I Tried Dropshipping For A Week

In the ever-evolving world of online business, dropshipping has emerged as a popular method for aspiring entrepreneurs. With the ability to sell products without holding inventory, many are drawn to its allure. In this blog post, we’ll explore the journey of a beginner diving into the dropshipping world, highlighting the insights, challenges, and lessons learned along the way.

Diving into the concept of dropshipping, it’s essential to understand what it entails. Essentially, dropshipping is a retail method where the online store doesn’t keep the products in stock. Instead, when a customer places an order, the store forwards the order and payment to a dropshipping supplier, who then ships the product directly to the customer. Sounds straightforward, right? However, the reality is that around 90% of dropshipping businesses fail.

Before launching into the dropshipping adventure, our beginner dedicated time to researching effective strategies. After watching numerous videos and taking notes, they concluded that product selection is paramount. The key is to find products that not only have a “wow” factor but also solve a problem for potential customers.

Finding the Right Products

To identify trending products, our entrepreneur created a new TikTok account and searched for keywords like “TikTok made me buy it.” This led to discovering popular products based on user interest in the comments. Ultimately, two products were selected: a self-cleaning hairbrush and a diffuser, both of which showed promising demand.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Photo by Kadarius Seegars on Unsplash

Content creation was the next step. To showcase the hairbrush effectively, our beginner recorded a video demonstrating its features. However, realizing that the presentation didn’t resonate well with the target demographic, they decided to enlist a friend to create a more appealing video featuring feminine hands. This shift aimed to better connect with potential buyers.

With products selected and content created, the focus turned to building the online store. Two websites were established: one for the hairbrush and one for the diffuser. Utilizing templates and AI tools, product descriptions were crafted, and social proof was added in the form of reviews.

After setting up the websites, the next phase involved running ads. Initial attempts focused on TikTok ads, but complications arose when it was discovered that targeting the US market from the UK was not feasible. This led to a pivot in strategy, utilizing Facebook ads instead.

Challenges Faced

Despite investing in ads and improving the website with additional reviews and images, the results remained disappointing. After spending £42.60 on ads and attracting 500 visitors, there were zero sales. This prompted further analysis of the website's effectiveness and the product's appeal.

Recognizing the need for change, our entrepreneur lowered the product price from $12.99 to $9.99, which resulted in two orders. However, doubts lingered regarding the long-term viability of the dropshipping model, especially with increasing competition from established platforms like TikTok Shop and Amazon.

Insights on Dropshipping

Through this week-long journey, several key insights emerged:

• Product Selection: It’s vital to choose trending products that solve real problems.
• Content Quality: Engaging and relevant content is crucial for connecting with the target audience.
• Marketing Strategy: A well-rounded approach, utilizing both organic and paid advertising, is essential.
• Market Competition: The landscape is highly competitive, making it challenging for new entrants to gain traction.

While dropshipping presents an attractive business model, it requires diligence, creativity, and strategic thinking. For those interested in exploring this venture, it's important to remain patient and adaptable. If you want to dive deeper into the world of dropshipping and learn more from experienced entrepreneurs, check out 3.7Million's channel for insightful videos and tips.