Shopify Dropshipping: A 20-Step Guide to Starting Your Store

Have you ever dreamed of having your own Shopify dropshipping store? Well, now is the perfect time to stop dreaming and start taking action!

Below, you can follow our step-by-step guide on how to create your very own Shopify dropshipping store.

And remember, if you've already completed some of these steps, feel free to skip ahead!

Tip: Have you already created your Shopify account? If not, sign up by clicking this link here to get a free 3-day trial + pay $1/month for the first 3 months!

What is dropshipping and why do people do it?

Let’s start this complete Shopify dropshipping guide by understanding what starting a dropshipping business means.

If you're already familiar with the concept, awesome! You can skip ahead to the first step by clicking here.

But if you're new to the game, don't worry — we'll explain it in simple terms:

1. You run an online store where you sell products, but here's the catch — you don't physically stock any of those products.
2. When someone places an order on your store, you place that same order directly with your dropshipping supplier. No need to panic, though! There are a lot of apps out there that help you with automating this. For example, DSers, or these 14 DSers alternatives.
3. Then your dropshipping supplier handles the rest — preparing and shipping the package directly to your customer.
4. Your customer receives the package straight from your dropshipping supplier, and you never touch the product in between!

To make things even clearer, check out our handy infographic that does a great job of explaining the concept of dropshipping:

Alright, but why are people interested in dropshipping? And why do people want to dropship?

Well, there are several reasons why individuals are drawn to dropshipping and choose to run their own dropshipping stores:

• Earning more money. When done correctly, dropshipping can make you money, which you can learn more about here.
• Being their own boss. Some people don’t like to work for a boss, so they search for other income sources.
• Location-independent work. A dropshipping store can be run from virtually anywhere with an internet connection. As long as you can communicate with suppliers and customers easily, you can run and manage your business remotely. This lifestyle is also referred to as being a Digital Nomad.

If you’re interested in learning more about dropshipping, we suggest reading this article:

Dropshipping for Beginners: What Is It & How to Start Today?

And check out this article if you want to know some amazing dropshipping statistics.

Now, let's dive into this comprehensive Shopify dropshipping guide!

Don't forget that you can always come back to this article to see if you're doing everything correctly. No need to stress about remembering everything at once!

Get started with Shopify dropshipping in 20 steps

Now that you know exactly what dropshipping is, let's dive into Shopify dropshipping.

In these 20 simple steps, we'll guide you through everything you need to know to set up your own online store.

From getting your mindset right and registering a domain name to launching your store, we'll cover it all.

Let's turn your dreams of running a successful online business into a reality together!

1. Create a Shopify account

This first step is the most important one, yet it's the least time-consuming!

All you need to do is create a Shopify account (because you can't have a Shopify dropshipping store without one).

It's really simple. Just click on the link below, and enter your email address on the Shopify trial page.

After that, provide all the necessary information Shopify asks for, such as your store's name and whether you're already selling or just starting out.

These are all personal questions, but they all speak for themselves afterward. If you do need any help, you can always contact us, or you can contact the Shopify Support Team!

And, of course, you can always refer to our step-by-step walkthrough of starting a Shopify store below:

How to Start a Shopify Store: The Definitive Guide (2023)

You can click here to get a free 3-day Shopify trial!

If you're still second-guessing whether you should use Shopify, then check out these seven reasons why Shopify is popular or explore these 14 Shopify alternatives.

2. Put your mindset right

If you’re new to dropshipping, you probably have thoughts like ‘dropshipping equals getting rich fast' or ‘dropshipping equals easy money.'

Well, we hate to burst your bubble, but that's not the reality.

Many so-called ‘gurus' talk about these ideas, but do you know what they all have in common?

They have a course (and most are not even that cheap).

Maybe you should buy their course and follow them step-by-step to get rich, right?

Please don’t! You don't need to buy their courses to succeed.

If you're interested in learning more about these ‘gurus,' we highly suggest you read our funny rant below:

6 Things That Dropshipping Gurus Do Not Tell You As A Beginner

But anyway, what can you do?

First off, you can learn dropshipping for free. For example, we have compiled a list of top blogs and free courses to help you get started without breaking the bank.

