How to find the best Dropshipping Supplier ?

Who doesn't dream of starting an online business in which he will earn a lot of money in a very short time?
This is possible today thanks to the dropshipping business that has already made millionaires. If you also want to start an online business or if you want to sell a product online, dropshipping is probably a good solution for you.

It is a business model that consists in buying products from dropshipping suppliers and reselling them on your store. You won't have to manage the stock or the packaging of the merchandise, since all this will be under the responsibility of the supplier. This is the good thing about this e-commerce model. 

So your profitability is the difference you make. In this article, we will discuss all the possible strategies to find the best drosphipping supplier or wholesaler in dropshipping products (Wholesale prices). These are obviously the ones who sell the most interesting items on the market.

With the different research methods that we will discover in this article, you will be able to find a French supplier, an American supplier or Chinese suppliers.
Below, the points that will be discussed in this article: 

  • What is a dropshipping supplier?
  • What are the characteristics of a good dropshipping supplier?
  • How to find a Dropshipping supplier?
  • How to contact a dropshipping supplier?
  • How to negotiate with a dropshipping supplier?
  • How to pay a dropshipping supplier?

Let's start by looking at what a dropshipping supplier is. 

What is a dropshipping supplier?

What is a dropshipping supplier

A dropshipping supplier is a merchant who produces various products and has the logistics to deliver them to customers. The difference between a dropshipping supplier and other traditional suppliers is that a dropshipping supplier will not have a retail store for their products. 

Most of the time, they are on the big marketplaces like Amazon, AliExpress and work like any other seller. As a dropshipper, your role is to sell on your store, the products of the suppliers.
You are free to set the price of the products sold on your store yourself. The process consists of directly transferring to the suppliers everything you receive as orders on your store. In turn, they will take care of delivering the orders.
  

As you can understand, the dropshipper does not need to have all the logistics of delivery before selling on the Internet. He just needs to find the right product and that's it. He will be able to sell easily on his online store. In the next chapter of this article, we will see the criteria to take into account when choosing a dropshipping supplier. 

What are the characteristics of a good dropshipping supplier?

characteristics of a good dropshipping supplier

In general, the success of an online store depends on the quality of the suppliers or its dropshipping wholesalers. When choosing a supplier, it is essential to check the criteria for choosing a dropshipping supplier that we will discuss in this article for a better evaluation.
This is why it is often said that dropshipping is a risky business, because the dropshipper does not have total control over the whole business. The operation of the business is basically based on the supplier. Sure, you will have your own store with your own design to your taste, but if you don't have a good supplier, you will end up losing all your customers .

Imagine for a moment making a purchase from an online store and then only receiving your product one month after ordering. Will you still buy from this store? Certainly NOT.
Let's take another case where you bought a product on a dropshipping store and you find out after the delivery that it is a very bad quality product. I am sure that even if this store offers a good discount on its prices, you will not want to buy its products simply because you have already been disappointed.
So you have to keep in mind that your customers will think the same as you if they don't receive their delivery on time or when they notice that the products you sell on your store are not of good quality .

Indeed, building trust is a very important step. So, before you contact a supplier, you can evaluate their efficiency. Here are some criteria you should consider when choosing your dropshipping supplier or when you decide to find a supplier for drosphipping. 

Customer reviews

Customer reviews

When shopping on the Internet, there is nothing better than looking at the reviews left by previous customers of the seller. These reviews tell you about the quality of service that the vendor offers.
Of course, if you go directly to a vendor to ask about their services, they will only tell you the positive points. But by referring to their customer reviews, you will instead see for yourself what other people who have worked with that vendor think. 

In most cases, people are more interested in positive reviews. Here, for the supplier search, we will focus on negative reviews. Why negative reviews?
Just because these reviews are more sincere and will allow us to really know what is not good about this provider.

When looking through these reviews, when you start to see several negative reviews about the quality of the product, customer service or delivery times, it is best to avoid working with that supplier.
In fact, we recommend that you only work with suppliers who have a very good reputation with their customers.
 

