Whether you are the owner of a traditional brick and mortar store or an online retailer, a drop shipping directory is a great resource for achieving greater profits as well as increasing the overall efficiency of your business.
Locating the right drop ship directory provider goes a long way in assuring the success and profitability of your online retailing venture.
What Exactly Do You Mean By A "Drop Shipping Directory?" A drop shipping directory is basically a resource guide used for locating drop shipping companies.
A quick online search will turn up any number of websites offering a comprehensive and accurate list of wholesalers.
Unfortunately, on close examination many of these lists turn out to be neither comprehensive nor accurate.
However, with a few handy pointers and a little careful checking, you will be able to separate the dross from the gold quite easily.
A closer examination of these directory providers will show that the websites vary significantly in the nature and quality of the services offered.
They can range from a simple list of contact details of drop shippers to a comprehensive assistance package that includes all of the tools you need to get your business up and running successfully.
Therefore, your website choice should match your particular requirements as well as level of experience.
A comparison of the services and reliability of several different directory providers will help you narrow down your choices.
Make sure to check out the methods these sites use to validate the wholesalers they include in their directories.
The increased demand for reliable directories means that some websites are able to get away with providing poor or inaccurate information.
OK, I've Decided On A Drop Ship Directory.
Now What? Now that you have a list of manufacturers to choose from, the next step is to determine which drop shipping supplier offers the best combination of competitive prices and reliability.
While you may be tempted by the promise of the extremely low prices some of these manufacturers offer, the reality most often includes poor service, lengthy delays and shoddy products; all of which will eventually undermine your retailing reputation and adversely affect your long-term customer base.
While it is the duty of a directory provider to investigate each listing before compiling their lists, it is always a good idea to make your own examination of individual wholesalers.
eBay has a good rating system that allows individual users to rank drop shipping suppliers according to product quality, pricing, reliability, etc.
Drop shipping forums and review sites are some other sources of valuable information on potential suppliers.
As a final point, once you have chosen a supplier from the directory, check out their actual service by processing one or two test orders before including their products in your catalogue.
Find out how long they take to process the order, how well it was packaged and if sales fliers or catalogues are included.