International trade
August 17, 2021 |Written by Mike Austin
Top Products to Avoid Dropshipping
Entrepreneurs who use dropshipping can run their business from virtually anywhere and don't have to deal with many of the logistics that come with running a traditionally supplied business.
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Entrepreneurs who use dropshipping can run their business from virtually anywhere.
In addition to the work involved in order processing, you are also exporting your trust.
An ecommerce store is a great way to generate income—provided you're selling the right dropship product.
There's a reason why dropshipping is such a popular business model among aspiring entrepreneurs. Selling products that you don't need to ship or store is accessible because it doesn't require a lot of capital to get started. It also comes with low overhead, and with such a wide variety of products available for sale, entrepreneurs can more easily experiment with their business without too much risk.
It's an excellent choice for business owners who don't have a large space to work considering that the dropshipping business model comes with built-in inventory management. Entrepreneurs who use dropshipping can run their business from virtually anywhere and need to themselves not worrying about many of the logistics involved in running a traditionally supplied business.
Despite all the advantages of dropshipping, however, there are some disadvantages that can lead to financial problems.
As well as the labor involved in fulfilling an order, you are also exporting your trust. Too often, well-meaning and legitimate dropshipping companies find themselves entangled with suppliers looking to make a quick buck at the expense of the customer. This ultimately damages your company's reputation and can result in the Consumers perceive it as fraud when the problem really isn't you, but the dropship provider (that's why it's so important to shop around and try a different provider every now and then.) and then).
There's no doubt that finding a reliable supplier can be difficult. And even if your dropshipping supplier pulls through for your customers, sometimes you're faced with such a low profit margin that you might wonder if operating one is worth it e-commerce platform is worth it at all.
An ecommerce store is a great way to generate income - provided you're selling the right dropship product. One of the most common mistakes entrepreneurs make is trying to sell items at will, without the potential complications of the distribution channel or of the order fulfillment process.To help you choose the products you offer your customers, we have compiled a list of items to absolutely avoid selling on your online store so you don't make any financial mistakes.
Your dropshipping store should not sell 11 of these items
1. Large items
As a dropshipping business owner, you might be tempted to sell large items like furniture with the expectation that they will bring you high profit margins. The furniture itself can be worth a lot of money, but the headache isn't.
Here's why; if you've been in the dropshipping business for a while, chances are you've used ePacket, a shipping method offered by third-party carriers operating in China and Hong Kong. ePacket is designed to deliver lightweight items at a low cost and high speed shipping. This is the shipping option of choice for the popular Chinese online store AliExpress.
For a dropshipped product to qualify for this super cheap, super fast shipping method, the weight of the package must not exceed 4.4lbs. The longest side of the package must not exceed 60cm (for rolls the limit is 90cm). You cannot ePacket use to ship something over $400 worth. Shipping costs for large items often exceed the value of the item itself, making this a poor choice for the dropshipping retailer.
Furniture is a no-no for ePacket shipping for obvious reasons, which is why you should avoid it altogether as a dropshipping model. Also, there's usually a higher risk of large items being damaged in transit than smaller items.
2. Items costing over $100
If you want to keep your dropshipping company's profit margins high, don't bother with items that cost more than $100 before shipping and handling. Of course, you can opt for pos financing, but there are several reasons why selling expensive items doesn't make much sense.
For one, your customer base is looking for a bargain. They came to your website because they think they'll find a good deal. Since the customer walks in with that expectation, it's unlikely they'll be willing to shell out a three-figure sum for a single one give away items. Customers willing to pay more are likely to avoid a discount site altogether.
Second, it's hard to justify the markup for items over $100. If the wholesaler's price is already high, there's less of a chance you'll be able to charge the customer much more.
Finally, high-priced items such as specialty or luxury items are already available in abundance elsewhere. For example, if someone wants to buy a musical instrument like a bass guitar—which is an expensive item, even at a discounted price—they would probably be more likely to go to a specialty store than buying from your store. While finding a niche for starting your own online store is a great idea, it is highly recommended that your niche items are not inherently expensive.
3. Clothing and shoes
One of the biggest problems with buying clothes online is that you can't try on a piece before you buy it. Sometimes, product descriptions or product images can't be trusted either.
All too often this leads to disappointment, negative customer reviews and returns. The returns you as a retailer may have to deal with can be enough to make you swear never to sell clothes again. Any item that needs resizing, whether clothing or shoes, has a higher probability of being returned by the customer.
It's also very easy to unknowingly misrepresent a garment. For example, if you are an e-commerce business that only ships to the US, but your dropshipping supplier is a Chinese garment manufacturer, the garment sizing is likely to be for a US Wrong audience. Consumers can be confused by irregular sizes, leading to mix-ups, frustration and returns.
A disgruntled customer can complain on your ecommerce store's website that a pair of jeans doesn't fit as advertised or look like the picture, and a bad review will put off a potential customer. For this reason, it's best to be yourself away from objects of any size - it's just not worth it.