The shipping time of the order

As mentioned above, shipping time is extremely important for an online dropshipping store. The longer your shipping time, the fewer customers you will have buying from your store. Indeed, to sell dropshipping products, you must absolutely take into account the shipping time. 

Internet shoppers today are obsessed with fast delivery. This is actually one of Amazon's biggest strengths. Thanks to their numerous warehouses, they have the ability to deliver their customers in 24 or 48 hours.

In dropshipping, we recommend that you choose suppliers who deliver within 5 business days. This is ideal. As you grow in the business, you may find other suppliers that deliver in 3 days. 

The quality of the products and the parkaging

In choosing your dropshipping supplier or distributor, you should also be concerned about the quality of your supplier's products. We already said at the beginning that the longevity and profitability of your dropshipping store is closely related to the performance of your supplier. To test the quality of your supplier's products, you have two options. 

The first is to rely on customer reviews. As mentioned above, negative reviews are the ones you are most interested in. Indeed, if you notice that several people have pointed out the poor quality of the supplier's products, it is better not to work with the supplier. 

The second method, which is the most formidable, consists in ordering yourself some products from the supplier in order to judge their quality. This strategy will also allow you to have a good follow-up of the delivery time in order to know if this supplier can really accompany you in your dropshipping business. Also check the quality of the packaging. It is the whole package that makes the product.  

Return policies

In dropshipping, one of the most important things to check with your supplier is their return policy. The return policy is the set of principles that the supplier establishes to handle order cancellations and refunds.
Especially if you are about to collaborate with a dropshipping supplier, you should definitely consider this point. 

There are some suppliers who do not take care of refunds and cancellations of orders, as this involves all the logistics and packaging. By working with this type of supplier, you will be asked to pay out money yourself when you have returns from your customers .

Keep in mind that in online sales, it is not possible to satisfy all your customers. No matter how good the products you offer on your online store are, you will always be faced with customers who are not happy with your product.
It is better to take the right steps from the beginning for a good management of returns and refunds. We therefore recommend that you take the time to read the return policies offered by the supplier to ensure that they support cancellations and refunds. 

The quality of customer service

There is no point in working with a supplier or distributor that is not responsive at all. The quality of customer service is one of the first things that can increase the reputation of a sales site. Customer service may not seem important at the beginning of the collaboration, as there are several applications that can automate the whole process. However, it is better to consider it from the very beginning, because the more orders you are going to start receiving on your store, the more you will need your supplier

Indeed, if your supplier is not responsive enough to address your concerns in real time, there is no point in working with such a supplier. All the best drosphipping suppliers have a qualitative customer service.
By ordering a few products from the supplier, you will be able to solicit the customer service to see how responsive they are. 

The prices

The prices

As a dropshipper, the profit you make is the difference between the purchase price, the charges and the selling price of your product. Indeed, when a product is already very expensive at the supplier's, you will find it difficult to make a profit.
That is why, before choosing the supplier you are going to work with, you should do some additional research in order to check if the prices offered by the supplier are the most competitive on the market. 

Don't be fooled by a supplier who sells a product for $10 while you can find the same product for $8 from another supplier. Also keep in mind that a supplier who offers quality products may have a slightly higher than average price.
On the other hand, there are ways and means to negotiate with the supplier to reduce the purchase price. We will discuss this in the next chapters of this article. 

Now that you know what a good dropshipping supplier looks like and has the right product, let's see where you can find these suppliers.
Here's how to find a dropshipping supplier. 

How to find a Dropshipping supplier?

How to find a Dropshipping supplier

Searching for dropshipping suppliers is usually easier than you think.
There are several search methods to find dropshipping suppliers. In this chapter, we will look at the 4 most used and effective methods. Keep in mind that the search methods used to find a dropshipping supplier are virtually the same as those used to find a dropshipping wholesaler or a supplier for wholesale. 

