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5 Tips to Generate Sales for Your Dropshipping Business

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article | 5 Tips to Generate Sales for Your Dropshipping Business

On the surface, running a sales-generating dropshipping business seems like a straightforward process.

Customers order and pay for your product, you pay the supplier after receiving the consumers’ payments, and the supplier handles the inventory and ships the items to the buyers.

Easy peasy, right?

Well, not quite.

With thousands of other dropshippers in the market, you’ll need the right strategies, the best dropshipping tools, and a can-do attitude for your business to beat competitors and gain massive profits.

In this guide, we’ll look at five tried and tested tips to generate sales for your dropshipping business.

1. Find the right dropshipping company for your business

A dropshipping solution or company can manage your order fulfillment logistics seamlessly.

Find ones that match your unique business needs and help you operate efficiently to ultimately grow your sales.

For instance, ecommerce solution Oberlo lets you source products from various suppliers available on AliExpress (among other platforms) and add them to your Shopify store.

You can choose the product you want to sell and import all the items’ listing information, such as the price, description, and images, in a few clicks. After importing, you can edit the product listing accordingly.

With this feature, adding products and fulfilling orders becomes efficient, allowing you to focus more on selling and increasing your profits.

Additionally, Oberlo syncs with your Shopify store, so your inventory automatically updates when your supplier changes your products’ available stocks.

For more tips on choosing a dropshipping solution, check out Neil Patel’s best dropshipping companies review.

Also, it helps to check if the dropshipping solution you want to use integrates with reliable and the best ecommerce platforms for your small business. That way, building, running, and streamlining your dropshipping business becomes so much easier.

2. Display customer ratings and reviews

Most new customers are normally skeptical of buying from you at first, especially if 15 other dropshippers sell the same items you do.

An excellent approach to build trust with your potential customers is by displaying customer testimonials, reviews, and ratings on your product pages.

Customer reviews can work like personal recommendations and show your prospects your previous customers’ positive experiences with your products, enticing shoppers to purchase.

Place a “Write a Review” section and rating option on your product pages to encourage customers to leave reviews about your products.

Display testimonials from satisfied customers on your homepage to help showcase your products’ quality and reliability.

AliExpress lets you import customer product reviews from the ecommerce platform directly to your store using the AliDropship plugin.

The plugin lets you import reviews for all products, a specific category, or for several categories at a time.

Posting positive customer reviews can increase your dropshipping business’ credibility and boost customer confidence in your products, leading to more sales.

3. Run social media ads

Know which social media platforms your target customers use and run social media ads. This helps you optimize your ad campaigns and advertising only to people who are most likely to buy your products.

Here are a few social media advertising tips:

  • Identify your objectives. Know your social media advertising goals to help you find the right social network to advertise and shape your ad campaign strategies.

For instance, if you’re selling jewelry to increase sales, run Facebook ads, and use the platform’s Life Events ad targeting parameter to target newly engaged users or those in new relationships.

  • Test your ads. Perform split tests on several ads to help you determine which ones give you the best returns on investment before casting a wider net.

This helps you optimize your social media advertising efforts and ensure you’re spending your budget on ad campaigns that have high chances of enticing your audiences to buy.

  • Design your ads for mobile. Ensure your social ad images and content adapt to different display sizes so mobile users can see your offers and promotions easily.

Failing to do so means missing out on engaging thousands of social media users on mobile and losing boatloads of sales opportunities.

While running social media cans can be relatively easy, keeping track of your campaigns on top of your other marketing efforts can be a lot of work.

One solution is to create an app to improve your internal workflows so you don’t spread yourself too thinly and wear yourself out.

Building your own app, such as a simple client portal, ensures you get the tailor fit solution that matches your exact needs.

Also, when creating your app using Azure DevOps, back up your codes and data with Backrightup.

The flexible service can automate running your backups and restoring your Azure DevOps instance, saving you time and effort from doing it manually — which can be tedious and laborious.

