I know you are here to learn more strategies to grow your online dropshipping business. Many dropshippers sometimes find it more difficult to source products that would make the most sales, which can make more money in the dropshipping industry. But don’t worry; we have covered every step you need to take to source top-selling products.
Before we continue on how to source products for dropshipping, there are two terms here. Dropshipping and AliExpress: if you have not heard of these terms, let’s find out what they are before looking at the steps to source top-selling products.
Dropshipping is a trendy way to start an online business without dealing with inventory, warehousing, or shipping. You can sell products from third-party suppliers, such as AliExpress, and let them handle the fulfilment. This way, you can focus on marketing and customer service while enjoying low costs and high profits.
AliExpress is one of the most popular and largest online marketplaces worldwide, offering millions of products at wholesale prices. You can find almost anything on AliExpress, from electronics and fashion to home and garden. AliExpress offers fast, reliable shipping options, buyer protection, and customer service.
In this article, we will show you how to source products from AliExpress dropshipping in five simple steps:
1. Find a niche and product idea
The first step is choosing the type of products you want to sell to your customers and target audience. It would be best to find a profitable but not too competitive niche. It would help if you also found a product idea that solves a problem, meets a need, or satisfies a desire for your customers.
To find a niche and product idea, you can use various tools and methods, such as:
- Market research tools can help you analyze the demand, competition, and trends for different products and niches. Some examples are SaleHoo, Google Trends, and Keyword Planner.
- AliExpress bestsellers: You can browse the best-selling products on AliExpress by category or keyword. This can give you an idea of what products are popular and in demand.
- AliExpress dropshipping centre: This is a free tool that AliExpress provides for dropshippers. You can access the dashboard by creating an account on AliExpress and joining the dropshipping program. The dropshipping centre allows you to find hot-selling products, analyze product performance, and get recommendations.
- Social media: You can also use social media(Twitter, Facebook) platforms and online forums to find out what people are interested in and discussing. You can look for niche-related hashtags, groups, pages, or influencers on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or Reddit. You can also ask questions, conduct surveys, or join discussions to get feedback and insights from your potential customers.
2. Evaluate the product’s potential
Once you have a list of product ideas, you need to evaluate their potential and viability for dropshipping. It would be best if you considered factors such as:
- The profit margin is the difference between the cost price of the product and the selling or procuring it from the supplier. You must ensure that your profit margin is high enough to cover your expenses and generate a profit. A good rule of thumb is to aim for at least a 30% profit margin.
- Product quality: This is the level of satisfaction that your customers will derive from using your product. You must ensure your product is durable, functional, and meets customers’ expectations. You can check the product quality by reading the reviews, ratings, and feedback from other buyers on AliExpress. You can also order a sample to test before selling it.
- Shipping cost and time: This is the amount of money and time it takes for your product to reach your customer. You must ensure that your shipping cost is low enough to maintain your profit margin and your customer’s willingness to buy. You must also ensure that your shipping time is fast enough not to affect customer satisfaction or retention. You can check the shipping cost and time using the shipping calculator on AliExpress. You can also look for suppliers that offer ePacket shipping, a fast and affordable option for dropshipping.
- Product demand is the interest and desire your customers have for your product. You need to ensure that your product has a steady and growing demand in the market. You can check the product demand using market research tools like SaleHoo, Google Trends, or Keyword Planner. You can also look for indicators such as high order volume, positive reviews, or social media engagement on AliExpress
3. Choose a reliable supplier
The next step is to choose a reliable supplier who will provide you with the products you want to sell. Your supplier is an essential dropshipping business partner, so you must choose carefully. It would be best if you considered factors such as:
- Supplier rating: This is the overall score that AliExpress gives to each supplier based on their performance and reputation. It ranges from one star (lowest) to five stars (highest). You can see the supplier rating on their profile or product pages. Look for suppliers with at least a four-star rating or higher.
- Supplier feedback: This is the feedback other buyers have left for the supplier based on their experience and satisfaction. It includes comments, ratings, and photos. You can see the supplier feedback on their profile or product pages. It would be best to look for suppliers with mostly positive feedback and few or no complaints.
- Supplier communication is the level of responsiveness and professionalism the supplier shows when communicating with you. You can contact the supplier using the message feature on AliExpress or other methods such as email, Skype, or WhatsApp. Look for suppliers that reply quickly, answer your questions clearly, and speak your language fluently.
- Supplier policies are the terms and conditions the supplier sets for their products and services. They include product warranty, return policy, refund policy, and customs clearance information. You can see the supplier policies on their profile or product pages. Look for suppliers with clear and reasonable policies that protect your rights and interests.
4. Import products into your store
After you have chosen your products and suppliers, you need to import them into your online store. This means adding product information, such as title, description, price, images, and variants, to your store’s catalogue. You can do this by copying and pasting the information from AliExpress to your store or using a third-party program to automate the process.
A third-party program can save time and effort and provide additional features and benefits. Some examples of third-party programs are:
- Alitools dropship: This free Chrome extension lets you import products from AliExpress to your store. It also allows you to edit product information, track price changes, monitor inventory levels, and get cashback rewards.
- Oberlo: This popular Shopify app lets you import products from AliExpress to your Shopify store. It also allows you to customize product information, manage orders, sync inventory and prices, and access free courses and resources.
- Spocket: This is another Shopify app that helps you import products from AliExpress and other verified suppliers worldwide. It also allows you to enjoy faster shipping times, branded invoicing, sample orders, and dedicated support.
- Dropified: This is a versatile app that works with Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and other e-commerce platforms. It also helps you to import your products from AliExpress and other sources, such as eBay, Amazon, or Walmart. It also allows you to automate order fulfilment, track shipments, manage multiple stores, and access advanced features.
5. Promote your store and products
After you have sourced your products, the final step is to promote your store and products to attract customers and generate sales. You must use various marketing channels and strategies to get your target audience, increase brand awareness, and drive traffic to your store. You must also optimize your store’s design, layout, and content to convert visitors into buyers.
Some of the marketing channels and strategies you can use are:
- Social media: You can use social media Apps such as Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest to showcase your products, share customer testimonials, offer discounts or giveaways, or collaborate with influencers.
- Email: You can use email marketing tools such as Mailchimp, AWeber, or ConvertKit to build a mailing list of customers interested in your products and niche. You can then send them newsletters, promotions, updates, or tips to nurture your relationship with them and encourage them to buy from you.
- SEO: You can use SEO (search engine optimization) methods like keyword research, content production, link building, or site speed optimization to improve your store’s ranking on search engines like Google. This way, you can increase organic traffic and attract more customers interested in your products or niche.
- Paid ads: You can use paid advertising platforms such as Google Ads, Bing Ads, or Facebook Ads to create ads that appear on search engines or social media sites when people search for keywords related to your products or niche. You can also use remarketing tools such as Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel to track your visitors’ behaviour and show them ads based on their previous actions on your store.
Conclusion
This article has given a clear overview of sourcing products from AliExpress dropshipping. If you follow these steps, you can find profitable products, reliable suppliers, and effective suppliers. We love your feedback on this article on how to source products for dropshipping.
