Typically, online businesses have a crucial task: finding a reliable dropshipping company for their eCommerce business. What to look for in a dropship supplier is the question, and we are going to try our best to give you answers to that question.
Finding suppliers by yourself might be an overwhelming task. Even if you find them, you still have to negotiate prices and minimum amounts of the product you can buy. You will stumble onto a lot of wholesale buyers where you must buy in bulk, store the products, and ship it yourself. That’s not what you want.
Whatever method you use to identify the dropshipping suppliers you want to use, what to look for in dropship suppliers will remain the eminent question. We will address that question right after we have given you some tips on how to find them first.
1. Finding Manufacturers for Dropshipping
Typically, wholesalers source from manufacturers in bulk because manufacturers have a minimum order that they will fulfill. So drop shipping from a manufacturer is actually impossible most of the time.
Using the dropshipping model, you source your products from a supplier that is usually a wholesaler. The wholesaler will, on receipt of your order, ship the product directly to the buyer. This arrangement can sometimes be made with manufacturers as well.
If you are interested in getting products directly from manufacturers, you can select between two strategies.
- Do your research finding manufacturers on Google. Finding manufacturers in China is also a popular way for dropshippers. You must attend trade shows and look through trade magazines where you will find some more.
- The other option is to use the services of a dropshipping directory. We are not promoting any of these companies but include them to make your job easier.
2. Choosing The Best Dropship Supplier For Your Business
Now that you know how to find a reliable supplier, it is time to look at the criteria you need to select the best one. Following the list below can help you in finding the right one.
- Experience. Dealing with dropshipping sites can be dangerous because there is a lot of inexperienced companies that will have a site one day, and the next day, they are gone. It is imperative that you check out the age of the site and accompanying company. There is a domain age checker tool available to do this, while some directories have the age of domains displayed next to the company’s listing. It is recommended to only use sites that have been in business for at least two years.
- Reasonable fee structure. Your supplier is doing all the hard work like keeping stock, storage, inventory, and shipping. For that they have to include pre-order fees. Remember that you must also make a profit, and a company shouldn’t take advantage of you with unnecessarily high costs.
- Fast fulfillment of orders. Keeping customers happy is your first priority. Therefore, the supplier needs to ship the bought product as fast or faster as your competitors. Ideally, the shipping time should be done within 24 hours but definitely not longer than 48 hours.
- Ensure a high-quality product. The quality of the product is of immense importance, seeing that it will carry your brand. This will result in impressed customers and fewer returns. Request product samples beforehand to ensure that the quality of the product will meet the expectations of your customers. This might mean extra work, but it will definitely be worthwhile for your online business.
- Enjoy and give excellent customer service. Efficiency is essential to your business. In order to be able to provide excellent customer support, you will need efficient customer support from your supplier. A supplier with excellent support through experienced staff can be highly rated. It is the best practice to send them an email and ask them a specific question like how much you must spend to get a discount. The timing and quality of answers that they give will directly measure how capable they are.
- Returns. Part of running a successful online dropshipping business is the effectiveness of handling returns. To be able to do this, you will need to know your supplier’s return policy and the existence of any fees payable. Ensure that the policy works to keep your customers happy in the event of receiving a return.
- Calculation of shipping cost. Your online business needs to be transparent, and for that, you need to know how shipping costs will be calculated and whether it is fair. You don’t want customers to give your business a bad review because of shipping costs.
Utilizing these criteria, you will be able to select dropshipping suppliers that are legitimate and can supply you with the quality product and services expected.
We have also compiled a brief summary of some valued drop shipping suppliers if you want to make use of their services.
3. Some of The Best Dropshipping Suppliers
SaleHoo
SaleHoo is the number one dropshipping supply platform due to their exclusive relationships with suppliers and product sourcing tools to get you underway asap with products which do sell.
Printful
Printful is an on-demand service that allows you to access everything you need to start selling custom items and accessories online. You can use the mockup generator to put your designs on everything from phone cases to hats and t-shirts.
