Even the most experienced online store owners make dropshipping mistakes.
One of the main reasons why most dropshippers struggle with their businesses is simply because they don't know How to start and run a dropshipping business, the RIGHT way!
Another reason is that they are not careful enough. And they don't realize or anticipate that the road ahead will be bumpy and bumpy.
In fact, being an online reseller and founding a successful dropshipping business is difficult. It is a long and difficult path.
But luckily, many dropshipping mistakes are entirely avoidable.
To help you avoid at least some of them, we've rounded up the most common dropshipping mistakes.
And no, we don't want to make you anxious and indecisive or defensive when it comes to making mistakes.
We just want you to know that many dropshipping mistakes can be avoided if you are careful enough. So now, we will discuss the mistakes to avoid when dropshipping and how to do it.
7 common dropshipping mistakes and how to avoid them
- Choosing the wrong niche
Unfortunately, many dropshipping entrepreneurs fail because they chose the wrong niche. But to avoid that, there are a couple of things to consider when choosing a niche for your dropshipping business:
- Do not select a niche that is too broad
Many aspiring dropshipping entrepreneurs tend to go into a broad niche, believing that they will capture a large market. But the truth is, the more specific the niche, the better.
By narrowing down your niche, you'll be able to determine who your target audience is and focus on meeting their specific needs.
- Find out if there is a market for it
Being passionate about a certain niche is not enough (we wish you were!). You need to make sure that it is necessary; otherwise your activity will be a hobby and will never become a profitable online business.
To do this, you can use tools like Google AdWords Keyword Planner Y Google Trends .
Obviously, choose the wrong niche is one of the mistakes to avoid when dropshipping.
- Lack of patience and persistence.
Many dropshippers expect quick results with minimal effort. Often this is the reason for their failure.
However, you need to work hard to build a successful dropshipping business. In case you want to earn €1 million in a month, getting into the dropshipping industry is not something you should be looking for.
Remember that you must practice patience. And understand that you have to wait a while to see the results. So be patient, keep moving forward and success will come.
- Select the wrong platform
One of the most common mistakes dropshipping entrepreneurs make is that they are using the wrong platform for their dropshipping stores.
But with so many eCommerce platforms available, how do you select the right one and not the wrong one? The good news is that there are some essential features to consider when selecting a ecommerce platform for your dropshipping store .
First of all, choose a platform that is easy to navigate and simple to use if you are not a techie.
Second, choose a platform with multiple payment gateways to process payments in your store .
Third, the platform you choose should offer flexible pricing. Try to get the best for your budget.
Finally, decide which plugins will work best for you and make sure they all integrate easily into one platform.
Customers love a smooth and seamless online shopping experience. So it's important to make sure you provide exactly that by using the right ecommerce platform.
- Working with the wrong dropshipping provider
This is also one of the mistakes to avoid when dropshipping. As we already said, running a successful dropshipping business is hard. But why is it so?
Having to rely on dropshipping providers for order fulfillment is only part of the problem.
For example, if your customer complains about shipping time, refunds, or order processing, you won't be able to easily address and fix the issue. You can't do it since it's not your supply chain.
In short, working with the wrong dropshipping provider can contribute to an increase in customer complaints and return requests, ultimately ruining your brand image.
That is why you should work with a legitimate and trustworthy provider. But how do you know if a dropshipping provider is trustworthy? You can find out by doing your own research.
These are the things to look for in a reliable dropshipping supplier :
- A physical location (any reliable dropshipping provider should have a physical address for their warehouse);
- A good reputation and a long history (Avoid working with a new supplier that has no reputation at all);
- Positive online reviews, including a good reputation for product quality and fast delivery;
- Relevant contact information (Any reputable provider should have a phone number, email, etc. on their website. How can you contact them when there is a problem if there is no relevant contact information on their website?).
- Not developing a proper marketing strategy
High competition is another part of the problem. In other words, it's what makes dropshipping difficult.
Many dropshippers “forget” that competition in the dropshipping industry is intense. As a result, they tend to underestimate the importance of a proper marketing strategy for their dropshipping business.
And this is one of the most common dropshipping mistakes.
As you can see, not developing a proper marketing strategy is one of the mistakes to avoid when doing dropshipping.
The right marketing strategy should help your business achieve its goals through of digital marketing tactics , including:
- SEO for dropshipping (search engine optimization)
- PPC – Google Ads for Dropshipping (pay per click advertising)
- content marketing for dropshipping
- Social media marketing for dropshipping
- Email marketing for dropshipping
- Not providing excellent customer service
Not only will you face high competition, but your customers will also have high expectations. This means that not providing great customer service is one of the mistakes to avoid when dropshipping.
Specifically, as a dropshipping business owner, it's not your responsibility to do certain things (no physical location, inventory, warehouse, shipping, and fulfillment). But what should you do to stand out from your competition? The answer is simple: market your store and provide excellent customer service.
As expected, provide excellent customer service makes customers feel important and appreciated. And everyone wants to feel that way, right? Therefore, put your customers first. And this will translate into more sales and business growth.
- Not setting achievable goals
Many new online store owners are captivated by their “big idea” and therefore make dropshipping mistakes.
However, you need to set realistic and achievable short- and long-term goals in order to achieve them successfully. Approach your business with rational thoughts, carefully evaluating each step you must take to achieve your goals.
You shouldn't set a goal by saying something like "I want to make $2 million a year." Try to be as realistic as possible and make sure your goals are clear and well defined.
Final Thoughts: Will You Try to Avoid These Dropshipping Mistakes?
These are the most common dropshipping mistakes new online merchants make. Also, to ensure your business thrives, here are the mistakes to avoid when dropshipping.
Let us ask you something: Do you want to have your own business and be in control of how you spend your time? If the answer is yes, remember this:
Even if you do make one of these dropshipping mistakes, try to learn your lesson. Do not give up! After all, only those who are brave enough will succeed.