Only that you have to negotiate a lot with wholesalers or dropshipping suppliers, as they offer wholesale prices. Before you start looking for a dropshipping supplier, make sure you have first found the potential winning product you plan to sell on your store. This is the basis on which you will conduct your research. You can find several suppliers on an online store or even locally. 

Here are our top 4 methods for finding a dropshipping supplier. 

Search for drosphipping suppliers on marketplaces

Search for drosphipping suppliers on marketplaces

This first search method is the most widespread and most used in dropshipping. Dropshipping suppliers are mostly found on online sales platforms, generally marketplaces like Amazon, AliExpress, eBay...
These suppliers work like any other seller on the platform. Indeed, to find a supplier on AliExpress or to find a supplier on Amazon, you can use this search method. 

The first thing to do is to search for your winning product on the marketplace. The idea here is to be able to identify the best sellers of that product on the platform, because our next supplier is bound to be among them. 

So search for your product in the search bar. The search results will give you access to a multitude of vendors who offer this product. All you have to do is choose a supplier based on the different criteria for choosing a supplier seen previously.

  • Customer reviews
  • Shipping time
  • Product quality
  • Return policies
  • The quality of customer service
  • The prices

For each supplier of your choice, you will have all this information on the supplier page. This information will tell you about the supplier and the quality of these products. If you want to sell drosphipping products and make your store work in the long run, don't make the mistake of choosing your supplier in a hurry. You risk choosing a bad supplier or one that is too expensive. There is no point in finding a profitable product and choosing a bad supplier. 

The profitable product is conditioned by the prices that the supplier offers. Even if you find a supplier that meets all the requirements of a good dropshipping supplierEven if you find a supplier that meets all the requirements of a good one, take the time to research further to see if there are any others that are better in terms of delivery time or offer better prices.

Search on search engines

Search on search engines

For your dropshipping store, you can also find dropshipping suppliers on search engines like Google or Bing. However, this method of searching can be a bit time consuming, as you will have to search through several pages of the search engines.
This is because good dropshipping suppliers spend very little time optimizing their store or website. In fact, they often do not have a good SEO in digital. Creating an optimized website is not what they dropshipping suppliers do first. 

But with a little research you will easily find the right supplier for your profitable online sales or e-commerce business . To do this, search in the search bar of these search engines, the name of your product followed by "Dropshipping supplier" or "Dropshipping supplier".
These keywords will allow you to find suppliers on the search engines with whom you can collaborate. For these too, don't forget to take into account all the criteria for choosing a good dropshipping supplier. 

Find a local supplier 

This method of finding a supplier is not well known by dropshippers in general. Indeed, it consists in finding your own supplier locally.
There are always small companies in the cities that specialize in the manufacture of various products, but that struggle to get their business off the ground. Your role is to get in touch with these companies and offer them to sell their products.
 

The great advantage with this technique is that you can find products at very low cost. Also, you will be in direct contact with the suppliers, which will make it easier for you to brand your product.
Since this supplier will be in the territory where you want to sell your products, you will have shorter delivery times and also higher profitability. However, compared to other methods of finding a supplier, this method of research can be quite time consuming. Do not hesitate to consult this article to learn more about the
local supplier search.

Order a product from a competitor

Our last tip for finding a dropshipping supplier that offers quality products for your online store is to spy on your competitors' stores.
First, you need to identify competitors who offer the same product as you do. Once you find these suppliers, you need to order some products from their store. Take care to read their terms and conditions of sale to make sure that they accept product returns and refunds, as all the products you are going to buy will still be returned after delivery. 

After receiving the products, ask to return the products. This technique will allow you to collect the name and surname of the supplier of the product. You can then use this information to find the supplier.
You can also use the tracking number to find out more about the origin of the product and the supplier. We recommend that you test with several competitors in order to choose the best supplier

In the next chapter, we will see how to contact a supplier in order to start negotiations. 

How to contact a dropshipping supplier?