4. Fragile Items
Fragile items such as glassware, chinaware, figurines, etc. can pose a problem in transit, particularly when shipping internationally. Depending on the wholesaler's packaging quality, an item may arrive damaged or damaged. The safer option is to only ship plastic and other non-fragile materials ship. If you want to ship fragile items, it's a good idea to ask your dropshipping supplier about the shipping method. Ask your sales channel how that particular item will be packaged, especially if it's a new product that you're about to buy can't find much information. You can also read the item's reviews to see if customers had any problems with the arrival of their package.
5. Nutritional supplements, diet pills and health products
It probably won't surprise you to learn that Facebook has strict advertising policies. Along with an extensive list of products (including health items and dietary supplements) that cannot be advertised on Facebook, there are restrictions on how you can add a new product to your online store can apply.
Supplements may not be promoted at all, and images showing “before and after” results are also not allowed. You may also not use product images in a way that uses a product to achieve health goals, such as muscle gain or weight loss.
Diet supplements, diet pills, and health products are all things to avoid considering Facebook is a major revenue driver for many dropshippers. Without Facebook Ads, it can be harder to move your products. That's the main reason why the above These articles do not make great products; however, there are additional arguments regarding the legality and safety of these products - some of which may not be regulated by the FDA or may even be illegal in some countries and regions.
6. Safety Equipment
Selling safety equipment just exposes the retailer to a much higher risk of liability than necessary. Suppose a customer buys a motorcycle helmet from your website. Since it is a helmet, its purpose is to protect the consumer from a head injury. If that customer while wearing your Helms has an accident and the helmet does not perform as promised, you may have a major legal dispute. Since you cannot check the quality of the items yourself, you have full confidence in the supplier's quality control.
However, that doesn't mean you can't sell gear for activities like motorcycling - just avoid gear designed to protect consumers from serious injury. Examples of safety gear to avoid include:
-Helmets
-Shoulder pads
-mouthguard
- Flame retardant clothing
-Safety gloves
-Safety goggles
To a lesser extent, this even applies to electronic devices such as a supposedly waterproof phone case, screen protectors, or other hardware designed to protect electronics. While you're less likely to face a lawsuit over a cracked phone screen, your customers won't be happy , and you can expect a pretty scathing review.
7. Counterfeit Items
It should be pretty obvious that selling counterfeit goods is another source of trouble - if not just for legal reasons, then for your business' reputation. It is totally illegal to sell counterfeit goods, regardless of whether or not you own such goods manufacture, sell or transport.
The top five counterfeit items bought online are:
-Watches and jewelry
- Handbags and purses
-Consumer electronics
-Consumer products
pharmaceutical and personal care products
Whether or not you have knowingly sold counterfeit goods, you can get into a lot of trouble. For this reason, it is best to be on the lookout for products of the above types that appear to be replicas of branded items. If the supplier price is too seems good to be true, it probably is.
8. Weapons
Even if you sell guns, such as pocket knives, completely legally, selling them can still be a major annoyance. For example, the legality of a particular type of knife may vary from region to region. Unfamiliar would do best to avoid selling guns altogether. There can also be legality issues when selling items across national borders. Worst case scenario, your e-commerce business may have unknowingly sold guns used in a particular country are illegal; at best, a shipment will not get past customs. In the end, dangerous items are probably not worth selling.
9. Common Household Items
Avoid selling common, everyday items that consumers can find at almost any store around the corner. The reason? Well, just that. If you're selling a generic item that can easily be bought at any other store, including brick-and-mortar stores You don't have a great competitive advantage. For example, if a consumer has run out of toothpaste, they are likely to buy it from a nearby drugstore. There is no incentive for the customer to buy from you, especially if they have to wait several days to weeks to get the item arrives.However, if you have sold something unique, e.g. B. a trending breed of whitening toothpaste with "exotic" ingredients, customers may be willing to wait for your specialty toothpaste (and hopefully buy regular toothpaste in the meantime!).
10. Cosmetics
The reason for avoiding cosmetics is similar to the reasons for avoiding points five and seven. Namely, you may accidentally end up selling merchandise that is untested or unapproved by the FDA, and possibly even counterfeit. Makeup -Counterfeiting has become an extremely lucrative endeavor. Unfortunately for the cheated customer, counterfeit cosmetics often contain unregulated and unsafe ingredients that can cause skin irritation, damage, and severe allergic reactions. The same goes for cheap overseas makeup brands; they They are often not subject to the same standards or regulations as higher-end brands. They can contain highly toxic ingredients — something you absolutely do not want to let get through your hands and into the hands of your customers.
11. Copyrighted Items
Selling copyrighted items is one of the biggest financial mistakes you can make on your ecommerce platform. Just like counterfeit products, selling items that infringe copyright is illegal. It can be tempting to copyright Selling protected items because there is an existing fanbase to target. However, it's not a good idea. If caught, you could be legally prosecuted and your business could be shut down entirely. Companies like Disney and its affiliates are for it They are known to pursue any copyright infringement case. For example, a small dropshipping company that infringes Disney's copyright has almost no chance of recovering from a lawsuit.
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Mike Austin is Content Director at Adrack.com. He has been in the digital marketing industry since 2009. As a conversion-driven marketer, he is passionate about helping businesses increase their online visibility and achieve their goals.
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