is simple and relatively risk-free. First you create a dropshipping website that sells specific products and then promote it to your target market. Next, when a customer completes an order, you share their information with your supplier, who packs and ships their product. Then all you have to do is contact the customer with confirmation and a timeline.
There are several pros and cons to this approach. First, let’s take a look at the benefits. Dropshipping is an excellent way to reduce overhead. For example, you can reduce or eliminate the cost of warehousing and assembly space for your product.
Moreover, while dropshipping adds a layer to your process, it’s still a fairly simple business model. All you have to do is keep in touch with the supplier you are outsourcing your dropshipping to to ensure your customers are happy with the service.
While there are many advantages to outsourcing this aspect of your ecommerce business, there are also disadvantages to be aware of. For example, remember that you will have to spend a lot of time communicating with the provider you have chosen. Of course, this should be less of a problem once you’ve chosen a reliable company to work with.
However, inventory issues can also occur. Sometimes vendors can encounter supply chain issues that you don’t realize until a customer doesn’t receive their order. This can also result from failed shipping methods.
To minimize these risks, you should do some research before deciding who to entrust your products to. We will introduce some dropshipping supplier services later in this article.
Why use WordPress for dropshipping?
It’s no secret that we really like WordPress here at WP Engine. It’s an excellent platform for a variety of purposes, including this one. When it comes to dropshipping, WordPress’ open-source core makes it easy for developers to create plugins that can simplify the process.
Consequently, WordPress can provide everything you need to add a dropshipping option to your existing ecommerce site (or a new one). Plus, the process is simpler than you might expect.
Dropshipping with WooCommerce
If you use WordPress, you can connect your customer-centric shopping experience to your suppliers via WooCommerce dropshipping. The WooCommerce plugin is the most popular ecommerce option for WordPress users. That’s why we’re using it to demonstrate how to set up dropshipping for your WordPress ecommerce website.
Step 1: Set up a WordPress website and install WooCommerce
To get started, you must have a WordPress website installed on your web host. Once you’ve done that, you should also install and activate the WooCommerce plugin.
Once you’ve installed and activated the plugin, you can configure WooCommerce for your WooCommerce dropshipping store. You can use the setup wizard provided to quickly and easily get all the basic information.
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After that, you can secure your WordPress site and protect your WordPress site from customer transactions. Of course, remember that you can use an existing WooCommerce store if you already have one set up.
Step 2: Purchase an SSL Certificate
A recommended best practice at Setting up an e-commerce website is designed to ensure that customer transactions are secure. In fact, this step is so important that Google requires it. To ensure your website is secure, you should purchase a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate.
You can obtain one from a Certificate Agent (CA) or check with your website host to see whether he offers an internal option. For example, here at WP Engine we offer free and automated SSL certificates with all our plans.Information about SSL can be found in your user portal.
There you can add a Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate to your domain. However, depending on the type of ecommerce business you’re setting up, you might want to look at more robust types of certificates. Even if you buy a certificate elsewhere, you can still add it from the SSL menu.
Step 3: Choose a theme and design your website
Now that you have secured your website and configured the WooCommerce basic plugin, you want to start your online Design store. There are tons of ecommerce themes for WordPress, with many free options available in the WordPress theme directory.
However, if you are looking for a premium ecommerce WordPress theme, we recommend checking out some of the StudioPress themes that come with all of our web hosting plans.
Monochrome Pro and Infinity Pro are just two of many themes supported by the Genesis Framework. That means they are ecommerce ready, built with clean code, and packed with lots of useful features.
Step 4: Add products to your store
Before setting up your dropshipping system, you need to add some products to your store. You can do this by navigating to Products > Add New in your dashboard.
Once you have filled out all the required information and published your product, it will be available for other WooCommerce functions. This is important in the next step where you connect your dropshipping information to your new products.
Step 5: Buy and install the WooCommerce dropshipping add-on
Um In order to carry out a dropshipping strategy with WooCommerce, you need to purchase the WooCommerce dropshipping add-on. This costs $49 per year for a single site license.
Once you have purchased the add-on, you can download it from your WooCommerce account and upload it to your plugins directory. Then you need to activate the WordPress plugin and it’s ready to use.
