How to Dropship on Shopify: 12 Easy Steps

Starting a profitable online store can seem daunting if you lack coding skills, a big budget for inventory, or the time for shipping hassles. But don’t worry! Shopify dropshipping comes to the rescue, making it super simple.

Shopify’s ecommerce platform takes care of all the nitty-gritty details for dropshippers. From setting up your online store to managing products and handling customer orders, you can do it all without a hefty upfront investment.

In this article, we’ll guide you through the step-by-step process of launching your own Shopify dropshipping store. By the end, you’ll have a clear path to kickstart your successful Shopify dropshipping business.

So, let’s roll up our sleeves and start building your thriving Shopify dropshipping store!

What is Shopify Dropshipping?

Shopify is a robust e-commerce platform that allows entrepreneurs to create and manage their own online stores. It lets you sell both physical and digital products worldwide and offers point-of-sale (POS) software for physical stores.

Now, let’s talk about Shopify dropshipping, a low-risk way to start an e-commerce business. With dropshipping, you can sell physical products without dealing with manufacturing, warehousing, or shipping. In simple terms, you’re in the business of selling, not producing or storing products.

Instead of buying and storing inventory upfront, you can order products from a third-party wholesaler when a customer makes a purchase in your Shopify store. The wholesaler takes care of shipping the product directly to the customer. This means you don’t have to worry about managing inventory or storing products – you provide products as customers order them.

Here’s an example: Let’s say you’re selling smartphone accessories in your Shopify store. You come across a stylish phone case on your supplier’s website priced at $10. You decide to list it in your store for $25. When a customer purchases the phone case, you simply place an order with your supplier and provide the necessary customer details. The supplier then handles the rest, shipping the phone case directly to your customer with your brand’s name on it. It’s that straightforward!

This approach not only saves you money but also eliminates the need to hold excess inventory. It requires only an internet connection and a device, making it a great choice for a flexible side-hustle-friendly Shopify e-commerce business that fits your lifestyle.

Learn more: How to Make Money Dropshipping

How to Get Started with Shopify Dropshipping

Step 1: Choose Your Dropshipping Business Idea

When starting your Shopify dropshipping journey, it’s essential to begin with a strong business idea. Think of it like opening a retail store, where you’d consider location, competition, and trends. In the dropshipping world, your first step is to identify a niche – a specific market segment with shared interests or preferences.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Identify Your Interests: Start by making a list of things you’re passionate about, whether it’s calligraphy, custom apparel, or any other niche.

2. Market Research: Use tools like social media, Google Search, and Google Trends to gauge consumer interest in products related to your chosen niche. Look for profitable dropship niches and trending products within them.

3. Competitor Analysis: Study your competitors within the chosen niche. This is crucial because you’ll be targeting the same audience. Analyze the types of products and designs they offer to find opportunities to differentiate your product line.

Now, let’s explore some profitable dropship product ideas that are in high demand:

• Adult Apparel: Consider items like t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, long sleeves, and tank tops.

• Child and Baby Clothing: Options include bodysuits, onesies, sweatshirts, and t-shirts.

• Accessories: Think about selling tote bags and phone cases.

• Home Décor: Explore opportunities in wall art and wallpaper.

• Drinkware: Offer mugs and water bottles with unique designs.

• Stationery: Consider selling calendars and cards.

2. Create a Shopify account

Now, let’s get started with signing up for Shopify. It’s easy to sign up for a Shopify Dropshipping Store, and here’s how you can do it:

1. Take advantage of Shopify’s fantastic offer: Get a three-month trial for just $1 per month. This means you can set up your store without having to commit to a payment plan right away.

2. To sign up for a Shopify store, head over to the Shopify homepage and click on the “Sign up” button at the top of the page.

3. Fill in some basic details about your business. It’s a quick and straightforward process.

4. Once you’ve completed these steps, you’re all set to dive into the wide range of features Shopify offers. These tools will help you build a profitable online store.

If you’re ready to pick a pricing plan for your Shopify dropshipping venture, here are your options:

• Basic Plan: It’s the most budget-friendly option, providing basic reporting features and support for two staff accounts. Perfect for beginners.

• Advanced Plan: If your business is more advanced, go for the Advanced plan. It includes a custom report builder and allows up to 15 staff accounts, making it suitable for larger, well-established businesses.

Choose the plan that suits your current needs and budget, and you’ll be well on your way to running a successful dropshipping business with Shopify!

