start dropshipping for free

How to Start a Dropshipping Business For Free

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Dropshipping is the perfect low risk business model for those who want to start an online business with limited time and capital. Dropshipping businesses are easy to set up and manage and can be run on a shoestring budget.

Now, if you’re interested in starting your own dropshipping business, you might be wondering how to do it for free. In this article, we’ll introduce you to what dropshipping is and how to start a dropshipping business without any money.

How does the dropshipping business model work?

dropshipping business model

Dropshipping is a business model in which ecommerce entrepreneurs sell products without having to carry any inventory. When a customer purchases from dropshipping store, the orders are sent to suppliers, who will then ship the products directly to the customer’s door. Dropshipping apps like Spocket let you add products from various suppliers into your online store to fuel your product offering. 

The dropshipping business model makes it easy to start an online business. The dropshipping model makes it easy to setup and manage your own online business with almost no up front investment. You can also run your dropshipping business in your spare time – you don’t need to quit your job to start a successful dropshipping store.

Plus, there are several dropshipping tips you can apply to drive traffic to your store. In this article, we’re going to discuss how you can start a dropshipping business on Shopify. We’ll cover how to find profitable products to sell, set up your store, and attract traffic that will convert into sales. Let’s get started! 

How To Start Dropshipping For Free

Now that you know what dropshipping is and how it works, you might be wondering how you can start your own free dropshipping business. Continue reading below and learn the 6 easy steps to start your own store for free.

Choose the best ecommerce platform for dropshipping

There are many ecommerce platforms out there, but we think Shopify is the best option for dropshipping stores. Not only is it one of the most popular ecommerce website builders on the market, but it’s also pretty affordable and provides new sign-ups with 14-day free trials, so you can start a dropshipping store for free.

What’s more, Shopify is one of the easiest platforms to use when building online stores, so you’ll be able to build your free online store and get it up and running quickly and easily. 

Trust us, when it comes to dropshipping, you’ll want to choose an ecommerce platform that makes it easy to add and manage products, process orders, and track your inventory for your dropshipping business.

Now that you know why Shopify is one of the best ecommerce platforms for dropshipping stores let’s take a look at how you can start your own dropshipping business for free.

Create Your Free Dropshipping Store

The first step before we start is to signup for a free trial of Shopify. With this guide, you will have more than enough time within the 14-day trial period to create an online store that is ready to be launched.

You will be asked to name your store when you start your free trial, which will become your store’s default URL (e.g., storename.myshopify.com). You can’t change this name once you choose it, but later on, you can change it when you buy a custom domain (e.g., youronlinestore.com)

After these few steps, you’ll be taken inside your Shopify account.

Here’s a quick checklist of what you should have before you begin and what I’ll be working with to start my store:

Choose a business name.

When you first set up your Shopify store, you are provided with a free domain ending in myshopify.com. But once you start your dropshipping store, you’ll want to have a more professional domain name. You can do this when you buy a custom domain. If you’re unsure what name to choose, use the free business name generator to develop some great ideas.

Create a logo for your store

Creating a logo might seem daunting, but with a tool like Canva, you can create one for free. Just enter your business name and tagline (optional), and you’ll be able to select from a library of logos to choose the perfect one for your store. If you’re unhappy with any options, you can hire a freelance designer on Fiverr to create a logo for you, starting at just $5.

Design Your Store

Now it’s time to design your store for your dropshipping business. If you’re not a web designer, don’t worry – there are plenty of high-quality themes available for Shopify stores that you can use to create a professional-looking site.

To find the perfect free theme for your store, visit the Shopify Theme Store and browse through the collection of themes. If you find a theme you like, simply click the “Add theme to your store” button, and it will be installed on your site.

If you want more control over the look and feel of your store design, or if you want to create a custom design, you can hire a Shopify Expert.

Find A Good Dropshipping Niche

Before setting up your dropshipping store, you’ll need to choose a niche. The best way to do this is by finding one that interests you or products that you’re already familiar with. Customers will always be ready to buy your items as long as the product is in demand. If you haven’t found a niche or need help finding one, take a look at our list for some great dropshipping business ideas.

dropshipping niche

Consider your interests and passions

One of the biggest reasons for dropshipping store failures is that many dropshippers choose a niche they’re not passionate about. If you’re not interested in the dropshipping products you’re selling, it’ll be very difficult to convince your customers that they need to buy them from you.

Think about the products you use daily or items you’re passionate about. These can be potential niches for your store. For example, if you love to take pictures, you could sell camera equipment and accessories. Or, if you’re a fitness enthusiast, you could sell fitness apparel and home gym equipment.

Passionate dropshippers are more likely to succeed because they have first-hand knowledge of their products and are more motivated to sell them.

