Drop shippers are a useful bunch. There are a lot of positives that come along with getting reliable drop shippers. This is especially true for new merchants who lack the space (and money) to store products and the manpower to handle packing and shipping arrangements. Some more established multi vendor shopping carts names already contribute integration with at least one drop shipper. ecommerce web hosting shopping cart integration is rare, though. One important thing to be aware of though, is that the shopping carts cost is usually single out from the fees for the drop shipping service.

A list of things you should consider before considering a drop shipper. These problem should be addressed early in order to prevent problems later…

If you are going to think about the services of drop shippers, you have to realize that they are the supply chain to your business. You can either source your own drop shipper(s) or opt for one that is integrated with your multi shopping carts provider. Suffice to say, the drop shipper you pick should not only be reliable but competitive and trustworthy as well. Along with these 3 characteristics, here are some aspects that you would do well to consider:

Inventory

A product needs to be in stock in order for you to make a sale. Suffice to say, healthy and stable inventory levels are necessary. Therefore, stock information needs to be up-to-date (real-time) and exact.

Speaking of information, product information presented by drop shippers (to be displayed on the product page) should be sufficient and concrete. The reason being you do not have access to the physical products and so will not be privy to any information save that which is presented by the drop shipper. Commonly requested information: availability of alternative colors, material used, dimensions and weight.

Price

A competitive drop ship price (very close to wholesale, preferably) is the key to selling at higher margins. Ensure that, you need to take into account competitors’ pricing before you can make up your mind on your own. You should also factor in possible future discounts into your pricing calculations.

Just like inventory levels, product prices should be consistent.

Variety

It sounds cliched but variety is the spice of life. A good drop shipper should have a major database of drop ship products. A person may only buy one T-shirt if a variety of sizes are available, but he/she may buy more if the T-shirt comes in different colors as well. Psychologically speaking, it also aids a buyer make up their mind by doing a quick comparison.

Return Policy

You have to understand that your drop shipper’s return policy automatically becomes your return policy. Have a very closer look at your drop shippers’ return policies and make sure they are reasonable before you decide to adopt them. If you agree to their policies, make sure you fully express these return policies to your customers on your Terms & Conditions, Shipping or Return Policy or FAQ pages.

Customer Support

A professional drop shippers get back to you within 1 business day, 2 at the most. In some cases things do go wrong, even with the best drop shippers, such as an item being delivered in the wrong quantity, or perhaps in the wrong color. When something like this happens, it is essential that the situation be amended as quickly as possible. A simple response time is vital. The faster you hear back from your drop shipper, the relatively fast you can interact the latest situation to your customer in turn.

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