• Top 10 Dropshipping & Ecommerce Blogs
• The 17 Best Free Dropshipping Courses
• How to Start Dropshipping for Free in 2023? (5 Unusual Tips)

Now, let's shift your mindset to the correct one for opening a Shopify dropshipping store.

Rather than expecting overnight riches, you need to start treating your dropshipping store like a real business (which it is)! And you need to focus on what your customers want, not what your pockets want.

Put time and effort into it instead of opening a store in a few hours, importing a few products, and starting advertisements without trying to be unique at all.

If you want to learn more about having the right mindset before opening your dropshipping store, check out these six tips here.

And don't worry. If you follow the steps we'll provide below, you'll know how to stand out from the competition.

Plus, we suggest reading this article here which gives you tons of tips on how to be more unique than all the other dropshipping stores out there!

Lastly, if you are considering buying a premade dropshipping store, we recommend you read these articles:

• Premade Dropshipping Stores: Buy One or Build Yourself?
• Where to Buy Premade Dropshipping Stores? (2023 Guide)
• How Do You Buy a Premade Ecommerce Store for the Right Price?

Q4 Update: Don't forget that Q4 (Quarter 4) contains the biggest months for ecommerce! You can learn more in the article below:
How To Prepare Your Dropshipping Store for Q4? (2023 Guide)

3. Get some inspiration from other Shopify dropshipping stores

Before we get started with the most important steps of opening your own Shopify dropshipping store, we suggest you take a look at some of the example articles first:

• 5 Bad Dropshipping Store Examples & What They Can Improve
• 10 Great Ecommerce Brand Store Examples (2023) | Inspiration
• 14 Awesome Shopify Homepage Examples
• 12 Branded Dropshipping Store Examples (Inspiration in 2023)
• 16 Winning Dropshipping Product Examples
• 23 Awesome Shopify Dropshipping Store Examples

These resources will provide you with inspiration for your own Shopify dropshipping venture.

And if you're curious about whether any big ecommerce stores are currently using or have used dropshipping as their fulfillment method in the past, then check out this great article here!

In that article, you will find ecommerce stores like Wayfair and Gymshark!

4. Decide if you want to have a general or a niche dropshipping store

There are upsides and downsides to having both a general store and a niche store.

However, we have a tip for you: if you decide to go for a niche store, please pick a niche that you have at least some interest in.

This is another big reason why people fail with their dropshipping stores. They choose a niche for their dropshipping store just because they think they can earn money with it.

They don’t think about the future, ‘the grind,' the time they need to invest, and the effort required to work on their store before they see success (if they ever do). For example, the time before you see your first sale might be a while.

If you have no interest in your chosen niche, this period will be really hard for you.

A lot of people give up after some time simply because they become bored with their niche.

For example, don’t pick gardening as your dropshipping niche if you hate gardening yourself.

You will have a hard time communicating with your customers, maybe making blog posts, coming up with newsletters, or simply writing product descriptions that convert your target audience into buyers (people who love gardening).

If you feel stuck at this step, then we suggest reading our other article here.

That article covers the advantages and disadvantages of having a general store versus a niche store.

If you have decided to go for a niche dropshipping store, we suggest reading the articles we've linked below:

• Top 10 Dropshipping Niches to Avoid as a Beginner in 2023
• How to Find the Best Niche for Dropshipping? (7 Methods)
• How to Find out If a Dropshipping Niche Could Be Profitable in 2023?
• The 25 Best Dropshipping Niche Ideas for Your Store in 2023

Note: Find and learn how other Shopify stores in your niche are performing by following these six tips outlined in the article!

Let's move on to the fourth step!

5. Come up with an awesome store name and register your domain name

You've got three parts to this step! Let us quickly outline the steps below before diving into the details of each one:

1. Firstly, you'll need to come up with a name for your dropshipping store and check if that name is available as a domain name.
2. Next, it's time to register your domain name.
3. Lastly, you'll create one or more professional email addresses with your new domain name. For example, support@mystore.com.

5.1. Come up with an awesome name for your dropshipping store and check if it's available

The first step may seem obvious, but we would still like to provide you with some tips!

