Anyone can run a drop-ship store!

What do you need to start a store?

First of all you need an idea...

...think of something you are interested in, something you can see a need for, or a niche special market - almost any idea will work great - just so long as you have one!

Then decide how much help you want...

This is the 'set up your store' part - you can either set up a free 14 day trial store at Shopify or contact a Shopify partner like us to help with your store setup, this will give you the benefit of an unrestricted Shopify development account so that you can take your time, perfecting your shop, before presenting it to the world.

Pick your Products

Once your store framework is all set up, the fun begins!

Install the Oberlo App and go shopping for products to sell in your store - this part is my favourite - there are heaps and heaps of products to choose from - and importing them complete with information and images is easy. Really easy!  You can set or adjust your price markups at any time.

Present your Products

Once your products are imported you can sort them into 'Collections' for your store.  By this stage you'll have a good idea of your business direction, so you can also work on branding and presentation for the rest of your website

Buy your Virtual Real Estate

If you were a physical shop you'd be looking for a good location for your shop and signing rental agreements. For an e-commerce store your 'good location' will be your domain name.  Choose a domain name wisely, try to have at least one 'keyword' in your name that reflects your business and try to keep it as short as possible so that its easy to remember.  Once you have chosen a domain name you can connect it to your store.  You'll also need to choose a Shopify Plan for your store, most small businesses will start out on the 'Shopify Basic' plan.  Signing up to a plan is like paying your rent for the business.

Launch

Once you have your real estate all set you're ready to go! You can take off any locks on your store and open the doors wide - Don't forget to tell Google you're there, and if you use Facebook or other social media platforms tell them too!  Shopify supplies some great SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) tools and you can get plenty of 3rd party plugins to help spread the word.

More dropshipping info and ideas on the Shopify Blogs