The Common Pitfalls and Mistakes in Dropshipping

Here are only some of them, I will add others later.

1. Not having a system in place for order cancellations and returns: While most dropshippers are prepared for the ideal scenario of a customer placing an order, receiving it and be completely satisfied with it, one also needs to keep in mind the other likely scenarios. What if your customer wants to return an order? Does he know how to do it? Who do they return it to? The supplier or to you?

The best way to make this work is that the customer returns the product to you, you refund their money and then deal with the supplier. Though you have the option of letting the customer return the product to the supplier, waiting for your suppliers to confirm receipt of the return introduces a further delay in refunding the customer. Besides you might even have to go through the hassle of giving multiple return instructions for returning various products in a single order.

2. Lack of branding: There are fewer opportunities for dropshippers to emphasize on their brand values. The only way to this (and make sure that a customer returns) is to make a mark during the delivery cycle. Additionally, you could provide your supplier with branded accessories - a logo, a list of policies, and your contact information.

3. Delay in delivering orders: This is one of the most serious issues dropshippers face. Since you are dependant on an external source, the ways in which you can avoid/ quickly act on such delays are fewer. You could, however, take care of a few things.

Firstly, you should make sure your supplier updates their stock status daily. This will help you give reasonably expected delivery dates to customers and avoid disappointing your customers. Once you have shipped your order, make sure that the tracking information is updated on your site.

Providing a good customer experience is very important, so make sure that you frequently update customers about the status of their order in case there is a delay.