There is no doubting the fact that dropshipping business is becoming increasingly competitive. The days when simply setting up an online store to sell any product you could think of are long gone. Today, you need to come up with the right ideas to maximize profits. If you fail to get it right from the start, frustration may be the end result.
Don’t worry because we’ve got you covered. Today, we will be discussing branded dropshipping and how it can change your fortune. After checking out the details of this article, you will have in-depth understanding of this dropshipping business model, including how to standout from the crowd. Let’s get started.
Branded dropshipping is a sales model where you're not just selling products that aren't in your possession. Instead, these products are customized to reflect your company's unique brand, logo, designs, and colors. To enjoy customer loyalty and make maximum profits from dropshipping business model, you need to offer something unique. In other words, customers need to perceive your offer as something that is entirely different from those of competitors.
This is where offering branded products can help your dropshipping business. Branded dropshipping is a concept that has been existing for years. Here is clear example of how it works. You contact a company that produces (unbranded or OEM) watches. However, you don’t just want to set up an online store to start selling right away.
Instead, you want to let the manufacturer put your brand (company’s name or logo) on such watches. This strategy ensures that even though there are other dropshippers selling the same watches, yours will be unique. This is because you will be creating your own branded dropshipping store.
If you want to succeed in this business model, creating brand identity is something that shouldn’t be ignored. There are lots of online stores embracing this strategy of branded dropshipping today as compared to previous years. Such is due to the benefits that it offers.
This is one of the major benefits that branded dropshipping offers. Do you know that one of the easiest ways to get frustrated in this business is to sell exact same products as your competitors? The sad part is that there is nothing new under the sun. In other words, there is no product that is hidden in the market.
Any product you decide to sell, there are lots of dropshippers also selling it. This is where you have to think outside the box by offering branded products. Brand dropshipping helps you have an edge over competitors in the market. For instance, potential customers won’t see your products are generic. Instead, they will view it as something that relates to your brand.
Setting up an online store and selling a product can’t guarantee your success as a dropshipper. This is because your profit margins might end up being low. Here is an example: you decided to sell a device that is branded with your logo. This gives you the chance to set prices that are premium since the product is unique. Of course, the end result is increased customer loyalty and more profits.
It’s different when you want to sell the same device without your brand. This is because customers won’t be willing to pay premium since there are others selling the same product in the market. Branded dropshipping gives you the chance to make more money.
When you operate a branded dropshipping store, there is always that tendency to offer the best products. This is how successful dropshippers record high sales over a period of time. They communicate with dropshipping suppliers to find ways on how the quality of products can be improved.
This is because you want to sell products that align with the vision as well as mission of your company. It is all about focusing on meeting the needs and expectations of potential customers without any compromise.
This is very crucial and should not be ignored since most products do not have brand potential. Ensure that your preferred product aligns with your company’s mission, vision and core values. Also, it must resonate with what your target audience wants. Can the product connect with potential customers emotionally? Does it have the required quality? Is it unique from those of competitors?
The easiest way to own dropshipping brand that will be hugely successful is offering something that can solve problems. Sell products that address problems of your target audience.
It is true that there are lots of private label suppliers out there. However, not all of them can help you become successful. Never forget this since it can help you understand how to run a successful branded dropshipping business. Find a dropshipping supplier that is reputable when it comes to offering private label products.
Most owners of branded dropshipping stores usually prioritize suppliers that offer the cheapest prices. This is only a recipe for failure because you also need to check their shipping times, reputation and product quality.
Without finding the right private label products, you might struggle to dominate your market. Always lookout for products that align with your brand values. For instance, what does your company or brand stand for? Is it sustainability or innovation? What about luxury? Once you’ve identified the answer to such question, it becomes easy to know the right dropshipping supplier that you can work with.
At this point, it is recommended to do extensive market research. This will help you understand more about your target market and their demographics. After that, find reliable private label suppliers. A strategy like this can guarantee high profit margins.
There are lots of dropshipping suppliers on the internet. However, many of them might do your ecommerce business more harm than good. Always ensure you are working with the right dropshipping supplier. This is how your branded dropshipping business can thrive both in the short and long term.
Some of the most reliable suppliers include CJ Dropshipping, AliExpress, Shoplazza, AudoDS, and others. Shoplazza, in particular, stands out because it not only vets suppliers but it also has a global network of warehouses that provide fast shipping to just about any location. Moreover, it offers a comprehensive e-commerce platform and support to help merchants grow their business.
