Shopify is one of the biggest and fastest-growing eCommerce platforms on the Internet. It is straightforward to start an online store using Shopify, even more so if using a drop-shipping model.
Starting an online store on Shopify doesn’t need any technical or coding skills. You can set up one in minutes and use drop shipping extensions to find the products to sell.
Even if you don’t know anything about eCommerce, by following this guide on starting your first Shopify store, you will be up and running in the next 24 hours.
What is dropshipping?
Unlike a traditional online store model where a retailer must purchase stock before selling it, a drop shipping business uses a warehouse to receive products after they are purchased.
The retailer only purchases the item to be sold when ordered, so there is no need to carry any stock or warehouses for storage. This makes drop shipping incredibly efficient and scalable. You can consider a training program like H-Com 3030 if you want to learn how to use dropshippers to start selling on Shopify. Check this review of h-com 3030 for more details.
How does Shopify work?
Shopify is cloud-based software that runs on a web browser via an internet connection. You can sell anything from fashion clothes to home appliances and everything in between.
Shopify is highly secure and reliable as it is hosted on Google Cloud servers worldwide, ensuring your website will be up 99.99% of the time.
Your products are visible to all customers using a regular web browser or mobile app (which Shopify offers) – all you need to do is sign up for an account and follow the steps below.
What do I need to start a Shopify store?
To set up your first Shopify store, you will need a domain name (website address). You can purchase one for less than 15 dollars a year. A hosting provider – Bluehost is a popular one and the pricing starts from $2.95 a month, including a free domain name for the first year ($15 value). You will also need a payment gateway (a way of collecting money) such as Paypal or Shopify payments.
Choose a theme:
You can easily find several free and premium themes. It is better to go for premium ones because they can offer better speed and performance, crucial for conversion optimization. Browse through the themes and add the one you like to your Shopify account by clicking ‘Add new theme.’
Then you can use Shopify apps for additional features like email marketing, product feeds, and more. Next, you need to choose a plugin like Oberlo that can help with finding the best products, deals, or suppliers.
How do Dropshipping plugins work?
Over (overtime) is an app that helps you find the best deals on AliExpress. Just search for the keyword related to your product, filter by price, minimum order quantity, and fulfillment method (dropshipping or shipping from china), then click ‘add’ when you find a good deal for your Shopify store.
Oberlo is another excellent option. You can create an Oberlo account. When your item sells on Shopify, Oberlo will automatically purchase it from AliExpress for a small fee, and then they will send it directly to your customer!
How much does it cost?
Shopify offers a 14-days free trial, but you can use Bluehost for hosting web service for one year ($3.95/month) and take advantage of their 1-click app installation process – all you need to do is sign up for a trial here.
Shopify also offers a Shopify pricing plan starting from $29/month that includes 100 SKUs and unlimited bandwidth. You can get discounts when you purchase more than one year in advance.
If you are not sure whether Shopify is the right platform for your business, you should consider giving it a try.
How to get your first few sales?
Setting up a store on Shopify will take a couple of days, but getting sales and becoming profitable is not that easy. You will need to try many different marketing channels. Google shopping ads or Facebook ads are probably the best ones. You can also work on SEO or email marketing.
If you are struggling to get your first orders, don’t worry! Shopify has a great knowledge base and an online community where you can ask questions and get help from other entrepreneurs. You can also sign up for webinars or watch on-demand video training that will teach you everything about dropshipping and eCommerce.