Doing so ensures your codes, instances, repositories, and other critical app data is secure and intact in case of server errors and malware that cause data loss.

4. Leverage videos

Using videos is one of the best ways to engage your potential customers and stand out from your competitors.

After all, videos allow you to showcase your products’ benefits and features and inform customers how to use your products properly through creative and fun content.

Here are several ways to use videos to help boost your sales:

  • Explainer videos. Use videos to highlight your products’ features and value. This helps you showcase your product’s benefits and makes it more interesting for shoppers to learn about your products.
  • Video ads. Evoke emotions through video advertisements. Video ads can require more time and effort to make, but these are excellent for telling stories, sharing scenarios that shoppers can resonate with, and presenting your products as the solution to customer pain points.
  • Video demonstrations. Create videos demonstrating the proper ways of using your products.

Your product’s technical aspects can be challenging to convey with words alone, making videos great for showing customers how to assemble a small piece of furniture or attach a certain accessory.

Video demos also help stir anticipation and excitement among your customers since they can get a glimpse of your product and get a good idea of its dimensions and functions, so they know what to expect.

Leverage videos to engage your potential customers better, build trust, and even add value to your products, and in turn, skyrocket your sales.

5. Work with a reliable supplier

Because your supplier manages product inventory and ships the items directly to your customers, you don’t get to see the actual product’s quality.

Find reliable suppliers that provide high-quality products, efficient shipping processes, and easy order tracking (among others) by following these tips.

  • Consider going through the order process yourself to ensure the product’s quality is up to the standards you expect to provide your customers.

This also allows you to test out factors, such as the ease of ordering, shipping period, and the returns process.

It also helps to use a dependable product data management software for ecommerce to stay on top of your inventory, catalogs, and other product information. This allows you to identify gaps and address issues in your product management and streamline working with your suppliers.

  • Scour online reviews and forums to see what other dropshippers and customers have to say about a specific vendor. This can help you find which suppliers to steer clear of and which ones to trust.
  • Check if the ecommerce platform provides a way to verify sellers. For instance, product finder and research tool Jungle Scout offers a database of global suppliers on Amazon.

The tool can help you source your products and validate known sellers on Amazon by checking their confirmed shipments and customer volumes.

You’ll also see the supplier’s top customers and resellers. This information can give you a good idea of the seller’s reliability.

Additionally, your suppliers’ policies should align with your dropshipping business’ to ensure you handle customer issues and returns efficiently, leading to happy customers.

Ready to boost your dropshipping sales?

It can take some elbow grease and grit to generate tons of sales for your dropshipping business, but the tips in this guide are excellent starting points to success.

Know the tools and strategies that work best for your dropshipping business, and you’ll be selling products like hotcakes and growing your profits in no time.

How to Start Selling on Amazon Again

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Selling on Amazon|How to Start Selling on Amazon AgainAmazon has built a phenomenal worldwide reputation on being the go-to marketplace for online shopping, which is why it’s usually the first stop for buyers and for sellers alike. While selling on Amazon can see you have immense success, it can also see you running into many problems when it comes to rules, regulations, and account suspensions. Sometimes, account suspensions can happen even if you believe you are doing everything right.

When Might Your Selling Privileges Be Removed?

It’s important to understand the reasons which might see your Amazon selling account suspended. These include:

  • Selling a restricted product
  • Not performing as well as Amazon deems necessary
  • Any violation of Amazon’s policies and rules

Naturally, an account suspension poses huge risks and problems for sellers. It’s not only a mild inconvenience but a serious hit for income, as well as having the ability to tarnish any seller reputation.

Suspension, Denial, or Ban?

The suspension is open-ended, meaning you need to work to get your Amazon account reinstated. It means you have the opportunity to appeal the suspension.

A denial comes next. If you’ve appealed but to no avail, this will be denied. However, you do have the option to re-submit a revised appeal.

A complete ban means that your appeals have not been a success, and Amazon will not consider the matter any further.
To avoid the latter and to work to get your Amazon account reinstated, you need to take the important steps to start selling again.

