TIP ONE

VERIFY YOUR WEBSITE

Be sure that your website represents your brand well! Small details, such as typos and non-uniform layouts, can make your brand's reputation look unprofessional and compromise conversion rates. You should have someone review your website copy thoroughly. The location of your logos, the quality of your images, the fonts, and the link to the correct item and page should all be consistent.

TIP TWO

RESEARCH PRODUCTS

Despite the fact that AliExpress has millions of products, that doesn't mean you should sell them, do your homework! Who is your target market and what demographics do you have in mind? What products are other shops selling? Are you making a profit (don't forget to include marketing and shipping costs)? Does the item have a seasonality? Would people prefer online purchases over in-store purchases of this item? You can save time by conducting due-diligence before implementing anything, money, and frustration. Prevent unnecessary headaches down the road by starting the work early.

TIP THREE

PREPARE A PLAN C

You must be extremely lucky to find success with dropshipping on your very first attempt. Having the ability to adjust and adapt at a moment's notice is essential. Don't forget your backup plan...for your backup plan! It is inevitable that things will go wrong, so you need to be prepared as much as possible. Product supply changes are one thing to be prepared for. Often, factories discontinue products without warning, and you cannot afford to leave orders unfilled. Keep your supply chain intact by keeping communication open with several suppliers of the same product. In case you need to pivot your store's showcase item(s), it would also be a good idea to have similar items on hand.

TIP FOUR

RETURN POLICY & PRIVACY

Make sure your store's policy pages are easily accessible in the site's header and/or footer. Be sure to detail and explicitly state your policies as well. Chargebacks, refund requests, and poor reviews can result from unclear return policies; all problems that a clear return policy could have prevented. Make sure your return policy reflects your fulfillment's return policy - you don't want to publish empty promises or inaccurate information in your policies.

TIP FIVE

TEST PURCHASE

Consider the consumer's perspective to better understand them. Use Google Ads, Google search, Facebook ads, email marketing links, etc. to visit your site the way customers would. Review landing pages and go through the purchasing process from beginning to end. Your site or supply chain will need to be tweaked if your items look bad when they arrive at your door. See how your items look when they arrive at your door.

TIP SIX

HOLIDAY PLANNING

Not only should you plan ahead for your own holidays, but also for those in your target markets and in China. Examine your supply chain and be sure you're prepared for the holidays. It is essential to prepare in advance for holiday sales or to keep orders fulfilled while factories are closed. This includes custom packaging, new products, and stocking. Focus on raking in sales while the competition scrambles to deal with last-minute holiday fires.

TIP SEVEN

SOCIAL PROOF

Let happy customers vouch for your products. Reviewing and featuring positive experiences on the site can help ease new customers' concerns about making a purchase. Choosing good photos is very important. Professional photographs are not necessary, but can make your website look better. Stock photos should be avoided as they may affect the customer's perception of the validity of a review. Keep it real.

TIP EIGHT

ABANDONED CARTS

If you know how to follow up, abandoned carts are far from abandoned. Often, purchasing is forgotten because people get distracted. It is possible to get them back on your site and buy those abandoned items as well as more if you nudge them with a reminder and a discount code! Klaviyo is one of the Shopify APPS that can help you create effective abandoned cart campaigns by sending emails and/or SMS messages.