You need a supplier that understands customer packaging and printing-on-demand. These are vital concepts in branded dropshipping that you must take advantage of. For instance, print-on-demand allows you to sell products even when you aren’t holding inventory. This means you won’t be worrying about managing inventory which can sometimes be risky.
Custom packaging implies creating the product in a way that it reflects your brand values. In other words, your customers can connect with such item emotionally. When done properly, this can boost your profit margins.
Do not be in a hurry to start working with any supplier that comes your way. Instead, it is important to find suppliers that can be trusted to overdeliver. Some factors to consider here are their policies on minimum order quantity, branded packaging, order fulfilment, shipping logistics and quality control.
Communicate with a supplier about each of these factors before making any commitment. This gives you an idea on whether such a supplier can help your dropshipping business grow or not. you can dropship branded products effectively with effective communication.
Choose a Unique Brand Name
This is the first step you will take to start selling products on your online store. The brand name you’ve chosen must send the right messages to potential and existing customers. Is the name easy to remember? Is it unique amongst competitors? Does it paint the right picture in the mind of your customers? The right name will promote brand recognition.
This is because it helps to explain the mission of your ecommerce business. Also, a unique brand name will create trust with customers because they will feel connected to your company emotionally even without buying. The bottom line is to choose a brand name that is memorable.
Develop a Visual Identity
The right visual identity will help ensure you standout in a highly competitive market. For instance, you must choose the right logo that reflects the personality of your brand. This includes ensuring perfect color combinations, fonts, and designs.
Take out time to create the perfect visual identity since your business will grow in the future. This means people will see it on various platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and others.
Select a Dropshipping Supplier
When it comes to dropshipping high quality products, the role of your supplier can hardly be overemphasized. Avoid suppliers or manufacturers that compromise on quality. This is because such can make customers have wrong impression about your brand. Also, find out more on their custom packaging.
Again, you need a supplier that offers exceptional customer service. This has been discovered to encourage repeat purchases over the years. The marketing strategy you are using can only bring results when your supplier is reliable and trusted.
Creating a User-Friendly Store
It is very crucial that you build the right ecommerce platform to standout on Shoplazza. For instance, you need an online store that looks beautiful and professional. Also, its user interface must be easy to use. In other words, people should navigate your branded dropshipping store easily.
Choose a clean layout on Shoplazza. The objective is to ensure customers have the ultimate shopping experience. If you don’t understand how to put your ideas together using its drag and drop features, hire someone. This will ensure you don’t get frustrated eventually.
Utilizing Shoplazza Themes
The best part about Shoplazza is that it has numerous options for customization. Therefore, don’t be scared to play with its various themes. It is all about finding the one that matches your brand. Ensure that your chosen colors, layouts and fonts are consistent with what’s on your brand logo and social media platforms.
Do not overthink things. Choose moderate themes that are capable of creating trust and communicating with your target audience.
Setting Prices, and Managing Stock Levels
This is the last step to complete your Shoplazza store. Ensure to add HD images of the products you are selling. High quality images give customers the perfect description of what they’re buying. Also, don’t forget to set the right price for your product. To do this, research about the market or niche. With the right sales data, you will know the price that can maximize profit.
Finally, connect payment gateways to your store. This will enable you process payments round the clock. Shoplazza has lots of them like stripe, PayPal, credit cards, and many others. Provide as many options as possible to enable customers checkout easily.
Leveraging Social Media
In today’s marketing world, businesses are taking advantage of platforms like Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube and others. They remain one of the most effective marketing methods to reach various categories of people. All you have to do is create content that is engaging for your target market.
The secret is trying to help them solve their problems. Post content on regular basis. If such posts can go viral, it could lead to massive sales.
Working With Influencers
The business world has evolved. If you fail to acknowledge this fact, your branded dropshipping business may suffer in the long run. For instance, businesses have discovered that micro and nano influencer advertising can generate higher ROI as compared to traditional methods of advertising.
This is because many people trust the opinions of influencers. So long as you are partnering with an influencer who is a trusted brand, you will record a lot of sales.
Offering Excellent Customer Service
There is a golden rule in branded dropshipping business. This is the fact that you should always prioritize the needs of customers. To achieve this, ensure your customer support department is active. Never allow their complaints to remain unaddressed.
If you have to call them for issues to be resolved, do not hesitate to do so. A poor customer service can make people leave negative reviews about your business.
