EBay is without a doubt the
biggest resource on how drop shipping has evolved online. This is a
virtual market place where sellers entice buyers to buy products,
which they might never have in their hand in the first place. This
method of doing business is called drop shipping and it can enable
you to show products to your prospective customers and upon
receiving orders; get them dispatched from the drop shipper’s
warehouse directly to the customer.
You can start doing
business on eBay but there are some precautions and systems to put
into action before you do so. This will ensure that the process of
getting an order from your customer, forwarding the order to your
shipper, and the execution of that order is managed like a
well-oiled machine. The key is getting a good drop shipper who has a
wide variety of products and that too in sufficient quantity. His
rates should also be competitive so that after adding your profit
margin, you are still able to sell on a competitive site like eBay.
Note that these shipping houses send the same photos and inventory
lists to thousands of other people like you and many of them will
end up on eBay. So, you should be a bit innovative while displaying
your product. Try changing the angle of the photo or rotate it if
you can. Try changing the wording of the product by using some
imaginative words and sentences, but do not change the technical
specifications of the product. That could get you in legal trouble.
Once you receive the product photo and specifications from your
shipping house, then do a survey on the Internet and find out
whether similar products are available online. Check out their
prices and then post your product on eBay. Lower the price slightly
if you can. However, this is easier said than done since competition
on most of the items is fierce and even earning a profit on some of
the items might seem impossible. Well, that’s life on [the] line.
Try to get into niche products or try to source your products from
exotic locations, where they are sold as exclusive products. This
could open up some avenues to earn money.
EBay also has a
huge potential in trading in used products. Try and get hold of a
drop-shipping house, which stocks quality used products. The price
variation in used products is very high as it depends on the
condition of the product and the demand-supply situation at that
time. Once you start sending your product details to eBay, then
depending on the response from customers, you might be able to
fine-tune the entire process. If any product is unavailable, then
you should immediately email your customer and inform him or her of
the development. You can try in getting the delivery time extended.
If not, then apologize and exit gracefully from the deal. Do not
promise something, which your shipping house cannot deliver. It is
your reputation and not theirs, which is on the line.
So,
you too can do business on eBay provided you use a little
imagination in being different and have the right drop-shipper to
back you up.
An easy step-by-step guide on how a 25 year old college
dropout became a successful drop shipper and ebay powerseller
...
... and how you can do it too!
Step By Step, How to start a real home drop ship business
with no money!