Step 6: Configure your dropshipping settings
Finally, you can add your suppliers and their information to your dropshipping database. To do this, go to WooCommerce > Products > Suppliers and enter the relevant details about the dropshipping services you are using.
Back in the WooCommerce > Products menu you can edit any product that is using a dropshipping -Offerer. On the right side of your editing screen you will see a drop down menu where you can select from the suppliers you have added to your website. Then the product will be connected to the supplier you have selected.
You should fully examine the WooCommerce dropshipping plugin documentation to understand how to manage your inventory and customize your packing slips. If you run into any issues or have questions, don’t forget that WooCommerce also offers top-notch support.
Dropshipping Services and Plugins
While WooCommerce offers a lot of great features, you still have to determine who your dropshipping suppliers will be. To get you started, we’re going to highlight a few services that might come in handy when building your dropshipping business.
1. Doba
Doba is an online catalog of product suppliers and manufacturers. This service allows you to find and contact suppliers and create and manage product listings. Additionally, you can export your lists for use on your ecommerce platform.
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Doba offers a 30-day free trial with a basic plan that starts at $29 per month. Although there is no dedicated plugin for Doba, there are plugins that can assist you in uploading the data exports it provides for you.
2. AliExpress
AliExpress is one of the largest global wholesale marketplaces available. One benefit of using this service is that there are several plugins that you can use to connect your products to your ecommerce website. There’s even an official WordPress plugin you can try that costs $89 for a license.
You can get started with AliExpress by building a catalog immediately after setting up your account. Once customers start buying your products, you pay AliExpress the wholesale price and they take care of the rest.
3. SaleHoo
Last but not least, SaleHoo is another wholesale marketplace. You can find 8,000+ wholesale and dropshipping suppliers there. One of the perks of this option is that SaleHoo screens and vets all the suppliers on their marketplace.
You can get started with SaleHoo for $67 a year. This includes 24/7 support, access to a members-only forum, and personal email support. This is one of the more handy services when it comes to supplier marketplaces.
Promoting Your Dropshipping Business
Many entrepreneurs getting into the WordPress dropshipping business get in Forget the most important part of the process: advertising.Your dropshipping store doesn’t have the notoriety nor a loyal following, so you need to generate leads through marketing. Here are effective ways to tackle advertising.
Social Media Promotion
With billions of people on social media, you can easily reach a massive audience. The only catch is that you have to pay for it. Luckily, if you come up with a good strategy, you’ll get your money back in no time.
Facebook and Instagram are the easiest to promote for beginners, and the user base is huge. All you have to do is create a page or account for your online store and then invest a few hundred dollars to promote a post.
The best thing is that you for Groups of people can advertise based on their age, location, interests, education level – the list is endless. Target (and retarget) demographics that fit your product niche and you’ll be selling in no time.
Influencer Marketing
By promoting your product to influencers on YouTube, TikTok or Instagram is a great way to showcase your product to a captivating audience. Influencer marketing is inexpensive, especially among younger generations, but all demographics are reachable.
Many beginner dropshippers make the mistake of reaching out to world-renowned influencers. Big names will charge a fortune for advertising (if they respond at all). Instead, try reaching out to lesser-known creators with tens of thousands of followers.
Boost Your Dropshipping Business
A successful dropshipper knows work never ends is finished . To maintain a steady stream of revenue, you need to keep optimizing your business. That means you spend time looking at analytics on Google, WordPress, social media and any plugins you use. You need to know what works – and what doesn’t.
Optimizing can include:
- Changing the targets of your ads
- Changing the prices in be Be More Competitive
- Reorganize your dropshipping website to make it more intuitive
- Install an Abandoned Cart Plugin
Review Keep your business regular and always be ready to adapt.
Keep up to date with WP Engine
Starting a dropshipping operation can solve many problems new business owners face are faced. This involves the need to purchase and purchase inventory from the ecommerce store. Dropshipping allows you to offer a greater variety of products without having to hold stock.
Getting your ecommerce site up and running may require advanced developer resources. Additionally, you should make sure that your website’s maintenance and security is rock solid. Check out our managed WordPress hosting plans and secure your ecommerce site today!
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