| Are you looking for a new business? If you enjoy the | | | | Lets discuss some of the negative aspects related to |
| internet then it seems probable that you might look to | | | | drop-shipping. Auction sites especially eBay reach |
| the World Wide Web for money making business | | | | millions of people but they are extremely competitive |
| opportunities. Obviously, you must dredge through the | | | | and unless you have some unique products making |
| countless scams, all of them promising you limitless | | | | even the leanest profit after paying listing fees and |
| wealth, before eventually realising that you are not | | | | final value fees might prove difficult. Alternatively, on |
| going to be a millionaire overnight. | | | | your own e-commerce website, once you have set-up |
| Nonetheless, with a little determination and a lot of | | | | the site and paid the annual hosting fees you are free |
| research you do sooner or later discover that what | | | | to list thousands of products at no extra cost. But who |
| the internet really does genuinely offer is a window to | | | | is going to see all these marvellous products? A new |
| sell and market your goods and/or services. | | | | website is almost invisible! |
| Then the answer to all your problems seems to leap | | | | How a website owner/operator gets their website to |
| out at you. Drop-shipping the easy cost effective way | | | | the top of the search engines is called Search Engine |
| to become an online retailer. And in the UK, it's during | | | | Optimization, or SEO. Before even thinking about |
| these depressing recession based market conditions | | | | owning a website you need to do your research in this |
| that drop-shipping makes more sense than facing the | | | | area. Also, as an online retailer you must snap up all |
| cost required to buy stock that despite your best | | | | opportunities to provide more exposure for your |
| efforts may not sell. Drop-shipping is very developed in | | | | available products. Consider pay per click portals such |
| the USA but its barely out-of-the-box in the UK. | | | | as kelkoo.co.uk or shopzilla.co.uk and most of all |
| But what is drop-shipping? Well with drop-shipping you | | | | consider Google AdWords. Finally, consider Google |
| sell products on your website, or internet auctions sites, | | | | Base this free platform is currently still very under |
| in catalogues, or through some form of mail order, | | | | utilised. Google Base is a place where you can easily |
| without buying them first. The beauty of drop-shipping | | | | submit all your website content, which will quickly |
| is that you only purchase products when you have | | | | become searchable on Google. Google Base does |
| already sold them. Once you have sold a product you | | | | have many help pages for store owners and I |
| forward your order directly to the drop-ship supplier | | | | recommend you take the time to read them. |
| wholesaler and then, in plain packaging they ship the | | | | Okay, you have your website, and you have either |
| item directly to your buyer just as if it had come | | | | hired a SEO expert, or done the necessary research |
| directly from you. You make the profit on the | | | | yourself and made your website search engine |
| difference between your selling price and your actual | | | | friendly. You are uploading your products to Google |
| trade price for the product. The advantages of | | | | Base and you have decided that an AdWords |
| drop-shipping therefore is that you have no inventory, | | | | campaign is within your budget. You now need to |
| no packaging, no trips to the Post Office. You sell the | | | | carefully choose your drop-ship supplier/wholesaler. |
| product from your product description and a picture | | | | This again requires careful research although you may |
| (readily available from your suppliers/wholesalers | | | | find this website helpful dropshiphelp.co.uk. |
| website). | | | | Lastly, today in the UK drop-shipping may be the way |
| Drop-shipping sounds great doesn't it? You have little | | | | forward for many people, especially when they are |
| or no cash outlay for stock. In theory cash-flow | | | | first starting their e-commerce business. But margins |
| problems become a thing of the past because you | | | | will always be tight, suppliers/wholesalers are always |
| have been paid in advance for everything. And on top | | | | willing to offer traders quantity discounts for buyers |
| of all this you have none of the problems related to | | | | willing to purchase products in bulk. But drop-shipping |
| packaging and posting. You simply open an account | | | | may be the way to start-out and then perhaps in time, |
| with some major auction site, or for the more | | | | as these fledgling businesses grow, they will be able to |
| ambitious set-up your own e-commerce website and | | | | arrange favourable credit terms with their suppliers and |
| once you have found a good supplier your business is | | | | also source better trade deals. |
| up and running. If only it was that simple! | | | | |