Step 3: Choose a Name for Your Shopify Store

Now that you’ve signed up for your Shopify account, it’s time to pick a standout name for your dropshipping business. A good name can help your brand shine and be remembered. Here are some simple tips:

1. Use Relevant Keywords: Include words that relate to your products. It can improve your store’s visibility online.

2. Find Inspiration from Other Brands: Check out successful brands in your niche or similar areas. See what works and inspires you.

3. Make it Easy to Remember and Say: Choose a name that people can easily recall and pronounce. Avoid long and complicated names.

4. Check Domain Name Availability: Ensure the web address (domain name) that matches your business name is available. This keeps your online branding consistent.

5. Try Business Name Generators: There are online tools that can help generate name ideas.

6. Use AI Tools like ChatGPT: ChatGPT can be a fantastic resource. It can suggest creative names that fit your brand.

For a great name for your dropshipping business, consider ChatGPT’s AI capabilities. It can assist in brainstorming and help you find a name that represents your brand and sticks in people’s minds.

Step 4: Connect Your Domain

Time to give your Shopify store a proper web address! This step is all about boosting your online presence. Having your unique domain, like ‘flexfitgear.com,’ is much better than ‘flexfitgear.myshopify.com.’ Why? Well, it lets you brand your store and gives you a leg up in search engine rankings (SEO). Plus, it makes your business look super professional and trustworthy.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Get Your Domain: Go to GoDaddy or a similar service and snag your domain for about $10 to $20.

2. Choose a Valid Domain Name: Make sure your chosen domain follows Shopify’s rules and guidelines.

3. Link It Up Easily: Once you’ve got your domain, connecting it to your Shopify store is a piece of cake.

Step 5: Design Your Store’s Logo

Your store’s logo is what people will remember, so let’s create a great one. 

Think about how you want your logo to look and how it fits into your store’s style.

You don’t need to be a design pro. Shopify has a free online logo maker that helps you create your logo in just a few minutes. Play with fonts, colors, icons, and placement until you love it.

If you want more control, try graphic design software like Photoshop or Canva.

If you’d rather not do it yourself, you can find skilled graphic designers on platforms like Upwork or Fiverr without breaking the bank.

Once your logo and store theme are set, your store will really start taking shape!

Step 6: Choose a Shopify Store Theme

Your Shopify store’s appearance matters, just like your logo. It should match your niche and make it easy for customers to shop. A responsive, mobile-friendly theme can turn visitors into buyers, boosting your sales.

The good news is Shopify offers over 100 professionally designed themes, and many of them are free! So, you can start with a free theme and upgrade later if needed.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Explore Themes: Visit the Shopify Theme Store and click “Explore Themes.”

2. Find Free Themes: To see the free ones, click “Sort” on the right and choose “Price: Low to High.”

3. Try a Theme: Pick a theme you like and click “Try Theme.”

4. Select Your Store: Choose the Shopify store where you want to use the theme.

5. Make It Live: In the theme library, select the new theme and click “Publish.”

That’s it! Your store will now have a fresh look with the new “Dawn” theme.

Step 7: Set Up Dropshipping Automation

Now that you’ve picked your store’s theme, it’s time to simplify your business tasks. We’ll do this by using a dropshipping automation tool. These tools are game-changers, as they replace manual work and make your daily operations smoother.

Shopify makes it easy to connect with potential suppliers through a tool called DSers. Think of DSers as a handy marketplace that simplifies the process of finding products to sell online. Whether you’re into electronics, fashion, toys, or other hot items, you can discover profitable products from global dropshipping suppliers and seamlessly add them to your store with just one click.

What’s cool is that DSers takes care of processing customer orders, so you can say goodbye to worries about packaging, shipping, or managing inventory. The best part? It won’t cost you anything to get started.

DSers mainly uses AliExpress to help you find and add products to your store. If you want to learn more about product quality, shipping times, or further evaluate a supplier, you can do it right from the DSers product page.

Here’s the kicker: Clicking on a supplier’s link takes you to their AliExpress page, where you can find reviews, top-selling products, and more.

One important thing to remember: If your supplier is in China, aim to sell quality products from DSers suppliers that offer ePacket shipping. EPacket is a cost-effective and speedy option for shipping items from China to countries like the US, the UK, and Canada. Instead of waiting for months, your customers will only have to wait up to two weeks, and the shipping cost is just a few dollars. This can significantly boost customer satisfaction and delivery speed.

