As an online store owner, there are unwritten rules about how to use a dropshipping app. Before you start your new e-commerce business, you should definitely read our tips on what you need to pay attention to so that you don’t get burned in the future.
If you want to open a new online store but don’t want to buy stock, you can use the dropshipping business model. In this case, you should also think about using a dropshipping application. If you have an online store that you run on an ecommerce platform like Shopify, BigCommerce, Ecwid by Lightspeed, Jumpseller, or any other, you can add ecommerce applications to your store that help your workflows.
What do dropshipping apps do, and why is it good to use one? If the app does everything, like Dropship-Empire, you can use many of its useful features. There, you can find products and suppliers, easily add products to your online store, and let the app handle the daily, automatic uploads and updates of product data. You can choose your own prices and settings for filters. The sync of order data can also be done automatically. There are many things you can do with these apps, so it’s best to check out their websites for more information.
How to Use a Dropshipping App
Using a dropshipping app makes it easier to run your business. It saves you time and money and makes product management tasks easier to do automatically. Even though there are many great things about using a dropshipping app, there are some rules you have to follow. Many new online retailers are unhappy with the feedback they get from their suppliers. They could avoid this, though, if they made their store, business, and attitude as professional as possible. Dedication is also very important.
Check out our tips on what to think about when choosing a supplier partner and how to become the best possible reseller partner for any supplier who sells their products through a dropshipping app.
The warehouse of your supplier should be close to the people you want to reach.
The most important thing for an online store to do well is to offer fast shipping. Customers want everything “right now,” so you shouldn’t work with a dropshipping partner whose delivery time is more than 7 days. You should start working with suppliers whose warehouses are in the same city or country as your target audience. It’s the first step to getting ahead. Short time to ship. When you use a dropshipping app, you can use these options to narrow your search.
Make sure the shipping terms of the supplier meet your needs.
When using a dropshipping app to find a supplier partner, you need to make sure that the supplier’s shipping terms are good for you. It’s not just about how long it takes to ship, but also how much it costs. You have to give the best service you can. Try not to choose a partner from another country or the other end of the world to avoid problems with VAT and duties, high shipping costs, and long shipping times. Pick partners from your area.
Don’t start selling products until you’ve talked to the company that makes them.
It’s a rule that you should never forget when using a dropshipping app to find a supplier partner. Even if adding the chosen products to your online store only takes two clicks, you should still contact the supplier first. This way, you can keep from getting burned in the future. You need to talk about all the details of the partnership, including shipping, orders, how the products will be delivered, and more. If you want to know something, ask it right away.
Don’t add the products to your store until you’ve talked to the supplier. If you don’t know what to do when a customer orders a product and you don’t know what to do, it can be a hassle. The supplier might not be able to answer right away, but they might be able to do so in 1-2 days. You can call them or send them emails or messages through Dropship-Empire Messenger, Facebook Messenger, or both. Another good reason to choose a local supplier is that you won’t have any problems with the language. When you’re using a dropshipping app, ask the supplier for a direct way to get in touch with them so you can send them a message whenever you need to.
Having less is better. Only work with 1–3 suppliers.
The phrase “less is more” is often heard. It also works if you use a dropshipping app and find dropshipping suppliers there. Imagine that you chose items for your online store from 10 to 15 different suppliers. What happens if a customer buys four items from you, but they all come from different suppliers? The customer will get their products on different days. When she gets the first package, what will happen? She will send you an email complaining that three of her items are missing. At the ninth point, you can see a way out of this mess.
What is another important reason it’s not a good idea to choose products from too many suppliers in general and when using a dropshipping app? Every supplier has different delivery times, fees, and conditions. It can make it harder for you to run your business. When choosing products, make sure you know who made them.
Pay attention to one product category and don’t sell random things.
Let’s say you’re using a dropshipping app and asked a supplier there for permission. What will they do if the products you sell have nothing to do with what they are selling? What will they do when they see that you sell everything from baby toys to dog food and it’s clear you can’t decide what kind of online store you want to be because you sell random things? They won’t see why they should work with you.
Before you open your online store, it’s important to think about what you want to sell and who you want to sell to. Check what your target audience’s market doesn’t have and choose a product category based on that. Be different on the market if you want to own a business that makes money. Concentrate on just one main type of product.
Open your shop and make sure it’s clean
When you use a dropshipping app and look at the directory of suppliers, you can see that some products (suppliers) are free to use and others need to be approved first. It’s possible that the person who sells that product will refuse to let you buy it. When can it happen? Well, one reason could be that your store is closed and they can’t see what you have to offer or what your e-commerce strategies are if you have a good service. Even if you’re new to all of this, you should still put anything in your store that describes your future store.
Or you can do one of two other things. One way to do this is to start building the store in the background with a password and give the password to the supplier so they can check the store. The other option is to contact the supplier before you try to add their products to your store and introduce yourself. Give them all the details about yourself so they can see that you are a real store that takes care of its business and are not just messing around.
What else? If you have an online store, it should look good, be professional, and be of good quality. This way, when you work with a dropshipping app, everyone you talk to will be able to see that it looks nice and that you offer great service.
