Nothing is more convenient than running your entire business remotely with little effort from you. Dropshipping allows storeowners to operate its company without needing to maintain inventory, own a warehouse to store products, or ship their products themselves. The dropshipping business model lets retailers team up with dropship suppliers to do all the things mentioned earlier on their behalf. Oftentimes, dropship suppliers even include customized packaging slips with the retailer’s logo, name, and contact information just to make it appear like it was really the retailer who fulfilled the order.
One of the huge advantages of dropshipping is it requires zero initial investment. All you have to do is partner with a dropshipping company and market its products on your site. However, as an entrepreneur, it is good if you research which service will gain you more profit and business growth. That being said, here are four dropshipping suppliers that people generally find reliable, in case you plan to begin or expand your dropship business.
SaleHoo
This New Zealand-based company has suppliers located in the United States, the UK, and Australia. SaleHoo has website templates to help its clients create their own online store thru its platform. It may not be as solid as Shopify, but it is a good starting point for many first-time dropshippers.
However, you need to be a premium member to access its advanced features. The plan gives you access to SaleHoo supplier, market research labs, members forums, and personal e-mail support.
Pros:
- Good customer service, offering phone and email support for all its clients across all price plans
- Manages a routine blog and forum where you can learn and communicate with others just like you
- Has a market research lab that helps you find out what kind of products will most likely deliver bigger profits for you
- With access to more than 1.6 million brand name products (including Disney, Sony, and Victoria’s Secret), which are already known to a lot of customers
Cons:
- Tough competition for brand-name products as they are almost usually cheaper on the brand name’s website or Amazon.
- Pricey for starters with its lowest basic plan costing $27 a month. It also offers a $67 annual fee plan. It does not offer a free trial, although they have a 60-day money back guarantee.
Worldwide Brands
This Florida-based company is categorized as a wholesale directory service, connecting millions of products to several thousand suppliers. Worldwide Brands is actually not the supplier but merely the publisher of wholesale product sourcing information. It is the only one exclusively certified by eBay.
The company claims it can connect you to up to 14 million products from 8,000 different suppliers for a one-time fee only. You can consider signing up with Worldwide Brands if your line of business is either dropshipping or wholesaling.
Pros:
- Pay a one-time, lifetime membership fee only
- Has a long list of certified suppliers that offer dropshipping, light bulk wholesaling, and volume distributing. Worldwide Brands even goes out of its way attending trade shows and product warehouses to find more wholesale suppliers.
- Good customer support
- Huge product selection with no minimum order required. Also, the library is updated with new products and suppliers weekly.
- Suppliers undergo a stringent verification process before being listed. Counterfeits and fraudulent companies are removed.
Cons:
- The membership fee is expensive at $299
- Profit selling can be a challenge since major websites like Amazon and eBay have cheaper prices
- Most suppliers require a resale certificate when large bulk orders are placed
Doba
This has the most comprehensive dropship platform. It gives you access to a detailed list of manufacturers and wholesalers. It also offers a platform where you can simply add the products you want without partnering with several drop shippers. The Utah-based firm offers an impressive 2 million products to choose from.
Pros:
- User-friendly website with different ways to discover products and filter search results
- Provides helpful educational resources about dropshipping for free
- Quick to customize
- Uploading product information is fast and easy
- Sends low inventory notification to avoid overselling
Cons:
- The membership fee is expensive, charging from $59.95 to $89.95 per month
- Products are pricey making it hard to compete against major platforms
Dropship Direct
Dropship Direct is another dropship solution provider that claims to be the most advanced drop ship supplier and data feed solution provider. It offers its clients more than 100,000 items from over 900 different brands. It does not charge dropship fees but has a 15% restocking fee.
Pros:
- Free registration with no monthly, annual, or one-time fees. It also does not have any complex agreements, contracts, or restrictions.
- Blind dropshipping, which means there will be no mention of the details of the supplier. Guaranteed no promotional materials are inserted in the package.
- Wide product selection with 12 main categories and more than 80 sub-categories
Cons:
- No market research tools provided for its clients
- Website is unintuitive
- With email and phone support but only during business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time)
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Dropshipping Platform
There is an infinite list of items available for dropshipping. But once you have chosen what products you intend to sell, it is important that you pick a reliable supplier. It should be as credible as you, and its products should be of high quality to ensure client satisfaction and brand trust.
There are several things you need to put into consideration when choosing dropshipping suppliers. And we have made that list for you.
Top-notch, high-quality products
Good products produce a higher level of customer satisfaction and trust. This also means a lower rate of unsatisfied customers returning your items. Although sometimes neglected, product reviews, high ratings, and good testimonials are actually very effective business and sale boosters.
Do not easily get excited if you find the same product at a cheaper price. Sometimes, quality is compromised. It is good if you spend some time and money sourcing for good products. Compare prices and read through possible negative feedbacks about its quality as well.
Helpful customer support
Look for a dropshipper who is fully aware of the drawbacks of dropshipping and knows how to handle them professionally. It should have good sales representatives who can immediately answer to customers’ concerns. A good help desk gives a positive reflection of the business.
Also, pay attention to their responsiveness. You can personally write them a message to test and see how quick and appropriate their responses are. You can make a fictional story and note how they are able to deal with the issue.
An efficient and punctual shipping process
If possible, choose a dropshipping supplier that can send out your products within 24 to 48 hours. Long shipping times can be discouraging for many retailers. You can place test orders first to test their competence.
Conclusion
If you are already familiar with its ins and outs, then dropshipping can be an effective way to get your eCommerce dream started. It allows you to open an online store without making a huge financial risk. Moreover, you get to experiment with different kinds of products and quickly upscale your business.
Do not be deceived though. Remember that dropshipping only has you covered in the operations and fulfillment of orders. In other words, it takes some but not all of the business burdens off your shoulder. You still have to get your hands on the product marketing, development, and sales.
