Are you wondering if using Aliexpress dropshipping way is going to be useful for you or not?
Is Aliexpress the best you can get in terms of dropshipping?
Undoubtedly, these are the main questions that come to mind when you think of starting a dropshipping business.
The first name that pops up when you consider dropshipping is “Aliexpress”. But, you will seldom find a lot of information on this topic on the internet.
Aliexpress provides various benefits and tools to help you dropship products from their platform. You must know what is the process and what things you must be aware of when using Aliexpress to dropship.
If you want to gain profits while drop shipping, this is going to be the ultimate guide that will pave the way for success. So, without wasting any further time, let’s get into the details.
Table of Content
Chapter 1: What Is AliExpress Dropshipping and How It Can Help You?
Chapter 2: What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Aliexpress Dropshipping?
Chapter 3: How to Use AliExpress for Dropshipping?
Chapter 4: Misconception about Aliexpress Dropshipping In 2021
Chapter 5: How to Select the Best Suppliers on AliExpress?
Chapter 6: What Is the Returns and Refund Policy Of AliExpress?
Chapter 7: Tips to Make It Big While Dropshipping from AliExpress
Chapter 8: FAQs regarding AliExpress Dropshipping
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: What Is AliExpress Dropshipping and How It Can Help You?
1. How Does the Process of Dropshipping Work?
Dropshipping is one type of retail method. In this, the dropshipper does not have any stock in hand. He does not keep anything with him and maintains zero stock.
What happens is that once an order is placed with the dropshipper, he sends that order over to the supplier. What happens next is the responsibility of the supplier.
The supplier is responsible for preparing the entire order and sending it to the customer through the dropshipping store they have. Packaging is also included in the duty of the supplier and he has to do it.
- The Customer Places an Order
The process of placing the order is the same in dropshipping as the rest. A potential customer visits the store and likes a product. If the customer orders something, the order information is sent to the store.
- Store Sends the Order Directly to the Supplier
Once the store/dropshipper gets the order, they send that order to the supplier. The reason for this is that they don’t have any stock and they don’t keep it. The reason for this is that in dropshipping, the dropshipper does not keep stock with them.
- Supplier Prepares the Order
Once the order is forwarded to the supplier, the process starts. The supplier is solely responsible for packing the ordered goods and preparing them to be sent to the customer who has ordered them. It is all prepped to be sent out.
- Order Is Shipped by the Supplier on behalf of the Dropshipping Store
As the last step in the dropshipping process, the packaged goods are sent out to the customers. The dropshipper decides which method is appropriate to send the goods. Even after the customer receives the order, refunds and returns are handled by them.
2. What is AliExpress Dropshipping – Introduction
AliExpress not only offers the facility of dropshipping, but it also goes a step ahead and encourages it. The reason for this is that most of the companies that sell their products on AliExpress are suppliers. For this reason, dropshipping through AliExpress becomes very easy.
The prices of the products are very economical and below the retail price as you will be buying directly from the supplier and no middle man is involved. In this way, you can also keep a better profit margin and still sell the products for less than the market price.
3. What is the “Alidropship” Program?
Using AliExpress for dropshipping is the same as using dropshipping in general. The “Alidropship” program is the name of the dropshipping program offered at AliExpress. All you need to do is:
- Copy the product you want to sell from the store at AliExpress to your store.
- Keep the price and markup levels.
- Once you have made a sale, you purchase the product from AliExpress
- Through the supplier, you send the product to the customer that has made the purchase.
The best thing about the Alidropship program is that you don’t need to go through the hassle of maintaining stock and inventory. All you do is ask the supplier to send the products to the customers directly. The packaging and delivery are the responsibility of the supplier.
4. What Is Aliscraper?
To make the process of dropshopping easier for the people, AliExpress has come up with an automation tool, i.e. AliScraper. The domain name was registered a few months ago and it is still in the beta testing phase. This is the reason most people have not heard about it as yet.
Simply put, it is a free tool that largely automates the dropshopping process for you. You can easily import all the products available at AliExpress to any eCommerce store whether it is BigCommerce, Wix, WooCommerce or even Shopify.
The only prerequisite is that you need a Spocket account for doing it. It does wonders for store owners who deal with bulk orders as it allows easy processing of hundreds of orders at the same time.
