How to Start a Dropshipping Business as a Graphic Designer

Have you ever considered combining your graphic design skills with a dropshipping business?

This is an excellent opportunity to explore further how far your design skills can take you.

Aside from offering a graphic design service, you can delve into entrepreneurship through drop shipping.

Some dropshipping products you can offer customers include custom apparel, custom vinyl stickers, promotional merchandise, phone cases and accessories, and others.

But before anything else…

What is a Dropshipping?

Dropshipping is an e-commerce business in which sellers set up online stores and sell products without the need to manufacture or keep the items in stock. A seller forwards the orders to its supplier, who then ships the products to the customers. In this dropshipping process, the seller only needs to make a sale while the supplier does the rest.

Some Advantages and Disadvantages of Drop Shipping

It pays to understand the pros and cons of drop shipping so you know what to expect.

Advantages:

• No inventory management

• Low startup costs

• Flexible to operate anywhere

• Can offer a variety of products

Disadvantages:

• Lower profit margins

• Being dependent on suppliers

• Highly competitive

• Issues with shipment delays

Why Graphic Designers Excel in Dropshipping Business

 

Venturing into a drop shipping business is not a walk in the park where success happens overnight.

Getting where you want to be will require effort, time, and patience.

But the good thing is, your skills as a Graphic Designer already give you an advantage in this game.

Here are the other reasons why:

Creativity and Visual Skills

 

Your creative flair gives you an edge in creating appealing product listings, eye-catching advertisements, and a well-designed online store.

Expertise in Branding

 

You understand the role of design in boosting brand identity and awareness very well. 

Ability to Understand Market Trends

 

Your ability to know the latest design trends is a great advantage to incorporate in your e-commerce business.

According to a report, the estimated value of the dropshipping market was 128.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2020. Between 2021 and 2026, the market's value is expected to grow to 476.1 billion U.S. dollars.

Here's How to Start a Drop Shipping Business

 

Choose a Niche

Choosing a specific niche is one of the best ways to get an edge, considering how competitive e-commerce is. This way, you can avoid joining an already oversaturated bandwagon in the marketplace. List all the possible niches that are appropriate for your drop shipping business.

Get to know your target audience within that niche and see if there are many or few companies serving them. It pays to take your approach meticulously. Always focus on a specific group that is more likely to patronise your products because they meet their particular needs.

Make a Competitor Analysis

A good competitor analysis is crucial to ensure all will be worthwhile. Determine if there is enough room for your business to prosper in whatever market you intend to venture into. In dropshipping, you do not have exclusive access to products.

This means you have many competitors selling the same products as you from the same supplier. But the good news is you can differentiate your items based on your design skills. You can also beat them with pricing and marketing.

An excellent pricing and marketing strategy can help you outsell your competition. When undercutting your competitors' prices, ensure that you still get enough profit margin. A good marketing approach, integrated with your design skills, can attract more customers.

Find a Reliable Dropshipping Supplier

Finding a trustworthy supplier is vital to your drop shipping business. Research all the suppliers by looking them up online or in a trusted directory that offers relevant products. Check the product quality, pricing, and shipping times, and negotiate accordingly.

Suppose you are looking for custom stickers and business cards as part of your offer. In that case, you can consider us as one of your trusted dropshipping suppliers. Before making a deal, state your expectations clearly. Communicate effectively and be professional with every supplier you talk to.

Set Up Your Online Store

Building and setting up your online store is essential since this is where you sell products. While many e-commerce platforms, like Shopify, offer convenience, they have limitations on customisation. It might hurt your branding and sales.

This is why setting up your own website is ideal for your business. It gives you more freedom to customise and enhance the overall appearance. As a designer, you have complete control to make an excellent visual hierarchy on your website.

Comply with All Legal Requirements

Before you start selling online, you must comply with NZ's law regarding online trading. This covers business registration, fair trading practices, privacy, and customer guarantees. Complying with all legal requirements will vary from country to country.

It will also make you a legitimate e-commerce business owner and gain customer trust. 

Marketing and Advertising

As mentioned earlier, a good marketing strategy can help outsell your competitors. Your graphic design skills can do wonders to create various designs meant for different marketing channels. It also pays to become skilled in social media, content, and SEO.

These strategies help drive traffic to your online store and can lead to conversion. Given the number of competitors selling the same product, getting an edge is crucial. Ensure that your target audience can relate and find it relevant to their needs when marketing and advertising.

Track Results

Success doesn't happen overnight, given the myriad of competitors around. Track results and check the data to see what product is selling the most. If you are advertising from multiple channels, notice which platforms have the highest conversion rates.

Multiple dropship business owners faced many failures before they succeeded. You can conduct A/B testing to identify what works better and what doesn't. Identify what platforms bring the most paying customers to adjust your marketing approach.

Conclusion

Combining your graphic design skills with a dropshipping business can be challenging yet rewarding. With your talent in design, you can create a brand identity that resonates with your target audience. Also, focus on marketing, designing a user-friendly store, and finding a supplier that offers high-quality products. Stay adaptable and keep improving until you determine what keeps customers purchasing from you. Success is always within reach for those who never give up on their first failure.