NathanIves.com Digital Products Platform Online Training Program


How to Start Selling on Amazon Again and Avoid Suspension

Contact a Reinstatement Expert

By using an Amazon seller consultant who has vast experience in appealing Amazon seller accounts, you’re ensuring that your appeals are the best they can be, with the highest chance of success. If you’re not sure how to appeal yourself, or maybe you’ve tried and been denied once already, then seeking professional advice for reinstatement can really help you.

Be Professional

Being suspended is, of course, infuriating. Maybe you don’t agree with anything Amazon has said about the matter, and you want to tell them so. However, complaining to Amazon about their policies or feedback will get you nowhere. Ensure that you remain professional with all contact regarding a suspension, and be clear and concise when appealing.

Improve Your Customer Relations

Being a successful seller means having satisfied customers. Do everything you can to keep your customers happy and prevent any problems or complaints. Ensure that you’re responding to all notifications, messages, and queries, and also make sure that all your listings are completely transparent so that there is no miscommunication with your items which would result in customers complaining.

Keep on Top of Amazon Reports

These reports provide key information for you to keep on top of things. They will highlight any issues or negative feedback, allowing you to address problems as soon as possible. If any returns are made, reports will indicate that for you, too, in which case you can look into why some of your items are being returned (and prevent it from happening in future).

The Rise of Alternative Online Businesses

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Online Businesses|The Rise of Alternative Online Businesses The internet has become part of our society in just about every possible way, and it has certainly revolutionized the way we do business. No matter the sector, buying, trading, and selling goes on every day with new companies and products emerging all the time.

The result is an incredibly competitive marketplace which often feels saturated with small, medium, and large organizations vying for visibility.

Surely, then, there is no more room for another online business? Not so. The truth is that there will always be room for more online businesses if there are entrepreneurs coming up with alternative business concepts and innovative services/products.

To inspire you on your journey to starting your own online business, this article explores the alternative ones which have risen to success in recent years.

Cyber Security

The internet is a wonderful entity, but it can also be dangerous if we are not careful. There are cybercriminals and hackers working all the time to try and exploit individuals and organizations by accessing sensitive information. This has brought about a need for cybersecurity professionals who are essentially ethical hackers. A business will ask them to try and hack into their system so that they can identify their weaknesses before a hacker with criminal intent finds them.

Subscription services

In a world where we do a lot of our shopping online, we have replaced the experience of physically visiting a store to buy something and walking out with our new purchases. Instead, we experience a different excitement of clicking a few buttons and waiting for the delivery.

With subscription services, people sign up to receive a box of products through the mail on a monthly or quarterly basis. The products might be items they use all the time like vaping juices from ZampleBox — in which case, the service offers convenience and value for money — or luxury items, product samples, or mystery products.

Dropshipping and affiliate marketing

If you do not have the space to store stock but are interested in retail, a dropshipping business could be perfect. In this scenario, you create a website to sell products, but you do not stock the product. When an order is placed with you, you send this information to another company, either a stockist or manufacturer, who is responsible for storing, packing, and distributing the stock.

With affiliate marketing you create websites, posts on social media, and other digital marketing campaigns which promote another brand’s products or service. When you bring in a sale for the brand, you earn commission.

Influencer marketing

An increasingly popular career path is influencer marketing. People with a substantial social media following are paid to try, wear, review, and recommend products to their audience. Brands will approach influencers whose audience includes their target customers and pay them for their endorsement.

Creating Apps

If you are technologically minded, creating apps and games can be a very lucrative business. When your app is designed you can promote it via blogs, social media, and other digital marketing techniques to encourage people to download the app. Some app creators charge for the initial download, others offer the app for free but then make money via in-game purchases and/or selling advertising space to other brands.

Selling on Amazon for Dummies: How to Get Started Selling on Amazon

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |selling on amazon for dummies |Selling on Amazon for Dummies: How to Get Started Selling on AmazonWant to make your own business without the stress of an office or employees? Why not start selling through Amazon?

