Summary
Through the years, businesses have been taking it to Shopify as part of their effort to expand to new selling points and channels. It can’t be denied that the Internet has brought several businesses to the global stage and with the help of e-commerce platforms like Shopify, the job of setting up an online shop, getting products uploaded to it, and many other complicated steps has become easier to accomplish. There’s just so much that the platform has brought to the evolution of e-commerce and all of it is on the positive side.
So you’ve been thinking about creating your own Shopify store but you’re still confused of which products to sell. If this is the case then Google has brought you to the right place. In this article, we are going to explore every possible product that you can sell on the Shopify platform. Your job is to pick on that best fits your passion and interest and make sure to formulate a long term plan on marketing strategies and product development. This is how you ensure growth and overall success but one of the primary steps is choosing and zeroing in on the product that you would want to sell.
Picking a Product: A Closer Look at The Process
Picking a product is one of the crucial steps that you need to do right as you strive to build a successful Shopify business. It is the time when you need to be as meticulous as possible. From the product quality down to the number of suppliers that are available, you need to scrutinize every detail and ensure that they are all on the winning side. Here are some tips that you can lean upon for advice:
1. Product and Passion Matching
Look for products that match your passion. Doing this will ensure that you are motivated in working on your online business every time you wake up in the morning and when you get back to working on it after a break. Nothing beats the great results that you would get when you love what you are doing so be sure to choose a product that matches your passion as much as possible!
2. Make Sure the Products are of High Quality
Ensure that the products are made of high-quality materials. The last thing you would want to happen is selling a product that costs a little bit expensive but the quality doesn’t match the price. Order a test product and see what it really looks like and how it feels like. Test it for any quality issues and examine whether the product belongs to the durable or the flimsy side of the balance.
3. Choose 2 or More Suppliers
Contact several suppliers instead of just one. Also consider contacting a manufacturer who is open for dropshipping arrangements and are willing to supply to shops based in other countries. It is important that you contact at least 2 or more suppliers to ensure that you have enough supply of products especially as your shop grows and gets more and more orders from customers. The last thing you’d want to happen is having low supply at a time when the demand is high. This can create negative reputation for your shop and would even result in loss to your overall income and profit.
4. Learn and Scrutinize the Shipping and Delivery Times
Examine shipping times and delivery duration. Not all suppliers are alike when it comes to these factors even if they’re all stationed in the same country – China. Shipping times is the number of days a supplier would need to get the product out of the warehouse and on its way to your customers. Delivery time is the number of days it would take from shipping to delivery when the product finally arrives at your customer’s doorstep.
You should choose suppliers who perform the best in these two aspects and it would even be a bonus if the supplier also offers expedited shipping via FedEx, DHL, or any other premium couriers. Several Shopify dropshipping businesses went into oblivion because of their failure in these two aspects so be sure to choose your suppliers carefully and pick those that perform best in shipping and delivery.
5. Do Test Orders and Examine the Packaging
Try placing a test order from your supplier in order to see how good they are in packaging and ensuring that the product itself stays safe while it is in transit. This is important especially if you’re planning to sell fragile items that can either bend or break while it is in transit. Placing a test order and waiting until it arrives at your doorstep is a good idea to test the waters before committing with a particular supplier or manufacturer.
Examine the product’s condition when it arrives, see how well it is packed, and draw conclusions based on your observations. You don’t want customers to receive damaged products right? This is how you can ensure they’re not going to be disappointed so be sure to take time going through this step.
6. Compare Product Quality To That of Your Competitors
Chances are the product you picked would have some competitors in the market. It is even possible that you are selling the same product as they do. In order to ensure that you got the edge among your tight competitors, you can order their product as well and compare it with the product you got from your prospective supplier. This allows you to have a glimpse at the quality, durability, and overall looks of the products that your supplier is selling to that which came from your supplier.
You need to have a better product than your competitors as much as possible and this is how you can test this. It is always good to be proactive in this aspect so do some competitor product testing and do every crucial step to ensure that your product stands out from theirs in terms of quality, durability, and overall performance.
7. Give it the Perfect Price
Perfect pricing is something that you as the business owner should identify. When putting it price on your product, you must consider your overall operating expenses that include salaries, marketing, store maintenance fees, hosting, and others. Choose a price that will help cover such operational expenses while still leaving a room for profit. If possible, you can go a little lower than your competitors and in fact, it’s the competitor’s price that should serve as your basis.
If you can’t make it lower than that of your tight competitors then think of a way to add value to your product like giving customers some discount vouchers on their next orders or even cutting down on the shipping cost. This will make customers think that you are thinking about their happiness and satisfaction as well and not just making money out of their need for your product.
Don’t be so greedy in this aspect but instead, be as customer-friendly as possible especially with the price. The best Shopify stores out there know about this secret that is why most of them grew very successful in just a little amount of time. You can too! You just need to follow these points to ensure that you are selling the right product and doing the right strategies to promote product development and overall business growth.
Picking the Right Product is Everything!
As you can see, choosing the right product to sell does not only involve looking at your competitors and picking their best selling products so you can sell them too. It is about passion matching, supplier selection; ensuring shipping and packaging are on the positive side of the balance, and giving it the right price. Your purpose of doing a business should also be evaluated if profit and growth is to be ensured.
Make service as your motivation and customer satisfaction as your goal. Set a noble vision for your shop or business like donating to charities when you already reach your target growth rate and position in the market.
Nothing feels more rewarding than owning a business that does not only benefit you and your employees but above all, your customers. Business is about giving customers what they deserve and serving them with the best value that their spent their money for. Always aim for those things and the Higher Powers from above will surely reward you. It will take some time but the reward is sweet and overwhelming.
Start setting your goals today and execute each one of them systematically. Start with picking the right product and build the rest on that firm foundation. When you do, you’ll find that success really flows smoothly to those who planned things out very well.
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