5. Is AliExpress Dropshipping Any Good?
AliExpress is a retail website but still most of the seller there are reselling goods as dropshippers. Even though most of the people on it are dropshippers, this concept is easily acceptable to all.
The reason why the concept of AliExpress dropshipping is increasing is the level of convenience it offers to both the seller and the customer.
There are zero upfront costs. Starting the dropshipping process is also very simple. A few clicks here and there and you have your online store set up in no time.
How to use AliExpress for dropshipping is no big deal. Most of the product descriptions and images are already available there, all you need to do is make a few changes and you are good to go.
Moreover, most of the suppliers on AliExpress are Chinese. The lower labor costs and bulk productions allow for a very low base price as compared to the rest of the world.
The lower the base price, the higher the profit margin you can keep. So, for us, dropshipping for AliExpress is an excellent idea.
6. Is It Safe to Buy on AliExpress?
Yes, it is totally safe to buy from AliExpress. The reason for this is that first of all, the suppliers and sellers are legitimate. Secondly, AliExpress offers a buyer’s protection program.
This means that if the customer does not get the delivery on time or if the package is not what they signed up for, they can get a full refund without any hassle.
7. Why Is Aliexpress So Cheap?
The main reason is that you are buying directly from sellers on AliExperss. Another reason is that the smaller companies selling in bulk have lower rates because of low labor wages and bulk production.
Most of the suppliers on AliExpress are Chinese. The lower labor costs, economies of scale, mass production units etc allow them to offer lower prices.
Hence, the prices on AliExpress are generally lower when compared with others.
Chapter 2: What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Aliexpress Dropshipping?
1. Advantages of AliExpress
- It Has a Large Product Base to Choose From
The biggest advantage is that you choose from a large product base. The seller and buyer are not restricted to only a limited set of products.
AliExpress is a huge online retail website and you can add kind of product to your online store. So, thinking about what to dropship from AliExpress is not going to be a big deal.
- Dropshipping With Aliexpress Is Absolutely Free
You don’t need to pay any cost or any sort of fee to start your dropshipping business on AliExpress. Better yet, even partnering with suppliers does not require any investment.
This makes the platform completely free for dropshippers. When there is no investment, it becomes easier to try out different products. Adding and removing them from the store is free too.
- You Can Establish Your Profit Margins
As mentioned earlier, the prices on AliExpress are very economical and competitive. Therefore, when you are buying at a good price, keeping a higher profit margin is possible. Also, no one can dictate you to keep a specific price. It is solely the choice of the person doing business.
- There Is No Minimum Quantity Requirement on AliExpress
Are you worried if you will be able to make the first few bulk orders? Well, no need to worry now. Making bulk sales is not required. In fact, on AliExpress, many suppliers don’t even have an MQR (minimum quantity required). So, you don’t need to go for bulk sales to ensure the supplier gives you the products.
2. Disadvantages of AliExpress
- Longer Shipping Times
With the majority of suppliers Chinese, the shipping times are longer. Shipping from China is going to take time and that can a disadvantage.
Even though there are options to opt for quicker delivery times, these are expensive. For instance, FedEx and DHL can ship the products faster, but that is going to increase the price of the products significantly.
- Product Bundling Is a Hassle
Bundling the products is a hassle for the store. If a customer orders 2, 3 products from different suppliers, bundling them together can become a big hassle. It is almost near to impossible as there can be no definitive way in which all 3 products will reach the buyer on the same day.
- Verification of Payment Methods Take Time
Sometimes, it takes a long time for the payment verification process to take place. This can get highly frustrating and irritating for the customer and might even encourage them to leave the purchase and go to some other store.
- Aliexpress Suppliers May Not Speak Fluent English
A very common problem with Chinese suppliers is that they are not very fluent in speaking English. Because of this communication gap, doing business with them can become a hassle.
Lack of communication can also give rise to many problems and make your dropshipping experience an unpleasant one.
- Product May Get Out of Stock
Another issue that you can face in your store is when the product gets out of stock. As you are not maintaining any stock with you, the responsibility of fulfilling the orders is on the supplier.
You can never be sure when the item can go out of stock as you can’t keep a check on the suppliers’ inventory.
Chapter 3: How to Use AliExpress for Dropshipping?