In fact, there are already 8.7 million sellers on the Amazon marketplace worldwide.

By establishing an Amazon FBA business, you can reach customers around the world. Then, you can market your business, attract buyers, and start generating sales.

Not sure how to establish your new Amazon FBA business? With this selling on Amazon for dummies guide, you can give your new business a strong start.

Read on to learn how to sell stuff on Amazon!

Draft a Business Plan

Before you actually start selling, it helps to have a plan. Drafting a business plan will help you chart the path ahead. It also gives you a chance to recognize any obstacles that might stand in your way.

Before reading this selling on Amazon for dummies guide, sit down and consider your business. A strong business plan starts off with a mission statement. What are you trying to accomplish?

What promise are you making to your customers?

Next, you’ll need to determine which products you sell. You’ll also need to develop a marketing, sales, and financial plan.

Once you know what you want to sell, try to gain an understanding of the current marketplace. A market analysis will help you recognize the latest trends. What are consumers looking for right now?

Don’t forget to research your competitors, too. Which strategies are they using to reach customers? Are those strategies working, or falling flat?

Try to use a SWOT analysis to determine your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Recognizing these factors can help you sell through Amazon successfully! Otherwise, your weaknesses and threats might slow you down.

Define Your Target Audience

In order to reach your target audience, you need to determine who your customers are. If you’re focusing on a broad target market, try segmenting your audience into buyer personas. You can define your buyer personas based on demographics such as age, gender, location, or household income.

What products are your ideal customers already buying? What interests and hobbies do they have?

Learning more about your audience will help you appeal to their interests. Once you understand your audience, you can develop a marketing strategy to spark their interest. A strong marketing strategy will help you boost sales and retain long-term customers.
It can also help to determine how COVID-19 is affecting sales. How are your customers shopping on Amazon? What trends could help benefit your business plan?

Know Your Niche

There are millions of products you can choose to sell online. When establishing your Amazon FBA business, don’t split your focus. Instead, try to build your business around a niche in the marketplace.

Choosing a niche will help you create a more focused marketing plan. It will also help you reach a smaller target audience. Dedicating your time to a smaller target audience will make it easier for you to appeal to customers who need your product.
You can also use personalized messaging to connect with these consumers.

Meanwhile, having a niche will help you stand out from the hundreds of competitors selling similar products.

First, make sure the niche product you choose is profitable. You might need to research the latest market trends for your niche. You can use tools such as Google Trends to determine how often people search for the product you’re considering.

If the search volume is low, consider choosing a different product.

Don’t forget to choose a product you’re interested in. Otherwise, you might not feel passionate about selling through Amazon or helping those customers.

Once you decide on a product, learn as much as you can about it. Don’t forget to look at competitors for your niche.
Which consumers are already using that product? What unique value can you offer consumers that your competitors can’t? Highlight that value proposition in your marketing to stand out from the crowd!

Find Suppliers

Now that you have a product, you can start selling it! First, you’ll need to find an online product supplier. Head over to one of the B2B platforms to find a supplier who has your product.

You might need to compare a few different options to find a supplier you want to work with. Once you have a few options, contact each one. Ask for a sample of the product to compare quality and costs.

How much is the minimum and maximum for each order? Is the price within your budget?

Once you find your supplier, you can place your first order!

Place Your Order

You don’t have to place a giant order the first time. Instead, place a smaller order and give yourself the chance to test the market.
Your first few orders give you chances to gather feedback. You can add a note with these purchases to encourage shoppers to share their thoughts. Then, use their comments to make improvements to your business.

Ask people to post their reviews, too. Five-star reviews will show potential customers you have a high-quality product.

Take the time to manage your inventory regularly. If you don’t track your sales, you could run out of stock sooner than expected.

