Want to Start your own online business in India in 2024? Want to sell products online without having to buy or store any inventory?
But where do I start? How do I sell something I don’t own? To whom do I sell? What should I sell? How will I know what people want? Where do I sell the products?
Like me, if you have these questions in mind, the answer to your questions is Dropshipping. Dropshipping in India is the perfect business opportunity for you.
Dropshipping in India is a business model where you sell products from third-party suppliers, who handle the logistics like production, fulfilment and shipping for you. You only have to sell a product and place an order for the product to your supplier. Your supplier then ships the product directly to your customer.
Yes, you read it right. No need to set up a factory, or a warehouse to keep stock or inventory. No need to deal with the logistics of the business. Moreover, you only pay for the products after you sell them, which means you don’t have to invest any money upfront.
In this article, we will show you how to start dropshipping in India in 2024, step-by-step. We will cover everything you need to know, from finding the winning products to creating your own store, running ads and making sales.
We will also discuss some secrets that successful dropshipping stores use to make a profitable business. By the end of this article, you will have a clear understanding of how to start your own dropshipping in India business in 2024.
Before we start, you can also read our article on “World Best Business Opportunity in 2024” to explore other online business opportunities for you.
What is Dropshipping in India in 2024?
Dropshipping in India is a popular e-commerce business model. In this model, you act as a middleman between the manufacturer and the customer. You receive an order from a customer. Usually, the order is through an online e-commerce store. You then forward the order to a supplier who ships the product directly to the customer.
How does Dropshipping In India work?
Here is the process of Dropshipping in India (or anywhere in the world):
- Customer Places an Order: A customer buys a product from your online store. It can be any product, from a pencil to a piece of furniture. You sell the product at a price, let’s say, X.
- You Forward The Order: You forward the order to a third-party supplier (the dropshipper) at a price that includes shipping and all logistics costs, let’s say Y (which is obviously lower than X). The supplier can be from India, China, or the US, it does not matter.
- Supplier Ships Directly: The supplier ships the product directly to the customer like it was sent from you, preferably without any marketing material of his own.
- You earn a Profit: The margin you charge from the customer (X-Y) is your gross profit. Depending on the cost of your product, you can usually charge at least 10x-20x of the product cost, to cover the marketing expenses.
How to Find Winning Products
The first step towards creating a successful store for dropshipping in India is to find the right products to sell. You want products that are trending, problem-solving and have a good profit margin.
To find winning products, you need to:
- Find an industry or market you are passionate about. When you are passionate, you understand the market better. You know the problems people face and the problems you can solve.
- Identify the problem you want to solve. You can sell faster when you solve a problem.
- Choose, do you want a product that people need or a product that people want? When there is a need, you sell more but less margin. When there is a want, you sell less but higher margin.
Secret #1: Dropship.io
Top dropshippers around the world use Dropship.io to find winning products.
Dropship.io is a product research app that helps you find trending products and suppliers. It also shows you data for how the product is performing and several other metrics so that you rely on data rather than luck.
Another way to find popular products and niches is through Google Trends. By searching for your product and niche, you can check if they have a consistent, rising or falling demand. You can also compare different products at the same time.
To learn How to use Google Trends, visit this article by Backlinko.com.
You will be overwhelmed by the number of products you see. Make sure you choose products and suppliers that have good reviews. This ensures quality products are shipped to your customers.
A good way to track the products you find is Google Sheets. Save the links to all the products you like in Google Sheets. It is the easiest way to keep track of all the products you like. Do note down the product name, cost, shipping charges (if any), and a comment for ease of use.
Instead of choosing 100 products, start with one or two products with two complimentary products (like bread butter are complimentary products). It will be easier to set up and manage. You can increase products once you start seeing results.
Create Your E-Commerce Store
Now that you know what products you want to sell, the next step is to create your E-Commerce Store. The easiest, most popular and user-friendly platform to create your own store is using Shopify.
Shopify is the most scalable, feature-rich and fastest-growing e-commerce platform that allows you to create a professional-looking store in minutes, without any coding or design skills.
Shopify has a large app store with endless features. It is flexible, secure and reliable. Use the link to sign up for Shopify and get a free trial and a special deal of Rs. 20 per month for the next three months.
Once you sign up for Shopify, you need to follow the simple steps to set up your store, such as choosing a name, a theme and a domain.
Next, you need to add products to your Shopify store. You can easily do this with Dropship.io. Dropship.io allows you to import products from different suppliers, such as AliExpress, with just a few clicks.
You should now edit the product titles, descriptions, images and prices to make it more appealing and unique.
How to Build Your Product Page
The most important page of your store for Dropshipping in India is the Product Page. It is where you convince your visitors to buy your product. You should make sure that your product page is clear, persuasive and informative.
A good product page can be the difference between a successful store for dropshipping in India and an unsuccessful one.
You need to build a genuine and high-converting product page. Don’t rush it, and take your time in designing and thinking through what elements are important.
Secret #2: Be Your Own Customer
Design your product page (and the whole store) from the perspective of your customer. Be a customer of your store, and see what information or elements will help you make a decision faster.
