What do you need to launch a business? Normally, you need capital, a physical space to build a store, and a storage system to keep your inventory. But with the tremendous evolution in business models today, do you know that you could build a business without all these?
Dropshipping is a fantastic way to get into business without going through the trouble of a typical business establishment. Nowadays, AliExpress dropshipping has become popular among online entrepreneurs, as it’s the easiest way to sell products online.
If you want to know how to make an AliExpress dropshipping business, you’re in the right place. Read on to get more information about what dropshipping is, its pros and cons, and how you can set one up using a free websites builder.
What is Dropshipping?
To put it simply, dropshipping is a process wherein you sell products that you don’t physically own yet. This happens by sourcing for products online, usually directly from manufacturers, and posting these products on your online store. The only time you need to order from the supplier or manufacturer is when a customer places an order on the product.
So basically, dropshipping allows you to sell products even without an existing inventory. All you need is an online store and you’re good to go.
Benefits of Dropshipping
Dropshipping offers many benefits to entrepreneurs and online store owners. Some of its benefits are listed below:
- Little Capital - Unlike most ecommerce businesses, dropshipping from aliexpress requires little to no capital at all. All you need is a website to get started. But building a website costs money, right? Don’t worry. There’s a free website builder called Strikingly that allows you to make websites in as little as a couple of minutes. We’ll get more into that later on.
- No Physical Store Required - You need to have a physical space to do an aliexpress dropship business. Because you don’t have the inventory yet, there is no need to make up space for storing products. This helps you save plenty of money on lease, utility, and maintenance.
- Plenty of Resources - Everything you need to know about AliExpress dropshipping is available online. You can watch YouTube videos to get started or read through blogs to expand your dropshipping knowledge.
Disadvantages of Dropshipping
Just like anything else in this world, dropshipping aliexpress also has disadvantages. Some of these disadvantages are:
- Long Shipping Time - Most aliexpress dropshipping products are supplied from China. Shipping your orders from a different country will definitely take a lot of time. Not to mention other complications that may arise on the customs checking. With this in mind, you need to be transparent to your customers about the shipping time. Clearly provide a timeframe of when they can expect their orders at their doors.
- Orders Must Be Made in Advance - There are certain instances where you have to order in advance to sell on AliExpress dropshipping. For example, you might be anticipating a surge of customers during the holidays. Place an order on commonly sold items at that season to ensure that you have enough products to sell.
- Imperfect Orders - Something that’s almost unavoidable in AliExpress dropshipping is that you sometimes receive a substandard product. Some may even have defects. If your orders are imperfect, it may be difficult to sell them in the future. You may even have to sell them at a price lower than what you want.
Why Use AliExpress for Dropshipping?
After reading all these things about AliExpress dropshipping, you may have a question in mind. You may want to know how to drop ship with AliExpress and how you can be successful in it.
AliExpress is a massive online marketplace with over 100 million items for sale. Alibaba, one of the world's largest ecommerce firms, owns it. It was established in 2010 and is headquartered in China. Where does AliExpress ship from? Basically anywhere in the world, but mostly in China.
One of the most common marketplaces for ecommerce entrepreneurs using the dropshipping business model is AliExpress dropshipping. You can even import product content and photos from AliExpress.com into your store, allowing you to choose from millions of different products.
The best thing is that when a customer places an order, you buy it from an AliExpress provider and have it delivered straight to your client from their warehouse. You can set your own prices and define your own profit margin.
For new ecommerce entrepreneurs, AliExpress dropshipping is quick, fast, and has low risks. You can use the AliExpress dropshipping center, which allows you to view the most popular products among dropshippers.
AliExpress also makes dropshipping a breeze. There is no expense or charge upfront, meaning you can try out goods without making a large financial investment. Dropshipping with AliExpress is as easy as purchasing a product and inputting the customer's address after they get their order.
How to Make Your Own Dropshipping Website
Now that you’ve learned the basics of how to use AliExpress, you can head on to Strikingly, create your free account, and begin your own AliExpress Dropshipping website.
Just follow the steps below:
- Build Your Ecommerce Store
Strikingly is a free website builder packed with tools and features that allow users to make their own websites. They offer free website templates that users can change depending on their preferences/needs. It’s powerful enough to provide users with web development tools and functions, but simple enough to learn quickly.
Image taken from Strkingly product
After creating your account, go to your dashboard, click on “Create New Site”. Then you’ll be asked to select a template for your website. Pick one that matches your style and needs. You can always change it later.
- Add a Simple Store to Your Template
Next, add a simple store to introduce your products. On the left-side menu, just click on “Add New Section”, then select “ Simple Store”.
Image taken from Strkingly product
Your simple store will be the page where customers will buy products. Make it as interesting and visually pleasing as possible. As you can see in the image above, there are plenty of settings to change, including layout and background. You can make use of those to really make a captivating and energetic look to your store.
- Add a Portfolio
After adding a simple store section, add a portfolio section to showcase certain products. Maybe you're selling a new item or something is up for sale.
Image taken from Strkingly product
Your AliExpress dropshipping website needs a portfolio so you can showcase products that you really want customers to buy. Just “Add a New Section”, then click “Portfolio” on the selection panel.
- Add Product Categories to Your Store
Afterward, add product categories. This is especially important if you’re selling different types of merchandise. Having product categories makes it easier for your customers to navigate through your store.
Image taken from Strkingly product
You can add as many product categories as you need. Just make sure to be specific and straightforward with your categories. Make sure not to mistakenly put a product under a different category.
- Add Products
The most crucial step on your AliExpress dropshipping business are your products. To add products, click on “Store”, the select “Products”.
Image taken from Strkingly product
Choose “Add products'', then select the product type. In this case, you’ll be selling physical goods.
Proceed to add the product name, product description and upload a high-quality image of the product. Then set your prices and update the stock amount. Don’t forget to categorize each product you upload.
Make sure that all your products are well-defined and constantly updated. Buyers usually subscribe to a business when they can offer something new every season. It’s best to leverage market information before selling products.
- Change Shipping Options
You can then change the shipping options. You can tweak your shipping rules, shipping option name, and shipping guidelines.
Image taken from Strkingly product
You can also set your region and item fee. Some of these options come for free with a free Strikingly account. But to unlock and optimize your AliExpress dropshipping website, consider upgrading to a Pro account. Having these amazing features can definitely help you make a more successful online store.
- Update Taxes
To update your taxes information, begin by researching applicable taxes per good entering your region or country.
Image taken from Strkingly product
With taxes, you can apply the tax mode and make use of the tax calculation tool. Make sure to get accurate and up-to-date tax policies in your area. If you want to conduct business, you need to make sure that your operations are consistent with tax laws.
- Publish
After making adjustments, adding vital sections, and editing certain layout styles, make sure to recheck your progress so far. Find out if you need more sections or make more changes. Once you’re happy with the final look, you can hit “Publish” to launch your AliExpress dropshipping website.
Dropshipping from Aliexpress is a fantastic way to introduce products to the market without having a physical inventory. Make sure to leverage the tools and features that Strikingly offers to design an amazing AliExpressing dropshipping website business.