Now that you have decided whether to go with a general or niche dropshipping store, it's time to start brainstorming for a suitable domain name. Click here if you want tips on how to brainstorm.

Here are some tools that can help you with the brainstorming process of finding a good domain name.

• Business Name Generator by Shopify
• Lean Domain Search
• Instant Domain Search

Just enter a word, and these tools will provide multiple domain name options.

For example, if you're in the garden niche, try entering related words such as ‘garden,' ‘trees,' or ‘flowers' to see the generated results.

If that's not enough for you, then click here to explore additional tools.

If you prefer to brainstorm without these tools, you can check the availability of your domain name on Namecheap here.

We suggest you check for the .com domain extension, as it is one of the most popular extensions. (Source)

However, if your domain name is not available, but you truly like the store name you came up with, you can consider exploring other variations of that name or restarting the brainstorming process.

Another option is to check other domain extensions like .store instead of .com.

There's even a chance that you like that domain extension more than the .com version. For example, here's one of the benefits of having a .store domain:

One last tip, don't forget to check in your country if that name is already taken as a business name. This way, you won't encounter any future legal troubles.

So, don't name your store ‘NikeBalls' or ‘PokemonWorld' or anything with a trademark! Here is more information about domain names and trademarks.

If you want more tips on choosing the perfect name, we suggest reading 10 Tips to Choose the Best Name for Your Dropshipping Store!

5.2. Register your domain name

As you saw earlier, we recommend using Namecheap as your domain registrar. We personally use them as well, and we find them great (and cheap).

Click here to register your domain name on Namecheap.

Another excellent option, if you're looking for a domain registrar with cheaper renewal fees, is Porkbun. (Usually, the second year is more expensive than the first year).

Lastly, don't forget to search for coupon codes (for example, take a look at Honey). This way, you can hopefully get an even lower price for your domain name!

5.3. Let's create a professional email address

The last step is to create a professional email address with your new domain name.

By ‘professional,' we mean something like support@mystore.com, not something like support-mystore@gmail.com

We suggest you take a look at Zoho Mail. With Zoho Mail, you can create a professional email address for free.

If you’re looking for more information on how to get a free business email address, we recommend reading the article we've linked below:

How To Get a Free Business Email Address for Ecommerce?

6. Decide where you want to source your products from

You're dropshipping, which means you don't have any inventory yourself.

So you need to find suppliers that have inventory and support dropshipping.

Most beginners in dropshipping use AliExpress for this.

AliExpress is essentially the Amazon of China.

If you decide to go with AliExpress, we suggest reading this guide here. It contains everything you need to know when you want to start with AliExpress dropshipping!

AliExpress Dropshipping: A 20-Step Getting Started Guide (2023)

With that guide, you will be fully prepared to start and grow your AliExpress Shopify dropshipping store in 2023.

But if you don't want to get your products from AliExpress, don't worry. We recommend reading one (or multiple) articles below for alternative options:

• 14 Best Free Dropshipping Suppliers (+ Niche Suppliers Included)
• 15 Alternatives to Dropshipping With AliExpress
• The 17 Best Free US Dropshipping Suppliers
• The 15 Best Dropshipping Suppliers for Shopify Stores 2023
• 11 Best Dropshipping Suppliers in China (With Fast Shipping)

7. Let's do product research

This is the step that many people get stuck on when starting their Shopify dropshipping store.

They often ask themselves questions like, ‘What should I sell?' or ‘How do I know if that product will sell or not?'

If you find yourself asking these questions, don't worry. We're here to help you!

There are two options to do product research for your Shopify dropshipping store.

The first option is to do it yourself, and the second is to use a (free) product research tool.

We'll break down this step into two parts, explaining both options mentioned above.

But before we get started, please remember that certain products are better avoided when dropshipping. For example, products that could cause you (legal) troubles in the future or products that have a high return percentage.

You can click here to see a list of 13 products that you should avoid dropshipping.

Also, you can click here if you want to learn what a ‘winning product' is. That article also provides some product examples!

7.1. What if you want to do product research yourself?

This step, doing product research yourself, is what most people go for, but it's also the step where most people get stuck.

We have a complete guide for you that you can refer to anytime you want. It contains 15 awesome winning product research methods.

This way, you'll know exactly how to find products that have the potential to sell well!

