Thursday 31 May 2012

What Should You do about Dropshipping Returns?


A good online retail business is one that has great products and reliable suppliers as well as a very clear policy on returns. Returns are something that all online retailers need to be prepared for. Finding reliable suppliers through sites like esources.co.uk does mean that the products you source will be of a certain calibre and quality. Despite that, returns and refunds can happen.

So what are your options? Some retailers make things simple with a flat no-returns policy. This is certainly an easy approach but it’s not necessarily the best one. It’s hard for a customer to trust a retailer that won’t allow returns. If they don’t allow returns, it’s easy to assume that there’s something wrong with the product. No-returns policies are also not very popular on platforms like eBay.

Another factor to consider is that mistakes sometimes do happen. It is possible that a product shipped to a customer may end up being slightly damaged or may even be the wrong product entirely. In this case, it’s not the customer’s fault that they ended up with a shoddy product. Having a no-refunds policy in these cases can reflect very badly on the reputation of the retailer.

Simple and Clear

If you do decide to allow returns, you first need to consider the product in question. If it is an expensive product, it’s best to handle the returns process yourself. Ask the customer to ship the product to you first, so you can see what the problem is. Work out the returns procedure with the customer and supplier while you hold the product.

It’s true that you may end up incurring extra shipping costs but with an expensive product, having to pay a few extra pounds for shipping is usually worth it. Apart from that, you can charge a re-stocking fee and mention this in your returns policy as well.

Timelines

It’s also a good idea to be strict about the timeline in your returns policy. For instance, if your supplier allows returns within thirty days of purchase, you can allow returns within twenty days of purchase. This will give you time to process the return and make allowances for shipping delays.

It’s also a good idea not to put a return address on the parcels that are sent to the customer. If the customer does have a problem with the product, make sure they contact you first. If you’re satisfied with their claim, then you can give them the return address.

Ensure that you remain in constant touch with the supplier and customer during the returns process. Follow up with the customer afterwards to ensure that they are satisfied. This can go a very long way in building a positive relationship with your customer base. No matter what your returns policy is, make sure that it is clearly stated on your website. Try and keep it simple, detailing the timeline within which products can be sent back and for what reasons.

A clear and simple returns policy is best for all involved, from the supplier to the end consumer.

Monday 14 May 2012

Five Tips For Successful Online Retailing Business


Online retailing is fast becoming a preferred option for people planning to fulfill their entrepreneurial pursuits. The e-commerce industry is growing at a rapid rate. This has given an opportunity to a large number of budding entrepreneurs but not all of those entering into this field are successful since this space is highly competitive and one needs to be well prepared to meet the challenges and make a niche. This article will give you tips on successful online retailing.  For more information, you may take the assistance of resources available at leading trade directories like esources.co.uk.

  • Decide what to stock up

Before you start, do an extensive research of your market to decide what products would best suit your business. There are various online options available like “research wizard” in esources.co.uk to help you make this decision. While developing your product portfolio, keep in mind your areas of interest, scale of your business, availability of reliable product sources, target market, and expected profit margins.
  • Chalk out an effective marketing strategy

Unless people know about your business, they won’t come to your store to make purchases. Choose from different marketing options like flyers, emails, banners, and keyword advertising. In online retailing business, you have to keep your costs in check, as margins are wafer-thin. So, it is important to have a marketing plan that is cost-effective and yet capable of driving a large number of customers to your store.
  • Manage your inventory properly

Your business may suffer huge losses if you pile up excessive stocks. If products are not selling, you should get rid of them by putting them at discounts. It is better to act early; else such a technique may not work well due to changes in market trends.
  •   Provide good customer service

Any business survives and thrives on customers. It is important to provide good and responsive service to your customers so that they keep returning for more purchases. Treat your customers with respect and go the extra mile to make them happy. A satisfied customer is an asset that can help your business attract new customers through word of mouth publicity.
  • Keep your overheads in check

Do not spend money on things that do not add value to your business. Remember that you can compete only if your operating costs are low. So, periodically review your costs to find out areas of wastage.
  • Optimize your website

Optimizing your website for search engines is important to attract a good amount of traffic. Moreover, it is essential that your website should have a good conversion rate, which means it should be capable of converting a large percentage of visitors into sales. There are various methods that can aid you in conversion optimization like displaying security certificates on check out page and making the payment system hassle-free.

