This is another great thing you should know before starting with dropshipping.
Dropshipping is just a fulfillment method!
If you’re not sure what a fulfillment method is, then let me explain it real quick to you:
A fulfillment method is the method you use to fulfill your orders. There are three main ecommerce fulfillment methods:
- In-house order fulfillment. For example, you store the stock in your house and send the orders from there as well.
- Third-party fulfillment (or 3PL). This company will handle everything for you, from receiving your inventory from your manufacturer to restocking returned products.
- Dropshipping. With this fulfillment method, your dropshipping supplier will handle everything for you. (Producing the products, shipping, storing, etc.) You can read about what dropshipping is here. Plus, you can read more about the pros and cons here.
The big thing to remember now is that it doesn’t matter what way you send your orders; the basics of ecommerce don’t change.
It doesn’t matter if you’re dropshipping or buying in bulk by using a 3PL, you will still need an online store.
Yes, a few things are different if you’re dropshipping. For example, if you’re dropshipping from China, then you will have to make sure that you make the long shipping times clear for your customers.
But you don’t need to learn dropshipping specific things; you can learn ecommerce in general!
For example, instead of reading dropshipping specific Facebook Ads articles, read an ecommerce in general Facebok Ads guide.
And yes, before you’re wondering, there are also big ecommerce stores that are using dropshipping as their fulfillment method.
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