To build a high-converting product page for Dropshipping in India, here are some elements you need to include:
- Catchy and Descriptive Product Title
- Compelling Product Description that highlights the features and benefits of the product, and how it solves a problem for the customer. Product description should be unique and concise.
- High-Quality Product Images and Videos: that show the product in action and from different angles
- Clear and Visible Call To Action Button: Tell the customer what to do next with an “Add To Cart” or “Buy Now” button.
- Show the Price Clearly: Shows the original and discounted price, to create a sense of getting a good deal.
- Social Proof: such as reviews, ratings, and testimonials, that show that other people have bought and liked the product
- Trust Signals or Badges: such as free shipping, money-back guarantee, and secure payment, reassure the customer that they are making a safe and smart purchase
You can use different apps and tools to enhance your product page, such as Vitals, an all-in-one app with everything you need to increase your conversions, such as sticky add-to-cart, volume discounts, upsells, and more.
Secret #3: Upselling
A powerful way to increase your sales is through upselling. Upselling is where you persuade your customer to buy an additional item from your store.
The best way to upsell is to have complimentary products in your store. For example, if you have a store that sells leather shoes, a good complementary product will be shoe polish for dropshipping in India.
Your complimentary product price should be a fraction of the original product price.
How to Run Ads and Get Customers
The last step is to run ads and get customers to your store for successful Dropshipping in India. The most popular and effective way to do this is by using Facebook ads, which allow you to reach millions of potential customers who are interested in your products.
To run Facebook Ads, you need to have the following:
- A Facebook profile that has been active for at least 6 months.
- A business manager and Ad account connected to your store.
- Facebook Pixel installed on your store. It is code that tracks the actions of your visitors and helps optimise your ads.
- A Facebook Page and an Instagram Account for your store. They serve as your online presence and your ad platforms.
Secret #4: Branding
You want to make sure that your page and account are consistent with your store’s branding, and that you post relevant and engaging content regularly.
In the long run, you want people (at least your returning customers) to visit your store directly, and not through ads. This will ensure consistent sales.
Keep track of returning customers. The higher the percentage, the more successful your store for Dropshipping in India is.
To create your ads, you need to have a video ad creative that showcases your product and its benefits, and a catchy ad copy that grabs the attention of your audience and entices them to click on your ad.
You can use different tools and resources to create your video ad, such as InVideo, or Microsoft Clipchamp, which are video editors that have hundreds of templates and features that you can use to make professional and stunning videos.
You also need to have a targeting strategy that helps you find the best audience for your product. You need to filter out a Niche or Target Audience for your product. This helps you understand who you are selling to.
To understand what is a Niche, and learn about How to Find A Niche, click on the link.
Once you find your Niche Market, use Facebook Audience Filtering to show ads only to your target market.
Use these tools to filter out people who are unlikely to buy your product. Having a defined Niche Market or Target Audience has the following benefits:
- Less competition and higher customer loyalty
- You need fewer resources, hence feasible for a small company.
- Cost-effective marketing strategy. Higher margins, and lower marketing budget.
Secret #5
When you start, you will have to redefine your niche market several times. The best way to do this is through a tool by Facebook called Lookalike Audience.
Through this tool, you can upload the data of customers you have interacted with the Dropshipping in India store, and Facebook will create an audience that has similar interests to that database.
You can also use different methods and tools to do this, such as interest targeting and audience network, allowing you to reach people likely to be interested in your product.
You also need to have a budget and a bidding strategy that helps you optimize your ad spend and your results.
You can use different methods and tools to do this, such as campaign budget optimization, cost cap, and automated rules, which allow you to control how much you spend and how much you earn from your ads.
You also need to have a testing and scaling strategy that helps you find the best-performing ads and scale them to reach more customers and increase sales.
You can use different methods and tools to do this, such as split testing, dynamic creative, and horizontal and vertical scaling, which allow you to test different variations of your ads and find the best combinations and audiences for your product.
To learn more about Facebook Ads and the best way to make Facebook Ads, you can read the blog by Buffer.com
Advantages of DropShipping in India in 2024
Benefits of Dropshipping in India:
- Low Startup Costs: No need to invest in inventory upfront.
- Scalability: Easily add new products without physical storage constraints.
- Focus on Marketing: Concentrate on building your brand and marketing efforts.
- Reduced Risk: You’re not stuck with unsold inventory.
Disadvantages of DropShipping in India
Drawbacks of Dropshipping in India:
- Lower Profit Margins: Since you don’t buy in bulk, margins can be lower.
- Less Control: You rely on the supplier for quality and shipping.
- Competition: Dropshipping in India is popular, so competition can be fierce.
Read our article, “A Guide to Identify a Successful Business Opportunity in 2024” to evaluate if Dropshipping is for you or not.
Conclusion
Dropshipping in India is a great way to start your own online business in India in 2024, as it allows you to sell products online without having to buy or store any inventory. You just need to follow the steps that I showed you in this article, and you will be able to create a successful store for dropshipping in India in no time.
If you enjoyed this article and found it helpful, please make sure to hit the like button and subscribe to our website for more content like this.
Happy Dropshipping in India!