Running an online retailing business is not difficult if you plan ahead and are ready to put in your best to make your venture a success. You should aim to offer a secure and pleasant shopping experience to your customers. Keep listening to your customers and be open to making changes according to market environment. Also, make use of available online sources like esources.co.uk to stay ahead.

Friday 11 May 2012

Tips To Establishing A Successful Dropshipping Business


The easiest and cheapest route to venture into e-commerce is to use the dropshipping business model. Dropshipping is a kind of supply chain management technique where the onus of packaging and delivering goods, lies with the supplier or manufacturer. The role of the retailer is restricted to marketing products, taking orders, and providing after sales service.

Before you start, you need to know, that the success of a dropshipping business to a large extent, depends on the supplier you associate with. Therefore it is important that you take enough time out to locate one. Refer to reliable databases that are available, such as, esources.co.uk to reach trusted wholesale sources.

Here are some tips that can help you set up a successful dropship business.

Choose the right products to sell

Simply selecting products that are selling like hot cakes at major e-commerce platforms may not be right. Selling such products may not help you earn good returns because it would not be easy for you to compete in terms of price. On the other hand, if you sell something unique, you will face less competition and eventually you will have greater control over pricing.

Therefore, it is important to gauge the profit potential of a product before adding it to your catalog. Also, selling products you have good knowledge of, may be a great idea as you will be able to assist your customers in choosing the right products according to their requirements and will be able to answer to their questions in an effective way. Resources available at eBay and esources can assist you in deciding the right products to sell.

Focus on customer service

One benefit of dropshipping is that you can spare more time to providing better service to your customers. Remember that a satisfied customer not only improves your repeat sales but also spreads good words about your business, which greatly helps your marketing effort. Do not assume that you’ve done all that you had to do, once you have forwarded the order to your dropship supplier.

As soon as a sale is made, send a confirmation email to your customer and consider it as an opportunity to thank your customer for buying from you. Once the order is shipped, provide the tracking number to your customer, so that they can check the status of their package online. Keep your customers informed about exclusive offers, new products, discount sales, and other schemes that you come up with from time to time.

Maintain good relationship with your dropship supplier 

Having an easy and harmonious relationship with your suppliers is the key to succeed in dropshipping business. You need to work in synchronization with your supplier and have open communication with them regarding obstacles and challenges you and your customers face while dealing with them. Also present them your ideas for improvement, which would eventually benefit both of you.

Setting up a successful dropshipping business is not difficult if you are well prepared to meet the challenges and have the support of trustworthy suppliers. For more information on dropshipping and dropship suppliers, please visit esources.co.uk.

Thursday 10 May 2012

Dropshipping Secrets – Just What You Need To Stay Ahead Of Competition


Wholesale dropshipping is fast gaining foothold as the easiest and most risk-free way of doing business online. In addition to online marketers, lots of homemakers, students and other professionals with regular day jobs are also actively promoting products sourced from wholesale companies. According to the reports in esources.co.uk, there are thousands of successful resellers who are generating excellent income from this business while many others have tried hard and failed. Why is it that some people get lucky in this endeavor while others fail? What is the success formula of those retailers? Let us find out!

The process of dropshipping

No one succeeds in business just with pure luck. Even if luck does play a role, there will be hard work and sensibility playing more important roles from the very beginning. The most successful dropshipping retailers are where they are because they have done a lot of research about the industry, they have spent lots of effort in locating reliable wholesalers on esources.co.uk and they have proceeded with caution.