Do you know what the best thing is about that article?

Most of these product research methods are free to use. So, it's perfect if you're on a budget and don't have much money to spend!

You can click here to learn how to find awesome winning dropshipping products!

And don't forget to do product research on social media platforms. These articles will help you in discovering some fantastic dropshipping products for your store for free:

• How Do You Do Product Research on YouTube? (6 Methods)
• How Do You Do Product Research on TikTok? (7 Methods)
• How Do You Do Product Research on Instagram? (8 Tips)
• How to Do Product Research on Pinterest (6 Tips)

7.2. What if you want to use a dropshipping product research tool?

Doing product research yourself is great and often free, but it can be time-consuming.

That's where a product research tool could come in handy.

These tools help you find the best products for your dropshipping store, often called ‘Winning Products.' For example, a free tool from AliExpress called the AliExpress dropshipping center.

Note: Interested in finding winning products on AliExpress? Here are three free and paid product discovery tools you should use!

We suggest reading the article we've linked below. It contains the best dropshipping product research tools in 2023:

The 17 Best Winning Dropshipping Product Research Tools

Looking for free options? Check out our article ‘The 9 Best Free Product Research Tools for Dropshipping.'

Last but not the least! You should take our product research tools quiz here to find the best tool for your needs!

8. Select the best suppliers

Now that you're doing product research or have already found some great products to sell, it's time to learn how to select the best dropshipping suppliers for your store.

Let me ask you a question first: Do you want the person handling the production of your products and the shipment to your customers to be reliable or not?

Most people who start with dropshipping choose their suppliers based on price. They visit websites like AliExpress, sort the products by price, and select the lowest one.

But does this guarantee riches? Not really.

While this may work for you in the short term, it will definitely haunt you in the long term.

What if your supplier doesn’t respond to your messages asking where the package from your customer is? What if your supplier can't keep up when you're receiving hundreds of orders each day?

We've noted all the tips and steps to help you find the best dropshipping suppliers in this awesome article here.

Yes, it's focused on AliExpress, but if you don't use AliExpress, you can still use these steps to make sure you're getting the best suppliers for your dropshipping store.

We also have lists of country-based dropshipping suppliers for those who sell locally! Check them out here:

• 14 Best US Dropshipping Suppliers in 2023 (Fast Shipping)
• The 11 Best Free UK Dropshipping Suppliers in 2023
• The 12 Best Dropshipping Suppliers in Canada (Free & Paid)
• 9 Best Dropshipping Suppliers in New Zealand (NZ) in 2023
• The 12 Best Dropshipping Suppliers in India (Free & Paid)
• The 13 Best Dropshipping Suppliers in Malaysia (Free & Paid)
• 11 Best Dropshipping Suppliers in China (With Fast Shipping)
• The 16 Best Dropshipping Suppliers in Australia (Free & Paid)
• The 14 Best Dropshipping Suppliers in Europe (Free & Paid)

You can also check out this article here which contains 14 great questions you can ask dropshipping suppliers to find the best ones possible!

And if you're not quite sure about what a dropshipping supplier is or what they can help you with, check out this article.

9. Create your marketing and budget plan

Another big step is going to be creating your marketing and budget plan. Both are equally important for the success of your Shopify dropshipping store!

Firstly, if you are unsure where and how to advertise your products, it will lead to the failure of your dropshipping store.

Secondly, it is not beneficial for you or your dropshipping store if you are unaware of the available funds for your store (your budget).

And it's even worse when you're online and selling, and you are unaware of the amount of money coming in (sales) and going out (such as advertisement costs).

But don't worry, we will explain it to you below!

9.1. Decide where you're going to advertise your dropshipping store

This step involves deciding which platform you will use to advertise your products.

But don't worry.

You can always change the advertising platform for your dropshipping store or even advertise on multiple platforms!

However, if you're a beginner and have no experience in ecommerce, it's best to start with one platform and learn that one really well before expanding to other platforms.

Here's an infographic that will help you pick the right marketing method:

Alright, to begin, you need to decide whether you will focus on free traffic or paid traffic at the start of your dropshipping journey.

If you want to start with paid advertising, having a budget of around $250 – $2000 is recommended.