Step 8: Import Products to Your Shopify Dropshipping Store

Getting your supplier’s products into DSers for easy management is simple. Start by importing products from your supplier to DSers for easier management. Follow these steps:

1. Click on “DSers – My Products” and select “Import Shopify product.”
2. Your newly created item will appear on the list. To import it into DSers, click on the right side.
3. The item will now be available in your “My Products” section. Next, you can link it to AliExpress vendors so that DSers users can order this item on your behalf.

DSers Import List is a convenient feature that allows you to keep track of all the items you import from your suppliers for your online e-commerce business. Here’s how to use it:

1. Go to “DSers” and select “Import List.”
2. On the Product Card of the product you want to modify, click the “Edit” button. This will open a pop-up where you can make changes to the product information.

You can also push products from your import list to your Shopify store with ease. Here’s how:

1. Go to “DSers” and select “Import List.”
2. To push a single product, hover over its Product Card and click the “Push” button.
3. To bulk push items, check the boxes next to the products on the Product Card, and then click the “Push to Shopify” button.
4. A pop-up will appear where you can choose the retailer you want to send the merchandise to.
5. Confirm your selection by clicking the “PUSH TO SHOPIFY” button.

Step 9: Customize Your Shopify Store Homepage

Your store’s homepage is the first thing visitors see on your dropshipping site, and it plays a crucial role in creating a great user experience. To make it stand out and work effectively, follow these steps:

1. Use High-Quality Images: Show off your products with high-resolution images from your suppliers. High-quality visuals grab attention and make your products look their best.

2. Edit Images for Perfection: Enhance your images using editing tools. You can crop, resize, adjust colors, and add branding elements to make them visually appealing.

3. Keep Text Minimal: Don’t overload your homepage with text. Keep it concise and to the point, focusing on communicating the value of your products.

4. Organize with Categories and Links: Make it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for by organizing products into clear categories and adding links. This user-friendly setup boosts conversion rates.

5. Personalize Your Theme: Shopify lets you customize your store’s theme to match your brand. Choose a theme that fits your brand’s message and style, then tweak it to make it look great and user-friendly.

Here’s how to get started:

• Go to your Shopify dashboard and click “Online Store,” then select “Themes.”

• Click “Customize” to edit your homepage.

• Stick to your brand’s primary colors for a consistent look.

• Create an announcement bar at the top of the homepage to highlight special offers.

• Add your brand logo to the top by selecting “Edit your logo in theme settings.”

• Put your brand message on the background image. Click “Text” below the image banner and replace the text with your brand message.

• Keep adding sections to display your products, blog posts, and more. Gradually build your homepage to make it more appealing to customers.

Customizing your homepage is essential for improving conversion rates and providing a positive user experience. Take your time to make it visually appealing and user-friendly to attract and keep customers.

Step 10: Optimize Your Settings

In this step, we’ll fine-tune your Shopify account settings to ensure smooth operations for your dropshipping store. We’ll cover setting up payments, creating store policies, and establishing clear shipping rates.

Payment Information

Let’s start with setting up payments:

1. Go to your Shopify Settings.
2. Click on the “Payments” tab on the left.
3. Add your payment details.

We strongly recommend adding a PayPal account. If you don’t have one, don’t worry – signing up is a straightforward process. Even if you’re not tech-savvy, you can easily get started. For more payment options, check out our article on PayPal and other gateways.

Store Policies

Now, it’s time to create essential store policies:

1. Navigate to your Shopify settings.
2. Click on the “Checkout” tab.
3. Scroll down to find the sections for privacy policy, refund policy, and terms and conditions.
4. Click the “Generate” button for each policy, and you’re all set.

Shipping Rates

Clear shipping rates are a must:

1. We recommend offering free shipping – it’s the simplest and most attractive option.
2. Include your shipping costs in the product prices and promote “FREE SHIPPING!” to entice customers.

For example, if you plan to sell a $20 t-shirt, raise the price to $25 and provide free shipping.

Shipping Zones

Simplify your shipping zones for a better customer experience:

1. Remove all domestic shipping zones.
2. Add “Free International Shipping” to the Rest of the World section.
3. Choose “Rate: Free Shipping Rate.”

Step 11: Launch Your Shopify Dropshipping Store

You’ve done all the groundwork, and now it’s time to launch your Shopify dropshipping store.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to your Shopify admin dashboard.
2. Click on the “Sales Channels” tab.
3. Select “Add an online store.”

That’s it! Your online store is now live and ready for action. Congratulations!