Dropshipping through AliExpress is an excellent option if you are looking for making big bucks. It is free, easy to set up and use and profitable.
Having said that, proper research and homework has to be done before you go ahead and open an online store. Proper planning goes into it and starting from which product to sell to developing your store, everything requires research.
1. Decide What to Dropship From AliExpress
Deciding what to dropship from AliExpress is going to be a very important decision. You can’t just wake up one day and decide you want to start your dropshipping business.
Selecting a product niche is critical for the success of your business. If you go for a product that is not trendy or has no demand, your business can never succeed. For product selection, keep the following in mind:
- Keep in mind your target audience
- Go for popular and trendy products
- Try to go for well-priced products.
- Go for easily available products
2. Look For Suppliers on Aliexpress for Dropshipping
Once you have decided on which product(s) you will place in the store, you need to move on to the next step and look for the suppliers who are offering those products at the prices you want.
Unlike general belief, finding a supplier can be a daunting task. With a large number of suppliers, you can’t be sure who is legitimate and which supplier is a scam. Keep the following in mind.
- When looking for suppliers, don’t rely on the first few pages of AliExpress.
- You need to browse and check out at least 40-50 pages to find the best supplier to work with.
- Don’t go for suppliers who have the lowest prices. This should not be your first priority. Mostly, suppliers who offer lower prices than the average price being offered are scammers.
- Check the supplier reviews. Go for the ones who have the best recommendations and a high rating.
- Check the shipment time. A supplier offering good shipment times is better than the one that has longer shipment times.
3. Do Your Homework Properly and Cross Check the Supplier Selected
It cannot be stressed how important it is to select a reliable and authentic supplier. So, once you have shortlisted a supplier, your work does not end here.
Before you go ahead and talk to the supplier, do your homework properly and make a list of questions and things you need to discuss with him/her.
The best way is to make a questionnaire and jot down all your queries. This will help you remember the points and will make asking the question easier for you. Once you are satisfied with the supplier, go ahead and choose it.
4. Build and Develop Your Dropshipping Website
You don’t need to be tech-savvy to build a dropshipping website. Either you can do it yourself or hire the services of different companies to make the website for you. If done properly, a website can be made in less than 2 hours with the drag and drop function.
5. Get and Deliver Your First Order
After setting up the store/website, you need to grab your first order. If you have opted for the right product and choose the best supplier, this is going to be a piece of cake.
To initiate the delivery process, you need to have payment options set. For instance, PayPal is accepted mostly all over the world and you can add that in the payment options.
After the buyer makes payment and the payment is processed, you will forward the order to the supplier on AliExpress. From here on, it is the responsibility of the supplier to deliver the product to the buyer.
6. Properly Follow up Your Sale for Higher Customer Satisfaction
For higher customer satisfaction, proper after-sales services need to be provided. You need to be available to answer the questions and queries of your customers to make them feel comfortable and properly attended to.
7. Check How Long AliExpress Dropshipping Shipping Takes
Depending on which supplier you choose and which product is being shipped to which destination, the shipping time varies. AliExpress dropshipping can take anywhere from 12 days to up to 60 days even.
For instance, to America, it can take 19-40 days. But, with the option of ePacket, the AliExpress dropshipping time is reduced to 12-20 days.
There are various options to speed up the shipping process like FedEx, but these are expensive and can affect the price of the product greatly. The ePacket is a much better option.
Chapter 4: Misconception about Aliexpress Dropshipping In 2021
When it comes to AliExpress dropshipping, there are many misconceptions about it. Some people even think that AliExpress is a scam in itself.
This misconception arises from the fact that many people have ended up getting scammed by the suppliers on AliExpress. This is why we always tell you to do your research well and then opt for a supplier.
1. Is Aliexpress Dropshipping Dead?
A big misconception about AliExpress dropshipping is that it is dead and there is no scope left for it. This is wrong and not true. A few years back, when AliExpress started offering dropshipping, they took the world by storm.
After that, the concept of dropshipping soon became common and everyone got into the business. This is what makes people question whether it is still a profitable business or not in 2021.
But, it is still going strong in 2021 and is expected to go strong in the coming years too. The reason for this is the vast product base it has to choose products from and the fact that it is free. There is no startup cost of fees and this makes it easily doable.