The budget depends on your skill level and, to some extent, luck. If your first product is selling well, you can use the profit from those sales to cover the upcoming advertising costs. You can read more about this here.

On the other hand, if you choose free traffic, keep in mind that while free traffic is great, it will take time and dedication before you see any results.

If you're interested in learning more about advertising your Shopify dropshipping store, be sure to check out the articles we've linked below.

Firstly, here are some articles on how to get free traffic:

• SEO for Dropshipping Stores: 7 Ways to Increase Your Organic Traffic
• 8 Amazing Ways to Get Free Traffic to Your Dropshipping Store in 2023

And secondly, here are some informative articles about paid traffic:

• 11 Product Advertising Examples for Ecommerce in 2023
• 10 Ways That You Can Advertise Your Dropshipping Store
• Should You Use Google Ads for Your Dropshipping Store?
• Facebook Ads for Ecommerce Stores: A Beginner’s Guide
• 6 Advertising Examples for Ecommerce: Sorted by Objective
• Using Instagram Influencers for Ecommerce: The Pros & Cons

Note: If you're experiencing high traffic through advertising but low sales in the future, we recommend reading our article on how to increase sales.

9.2. Do you want to do any opening specials?

Now that you're thinking about how to advertise your Shopify dropshipping store, it's also a good time to think about whether you want to do anything special for the store's opening.

For example, you could host a giveaway featuring one of the products you're selling on your dropshipping store.

You don't need to do anything special with the opening of your store, but it could be an awesome sale booster if you come up with something unique.

For example, your giveaway goes viral because a lot of people are tagging their friends, and now you have a ton of emails that you can later use to promote your products! (I will explain more about email marketing below.)

I will link two great articles about giveaways below:

• How To Grow Your Ecommerce Business With Viral Giveaways
• How to Use Instagram Giveaways to Grow Your Following

9.3. Decide how you're going to price your products

You have a couple of options when it comes to pricing your products.

Firstly, you can go for normal retail prices, which are similar to what you would find in regular stores.

You can learn here how to price your products correctly if you decide to sell your products at normal retail prices.

Another option is to use the Free Plus Shipping method.

If you're interested in offering Free Plus Shipping on your Shopify dropshipping store or want to learn more about it, we suggest reading these articles:

• Free Plus Shipping Method | What is it and Does it Still Work in 2023?
• Free Plus Shipping on Shopify | Set It up for Free & Paid!

Now, here's a crucial tip for you: please don't put all your products on sale.

Do you know why?

Well, if you put all your products on sale, your sale won't be meaningful anymore because everything is already discounted. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, such as a site-wide Black Friday sale.

One more thing: make your sale look real. Create a sense of urgency by providing a reason why these products are on sale for a limited time.

9.4. Begin to create your budget plan

This step is so important!

If you're unaware of how much you can allocate to your Shopify dropshipping store, it could be a recipe for failure.

Imagine advertising your products and suddenly realizing, ‘Where did all my money go?'

Or, looking at your money, you see that most of your budget is gone, perhaps without considering the costs associated with Shopify itself.

Bottom line, please know how much money you have available for your store! And more importantly, when you're online and selling, know what you're spending and what is coming in.

We'll provide a link to an excellent article below that will undoubtedly assist you in creating your budget plan:

Complete Guide: Can You Start Dropshipping Without Money?

This comprehensive guide covers all the possible costs that you might have with a dropshipping store, from app costs to logo design and everything in between!

Plus, we suggest reading this article here if you want to learn more about handling taxes for your dropshipping store and this article to learn how to save fees when dropshipping.

10. Make your Shopify dropshipping store perfect

Please don't rush this step.

Many people rush to open a store and start selling right away. You can beat them by putting some time into perfecting your Shopify dropshipping store!

We'll link a few fantastic articles below. These articles cover things that you should know before opening your Shopify dropshipping store.

These articles include information on creating the standard pages, connecting your domain name to your Shopify store, and so on!

