Four experts: common pitfalls to avoid when starting dropshipping [experts roundup]

Most likely, we are all aware of the fact that anything we start must be done with great discipline and willpower; else, it will fail quickly.

In this roundup, four dropshipping professionals talk about typical blunders and things to remember before starting off. Enjoy!

Marcus Pereira, dropshipping expert.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcuspereira_/

Trying to rush in and jump into the business model without learning it is a huge mistake. I see everyday people messaging me that they started a store or are looking to start it but actually don’t really know what they’re doing. There are hundreds of free and paid training available and I’d highly recommend going through them to ensure that you’re learning both the correct way and also an effective way to Dropship. Try, try, try. This is a business model where you might not see any success for your first few weeks or even months! But you will definitely learn from your mistakes, and after enough tweaking, the results and profit will start rolling in.

Luna Vega, e-commerce owner, print-on-demand business mentor.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misslunavega/

Most dropshippers get married to a product and spend way too much in paid advertising before realizing they need to start testing other product ideas. Testing is the game’s name and is the only way to understand what consumers are actively searching for / buying. Personally, I am not a fan of dropshipping - yes you can be successful with it - but I like to print-one-demand better. I find the print-on-demand suppliers more reliable and not having to stress about shipping times etc is half the battle. If you are serious about starting your e-commerce journey, first research to understand where there is a market gap, and next start testing - don’t spend money on the inventory - instead, spend it on testing.

Ira's Mind, e-commerce owner.

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@irasmind

The first thing honestly is not to go with the traditional way of doing dropshipping which is usually Facebook ads. Now the easiest way to start a dropshipping store with less than a hundred dollars and do it successfully is through TikTok, which requires testing products. What causes newbies to lose? Thousands of dollars are not testing products, you're not supposed to spend money on products when you have no idea if they will actually work. You're supposed to just open up and use a 14-day free trial, Shopify, and during those 14 days test your product on Tiktok, and market it for free. Obviously, Tiktok is a like psychological platform, so it's not like regular marketing but definitely marketing your product on TikTok, and seeing how that goes like getting organic traffic to your store and organic sales is the best way to go. Another thing, in business, is that you're not always going to be satisfied and it’s okay. Be proud of yourself for how far you’ve come. Usually, people be like ‘just look at this luxurious lifestyle, I want that’’. It’s not like that, only a few gurus know how to make that luxury lifestyle but I promise, that person has a really regular lifestyle just like we all do, so don’t be so involved in what you see on social media. It's it takes a lot of hard work and at the end of the day, we're all the same.

One thing I struggled with and really want to share with people is the fact that I dropped out of school and I was obviously ashamed of what people would think. I am someone who did dropshipping out of survival. Honestly just remember that everybody works differently like everybody's experiences are completely different. Everybody has a different personality. However, you can actually program yourself to have a work ethic, and discipline, and that's super important with whatever you do in life. Discipline is literally the barrier between success and failure. Just sit back and again analyze yourself and say to yourself ‘’hey, create a whole plan in your head, write it down and make sure that you're gonna stick to it’’. For me, the only reason I stuck to the plan was that it was either starting a dropshipping business or McDonald's, there was nothing else for me.

Once again don’t believe in what social media tells you. I've shared my real life as a multi 6 figure entrepreneur, it's pretty regular. What I want to say is don't get eaten up by social media, just be smart about your choices. I really encourage people to reprogram their mindsets, actually, put effort into their own futures, and put in that discipline that they need. There are going to be times where maybe your stores are down, maybe you get copyrighted, maybe your sales are super low because views are low. YOU HAVE TO PUSH IT THROUGH.

Shonae Jones, e-commerce entrepreneur.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naetheceo/

The key mistake I see new dropshippers making is not doing the proper product and target market research upfront. So many people choose a random item or niche, build a store that is not conversion-optimized, do a few social media posts and then say “dropshipping doesn’t work”. It takes SO much more than that to find success. To avoid wasting time and money - new dropshippers should start by researching to find out what niches are the top most profitable at the moment. That can be followed by going to the Facebook Ad Library or TikTok Creative Center and noting what trending items are being advertised. That’s a great indicator of demand and profitability. My advice for those just starting out is to be ready to fail a few times before you start getting results. It’s totally normal and happens to everyone because no one knows what they’re doing when they start something new. Most people quit at that point so for those who keep going - it puts them ahead of the game and in line to have a successful business.

We appreciate all the experts who contributed and made this roundup possible. Hopefully, readers have gained some interesting insights about the topic.

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