Look for a niche with high demand and low competition

Another important factor to consider when choosing a niche is the demand for the product. You can use Google Trends to research whether people are searching for the product you want to sell. If there’s a steady increase in search volume over time, that’s a good sign of demand for the product.

You’ll also want to ensure that there isn’t too much competition for the product. The best way to do this is by searching for the product on Google Trends and seeing how many results come up. If there are millions of results, there’s a lot of competition. But if there are only a few thousand results, there’s an opportunity for you to get in on the action.

Choose Trending Products in Niche that Solve a problem

When customers are looking for a product, they usually look for a solution to a problem. When finding products for your store, look for items that solve a problem or make life easier for your customer.

For example, if you’re selling kitchen appliances, you could choose products that save time, like a pressure cooker or slow cooker. Or, if you’re selling pet products, you could choose items that make life easier for pet owners, like a self-cleaning litter box.

By offering products that solve a problem, you’ll be able to better meet your customers’ needs and stand out from the competition.

Your Unique Selling Proposition

Once you’ve chosen a niche, it’s time to start thinking about your unique selling proposition (USP). This sets your store apart from the competition and will make customers want to buy from you.

Some things to consider when developing your USP include:

  • What makes your products better than the competition?
  • Do you offer free shipping or faster shipping than the competition?
  • Do you have a loyalty or rewards program that incentivizes customers to buy from you?

By offering something unique and valuable to your customers, you’ll be able to differentiate your store from the competition and make it more likely for customers to buy from you.

Find Reliable Dropshipping Suppliers

Now that you’ve chosen a niche and know what products you want to sell, it’s time to find dropshipping suppliers for your store. A dropshipping supplier is a company that manufactures and ships products on your behalf.

dropshipping suppliers

How to find suppliers for Dropshipping

There are a few different ways to find dropshipping suppliers for your store. You can use Google to search for suppliers, or you can use a site like AliExpress.

To find suppliers on Google, simply type in the product you want to sell, followed by “dropshipper” or “dropshipping.” For example, if you want to sell kitchen appliances, you could search for “kitchen appliance dropshipper” or “kitchen appliance dropshipping.”

To find suppliers on AliExpress, simply create an account and then use the search bar to find products you’re interested in selling. AliExpress is a great option because it’s free to use, and there are no membership fees.

Once you’ve done proper market research and found your suppliers, it’s time to start evaluating them. Continue reading for some tips on finding the best dropshipping companies.

Read the reviews

When you’re looking at potential suppliers, be sure to read the reviews. This will give you a good idea of the supplier’s quality and customer service.

To find reviews, simply Google the supplier’s name followed by “reviews.” For example, if you’re looking at a supplier called “ACME Suppliers,” you would search for “ACME Suppliers reviews.”

When reading reviews, be on the lookout for any red flags. These could include late shipments, poor quality products, or bad customer service. If you see any red flags, that’s a sign that you should look for another supplier.

Compare prices

Another important factor to consider when choosing a supplier is price. You’ll want to ensure that the prices you’re paying are competitive to make a profit. You also want to make sure shipping costs are fair and aren’t overstated.

Simply get quotes from multiple suppliers for the products you’re interested in selling to compare prices. Once you have the quotes, you can compare them side-by-side to see which supplier is the most affordable.

It’s important to note that the cheapest supplier isn’t always the best option. In addition to price, you’ll also want to consider things like quality, shipping times, and customer service.

Review Policies

When you’re looking at potential suppliers, be sure to review their policies. This includes things like their return policy, shipping times, and payment methods. You’ll want to make sure that the supplier’s policies work for your business.

For example, if you’re dropshipping time-sensitive products, you’ll want to ensure that the supplier offers fast shipping. By taking the time to review a supplier’s policies, you can avoid any problems down the road.

Place sample order and Test Products Yourself

Once you’ve found a potential supplier, it’s time to place a sample order. This will allow you to test the supplier’s products and services.

When placing a sample order, be sure to order various products. This will give you a good idea of the supplier’s product quality. In addition, it’s a good idea to order popular products in your online store. You can test the supplier’s shipping times and customer service.

Once you’ve received your sample order, take the time to test out the products. This includes using the products yourself and, if possible, having friends or family test them out as well. This will give you a good idea of the products’ quality and how well they work.

You can order products for your store if you’re happy with the products and the supplier’s service. If you’re unhappy with the products or the supplier’s service, you’ll need to keep looking for a better option.

Supplier Integrations and Automation

One of the benefits of dropshipping is that it’s relatively easy to automate. This is because you can integrate your store with your supplier’s inventory.

When you integrate your store with your supplier’s inventory, your store will automatically update when the supplier’s inventory changes. This means that you’ll never have to worry about selling out-of-stock products.