Dropshipping is all about the transactions that take place between wholesalers, retailers and the customers. The retailers will sign up with wholesalers who will sell products at wholesale rates. The retailers will then promote these products through a website, online store or eBay at retail rates. When a customer purchases a product, the retailer will forward the order to the wholesaler who will pack and deliver the product to the customer. In short, the retailer simply has to promote the products and make sure the goods reach customers without defects or delays.

The secrets of success

Now here is a look at some secrets shared by experienced retailers on esources.co.uk:

  • Profitable products: To ensure a steady stream of customers, your product must be carefully chosen. Spend some time to research which products sell better. At the same time, do not choose the most competitive products as there will already be many resellers selling those items. You can also be successful if you manage to find a unique product niche.
  • Reliable suppliers: No dropshipping venture can run smoothly without the association of a reliable wholesaler. These suppliers are the people who will supply you goods and manage the packaging and delivery processes a well. For this reason, the suppliers must be responsible and reliable.
  • Mutual trust: It is important to maintain a good relationship with your suppliers. In the dropshipping business, it is the wholesaler who handles the product. So the reseller has no way of evaluating the quality of products. Partnering with leading wholesalers will help ensure that you deal only with high quality merchandize.

Simply pay extra attention to these basic aspects and your dropshipping business is sure to bring in good income. Also, make sure you choose your wholesalers from reputed portals like esources.co.uk.

Good products and reliable wholesalers are indispensable for a dropshipping business. No matter what your choice of product, you can easily locate the best wholesale companies at esources.co.uk.

Tuesday 8 May 2012

Dropshipping – What Makes It A Great Business Option?


In the last one decade, there have been tremendous changes in the way companies conducted business on the web. In fact, as per the reports available on reliable portals such as esources.co.uk, online businesses account for billions of dollars per year in the US economy. Dropshipping is one of those businesses that keep climbing the growth curve at an amazing pace. The huge demand for affordable goods combined with the availability of wholesalers willing to dropship the goods makes it easy to start up an online business and earn considerable income each month.

Dropshipping is steadily gaining importance

Dropshipping is one of the easiest and simplest ways of selling products over the internet. All your business dealings – including advertising the goods, locating customers, selling the products, accepting payments, communicating with suppliers and offering customer support – will be done over the web. So it goes without saying that you need a computer and a reliable internet connection to get started in this field.

The best thing about choosing dropshipping over other traditional modes of online businesses is that you never have to purchase or store any inventory. The goods will always be maintained by the suppliers. You will simply be in charge of promoting the products and accepting payments from customers. The orders from customers will be forwarded to the suppliers who will then package and deliver the goods directly to customers. In short, there will be no issue of raising money to purchase stock, no tensions about renting warehouses or storing inventory and no worries about left-over stock that has failed to sell.

The best ways to locate suppliers

Once you have decided the kind of product/s you are interested in promoting, you must start locating reliable suppliers. Thanks to trade directories such as esources.co.uk, finding the right wholesaler is easier than ever before. Just enter your preferences – product category, expected rates, location of supplier, shipping options, etc. and you will instantly be guided to hundreds of wholesalers that match your requirements. After negotiating the rates, you can finally sign up with a couple of suppliers that match your requirements better than the others.

There are many companies and middlemen out there posing as wholesale suppliers. Newcomers to the field can easily fall into their traps and end up losing money. Fortunately, websites such as esources.co.uk have helped curb these activities to a great extent. This trade portal has stringent rules about listing wholesalers on their database. As a result, only genuine and established suppliers feature in the website which allows retailers to confidently approach any of the suppliers in the portal without doubting their reliability or trustworthiness.

Globalization has opened up new markets to locate wholesale companies in different parts of the globe. Just visit websites like esources.co.uk to get in touch with these wholesalers.

Associating with wholesale companies featured on esources.co.uk offers advantages like quality products, low rates and reliable shipping services. Connect with these companies to truly benefit from your dropshipping business.