Developing a USP
In order to standout in this business model, it is important to create a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). This concept is about identifying the uniqueness of your product as compared to those of competitors.
It is not possible to identify your USP without carrying out in-depth market research. Such process helps you to understand your target audience much better. Find out the problems people are facing and the unique solutions your product can offer them.
Building The Right Brand Image
You need to build brand awareness for long term dropshipping success. This means painting the right picture of what your brand represents in the mind of your target audience. The focus is to align your brand values with “quality product” and “customer satisfaction”.
Customers will only patronize your business when they sense that you are concerned about solving their problems. This creates trust in the long run which leads to more sales. When your brand image is strong, your products will sell faster than expected.
Branding Consistency
If you are promoting your brand in various platforms, be consistent in your messages. For instance, if you’re using brand story telling to promote products on Facebook, there is no need changing such approach on YouTube.
Such uniformity should also reflect in your use of images, colors, fonts, color schemes and brand logo. For best results, it is recommended to have a team that monitors all of your activities pertaining to branding consistency on various platforms.
Provide Easy Communication Access
When it comes to branded dropshipping, you want customers to trust your business and what it represents. Ensure that they can reach out to your support team via various means. It could be through phone call, email, WhatsApp, online chat and others. The most reliable way of communication is social media platforms.
This is because before most people would want to patronize your business, they will likely checkout your profiles on places like Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and X. It helps to hire experts that will be managing these profiles 24/7.
Be Responsive
The last thing you don’t want is when customers are beginning to have the impression that you don’t care about their problems. This happens when your responses aren’t prompt or effective enough to help them. Take their concerns seriously and learn to communicate with empathy.
While communicating with them, always try to be positive. It is true that some customers are rude. However, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give them hope. Being positive helps to build a solid relationship with them. It will eventually create trust that can boost customer loyalty.
Use Customer Feedback
It has been discovered that most companies selling products do not use the feedback of their customers to improve. In some cases, they tend to retain only positive feedbacks and ignore those that they consider as “unfavorable”. The problem with this is that you will keep on making mistakes in your dropshipping business.
See the negative or unfavorable feedbacks of customers as a way to improve your products in the future. This can lead to higher profit margins.
Monitoring Your Store’s Performance
Ensure that you are constantly monitoring how your dropshipping online store is performing with regards to sales. Some metrics to focus on are website visitors, social media following, click rate, and conversion rate. There are lots of analytic tools online to provide information on the actions of visitors on your store.
Checking your store’s performance will help you identify those products that are popular amongst customers. This is a proactive approach that can enable your business remain competitive in the market.
Utilizing Sales Data
With the use of data, you can make decisions without guessing. For instance, if your data is pointing to the fact that a product isn’t getting enough clicks like others on your store, you can easily make smart decisions. In other words, you will know where to channel your efforts and resources for maximum results.
Data can also reveal that your product descriptions are not good enough. Furthermore, it can indicate which part of your store needs to be optimized for best results. It is very crucial to invest in analytic tools that can help your business grow.
Continually Optimizing Your Offers
Marketing is a process that is ever-evolving. Therefore, you don’t want to rest on your laurels even if your products are generating massive returns. Instead, tweak and split test to find out how you can make more money. Play with headlines and product descriptions. Find out which one can generate the most returns and stick to such.
Research and Compliance
Find out about those laws that govern dropshipping before starting. There are specific rules for various countries as well as regions. If you’re targeting the US market, pay attention to stipulations of the law in such country. These could be in areas like taxation, consumer protection and operating an ecommerce business.
Avoiding Copyright Infringement
Selling branded items can sometimes prove complicated. This is because you could be punished for violating copyright laws. Try to understand eBay Verified rights owner (VeRo) program. Such will enable you know brands that are protected. This means an attempt to sell counterfeit can put your business in serious problem.
Permissions and Licenses
To be successful in branded dropshipping, brands/manufacturers may need to give you permissions/licenses. Sometimes, you may be required to sign some agreements. Some companies can request that you pay certain amount for usage of their trademarks. This will protect your business in the long run though.
The benefits of branded dropshipping can hardly be overemphasized. This is because it sets you on the path for long term success. Imagine standing out and making massive sales in a market or niche where other dropshippers are struggling. You just need to adopt an effective marketing strategy for higher profit margins. Furthermore, don’t forget to check out the legal requirements of a product before integrating it into your brand. A mistake like this can prove costly.