There are many Nigerians looking forward to knowing how to start dropshipping business in Nigeria and selling products to the international market. Dropshipping might just be the golden ticket you’ve been searching for. This innovative business model has been transforming the ecommerce industry for decades now, and I am here to teach you on how to get started the right way. At the end of this article, you will learn a whole lot about dropshipping, and you will get to start your own dropshipping store.
This topic of discussion will cover other sub-topics in dropshipping such as payment methods to use, suppliers to choose from, why you should consider dropshipping instead of the conventional ecommerce way.
With minimal startup costs and the ability to operate from anywhere, starting a dropshipping business in Nigeria has never been more accessible.
So what is Dropshipping?
This is a business model where a seller accepts customer orders but does not keep goods sold in stock. In this type of ecommerce, a seller (which is you) gets order from customers, and then sends the order to manufacturer (or we call them suppliers), who then ships the goods directly to the customer without you touching these items. This framework minimizes risk and cost while offering convenience and practicality.
I hope that is clear. If you need a more explanation to this, kindly drop a comment on the comment section.
Using the above diagram, you should now understand the whole dropshipping concept.
Almost everyone in Nigeria would want to earn in dollars due to recent conversion rate. Dropshipping I would say is a business model that can make you thousands of dollars without you having to leave the conform of you home to send an item to customers.
Doing this business well can give you a confortable passive income, and can make you a millionaire in months.
Why dropshipping?
This is a business model that allows for flexibility, making it an excellent option for entrepreneurs looking to enter the e-commerce space with limited capital. I mean you do not even need much capital to buy these items. Also, there is an increasing internet penetration, and a growing appetite for online shopping. So this is a good choice.
Traditional e-commerce has some challenges which is usually logistics.Dropshipping solves this problem.
Steps to on How to start Dropshipping
Step 1. Product Research:
As a Nigerian looking forward to selling products to the united states, the first thing you will have to do is to check for products that are selling in the united states. I usually call this the ‘WOW’ product factor. You first have to find those items that can solve problems, and not just hot selling. This is because indemand products can be saturated, and you may end up wasting money running ads and getting no sales. So choose a product that solves problems as well.
Step 2: Find a Niche:
You can either start a niche store or a general store just selling different varieties of products. But the former converts more in a long run while the later can give you immediate money. If you are looking forward to building a brand long-term, you obviously need to start with a niche store. Lets say Health and Fitness. You can as well start a single product store. Here i mean starting a store just selling one product. The key to a successful dropshipping business is finding the right niche. People would talk a bout passion, but from experience, you do not necessarily need passion here, all you care is for your store to make money.
Step 3: Selecting Suppliers:
Partner with reliable suppliers who can provide quality products and fulfil orders promptly. Platforms like AliExpress and AutoDS, CJDropshipping can connect you with numerous suppliers worldwide. And there are some auto import product platforms such as AutoDS and cjdropshipping which can help you import products directly from suppliers to your store.
Lets take for example that you want to start dropshipping using Alibaba, you first have to contact a supplier of that product and ask them if they do ship it to the region which you are selling to, and how much is the shipping fee. Meet like 2-4 suppliers, and compare the different prices, then make a final choice. Your total product cost should factor in this shipping fee.
Get the contact of this supplier, chat him or her on WhatsApp and build a long lasting relationship.
Step 4: Build Your Online Store:
There are few platforms you can build your store on, and some of them include WordPress, and Shopify. When creating a store, you have to create an e-commerce website that is user-friendly and optimized for search engines. You can get started HERE to start your store at $1/month.
Step 5: Marketing Your Store:
Start a Tiktok business ads account and begin to market the product you are selling. Utilize digital marketing strategies to reach your target audience. SEO, content marketing, and social media advertising are crucial to driving traffic to your online store. You can get an expert to set up an ad account for you and run this ads.
As a Nigerian, you may be faced with payment issues as Nigerians are not allowed to use stripe payment gateway. If you are in this category, you can contact me so I set up one for your business. Selling to the US means that you will get your payment in dollars, and thereafter, your payment gateway will send your money to any dollar receiving account and you can convert it to Naira.
As your business begins to grow, you will need the assistance of customer service who will ensure you have a system in place to handle inquiries and issues efficiently.
Starting a dropshipping business in Nigeria could cause a financial breakthrough in your life.
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How to contact Alibaba Suppliers and ship your items to Nigeria
