Sourcing quality dropshipping products is one of the most important aspects of running a successful e-commerce store.
Why is dropshipping products from the US a viable alternative to dropshipping products from overseas (ie AliExpress)?
Using our experience at Dropified, we’ve narrowed down 3 key issues dropshippers face when adding products to their online store:
- Unpredictable Shipping Times
- Product Quality (Hit or Miss)
- Unknown Supplier Trust & Reliability
1. Dropshipping Products From The US = Faster Shipping Times
Let’s be honest, customers want their products in their hands as soon as possible. Most dropshippers would agree that keeping customers happy and assured is one of the biggest challenges to overcome when dropshipping products from overseas.
When dropshipping products are shipped from popular suppliers in China through AliExpress, it is not uncommon for a package to take 10-21 days (or more) to be delivered to a customer.
Now although there are ways to bandaid ‘longer shipping times’, customers do get impatient as they wait for their order to arrive. Without proper communication, not only are there higher risks of chargebacks, but buyers are quickly primed into becoming unhappy customers who leave negative reviews.
This is why dropshipping products from the US is a perfect opportunity to overcome the ongoing challenges of
- eliminating longer shipping times,
- creating more reliable tracking options, and
- creating happier customers.
A happy customer’s review, afterall, is the one of the most effective elements you can use in your marketing strategy.
2. US Manufacturers Have A Reputation For Producing Higher Quality Products
According to Consumer Reports, 80% of Americans prefer products that are “Made in the USA”. Not only that, but 60% said they would be willing to pay 10% more for a product that is made in the USA.
Why is this?
One of the reasons is product quality. In fact, 66% of Americans said they associate “Made in the USA” with higher quality.
Prove Product Quality By Testing Your Dropshipping Products
In order to properly test dropshipping products, it’s important to place an order, and see the product quality yourself.
If you’re ordering a test product from overseas, prepare for it to be weeks before you know if the product matches your supplier’s description of quality, photos and shipping timelines.
However, if you are sourcing products from the US, you have the opportunity to condense that timeline, and not only test, but also list the product on your store in a matter of days.
Prove Product Quality By Testing The Manufacturing Process
Being in closer proximity to your manufacturer has a greater impact on the overall quality of the entire process. This is because, issues that may arise are caught and corrected quicker – saving you more time and money in the long run.
3. Supplier Trust & Reliability Can Make Or Break Your Business
Establishing clear communication with your supplier is key to developing trust and reliability. It’s both trust & reliability in your supplier that greatly impacts the level of success you will have in your dropshipping business.
If you’re unsure of whether or not a supplier is trustworthy and reliable, you will overcome this challenge simply by knowing how to ask the right questions.
Verify Supplier Background
- How long have they been in business?
- Can they provide you with some references?
- Can they provide a company registration number?
- Do they have feedback and/or ratings available to review online?
- Have you searched online for feedback on their company and/or products?
- How quickly do they respond to questions/inquiries, etc?
- How do you feel about their responsiveness in terms of time to get a response and the quality of their responses?
Supplier Shipping Options
- Do they offer blind branding (blind product brand and shipping boxes and labels) so that your buyers don’t know who is fulfilling the order?
- Do they offer tracking so that you can provide that information to your customers?
- Do they accept refunds directly from your customers?
- How do they handle product quality issues and questions you may have?
Supplier Payment Terms
- Do they have a minimum order and/or sales amounts to continue working with them? If so, how much do they require to be sold and in what specific amount of time?
- How do they require payments to be made and when?
- Can you pay as you place each order or do you pay one bill each month or on some other time frame?
- Can you pay via credit card or do they require bank wires?
Supplier Inventory
- How much inventory do they have on hand?
- How many other sellers are selling these same products?
- How long will it take them to replenish stock?
- Will they alert you if they are near to selling out and/or when they sell out?
- Do they have safety measures in place to ensure they never run out of inventory, no matter how quickly the products sell?
- How quickly do they ship products out once you place your order?
- What are their shipping times?
Additional trust-boosters for working with suppliers in the US is that they are often held to a higher standard when it comes to important issues like:
- Manufacturing Emission Policies,
- Shipping, Warranty & Return Policies, and
- Quality Control.
This kind of information is valuable to pass on to your customers too!
One final thought on reliability is this.
When dropshipping products from the US, reliability is boosted when your supplier is in (or close to) your own timezone. As mentioned earlier, this is because you have the advantage of collectively addressing and resolving issues with your trusted supplier within hours, instead of days or weeks.
In Conclusion
If you’re looking to source dropshipping products from the US, we have a number of additional resources to help you in your quest for creating happier customers by eliminating longer shipping times, and offering higher quality products from trusted and reliable US suppliers.
Resources
- How To Find US Based Dropshipping Suppliers
- How To Start A Supplement Business in 7 Proven Steps
- Comparing The Top 5 Private Label Supplement Manufacturers
- What Are The Alternatives To AliExpress For Dropshipping
This looks like an amazing opportunity with a great company
Complicated made easy by this article, thanks Alison Schroeder!