As the world increasingly moves online, businesses are looking for new ways to reach their customers. Dropshipping has become an attractive option for entrepreneurs who are looking to start their own business with a low investment.
Dropshipping is a business model in which ecommerce entrepreneurs sell products without having to carry any inventory. When a customer places an order on your website, you simply contact the supplier, who will then ship the product directly to the customer’s doorsteps.
This business model has a number of advantages. For starters, it’s very capital-efficient since you don’t need to invest in inventory upfront. Secondly, it’s relatively easy to set up and get started with dropshipping. And lastly, it’s a scalable business model, meaning that you can grow your dropshipping business as big as you want.
If you’re based in Germany and are looking to start your own dropshipping business, this guide is for you. We’ll take you through the steps on how to start a dropshipping business in Germany in 2022.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Find A Profitable Niche
The first step to starting a successful dropshipping business is to find a profitable niche. By finding a niche with high demand and low competition, you increase your chances of success.
To help you get started, here are some tips on how to find a profitable niche for your dropshipping business:
1. Identify a problem that needs solving
The best way to find a profitable niche is to identify a problem that needs solving. When you can find a problem that people are willing to pay to solve, you’ve found a good niche.
To help you brainstorm, here are some questions you can ask yourself:
– What are some problems that people in my niche face?
– What are some products or services that would make their lives easier?
– What are some unmet needs in my niche?
2. Check if there’s demand for the product
Once you’ve identified a potential solution to a problem, the next step is to check if there’s demand for the product. The best way to do this is to use Google Trends.
Google Trends is a free tool that lets you see how popular a keyword is. Simply enter your keyword into the search bar and Google will show you how the popularity has changed over time.
If you see a steady or increasing trend, it means that there’s demand for the product.
3. Check if there’s competition for the keyword
The last step is to check if there’s competition for the keyword. To do this, simply head over to Google and type in your keyword. Take a look at the first few results and see if they’re all major brands or if there are small businesses as well.
If you see mostly major brands, it means that the competition is high and you might have a hard time ranking for the keyword. But if you see small businesses, it means that the competition is low and you have a good chance of ranking for the keyword.
Step 2: Choose A Supplier
Once you’ve found a profitable niche, the next step is to choose a supplier. There are two main types of suppliers: domestic and overseas.
Domestic suppliers are based in the same country as you. The main advantage of working with domestic suppliers is that they can ship products faster since there’s no cross-border shipping involved. However, the downside is that they’re usually more expensive than overseas suppliers.
Overseas suppliers, on the other hand, are based in other countries. The main advantage of working with overseas suppliers is that they’re usually cheaper than domestic suppliers. However, the downside is that it can take longer for products to reach your customers since there’s cross-border shipping involved.
When choosing a supplier, you need to consider a few factors:
1. Product quality
The first thing you need to consider is product quality. You want to make sure that the products you’re selling are of good quality so that your customers will be happy with their purchase.
To check product quality, you can do a few things:
– Read online reviews: A quick Google search will reveal what people are saying about the product.
– Ask for samples: If you’re working with a domestic supplier, you can ask for samples so that you can check the quality for yourself.
2. Shipping time
Another thing you need to consider is shipping time. You want to make sure that your products reach your customers in a timely manner.
To check shipping time, you can do a few things:
– Check the supplier’s website: Most suppliers will have their shipping times listed on their website.
– Ask for customer testimonials: If you know someone who’s worked with the supplier before, you can ask them about their experience with shipping times.
3. Pricing
Of course, you also need to consider pricing. You want to make sure that the products you’re selling are priced competitively so that you can make a profit.
To check pricing, you can do a few things:
– Compare prices: Take a look at the prices of similar products and see how your supplier’s prices compare.
– Ask for quotes: If you’re working with a domestic supplier, you can ask for quotes from different suppliers and compare their prices.
Step 3: Set Up Your Store
Now that you’ve found a niche and a supplier, it’s time to set up your store. There are a few things you need to do in order to get started:
1. Choose a platform
The first thing you need to do is choose a platform for your store. The two most popular platforms are Shopify and WordPress.
Shopify is the easiest platform to use since it’s designed specifically for ecommerce stores. It comes with everything you need to get started, including a customizable theme, payment gateway, and shipping integration.
WordPress is a bit more complicated to use since it’s not designed specifically for ecommerce stores. However, it’s still possible to set up an online store using WordPress. You’ll just need to install a few plugins and find a theme that’s compatible with ecommerce.