Speaking from experience, the concept of dropshipping is here to stay. Why would buying at a low price and selling at an affordable price no longer be viable? Customers are happy to get high-quality products at a low price.
2. Google Trend Shows AliExpress Dropshipping Is Still Going Strong
You can further clear this misconception by checking the Google trend of AliExpress Dropshipping. All you need to do is go on Google and check the trend for AliExpress dropshipping to see that the graph is still going up.
3. Use New Tools and Software to Curb the Competition
With the dropshipping market getting saturated and the competition increasing day by day, the key is to stand out from the crowd.
For this, you need to make use of new software and tools to curb the competition and come out on top. Just looking at the sheer competition shows you how profitable the market is.
To properly do business, you need marketing research tools like SaleSource. What SaleSource does is that it helps the person shortlist the most reliable and legitimate suppliers on the platform.
The compressive market knowledge will even tell you if the products you selected for the store and going to be a good choice or not.
Chapter 5: How to Select the Best Suppliers on AliExpress?
Most of the sellers you will find on AliExpress are suppliers. So, there are a lot of options to choose from.
But, AliExpress does not hold responsibility for any supplier and you yourself need to be sure that the supplier you are opting for is a scam or not. The trick is to evaluate each supplier on a few parameters.
These include the reviews, the products offered and the shipping time of each supplier. All this info is easily available on the home page of the supplier and you can judge a lot just by looking at these 3 things. Other things to keep in mind are as follows:
1. Don’t Go for the Cheap Prices
When you are dropshipping through AliExpress or any other forum, the natural thing you do is go for a supplier who is offering the lowest prices.
This is the most obvious thing to do and is the biggest attraction as the lower the base price, the higher the cost margin you can keep. But, this is not always the wisest decision.
You need to see and evaluate the price based on quality. Mostly, two suppliers offering different prices have different qualities.
Maybe the price of one shirt is less because it is not made of pure cotton but is made up of nylon or polyester. So, going for the cheap one will give you cheap materials and a cheap product.
As a general rule of thumb, the prices on AliExpress are driven by the quality of the product. If you are going to go for cheaper prices, there is a big chance that the product quality is below average. Therefore, price should not be the only factor on which you select a supplier.
2. Only Shortlist the Suppliers Who Have a Positive Feedback
Don’t take chances. There is no room for chances while dropshopping from AliExpress. Only opt for the suppliers that have positive reviews by the buyers.
Moreover, a positive score of 90+ is a must if you want to avoid scammers. Like the following supplier has a positive feedback of 95.9% which shows it is a good choice.
3. Stay Away From Copyright or Branded Products
Remember that big brands don’t sell on AliExpress, they are not available. Big brand names like Chanel and Versace can’t even be searched on the retail website as the names have been blocked. The companies pay for blocking these keywords so no one can sell counterfeit products.
If you find a branded product on AliExpress, there is a 99% chance that it is fake or counterfeit. NEVER add that product to your dropshipping store. This does not mean that all of them are fake.
Brands like Lenovo and AliExpress.com had a partnership together in which Lenovo was sold on AliExpress. Check the reviews, ask the supplier and be cautious when dealing with such brands.
4. Check the Product History and How Many Times Its Been Ordered
Another thing to do is to check the history of the product. See how many people have ordered it before. This will give you some insight into the popularity of the product and how people who have actually used it have reviewed it.
You can take the example of the screenshot of the jewelry store we have added at the beginning of the heading.
As you can see, the particular necklace displayed in the picture above has been ordered 20459 times. This shows how popular it is. This also shows that the quality is good and people are willing to buy it.
5. Check the Product Description and Photography
Checking the product description and photography will also give you an idea about the supplier. How? Well, most of the suppliers add pictures with their products along with the description.
If they have not done that, you can ask for product pictures. If they still do not agree, it is a red flag and that supplier is most probably a scammer.
6. Check the Responsiveness of the Supplier
Another important factor that will help you shortlist the best supplier is to check the responsiveness of the supplier. Try to see how soon they respond to your queries.
For this, the best way is to message them with a scenario and see how soon they reply to you. This is very important as there are going to be many incidents in which you will need to contact them.
7. Look For the E-Packet Shipping Option
When using AliExpress for dropshipping, it provides you with a premium shipping option. To give you an excellent dropshipping experience, AliExpress premium shipping is ideal.