• Shopify Store Backups: The Definitive Guide (2023)
• 18 Things to Know Before Starting a Dropshipping Store
• Shopify Store Checklist: The Ultimate Launch Guide (2023)
• How Do You See What Theme a Shopify Store Is Using? (2023)
• 24 Most Common Shopify Store Mistakes to Avoid & Tips (2023)
• Dropshipping Basics: 7 Surprising Things to Know as Beginner
• Dropshipping Startup Checklist: 10 Things to Do Before Starting
• Top 28 Shopify Tips to Create a Great Ecommerce Store in 2023

11. Adding Shopify apps to your store

Now that you have created your Shopify account and perfected your Shopify store, it's time to add Shopify apps to your store.

These apps will make your dropshipping life a lot easier!

Some will help you with order processing, while others will help you with email marketing or driving more sales.

11.1. Decide what app you're going to use to import your products and process your orders

Now that you know where you'll be sourcing your products from, it's time to decide which app you'll use to import those products from the website to your Shopify dropshipping store.

This way, you can start selling these products in your store!

After the shutdown of Oberlo, many people have turned to DSers as their go-to dropshipping app. DSers enables you to connect your Shopify store with AliExpress.

Of course, there are so many more apps available besides DSers and AliExpress. That's why we suggest reading these articles:

• 14 Best DSers Alternatives in 2023 (Find the Right App)
• 15 Alternatives to Dropshipping With AliExpress in 2023!
• Spocket Review: Does It Have the Best Suppliers in 2023?
• Modalyst Review: Should You Use It After Wix Acquired It?

11.2. Decide what other Shopify apps you're going to install

If you're on a tight budget, using free Shopify apps is a smart choice when starting out.

You don’t want to waste most of your budget on fancy apps that ‘might' boost conversions.

Start slowly by installing the best free apps first. As you start generating sales or when your budget allows, you can consider adding more paid apps.

These paid apps could help you get more sales or increase metrics like the average order value!

If you're interested now, then check out the two articles we've linked below. The first one will help you with the question, ‘Which apps do I need to install?'

The other one explains everything you need to know about email marketing:

• The 13 Best Shopify Apps for Dropshipping 2023 (Free & Paid)
• The 16 Best Shopify Apps for Successful Dropshipping Stores
• Email Marketing for Ecommerce: A Beginner’s Guide (2023)

12. Make 1-3 products perfect for advertising

Now that you have added all your apps and you have made your Shopify store look good, or at least good enough for now, it's time to import your products to your Shopify dropshipping store!

When you’re just starting out, we recommend importing five to 20 products to your dropshipping store, but focusing on one to three products. These products will be the first ones you advertise. The rest of the products are there to make your store look alive and real!

That's why this step is called ‘make one to three products perfect for advertising.'

You can learn more about this in this article here!

This article provides our suggestions for making these products perfect and, more importantly, unique! Because you will need to be unique in order to beat your competition.

It also includes why it's important to not focus on too many products at the same time when you're just starting with dropshipping.

We'll also explain what to do with the rest of the products that you're importing to your Shopify dropshipping store!

Hint? Don't leave them with the default product descriptions.

13. Optimize your Shopify store for speed

After you've created most of your Shopify dropshipping store, it's time to optimize it for speed.

It’s no secret that the faster your store loads, the higher the chance is of keeping your visitors on your store and completing the checkout process, leading to more sales! There are many ways to improve the speed of your Shopify store, such as optimizing images and CSS files, using different themes and apps, and utilizing AMP.

Having a fast Shopify store could help you get more sales and create a better user experience for your visitors. According to Strange Loop, a one-second delay can cost you 7% of sales.

We suggest reading the article that we've linked below if you're interested in making your Shopify store faster:

Shopify Speed Optimization: 7 Ways to Make Your Store Faster

14. Optimize your Shopify store for a better conversion rate

It's also very important to know what to do with your Shopify store so you can get a higher conversion rate. Think about better images:

And strategies like offering free shipping, providing more payment options, and much more!

But do you know what a higher conversion rate translates to? It means more sales!

Isn't that awesome?

If you're interested in boosting the conversion rate of your store, we recommend reading the below article:

Shopify Dropshipping Conversion Rate Optimization: 12 Ways to Get More Sales!

15. Decide how you're going to handle your customer service and refund requests

This step may seem small, but a lot of people get stuck here.