In addition, some suppliers offer automation features that can help you run your store. For example, some suppliers offer automatic order fulfillment. When an order is placed in your store, the supplier will automatically ship the products to your customer. This can save you a lot of time and hassle.

If you’re interested in automating your dropshipping store, be sure to ask your potential suppliers about their automation features.

Get Free Traffic to Your Online Store

Now that you’ve created your store and found a supplier for your dropshipping business, it’s time to start marketing your online store. Luckily, there are a number of free marketing methods you can use to promote your dropshipping store.

Here are 6 free methods you can use to promote your dropshipping store.

promote dropshipping store

Ecommerce SEO

One of the best free methods for promoting your store is ecommerce SEO. SEO or Search Engine Optimization is the process of optimizing your store to rank higher in search engine results. Anytime a customer uses search engines like Google to find products like the ones you sell, your store has the potential to appear in the search results.

There are a number of things you can do to optimize your ecommerce store for SEO. This includes things like optimizing your product pages and creating keyword-rich blog content.

By taking the time to optimize your store for SEO, you can increase your store’s visibility and traffic. This, in turn, can lead to more sales and customers.

Youtube and Social Media

Another great free method for promoting your store is to use social media. Social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook are great forms of content marketing to reach your target audience.

When using social media to promote your store, be sure to post high-quality content that is relevant to your store. For example, you could create a YouTube video about choosing the best dog food if you sell dropshipping products for dogs.

In addition, be sure to post regularly and interact with your followers. This will help you build a relationship with your customers and increase their chances of purchasing from your store.

Create a Blog

Another great free method for promoting your store is to create a blog. A blog is a great way to share information about your products and store with potential customers.

When creating a blog, be sure to write keyword-rich content that is relevant to your store. For example, if you sell dog products, you could write a blog post about choosing the best dog food.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is another great free method for promoting your store. With email marketing, you can send promotional emails to potential customers.

When creating your email marketing campaign, include a strong call-to-action. For example, you could include a coupon code or a free shipping offer. This will help increase the chances of customers purchasing from your store.

In addition, be sure to segment your email list. This will allow you to send targeted emails to specific groups of customers. For example, you could segment your list by age, location, or gender.

Check out this article for more tips on creating an email marketing campaign.

Free Content & Lead Magnets

Finally, another great free method for promoting your store is to create free content. Free content is a great way to attract new customers and leads.

When creating free content, make it relevant to your store. For example, selling dog products could create a free e-book about choosing the best dog food.

In addition, be sure to include a call-to-action in your free content. This could be a link to your store or a coupon code. Including a call-to-action can increase the chances of customers making a purchase from your store.

Start an Affiliate Program for Your Dropshipping Business

If you want to take things a step further, you can also start an affiliate program for your store. With an affiliate program, you can pay commissions to people who promote your store.

There are a number of ways you can promote your affiliate program. For example, you could create an affiliate landing page or email marketing campaign.

In addition, be sure to offer attractive commissions. Paying a lucrative affiliate fee for each sale will help you attract more affiliates and increase the chances of them promoting your store.

By following these tips, you can start promoting your store for free. You can increase your traffic and sales by taking the time to promote your store.

Fulfill Dropshipping Orders

The final step in starting a dropshipping business is fulfilling orders. When an order is placed in your store, you need to contact the supplier and have the products shipped to the customer.

To get started, you will need to create a system for fulfilling orders. This system will help you keep track of orders and ensure that they are fulfilled in a timely manner.

How to Fulfill Dropshipping Orders on Shopify

There are a few different ways you can fulfill orders on Shopify. The first way is to fulfill orders manually. With this order fulfillment method, you must contact the supplier and have the products shipped to the customer.

The second way is to use a fulfillment app. Fulfillment apps sync with your Shopify store and automatically fulfill orders. With this method, you will not need to contact the supplier yourself. If you’re using a dropshipping supplier that integrates with Shopify, you’ll have the option to use automatic fulfillment for your orders.

The third way is to use a custom fulfillment service. Custom fulfillment services are created specifically for Shopify stores. With this method, you will need to contact the supplier and have the products shipped to the customer yourself.

Conclusion

Dropshipping is an easy-to-start and profitable business model for new entrepreneurs, and it’s one that can be started completely free. If you plan on starting a successful online business, we suggest you start dropshipping for free using Shopify.

Make sure you have a solid dropshipping business plan and use all the points we have covered when starting your own online store. We hope this article has helped to give you an idea of what dropshipping entails and how you can start a dropshipping business with no money.

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Cam Morales
Cam Morales

Cam is the Founder & CEO of Brandafy.com, Bix Marketing.com and EcomUpstart - he built two 7 figure businesses since he started his entrepreneurship journey in 2016. He now helps others launch ecommerce stores and other online businesses.

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