How to contact a dropshipping supplier

You have now gone through all the steps and found the right supplier or distributor. All you have to do is contact them to begin negotiations.
Fortunately, this process does not involve any specific protocol. To contact them, you have several options:
 

Contact the supplier on their website

If you use the supplier search method on search engines, you will arrive at the supplier's website. Usually, there is a contact form that you can fill out and send your request for collaboration to the supplier. 

If you are lucky, you will also be able to find the supplier's email address which you can use directly to send them an email. In cases where you find the supplier's phone number on the website, it is best to call them directly for a quicker discussion.
Whether by email or phone, be clear, reasonable and polite in your message . Mention everything you need and ask for all your concerns.  

Contact the supplier on the marketplace

If you have found your supplier on a marketplace like AliExpress or Amazon, you can contact them directly by going to the supplier's page. Just click on the contact button to contact the supplier.
Some of them even offer discussions via Whatsapp or Skype. It's up to you to choose what suits you best. 

Let's look at how to negotiate with a supplier.

How to negotiate with a dropshipping supplier?

How to negotiate with a dropshipping supplier

In dropshipping, negotiation is one of the most important things in choosing a supplier. Negotiation allows you to get price reductions or several other advantages that you might miss if you don't have the right negotiation methods .

Negotiation is even one of the best qualities that an online merchant or E-merchant must have if you really want to work with suppliers.
This is one of the most crucial steps when you start looking for suppliers. For example, you can negotiate with a dropshipping supplier to easily branding your products

Here are some tips to negotiate with a dropshipping supplier.

Know what you want 

Not knowing what you want before entering into a negotiation with a dropshipping supplier or shipper is usually a mistake that beginners make. You must clearly have in mind what you want to get from the supplier through your negotiation.

This allows you to be more specific in your messages or during a phone conversation. Your negotiation may be for a 10% discount on the price of the products or for free shipping.
Whatever your expectations are, you should write them down and define them as goals. 

Find out about the supplier

Before entering into a negotiation, it may be worthwhile to find out more about the supplier to see if they are willing to accept the types of negotiation you wish to offer. This can be difficult when you find a supplier on a marketplace or directly on search engines. 

This technique is only applicable when you find a local supplier. You will be able to find other vendors who are sourcing from the supplier to learn more about the supplier from them.
This allows you to avoid wasting time during the negotiation, as you know firsthand what the supplier accepts and what they will not tolerate. For example, many suppliers do not accept payment on delivery

Request quotes from other suppliers

During your negotiation, it is always recommended to contact other suppliers and ask them for a quote as well. This allows you to have a price comparison in order to make a better negotiation. 

Never accept the first proposal

This is a general rule in negotiation, especially when working with dropshipping suppliers. Whether in dropshipping or in other businesses, the first proposals have always been the worst .

In fact, always try to get a little more by pushing the negotiation a little more. Make sure you have the right arguments to change your supplier's mind.

Formalize the agreements

When you manage to find a common ground with your supplier, it is always better to put your agreement on a written document and signed by both parties. Especially when you are working with local suppliers, it is very important to have everything you agree to in a written and signed document.
Here is an article that teaches you how to properly establish a
contract with a dropshipping supplier

You are now at the end of your negotiation. You have been able to reach a consensus with the supplier. All that's left is for you to start paying the supplier. Don't forget that dropshipping has a very specific business model and payments are only made after the product has been sold. This is the model that every digital self-entrepreneur is looking for. It allows you to avoid risks.

Negotiation is like a production process. There are several steps and at each step you need to know exactly what you want and how you are going to get it from your supplier. Here is how you can pay your dropshipping supplier.

How to pay a dropshipping supplier?

How to pay a dropshipping supplier

Usually during negotiations with suppliers, there will also be a discussion of the method of payment you will use to pay the supplier.
Since preferences can vary from person to person, you are free to pay your supplier by whatever means is most convenient for you. Just make sure that the payment method is convenient for the supplier. 

Here are the main payment methods used to pay dropshipping suppliers. 

