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Yes dropshipping from AliExpress is profitable, even with the growing competition. Many dropshipping business owners are still making a lot of profit from this business. We’re not just talking about the established brands. New AliExpress dropshippers are making a nice profit by using the right strategies outlined in this article.
You don’t have to take our word for it. Here’s what the data shows. In 2019, the global eCommerce market will amount to $547,690m. Analysts have determined that the market will not be slowing down any time soon. In fact, it is expected to grow by 7.8% per year, with a value of $740,389 by 2023.
However, eCommerce is not as easy to break into as it once was. A few years ago, a simple strategy may have worked. Today, the market is a lot more competitive. For every product you list, there are tons of other stores offering something similar, possibly at a better price.
To start a successful AliExpress dropshipping business, you need to develop a strategy that works for your business. Remember that your target buyers now have a lot more options than ever. They’re looking for the best store with the best offering. You should be working to give them just that. This includes both the quality of products you list and the marketing efforts you take. To keep your dropshipping from AliExpress profitable, there are a few qualities which your store should have.
If you sell AliExpress products, then chances are that you have some major competition. The barrier to entry for dropshipping is non-existent. So what sets your store apart from the hundreds of others which are also calling for your customers? The answer is simple. It’s your brand.
Your brand includes everything from your store name, colors, packaging, logo, typefaces, website, and your messages. Set your brand apart from the competition by building a unique brand. Quality branding makes it easier for potential buyers to trust you because you’ve been able to communicate your value. It also helps for easy recall. Customers are more likely to remember a brand that made an impression on them, rather than a generic brand.
Every other dropshipper from your supplier probably uses the same picture. You know the one. The picture which the original distributor uses on their AliExpress page. Sometimes, these product pictures would have been copied + saved over and over again, reducing their quality each time. By the time you get the picture, it wouldn’t be worth the store page of a quality brand.
Instead of using generic pictures provided by your supplier, invest in product photography. It takes 50 milliseconds to make a good impression on consumers. Whenever a potential buyer opens a product page, their attention automatically goes to the image(s) provided. You want to take advantage of this opportunity to pull their interest with good quality images of your product.
Do you lift your supplier’s web copy and paste it right into your website? AliExpress sellers don’t use the marketing and sales terms that your potential buyers will be on the lookout for. These sellers simply describe their products. You should also remember that most AliExpress stores are based in China. Their writers are often not native English speakers.
You need good web copy that will rank well on search engines such as Google. Your content should also resonate with your potential buyers and encourage them down the sales funnel. Your store should have a consistent ‘voice’ all through, and your brand should be represented well in all copy.
One major limitation of dropshipping from AliExpress is speed. A lot of suppliers require up to 20 days for delivery. This waiting period can be frustrating for the buyer and may discourage them from making a purchase. While there’s not much you can do about this, there are other supporting efforts you can make for smoother customer experience.
Be sure to offer transparent tracking options. Keep your buyers up-to-date on the progress of their shipment. Don’t provide a shipping timeline which you cannot fulfil just to make a sale. If you’re building a trustworthy brand that should stay profitable for years to come, transparency is key.
According to Google, 73% of buyers will switch from a poorly designed mobile website to one that will make their purchase process easier. Your website should be designed with both desktop and mobile devices in mind. This means that your users should also be able to interact with all features easily on their mobile devices.
You can find out which areas of your mobile website needs improvement by simply using it. Browse through your categories. Is there a glitch anywhere? How easy is it to input information using the mobile version? Are there any complications during the checkout period? Can you see all the images and read all text easily? Follow up with changes where needed. These little tweaks could make a significant difference in your sales numbers.
With a dropshipping store, your most important task is customer service. It is also your most valuable marketing tool. It is important to keep customers updated on their orders, shipping, returns, and so on. Go above and beyond to answer their questions and resolve any issues to the best of your ability. Research has shown that 93% of customers will make a repeat purchase from a brand that gives them excellent customer service. And 77% of customers will recommend family and friends to a brand that gave them a positive experience.
Your products should be items that people (both) want and need. In eCommerce, it’s not really about what you think is good. It’s about what your customers think, and are actively searching for. Data shows that in the last segment of 2018, toys, hobby items, DIY items, fashion, electronics & media, personal care, furniture & appliances, and were the top-grossing sales in eCommerce. But even in these categories, it’s still hard to identify which items are currently selling fast. Successful, profitable AliExpress dropshippers will not reveal this information to their competition. Each seller has to do their own research, and that takes a ton of money and time.
Thankfully, you don’t have to lose resources to find the top-selling, trendiest products to add to your store. Our dropshipping app has a (well-loved) feature that allows you to find the trendy dropshipping products to sell online. You can start your search today with our 7-day free trial.
If you’re thinking of starting an AliExpress dropshipping business, the market is currently profitable for you. What’s important is that you identify your target buyers and the trendy products they are looking for. Once you do that, offer them value for their money, every time.