Step 12: Market Your Dropshipping Store

Now that your dropshipping store is up and running, let’s focus on getting the word out and attracting customers. Here are some effective marketing strategies to consider:

1. Paid Ads (Facebook and Google)

To promote your dropshipping products, consider two effective advertising strategies:

• Facebook Ads for Impulse Buying: Invest in Facebook ads to tap into people’s impulse buying tendencies. This platform offers scalability and allows you to create appealing ad campaigns that can reach a broad audience.
• Google Shopping Ads for Targeted Keywords: Explore Google Shopping Ads to target specific long-tail keywords where shoppers are more likely to make purchases. With Google Ads, you only pay when people click on your ads.

Google Ads provides various ad options, each serving a unique purpose for your dropshipping business. The key is to match the right Google Ad type with your specific audience and marketing goals.

Other the other hand, Facebook Ads offers detailed ad targeting options. This is particularly valuable for promoting less common products that might not meet Google Ads’ keyword criteria. You can effectively reach a niche audience with Facebook Ads.

Learn more: How to Run Facebook Ads for Dropshipping Business

2. Influencer Marketing

If you’re on a tight budget, consider using influencer marketing for your dropshipping store. It’s affordable and helps build trust with your audience. You can arrange a deal where influencers earn a commission based on the sales they bring in, benefiting both you and them.

Influencer traffic comes from people with a significant following, usually because of their personality rather than a brand. This approach works well because people trust individuals more than brands.

Typically, influencers are offered a 5-10% commission on all sales they generate. In return, they create videos or content featuring your products and consistently mention your brand. This works best when the influencer hasn’t promoted other products to their audience before. This makes your product stand out because their audience hasn’t seen many promotions. 

3. Content Marketing 

Content marketing for dropshipping means creating useful content to grow your website’s traffic and brand. The success of content marketing hinges on producing content that provides value to your target audience. This content can take various forms, including blog posts, videos, infographics, and podcasts.

The content should be informative, entertaining, or otherwise beneficial to your potential customers. For example, if you’re dropshipping fitness equipment, you might create content about workout routines, nutrition tips, or product reviews.

A blog is a common platform for content marketing. By starting a niche blog related to your dropshipping products or industry, you can regularly publish articles that address the interests and pain points of your target audience. This not only helps with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) but also positions your brand as an authority in your niche.

4. Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the best strategies used to promote dropshipping products, engage with customers, and drive sales.

One of the primary goals of email marketing is to encourage previous customers to make repeat purchases. You can do this by sending targeted emails that showcase new products, offer discounts or promotions, or provide content that’s relevant to your customers’ interests.

With Shopify Inbox, you can easily create and send emails, manage subscriber lists, and track the performance of email campaigns.

Is Dropshipping With Shopify Worth It?

Dropshipping with Shopify can be a promising venture, but it’s essential to understand both the advantages and challenges. Here’s a breakdown to help you decide if it’s right for you:

Advantages:

• Easy Setup: Shopify makes it simple to launch an online store and start dropshipping, even for beginners.

• Low Initial Investment: You don’t need to purchase inventory upfront, reducing your initial costs.

• Wide Product Selection: Access to a vast range of products to sell from various suppliers.

• Flexibility: You can run your business from anywhere with an internet connection.

• Scalability: Easy to scale up as your business grows.

Challenges:

1. Intense Competition: The ease of entry leads to fierce competition, potentially resulting in lower profit margins as competitors undercut prices.

2. Inventory Control: You have no control over inventory levels, which can lead to issues when suppliers run out of stock or sell to other stores.

3. Shipping Complexity: Managing multiple suppliers can result in varying shipping costs, potentially making products less profitable. Customers ordering from different suppliers can increase shipping expenses.

4. Customer Support: Order fulfillment and shipping issues can lead to customer complaints and support challenges, even though you don’t have direct control over these aspects.

Dropshipping with Shopify can be profitable, but it requires careful planning and research. To succeed, begin by understanding your market and creating a solid business strategy. Despite the challenges, a well-run Shopify dropshipping business can be both profitable and sustainable.

Learn more: Best Ways to Make Money Online

Conclusion

Whether you’re new to entrepreneurship or have some experience, dropshipping is a great way to sell online with low risk and minimal upfront costs. It’s an excellent choice for those entering e-commerce without the headaches of inventory management or a substantial initial investment.

When it comes to dropshipping, Shopify is the top choice. It’s an easy-to-use, all-in-one platform that seamlessly integrates with various accounting software for smooth financial management.

Setting up your Shopify store is simple – all you need to do is create an account, configure your store, and connect with suppliers.

A little research at the beginning will set you on the path to success, and soon, you’ll be ready to thrive in the world of dropshipping.

If you need more guidance, sign up for my online business coaching.