13 Myths Uncovered About Dropshipping

#1 – Dropshipping is Too Hard 

The first myth we will address is that dropshipping is too hard. Now, this isn’t exactly a myth—there are definitely challenges involved in starting and being store owners.

However, you don’t need a lot to go from being new dropshippers to internationally selling megastars. Like any new skill, it takes time and determination to learn new ideas and concepts.

#2 – You Need a Ton of Experience to Start

Second, you don’t necessarily need much experience to start a dropshipping online business. While it’s true that the more experience you have in business, the easier it is to succeed, there are plenty of ways to learn as you go.

You can read books and blogs about dropshipping and make mistakes along the way without losing money or damaging your reputation too badly. There are also plenty of online courses out there that can teach you what you need to know at an affordable rate.

#3 – You Have to Have a Big Upfront Budget

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on inventory for your dropshipping products. Although it’s true that dropshipping is more cost-effective than traditional retail operations, you don’t have to have a significant upfront budget to start making money. 

In fact, many dropshippers begin with relatively small budgets and grow their business as they learn more about the industry.

#4 – The Market is Oversaturated

This is the most common myth about dropshipping, and it’s not surprising that people think this way. After all, thousands of stores are selling the same products as you. 

The market isn’t oversaturated. In fact, plenty of niches are still open for the taking—the key is to find a niche that you are passionate about and can get excited about selling. You can find a niche by looking at your hobbies and interests or by looking at what other people around you like through social media research. 

#5 – You Need to Know a Lot Before Starting

It’s easy to think that you need to know everything before starting dropshipping, but this isn’t the case.

You don’t need to know all your products intimately or the best practices for business before starting. You can start with only 1 or 2 products if you want and then add more as you learn about them and see what does well.

#6 – You Have to Be an Expert Marketer

You don’t need to be an expert marketer to start. This is one of the more repeated dropshipping myths because some marketing is involved, but not at the expert level like so many claim.

By the time you find your first product, you will have learned enough about marketing to determine whether it’s a good fit for your business. If not, no worries. There are many free resources online that can help get you started and/or hire someone who is more experienced than you.

#7 – You Need a Big Social Following

You don’t need a big social following to start a dropshipping ecommerce store or remote business. Social media is just one of many ways to market your store.

You can also use email marketing, SEO, and other channels to attract customers. Plenty of dropshipping store owners built their businesses from scratch with only a minimal following online. 

#8 – You’ll Get Rich Overnight 

Dropshipping is not a get-rich-quick scheme. This needs to be debunked because people will give up if they aren’t making thousands in the first couple of weeks. It takes time and dedication to succeed. 

There are no shortcuts to success with dropshipping, and there are definitely no shortcuts to making money. It takes time to build up your business, whether selling through Shopify or another platform like WordPress, BigCommerce, or Magento.

This means that you’ll need lots of patience during the early days of your business as you learn how to market products effectively and set up your store with all the right tools. 

We highly recommend you check out our WooCommerce Dropshipping plugin tool that will help automate many of the features you need to grow and scale your ecommerce store.  

#9 – No One Buys from Dropshippers

You’re probably thinking, “All right, but if no one is buying from dropshippers, how do they make money?”

In reality, many companies have found success with this unique business model. The key is to build your brand and trustworthiness before launching a dropship store or website. 

Even if you have a small audience at first (or ever), you can still get started as long as your customer service standards are high, and you’ve got great products.

#10 – You Spend All Your Profit on Ads

You have to spend money to make money. These are facts. This is a common saying, and it’s true in many ways. If you want your business to grow, you need to invest in it. One way is through advertising and marketing, which can be expensive but also effective at getting customers and sales.

In this case, however, the myth is that dropshippers are spending all their profits on ads while struggling like everyone else. 

It’s not true—it’s actually quite rare for an Amazon FBA seller or any other type of dropshipper to spend more than 20% on ads at most—unless they’re doing something wrong (which happens).

#11 – You Must Set High Prices to Make Money

Debunking this dropshipping myth is easy. You can set highly competitive prices as a dropshipping store because your overhead costs are significantly lower than traditional retail establishments. 

A dropshipping store owner doesn’t have rent, electricity, plumbing, and on-site employees. As an online business, everything is digital and, in the cloud, – meaning you can lower your prices than others and still make a good profit. 

#12 – Only Works if You’re Based in the USA

While it’s true that dropshipping is often more popular in the USA than in other countries, this isn’t always the case. The truth is that many dropshippers worldwide are successfully running their businesses from places like Australia, Germany, Japan, and much more.

In fact, some dropshippers even start their businesses in countries where they are not based! One of the benefits of new dropshippers running an online business is that you can do it from anywhere you have an internet connection. 

#13 – Shipping Takes Too Long

You’re not the only one who has heard that the shipping time of a dropship order can take too long. Well, this is simply not true! 

You may not be able to offer same-day or two-day shipping like Amazon, but you also are providing a higher quality product at a more reasonable price point. That brand is just as important as the actual dropshipping products. The customer service and dedication to a rewarding experience make the best practices consumers are willing to wait a little longer for when purchasing an item. 

Consistency and Commitment Matter the Most

Dropshipping is a tricky business. If you’re serious about making it work for you, then consistency and commitment are two of the most important things you can have in your favor.

Don’t give up! Stay committed to learning more about dropshipping and keep working hard at building your brand. Even if things are slow at first, they will improve with time as long as you keep moving forward toward your goal of becoming an established entrepreneur in this field.

If you are going to dive into the dropshipping world, we recommend downloading our WooCommerce Dropshipping plugin. This way, you can automate many of the common tasks involved in the online store space so you can focus on customer service and product development. 

Conclusion

The key to success with dropshipping is understanding how the process works and learning how to control your destiny. You can’t just throw money at ads, hope they work out, and expect your business to grow without any real effort or commitment. 

This industry requires hard work, consistency, and commitment if you want it to be successful for an extended period—and that means learning all about dropshipping before starting off with this venture.