Dropshipping One
Dropshipping One is a meeting point between manufacturers and distributors (suppliers) of goods operating in dropshipping, and online sellers. It is a portal where you can consult a directory containing the list, websites, and drop shipper contacts from all over the world.
Worldwide Brands
Worldwide Brands is an upper-market wholesale directory for sellers looking to find suppliers. A high-quality but high-cost option.
Made In China
MadeInChina.com is a major player in terms of connecting international sellers with suppliers in China. Much like Alibaba, a wide ranging platform which allows you to search products and suppliers.
Alidropship
AliDropship is a platform that lets you create a dropshipping business by selling AliExpress products. You can buy a readymade dropshipping business, host your site with them, or just use their plugin for your WordPress site
Alibaba/Ali-express
Alibaba/Ali-express is the grandfather of wholesale dropshipping supplier directories worldwide, with most products sourced from China. They have a database of 1.8 million goods and easy access to supplier information.
Wholesale Central
They are one of the oldest directories and provides free search options and contact details of suppliers.
ToptenWholesale
They are a leading platform that connects wholesalers with manufacturers in the US and have a clean interface.
Inventory Source
They are a dropshipping business with easy-to-manage inventory and back-end service. They integrate with big eCommerce and Shopify and provide access to integrated suppliers.
Doba
They are one of the biggest dropshipping suppliers in the US and have a database with more than 2,000,000+ products, and they Integrate with eBay, Shopify, and Amazon.
Megaggoods
This is a dropshipping supplier that focuses on consumer electronics and computer games made in the US. They offer blind drop shipping, and their fees are very reasonable.
Price: $14,99/Month
Finding quality products in combination with excellent service to spoil your clients during their shopping experience is not easy to find.
Finding your suppliers is a journey full of headaches and bruises. To make it simpler, use a trustworthy dropshipping directory to connect with dropshipping suppliers that have excellent products and services.
We sincerely hope you found this article helpful, and if you want to save a lot of time, it is advisable to use the list of available suppliers to find your dropshipping supplier.
Recommendations for Building or Buying a Dropship Business
Buy a website
1. Flippa
Flippa is an online marketplace for websites where you can buy and sell websites. They also have other features that are concerned with buying and selling of websites.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Transparent pricing
- Low fees on domain sales
- Huge marketplace
- Several advertising tools available
- Allows you to sell mobile apps
- Business evaluation tool
We would like to recommend Flippa as a site where you can sell your website.
2. FE International
FE International acts as website broker has more than 15,000 buyers in 32 countries worldwide.
They boast a 95% selling rate within 60 days of listing a website.
The team speaks to every buyer individually, and the whole process is open to buyers and sellers.
Pros
- It has several brokers responsible for hastening to sell
- They offer realistic valuations
- They put sellers in touch with buyers on a worldwide basis
- They show a high sales success rates in relation to other companies
- Their website selling process is set out in detail
- Buyer and seller satisfaction is ensured for every transaction
- Funds and asset transfers are done through a third party
- They target markets in the mid-market where other companies go for the supermarket
Cons
- Low-rated sites get posted as well
We would like to recommend FE International if you want to buy or sell a site because of the variety you can choose from.
FAQs
How can I identify scammers when looking for a dropshipping supplier?
Call the customer service number and request a detailed price list. If the person is hesitant and can’t provide you with clear answers, then it is most probably a scam.
However, there are other ways to determine whether it is a scam or not:
- Avoid membership fees
- Never put yourself at financial risk; be suspicious of companies that want wire transfers, etc
- Review the company website
- Ask for transparent policies
- Review the companies contact detail
- Ask for samples
How much does it cost to start a dropshipping company online?
Be prepared to lose at least $500 before your business becomes profitable. Opening up a real retail store involves spending near $10,000 before any revenue coming in, so spending only $500 on an eCommerce business is an extremely small investment that can change your life.
How to research great dropshipping products?
1. Keep an eye on the latest dropshipping trends.
2. Do some research on the top dropshipping niches.
3. Find out what your competitors are selling.
4. Search social shopping sites.
5. Join online communities discussing products.