2. Choose a domain name
The next thing you need to do is choose a domain name for your store. Your domain name should be relevant to your niche and easy to remember.
3. Set up hosting
Once you have a domain name, you need to set up hosting for your store. Hosting is basically like renting space on a server for your website.
There are two main types of hosting: shared and dedicated. Shared hosting is the cheaper option since you’re sharing a server with other websites. However, it’s not as reliable since your website can be affected by the other websites on the server.
Dedicated hosting is more expensive since you’re renting an entire server for your website. However, it’s more reliable since you don’t have to share the server with other websites.
4. Install WordPress (if using WordPress)
If you’re using WordPress, the next thing you need to do is install WordPress on your hosting account. This can usually be done with a single click using your hosting control panel.
5. Choose a theme
Once WordPress is installed, you need to choose a theme for your store. There are thousands of free and paid themes available for WordPress. You can find themes by searching for “WordPress themes” on Google.
6. Install plugins (if using WordPress)
If you’re using WordPress, you need to install some plugins in order to add ecommerce functionality to your store. The two most popular plugins are WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads.
7. Choose a payment gateway
Once you have your store set up, you need to choose a payment gateway so that your customers can pay for their orders. The two most popular payment gateways are PayPal and Stripe.
8. Set up shipping
The last thing you need to do is set up shipping for your store. You need to decide how much you’re going to charge for shipping and where you’re going to ship your products.
If you’re using Shopify, you can set up shipping using their built-in shipping Ethereum calculator. If you’re using WordPress, you can use a plugin like WooCommerce Shipping to calculate shipping rates.
And that’s it! You now have everything you need to set up your own online store.
Step 4: Promote Your Store
Now that your store is set up, it’s time to start promoting it. There are a few things you can do to get started:
1. Create social media accounts
The first thing you need to do is create social media accounts for your store. This will help you promote your store and reach a wider audience.
The most popular social media platforms are Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. When you use this, consider integrating tools to post to Instagram from your desktop, schedule and plan your content, and use other essential social media tools.
2. Create a blog
Another great way to promote your store is to create a blog. You can use your blog to write articles about your products, your niche, or anything else that’s relevant to your store.
3. Run ads
You can also promote your store by running ads on social media or Google. This can be a great way to reach a larger audience and generate more sales.
4. Use influencers
Influencers are people with large followings on social media who can promote your store to their followers. This can be a great way to reach a larger audience and generate more sales.
5. Participate in forums
Another great way to promote your store is to participate in forums related to your niche. You can use forums to answer people’s questions, build relationships, and promote your store.
And that’s it! Those are a few of the best ways to promote your online store.
The Bottom Line
Starting an online store is a great way to make money online. And dropshipping is one of the best business models for starting an online store.
However, starting a successful dropshipping business takes time, effort, and patience. You need to find the right products, build relationships with suppliers, create compelling marketing materials, and promote your store.
If you’re willing to put in the work, starting a dropshipping business can be a great way to make money online. Here is the top 5 dropshipping websites for Germans.
1. eWorldTrade
eWorldTrade is a large online marketplace that offers a wide range of products, including electronics, clothing, and more.
2. AliExpress Dropshipping
AliExpress is one of the largest online marketplaces in the world. And it’s also one of the best dropshipping websites for Germans.
AliExpress offers a wide range of products, including electronics, clothing, shoes, and more. And they offer free shipping on many items.
What’s more, AliExpress has a built-in dropshipping program called AliExpress Dropshipping. This program allows you to start dropshipping without any upfront costs.
3. Oberlo Supply Marketplace
Oberlo is a dropshipping supplier marketplace that offers a wide range of products, including electronics, clothing, and more.
Oberlo also offers a built-in dropshipping program called Oberlo Supply. This program allows you to start dropshipping without any upfront costs.
4. Chinabrands Dropshipping
Chinabrands is another great dropshipping website for Germans. They offer a wide range of products, including electronics, clothing, and more.
5. Banggood Dropshipping
Banggood is another large online marketplace that offers a wide range of products, including electronics, clothing, and more.
Conclusion
Dropshipping is a great way to start an online store with little to no upfront costs. And there are a number of great dropshipping websites for Germans.
If you’re willing to put in the work, starting a dropshipping business can be a great way to make money online.
