In order to have a successful dropshipping business, it is important to find an excellent and trusted supplier (or a few of them). This part is not an easy feat since it involves negotiations, legal agreements, and money. If one or two things don’t fit accordingly, the business can crumble before it even begins to operate. With that in mind, you must know how to find reliable and trustworthy dropshipping suppliers.
When looking for a dropshipping supplier, you must consider a few important factors before making the final decision. Yes, you have already thought about the products you want to sell. You are confident that they will generate lots of sales and profits. However, you have to make sure that your supplier provides high-quality service that is worthy of your investment. For your guidance, here are a few tips that can help you find the best dropshipping suppliers. Let’s get started!
Know where to find the suppliers
Of course, the first place you’ll go to when starting your research is the internet since it’s the easiest and the most accessible thing there is. However, that’s not always the best option when looking for a supplier. There are other effective ways to find reliable dropshipping suppliers. Aside from search engines, you can attend trade shows where you can personally meet the suppliers and build a potential business relationship with them. You can also look into online directories, which provide a list of verified and legit suppliers. Some of the most popular supplier directories are Salehoo, Factory Fast, and Dropshipzone.
Check if they are legitimate or not
This should already be a standard thing to do, especially when you have a commercial online business. With the presence of the internet, you can easily do a background check on a potential supplier and find out whether their business is legal or potentially a scam. The best way to do it is by reading everything about the supplier and their business – from the website, customer feedback and reviews, product listings, blog posts, company records, news, and general reputation. If you come across any red flags or anomalies, then it’s probably better not to get involved with them. Be cautious – you don’t want to spend your precious time and resources on resolving disputes with a shady supplier (another way to handle those disputes is using third-party mediation services such as Purchase Guard).
Make an effort to contact them
Once you have crossed out the fake companies from the legit ones, don’t immediately make any decisions just yet. You have to make an effort to contact the suppliers and show them that you are serious about your business and possible partnerships (and vice versa). Don’t just send them random messages or emails asking them about random products and services. Suppliers are also looking into long-term business relationships that benefit all involved parties. This is only possible if they see that you are serious, focused on a particular niche or industry, determined, and professional.
Test their customer support services
Customer support services are a crucial factor to consider in finding a good and reliable supplier. The existence of customer support gives the impression that they are always available to help their customers at any given time of the day. To ensure that the customer support representatives are truly ready to help, you can contact and test them, by both phone and email. Furthermore, quality customer service and communication need to be professional, customer-friendly, and, most importantly, prompt. They should know all the standard procedures and be able to provide immediate assistance. It should turn you off if they don’t respond immediately to your queries and concerns.
