Dropshipping guide: all about the fashion business
Ecommerce is a sector on the rise. Every day more people are joining the trend of working from home online. The data shows it: according to figures from the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) , e-commerce in the first quarter of 2019 increased to 10,696 million euros, a growth of 22.2% year-on-year.
And with these data there is no doubt that one of the e-commerce strategies, known as dropshipping, has become the fashion business in Spain . More and more entrepreneurs are betting on selling without buying through the different existing dropshipping providers, using digital marketing strategies .
>> Do you want to increase the sales of your business? Do not wait more! Find out how with this guide <<
If you still have doubts and don’t know where to start your online business, we have prepared this dropshipping guide in which we will explain how to find the best dropshipping suppliers in Spain. If you want to have all the information available to set up your business online, stay, this has only just begun!
What is dropshipping?
Dropshipping is a business model in which a wholesale company handles the storage, packaging and shipping of products on behalf of a retail company.
In other words: while you create your online store and take care of the marketing, helping your customers and the online payment method , your partner (the dropshipper) stores, packages and ships the products that the end customer buys. This means that you do not have to store stock or offer a minimum order .
In the following graphic you can see how simple the dropshipping process is. You just have to worry about adding products to your store and setting the price for them . Easier, impossible!
How to start your dropshipping business
You already know what dropshipping is. It’s time to start working on your new business! Here we explain step by step everything you have to do before jumping into the pool with your online store.
It is very important to have a plan, it is not worth opening your business online without a strategy behind it.
Define your buyer persona
To start your online business, first of all, you have to define your buyer persona. A buyer persona is a semi-fictional character that represents your final (or potential) consumer based on their demographic information, needs or motivations.
To define it, you will need to obtain data such as where they live, what they do, what their daily needs are, what they are looking for, what their weaknesses are, where they get the information from … Once you have all this data collected, you can imagine what your audience is objective, and in this way, define your market niche.
>> Create your own Buyer Persona. With the help of this template you will be able to develop your ideal client <<
Knowing your buyer persona is essential to have a much clearer idea of what your future customer needs and what will motivate him to finally buy the product you offer.
Specializing in your niche will be key to making your mark on the market and standing out from the crowd . For example, if your buyer persona likes art, they will surely be interested in original illustrations, so you should focus on canvases, posters, or framed posters.
In the next section we help you decide which product is best for your niche. Keep reading!
Think of a product
product-think-dropshipping
Now that you have your target audience in mind, it’s time to think about what products you are going to include in your online store and what products you are going to discard, for now.
As we have already explained, specializing in a sector is key to making your customers fall in love . Discover your needs and cover them!
Try to answer these questions to find your perfect product:
- What does your client need?
- Can you cover their needs with your product?
- Is your product unique and of quality?
- Is your customer willing to pay your price for that product?
- Can you get that product to your customer?
If the answer is yes, you have the right product!
If you offer a quality product, the price will usually increase slightly. But this doesn’t have to be an inconvenience! Emphasize why your products are special, apply some marketing strategies for premium products and go for it all!
Find a provider
dropshipping-find-supplier
We come to one of the most important steps in your strategy. You have to choose which one will be your dropshipping provider, the one that best meets your expectations in terms of quality, price and delivery times.
A very good option is to go to e-commerce fairs and events in person. It may sound classic and somewhat old-fashioned, but if you live in a big city, attending events of this type will allow you to learn about the advantages of dropshipping providers as well as evaluate the quality of their products. Stay on top of the dates and prepare your business cards!
Google or any other search engine can be your perfect allies to find dropshipping providers. Of course, don’t forget to search using keywords according to your location or objectives, such as “dropshipping suppliers Spain”, “dropshipping suppliers Mexico”, “dropshipping clothing suppliers” …
How to find dropshipping suppliers in Spain?
Now that you know the steps to set up your online store and launch it on the market, you will want to know which dropshipper is right for you. You may be a bit overwhelmed at first, because there are thousands and thousands of dropshippers, but calm down, we are going to help you to make the search easier!
What to look for in a dropshipping provider?
When you have a list of possible dropshipping supplier candidates, you should start ruling out those that do not meet some of the minimum requirements that we are going to mention.
1. Legality
One of the characteristics that you should investigate and that every dropshipping provider must have is legality. Finding the legal information about your future dropshipping provider shouldn’t be difficult. Check on their website that both their fiscal address license and a contact page are available.
2. Reviews
It is very important to know what others think about your future dropshipping supplier. To do this, look for criticisms, reviews and opinions on the internet. In this way you can check what others think about their way of working. If the comments are good, you can trust him. If not, run away!
3. White label
Although it will be your dropshipper partner who will distribute the products, you should value those that allow you to ship everything under your brand. That is, make sure that you can customize the packages, delivery notes and even the labels, to add value to your brand and not confuse your customer.
4. Samples
Before launching your products on the market, surely you want (and should) check the quality. Therefore, check if your dropshipping provider offers the possibility of requesting samples. Thus, you yourself will be able to verify the status of the order, and the appearance of the packaging or the quality of the product.
5. Shipping time and speed
The time and speed of shipping your products will depend on the place of origin, the carrier, the shipping fee, etc. Therefore, you will want your dropshipping provider to be as close to your market as possible, in order to reduce shipping times as much as possible.
6. Avoid monthly fees
In no case should you pay a monthly fee for the service or a commission. Make sure you only pay for a certain number of products or for the specific product.
You also have to be careful with intermediaries and commissions. In some cases, there are intermediaries who acquire the merchandise and pose as false distributors. This is why it is so important to have effective and transparent communication with your dropshipping provider.
7. Profit margin
And last but not least, choose a dropshipping provider with whom you can set prices and have a reasonable profit margin. It will be key that the dropshipper you associate with offers you prices with which you can be competitive.
Open your business online
Now that you have defined your buyer persona, your products for your online business and your supplier, the most important step remains: opening your online business!
We recommend that you open your business online by choosing an existing ecommerce platform, since it will be much easier for you to host and give life to your store.
If you have doubts about which is the platform that best suits your needs, we leave you the definitive guide with ecommerce platforms .
And finally, don’t forget to add relevant information to your store so that your customers know you as much as possible. Insert a page with the frequently asked questions that your clients may have, a page about us , your product descriptions … In this way, you will create a link with your clients while offering them all the information they need to trust your business. Above all, be original and sincere!
Do you still have doubts about why dropshipping is the fashion business?
As you have seen, getting started with dropshipping is really easy, cheap and simple and a good way to generate income online , and even better, working from home! Do you dare to try it?
We hope this article has helped you get started in the world of dropshipping and especially how to choose your dropshipping provider, one of the essential steps in the process. If you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to leave us a comment!
