For those who want to open an eCommerce store without needing to store inventory, dropshipping is a great option. All you need to do is find your suppliers and set up a website. Shopify is an eCommerce platform that allows you to connect with dropshipping suppliers via connected apps. Thus making it the easiest and quickest way to setup your new business. Below are the steps you need to take to setup a dropshipping store on Shopify.
Activate a free trial on Shopify to start building your store. To access the free trial, simply visit Shopify and sign up with your email address, and business name. Then select a secure password for your new account. If you aren’t set on a business name, don’t worry – you can change it later on. You can also change your email address in settings later if you need to. Once you have finished the sign-up process, you will see your store dashboard. Note, the initial setup costs will likely be around $120, then there will be a $30 monthly fee from Shopify.
To add dropshipping products to your store, you need to connect a dropshipping app to your account. DSers is Shopify’s fully integrated dropshipping supplier network, making it safe and secure. Through the DSers app, you can securely connect to suppliers on AliExpress to add products to your eCommerce store.
Once you connect the DSers app it is easy to search for and find items to sell. The intuitive interface allows you to use broad or specific product searches in seconds. Start by researching products that relate to your business idea, or primary product niche. To search, click on the ‘Find Suppliers’ option within the DSers dashboard, and type your idea in the search box. You can even search by options such as;
Once you find a product that looks interesting, click the thumbnail to learn more. On the product page you can view delivery times and shipping costs to various locations, as well as more details about the product itself.
Once you choose which products you want to sell, it’s time to add them to your store. Simply add the products to your ‘Import List’ within the DSers interface. To do this, hover over the product thumbnail and click ‘Add to Import List.’ You can then view your Import List in the DSers dashboard.
Before you import the products to your Shopify store, you should optimize each product's description and name. From your Import List, select ‘Edit Page’ for each product, this will bring up five categories to organize the product details.
Within this tab, you can change the title of the item. Ensure you use a concise title to draw attention to the product without confusion. You can also add the product to a product collection if you have them set up.
Within this tab, you can select the variants on offer that you wish to stock in your store. Select only variants relevant to your business idea, or niche. You can also view the cost, potential shipping cost, retail price recommendations, and the potential profit for each variant. The cost and shipping prices are what you will pay to the supplier, hence you should use these figures to price your product. In the price column, set the retail price for the item.
In this tab, you can add or edit your product description in two sections, Specifications and Overview. Ensure you put sizing and material details in the Specifications section. Then write a search engine optimized description for the Overview section.
Here you will find all the available pictures of the product from the supplier. Select which ones you want to show in your store.
While you can view shipping estimates, these shipping details will not import to Shopify. It is important to make a note and create manual shipping rates in the Shopify admin.
Once you fill out all the relevant information for each item, click Save at the bottom of your screen. Once you save, click the ‘Push to Shopify’ button to import the items into your Shopify product list.
Now that you have your products ready to go, it’s time to finish setting up your shop. You should ensure you choose a theme that is easy for visitors to navigate and set up key pages like FAQs and Contact. Shopify will lead you through the entire process from start to finish, using prompts. Just ensure that you take your time to set up your store to reflect your business. Once you have completed the required steps, open your store.
Now that you have setup your dropshipping store on Shopify, you need to start marketing it. Post on social media, and consider using paid advertisements to promote your business. Then, watch as the orders start to come in. Ensure that you regularly update your stock offerings, and monitor your orders throughout the dropshipping process.