This is also called “ePacket shipping” it strikes a balance between speediness and cheapness. There are a few features which are provided with it:
- Door to door delivery
- Most deliveries come in 30 days.
- You get a tracking code
- Customers can track their parcel.
Chapter 6: What Is the Returns and Refund Policy Of AliExpress?
On AliExpress, each supplier has its returns and refunds policy. So, it is best to check which policy the supplier has. In the example we have taken above, we can see that the supplier provides free shipping to the US.
Above that, they have a 75-day buyer protection policy. Also, they provide free returns within 15 days irrespective of the reason for return.
There are two conditions, one in which the customer gets a damaged product and the second in which the product never reaches the customer.
1. Your Customer Got a Damaged Product
The bitter truth is that accidents happen. This can happen with you and in your store too. So, the way to go forward is to ask the customer to send pictures of the damaged product especially from the place it is damaged from.
If the case is true and the customer is not making it up, you can issue the refund to them.
On the other hand, if you think these damages are occurring because of the faulty packaging, it is time to talk to the supplier.
You can ask him to improve the packaging on his products or you will not keep doing business with him/her.
2. Your Customer Never Got the Product
Even though it does not happen often, but in some rare cases it so happens that the customer does not get the order, it never reaches the customer.
To solve this issue, the first thing you need to do is to check with the customer. Ask them whether they want to refund their money or they want a return.
Once that is settled, you need to talk to the supplier. You can try to go for a different shipping method or you need to change the supplier.
Chapter 7: Tips to Make It Big While Dropshipping from AliExpress
1. Use the Affiliate Program at AliExpress
When dropshipping through AliExpress, it is a good idea to go for an affiliate program. You can go into an affiliate program through the homepage. The “AliPlugin” makes the affiliate program much easier.
2. Don’t Go for Copycat Products
As explained earlier, fake products and copycat products are a big NO. Never opt for these to add them to your store. Even if you can make sales initially, it won’t last for a long time.
3. Take Part in Online Professional Courses to Learn AliExpress Dropshipping
- Build Aliexpress Dropshipping Website Using WordPress
- [2021] The Ultimate Drop-shipping Blueprint!
- The Complete Shopify Aliexpress Dropship course
If you are a newbie and want to make it big in the dropshipping business (AliExpress Dropshippng), the best way to do so is to go and seek professional help.
There are many people/agencies offering courses to teach AliExpress Dropshipping and dropshipping in general, opt for the one you like. Some of the courses we mentioned before.
Chapter 8: FAQs regarding AliExpress Dropshipping
1. How to Dropship From AliExpress?
First of all, you need to make a store on either Amazon, eBay or any other site. Once you are done and a customer buys something from you, you will then place an order with your supplier on AliExpress. The supplier will go ahead and ship the product to the customer.
2. Can I Dropship Branded Products from Aliexpress?
The easiest answer is NO. Most of the big brands are not even available on AliExpress. Most of the branded products are either copies or are fake. So, before you want to include such a product in your store, do your homework and check whether it is fake or real.
3. How to Get a Dropshipping Center on AliExpress?
You can access it after you have signed up for AliExpress dropshipping and the AliExpress dropshipping center. You need to sign up for it before you get access to it.
4. How to Set Up AliExpress Dropshipping?
First of all, you set up a store with products you want to sell. Then you find a supplier. Once the store is set and a purchase is made, you forward the order to the supplier and he/she ships it to the customer.
5. Where Does AliExpress Ship From?
Most of the suppliers on AliExpress are from China. Hence, most of the shipments come from China.
6. What Is AliExpress Premium Shipping?
Provided by AliExpress, the premium shipping methods is when AliExpress ships your product themselves. In this method, the speed of delivery is great. Customers can get products in less than 15 days. The ePacket option is the best.
Conclusion
As you can see, AliExpress dropshipping is here to stay. It is convenient, user-friendly, and profitable and benefits both the drop shipper and the customer.
The key to success is to choose the product and supplier wisely and not end up getting scammed.
Also, go for different tools and software to be sure that you are doing AliExpress dropshipping properly and efficiently.
If you have any questions about sourcing products from China, feel free to contact us and our sourcing specialist will take care of your needs.