Payment by credit card

This is probably the easiest way to pay a dropshipping supplier. When you order a specific product, you need to enter your credit card number, its expiration date and most importantly its code for the payment to be made. This is the payment method that is accepted by most of the best wholesale suppliers or dropshipping suppliers

Bank transfer

This method of payment is especially known for being fast. It is still used by some online retailers. It is indeed the best option for making large international purchases. However, this payment method is becoming obsolete, as the seller waits for the payment to be made before sending the order, which very often does not work with the dropshipping model. 

Payment by cheque

This payment method is known for its convenience. On the other hand, it can slow down the payment process. This is the most common method if your dropshipping supplier is a physical store. 

Payment on delivery 

This method has been very successful for many years, because it limits scams. There is no risk. However, most suppliers or shippers do not accept this payment method. 

If you manage to find a supplier who accepts this mode, you can even use this as a marketing argument on your store by highlighting the fact that the buyer does not take any risk since he will pay only after receiving the product .

The PayPal

PayPal is probably the most popular payment method for online purchases. It is a method that promises the best security for both parties. Indeed, it is not easy to hack this payment method. It is also particularly fast. It should be noted that payment via PayPal requires a credit card. Moreover, PayPal always acts in favor of the customer in case of dispute.

Here is an article to learn more about how to place an order with a dropshipping supplier

Conclusion

In this article, we have seen how to find a dropshipping supplier. We have covered all the parameters of the topic. From finding the supplier, through the choice to signing a contract. Here is everything you need to find the suppliers who sell the most interesting items on the market .

If you want to start an online sales business, now is the time to get into dropshipping and start making your first sales. On our blog, you will find plenty of resources that will help you create a profitable dropshipping business that will last in the long run. 

Keep in mind that becoming an online merchant or E-merchant requires a lot of work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to find a dropshipping supplier?

In this article, we've covered all the parameters you need to consider in order to find the best dropshipping product suppliers or to get dropshipping suppliers that make quality products. The first thing to do is to know what a good dropshipping supplier looks like. 

Then you can use one of the search methods discussed in this article such as : 

  • Searching on marketplaces;
  • Search Engine Research;
  • Local research;
  • Spying on competitors.

It is structured like a production process and you will only have to follow the different steps. These methods will allow you to work with suppliers or find any type of supplier, whether it is a French supplier, a Chinese supplier or an American supplier. 

Don't forget that selling a product in dropshipping saves you from inventory management, in fact, you have to find a good supplier who can take care of everything for you. This is one of the biggest advantages of this type of e-commerce. 

What are the best suppliers for dropshipping?

We have compiled a list of the best dropshipping suppliers that you can collaborate with to sell dropshipping products. In this article, you will have the list of all the good dropshipping suppliers that you can potentially collaborate with for your dropshipping business. 

At the same time, it is quite difficult to identify a single supplier as the best dropshipping supplier or the best wholesale supplier, because in dropshipping we have several niches. Indeed, the best supplier in the world is nothing but the best supplier in each niche.
Don't forget to choose a supplier that you can easily synchronize with your dropshipping store.

How to find a supplier for wholesale?

The method of finding a supplier for wholesale is not that different from finding the best suppliers for dropshipping or getting dropshipping suppliers. 

Only that here, you will have to deal with larger orders and therefore you will be able to push the negotiations longer. Indeed, to find a supplier for wholesale, the first thing to do is to start by searching on search engines and also to go to the big sales sites, marketplaces or marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, leBonCoin...
Also, wholesale suppliers are not necessarily suitable for dropshippers. 

Are there any dropshipping supplier websites?

There are several great dropshipping supplier or wholesale supplier websites where you can very easily find a dropshipping supplier for your profitable E commerce business. Many suppliers also have their own websites. 

Can I request the supplier's catalog?

Yes, in your negotiations, you can ask for a supplier's catalog to get a better view of the products they offer. You may even find other interesting products in the supplier's catalog that you can add to your initial product.  

Many suppliers, especially those in China, offer complete catalogs and you will surely find products to add to your main product in order to increase your average shopping cart. 

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