Build A Buzz

For your shop to succeed, you need to get people to want to shop with your store. The best way to do this is to market yourself online, using various SEO and marketing techniques. One great way to get interest is to run discounts and deals, as this adds extra value and builds excitement and hype that can get people to talk about your store.

Something that you must do is market alongside holidays, especially Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Black Friday. Black Friday is especially important for businesses to earmark, as this is where the appetite for online goods swells, so learning about black Friday marketing ideas can help you get the edge during this competitive period.

When you build a buzz and get your store known, you can expect a steady stream of revenue.

Register Your Account

Before you start selling, you’ll need to register your Amazon FBA business.

You can become an individual seller or pro seller. Once you’re set-up, create your product listings.

About 23% of consumers look to Amazon for inspiration. To inspire them to shop, make sure your product images are high-quality.

Make Adjustments

As you gather feedback from your customers, make sure to adjust your selling strategy accordingly. Using this selling on Amazon for dummies guide is only the first start. Improving your marketing strategy and adding new products to your store over time will help you expand your business.

You can also use this guide to learn how to win on Amazon!

Selling on Amazon for Dummies: The Top Tips for Sweet Success

Remember, this article to selling on Amazon for dummies is only the beginning. These tips can set you on the path to success. Then, keep expanding your business plan to generate more sales and regular customers!

Looking for more ways to establish your new business? Explore our latest guides for entrepreneurs today!

A Guide to Building a Long-Lasting Ecommerce Business

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Ecommerce Business|A Guide to Building a Long-Lasting Ecommerce BusinessLaunching an e-commerce business will allow you to take charge of your future and become your own boss. Consider that, in 2018, mobile ecommerce revenue accounted for 50% of total U.S. e-commerce revenue. However, with many online stores available, you will need to develop a site that will set you apart from your rivals and generate a large revenue.

To meet your demographic’s needs, attract many customers, and enjoy many years in your chosen industry, read this informative guide to building a long-lasting e-commerce business.

Find the Right Products

For your e-commerce business to be a success, you need to find the right products. As Amazon is one of the most popular e-commerce websites on the planet, many people will turn to the brand to find a product they are looking for.

For this reason, you must aim to sell unique items that your target market can’t find elsewhere. Identify a gap in the market by considering the products your loved ones or colleagues would like to buy online.

Choose a Product Source

There are different ways you can source a product, as you could:

  • Sell homemade products
  • Manufacture items
  • Buy products in bulk from a wholesaler
  • Invest in dropshipping services

The option you choose can determine your profit margin, warehousing, and branding. For instance, homemade products will help you to create an authentic brand, while dropshipping can reduce your warehousing and shipping overheads.

Build an Impressive Website

Encourage trust in your business by building an impressive website. For example, you must aim to provide easy navigation, an attractive layout, fast page speed, and strong calls-to-action. By doing so, you can wow visitors, decrease your bounce rate, and increase your company’s revenue.

To build a credible e-commerce site with a superb user experience, invest in forward-thinking web design services. It will allow you to work alongside e-commerce specialists who have extensive experience in developing robust sites.

Research Your Rivals

Research your rivals to learn more about their products, services, and pricing. You can identify where you fit in the market, the products your customers are looking for, and the best marketing tactics to grow your brand. Understanding your competitors’ weaknesses and strengths could also help you to discover your business’s USP.

Don’t Lose Customers

Many visitors might fail to place an order when visiting your site. Rather than allowing a customer to slip through your fingers, you must find ways to lock-in a sale. For instance, you could promote limited time offers, launch a remarketing campaign, or send cart abandonment emails straight into your subscribers’ inbox.

Conclusion

According to a 2019 poll, 76% of adults in the United States choose to shop online, with 25% doing so at least once per month. An e-commerce business can, therefore, be an ideal avenue to venture down.

To secure many customers and generate a healthy revenue, you must look for ways to build a long-lasting business. For instance, you’ll need to find the right products, design an aesthetically pleasing, easy-to-use website, and you must thoroughly know your rivals to find a gap in the market.