If you have more than one partner, figure out a general shipping rate.
If you’re using a dropshipping app or just selling products from more than one dropshipping supplier, it can be hard to set your shipping rates and times in your online store’s admin. First, choose only one supplier partner, or at most two or three. Second, you need to talk to your suppliers about all shipping details so you know everything. Third, you need to compare all the shipping information (rates and times) you’ve gathered and figure out what conditions you should add to the settings of your own store. Set a flat rate.
You will only be able to use one of your partners’ unique conditions. You won’t be able to use each of them one at a time. Set everything up so that it works best for you and your customers.
Choose a supplier who is easy to get in touch with.
When you use a dropshipping app, you should know that you need to choose a supplier who is easy for you to get in touch with. Not only do you have to decide what you want to sell. There are premium category suppliers who will only let you sell their products if you can show them that your store, either the one you already have or the one you are making, is worth working with. Often, you need to get approval from the supplier first before you can handle their high-end items.
They are sometimes picky. Some companies that work with a dropshipping app only let retailers who already have the same, high-quality, trusted business resell their products. This is why you should check out the suppliers’ websites first, learn a bit about them, and decide if that company is right for you. and tell them about yourself.
Ask for the goods to be sent to your home.
When using a dropshipping app, it is best to ask for the products to come to your place first. This is especially true if you are working with more than one supplier. Dropshipping is still what it is. Only the goods that the retailer paid for will be sent. Work with a supplier who is close to you so that you can still get quick shipping. When a customer orders more than one item, let the items wait for each other at your place and then put them all in one package. You can also check how good they are and give them gifts or a greeting card. In the beginning, you can store the product your customer just ordered in your garage or living room, so you don’t need to rent a warehouse.
How Can Your Business Find the Best Supplier?
If you want to use a dropshipping app, you need to know what you need to think about when choosing a supplier partner. Most of the time, you choose the product first. But you also need to find out who the supplier is and pay attention to the shipping details.
When looking for products and/or suppliers on Dropship-Empire Marketplace, you can use the search bar to set filters. These are the main things you can do:
- Where the supplier’s warehouse is
- Where shipments go
- Product category Product language Automatic order availability
- Shipping type (dropshipping or wholesale)
- Initial approval requirement
Check a product’s (or a supplier’s) shipping conditions, like how long it takes and how much it costs, before choosing it so you can set it up in your store’s admin. Also, you might find it easiest to choose suppliers at Dropship-Empire that let you set up automatic orders.
There are millions of products listed on Dropship-Empire Marketplace. Choose the ones you like best, and if you have any questions, contact the supplier of the products you chose. Always check every detail in Dropship-Empire Marketplace about the products and suppliers you choose, as well as any pop-up messages. This will help you avoid misunderstandings in the future that could have been avoided if you had read everything that was shown. If you have technical questions, you should contact Dropship-Empire support team, not the company that made Dropship-Empire.
How to Get in Touch with a New Vendor?
When you send an email to a company, it’s important to write a polite message. Even if you use a dropshipping app, you still need to text your supplier partner. How can you be sure that they will answer your question in a short time? Well, it has rules that aren’t written down.
There are several ways to get in touch with a supplier when using a dropshipping app:
- Dropship-Empire Messenger message sent inside of an app
- Email them the website of the supplier: live chat
- Website of the supplier: email box
- Calling Facebook by phone
When using a dropshipping app, here are the rules for sending emails to suppliers:
- Always start your email with a “hello.”
- Always start your messages with your name so that your partner knows who you are. Your name, the name of your store, and that you are using Dropship-Empire to manage their products.
Always be polite when you write. - Subject lines that look like spam should be avoided. Do not write an email with a subject like “URGENT” or “IMPORTANT.” Avoid full capital letters, stars. Tell us something. Problem with the price of a product, which is important.
If you have a problem, describe it in detail and explain it with examples of products (using SKU or the store URL for the product).
Sound like a real businessperson, not like someone who doesn’t know anything about running a business. No matter what, you should always be polite.
You also need to be patient and know that even the best companies can have misunderstandings and small problems. Try to understand your partner.
How to find the contact information for the supplier you want to work with on Dropship-Empire Marketplace?
If you are working with (or want to work with) suppliers from Dropship-Empire Marketplace and want to contact them, this is how you can do it in the app so you can talk to them through Dropship-Empire Messenger, which is an in-app chat solution.
Dropship-Empire Marketplace: Look for Items
If you go to the Marketplace and click on “Search Products,” you can choose a product and then look for the “Contact supplier” button right next to the product’s name. On the product’s window, there is a page called “Become a reseller.” On that page, you can also find Dropship-Empire Messenger’s email address and a button to contact them.
Find Suppliers on Dropship-Empire Market
If you are in the Find Suppliers section of the Marketplace, look for the supplier you want to talk to. When you click on the “Supplier details” button, a pop-up window will appear with the name of the supplier and a “Contact supplier” button right next to it. You can also look at their email address.
If you have already started managing a supplier’s products, you can also go to the Marketplace’s My suppliers menu and click on the name of the supplier to get to the company’s contact button.
In Dropship-Empire Messenger menu, you can find all of your past messages and conversations.