5. Customize your online store
You’re almost ready to start dropshipping on Shopify. But first, you want your storefront to look flawless. Customize your Shopify store theme to infuse your brand personality, and tailor visuals, layout, and content to create a memorable shopping experience.
When designing your Shopify store, consult the color wheel to see what contrasts work well together. Colors also evoke different emotional responses, so learning a bit of color psychology can be useful.
Source: Canva
As a basic rule of thumb, your Shopify store theme should have no more than three main colors and use them in ratios of 10%, 30%, and 60%. Just think of popular brands like Burger King, Starbucks, or Red Bull—they all use no more than three colors and keep it simple.
Another vital step to running a profitable online store is to have stunning product pictures. Taking multiple photos of each product can be time-consuming or expensive, depending on whether you hire a photographer. But what if you don’t have the time or resources? You can create product mockups for free using Printful’s Mockup Generator.
Source: Printful
Simply select a product, place your design on it, and generate true-to-life mockups in a few clicks. Although mockups give a nearly perfect representation of reality, colors will always look slightly different in real life. So, don’t forget to order product samples to ensure you’re satisfied with the print and product quality.
6. Market products and build your audience
Any ecommerce business relies heavily on effective marketing strategies for its success. A marketing strategy is a tool that helps a company to achieve its long-term marketing goals. It involves setting up clear objectives, identifying the main value proposition of the business, and defining the target market. Why is it important to have a marketing strategy?
Source: wpsocialninja
The strategy serves as a roadmap for the company’s marketing team, keeping their efforts focused on what the company is trying to achieve. At the core of a good marketing strategy are the company’s purpose and values. Find out more about how to develop an effective marketing strategy.
Once you have your strategy set, it’s time to choose your sales channels. There are several ways you can market your dropshipping store.
Leverage your social media accounts by posting about your products and offering valuable content to your followers. You can run sales, competitions, giveaways, promos, or anything that encourages people to interact with your content.
In today’s digital age, any successful online business needs a strong social media presence. Find out where your customers are actively hanging out and what type of content they like. Check out our beginner’s guide to social media marketing to get started.
Email marketing
Who even reads emails anymore? Surprisingly, the vast majority of people. A staggering 90% of Americans are subscribed to at least one email newsletter, while 74% are subscribed to two or more newsletters. Add the fact that these potential customers check their inboxes daily, and you’ll understand why email marketing is so powerful.
Source: Storydoc
What’s more, email marketing has one of the highest returns on investment (ROI). For every $1 spent, companies earn an average of $42, a jaw-dropping 4200% ROI. Check out these email marketing strategies for better results.
Search engine optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving your website to increase its visibility on search engines like Google and Microsoft Bing. These optimizations aim to enhance user experiences and offer valuable content. By ranking higher in search results, your website can generate more traffic, leads, and sales.
You can hire an SEO expert or use content optimization tools like Surfer SEO or Semrush to boost your website’s visibility. Learn more about search engine optimization in our beginner’s guide to SEO.
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising
PPC advertising is a paid strategy in which your business pays an advertiser, like Google or Facebook, each time someone clicks on your ad. It provides concrete data for your marketing strategies.
With tools like Google Ads, you can research potential keywords, pick the most effective ones, and determine precisely how much you’re willing to pay for each click.
Usually, the average ROI is $2 for every $1 spent, but with Google Ads, it’s a whopping $8 for every $1.
Influencer marketing
With the increasing popularity of social media platforms, many people turn to influencers for product recommendations. In fact, 85% of Gen Zers (the younger generation) say that social media influences their purchasing decisions.
It’s no surprise that 92% of marketers consider influencer marketing to be an effective strategy. Just make sure the influencers you work with align with your brand image and values. That way, their followers are more likely to be interested in your brand.
Collaborating with micro-influencers who align with your brand can be more beneficial than working with mega-popular influencers who don’t. This is a strategy successfully adopted by the fashion brand Allbirds.
Source: Instagram
7. Build trust
Just as pop stars like Taylor Swift have a devoted fan base that keeps coming to their concerts, a good Shopify store has loyal customers who make repeated purchases. How can you build trust in your ecommerce platform or business? There are several actionable measures you can take.
Implement transparent policies for returns, refunds, etc.
Customers trust brands that openly share information and are truthful about their services. In fact, 74% of customers say transparency matters or is even crucial in their purchasing decision-making.
Have a dedicated FAQ section on your Shopify website, along with a clear refund and returns policy. When the return policy and procedure are clear and transparent, customers are more likely to make purchases.
Source: Printful
Also, be clear about your production and shipping estimates and provide complete listing descriptions and size charts. The more information you provide, the more trustworthy your brand becomes.
Offer excellent customer service
To build a successful dropshipping business, put your customers first. Treat each shopper like a human, not like a number. Over 80% of customers reported that receiving outstanding service makes them more likely to repurchase from the same company—even when presented with the chance to switch to another company.
Find out more on how to provide outstanding customer service as a POD dropshipping business.
Leverage customer reviews to build credibility
Don’t underestimate the power of stellar reviews. According to a recent survey, 84% of people trust online reviews as much as they trust personal recommendations. Encourage your customers to leave a review by offering a special discount code on their next purchase or another incentive.
Source: Instagram
But don’t worry if you get bad reviews—they’re an opportunity to improve your offering! Check out our guide on how to turn negative feedback into a positive experience.
Connect with your audience
To build trust, it’s equally important to connect with your audience and build an online community. First, establish your business purpose, then engage with your audience. Act like a friend they can trust by being transparent, providing value, and standing for a common cause.
Source: The Outrage
There are many ways to promote your products. You can run a blog where you share valuable information or create meaningful posts on social media. Make your content interactive to boost engagement.
Is Shopify dropshipping legal?
Yes, dropshipping is a legal business model. Like any other business, you must follow local, national, and international laws that govern the sale of goods. If you comply with these regulations, dropshipping is usually a low-risk business model with minimal personal liability.
Is Shopify dropshipping profitable?
The short answer is yes. From 2022 to 2023, the dropshipping market grew from $192.76B to $249.16B. And it’s expected to reach $724.26B by 2027. You, too, can start your own dropshipping business and claim a piece of that pie. But remember that, like anything worthwhile, it’ll take time, dedication, and consistency.