Understanding how to handle refunds and returns with dropshipping suppliers can make or break your dropshipping venture.

These two aspects are the most important things to look at if you want to make your customers happy.

Remember, happy customers result in fewer complaints! You certainly don't want to end up like the dropshipping store in the example below:

Similar to the previous step, if you want to learn more about this, we recommend reading these articles:

• Dropshipping Returns & Refunds: Everything You Need to Know
• Customer Service for Dropshipping Stores – Complete Guide!
• How Do You Handle Print on Demand Returns in 2023?
• The 10 Best Shopify Apps for Customer Service in 2023
• How Do You Handle Returns When Dropshipping From China?
• How Do You Create a Dropshipping Return Policy? (+Template)

Keep in mind that these articles above are big, but they cover everything you need to know about that topic!

16. GDPR compliance

GDPR compliance applies to businesses located and/or operating in the EU.

Even if there's only a small chance of receiving EU visitors (for example, through Google), then you need to be compliant.

Yes, you could choose to lock down your site to not be shown in the EU (as you can read in the first article we've linked below), but achieving compliance is a better approach.

We can't say it better than him:

Will your Shopify store be a target? Probably not… but I’d rather be safe than sorry.

Source

If you want to learn more about GDPR compliance, we have some great articles for you to explore:

• GDPR For Shopify – AidanBooth
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – Shopify

You can also watch this video from Flying Start Online:

GDPR Compliance Checklist For Shopify Dropshipping Stores

One last thing, we included an app in the list of best Shopify apps for beginners that helps with GDPR compliance.

17. Let's launch!

This step is fairly easy and quick!

Let's open your Shopify dropshipping store to the public!

Before moving to the next step, there are two things for you to double-check.

Firstly, remove the password from your Shopify store.

It may seem strange, but some people forget this step and start advertising their store while password protection is still enabled.

This means that even though people are clicking on your advertisement, they won't be able to see or purchase the products.

Simply go to Online Store -> Preferences and scroll down until you see this:

Make sure the checkbox is unchecked, then click the save button at the bottom.

The last thing to double-check is whether you have entered your billing information in Shopify.

This way, there won't be any hiccups when your 3-day free trial is over!

18. Keep testing!

If you've reached this step, congratulations!

Many people don't make it this far because it requires a lot of work. But if you're reading this with strong motivation, we're proud of you!

This step is all about testing new things until you find a product that works for you and your dropshipping store.

Keep doing product research, testing new products, and tweaking your Shopify dropshipping store to get higher conversion rates.

Think about using a Heatmap tool like Hotjar to see what your visitors do on your store, split testing things like colors, descriptions, and so on! (More information about how to keep track of your store visitors here.)

We'll write more articles about this in the future, but for now, we've got some great resources for you from other people:

• How to Choose the Right Color Schemes for Your Ecommerce Shop
• 5 Essential Areas to Optimize on ecommerce Sites
• 33 Ecommerce Conversion Rate Optimization Steps Guaranteed to Increase Sales in 2023
• 39 Quick Ways to Increase Your Website's Conversion Rate

19. Found a product that is selling?

That's awesome!

Then it's time to scale the product and maximize your earnings from it!

While we haven't covered this topic extensively on the blog yet, we do have some fantastic YouTube videos for you to watch if you want to learn more about scaling your Shopify dropshipping store:

Dropshipping Products with HUGE Profit Potential - Oberlo Dropshipping with Alexander and Andreas

Best Low Budget Facebook Ad Strategy | Shopify Dropshipping 2021

In the meantime, keep testing new products because that product could become unpopular in seconds. It could all change the next day!

Someone can discover your product, copy everything (but at a lower price), and run similar advertisements.

If your product is selling well, you might consider importing it in bulk to your location or using a fulfillment center like Amazon (although other options are available).

Buying in bulk provides more flexibility, such as customizing the package design, adding additional products, and adding a business card.

If you want to learn more about going from dropshipping to buying in bulk, we suggest watching this informative video below:

Private Label Bulk Order STEP BY STEP! (Alibaba product sourcing 101)

20. Didn't find a selling product yet? Don't give up!

One of the biggest reasons most people fail with dropshipping is because they give up.

If you're in that stage right now, then we suggest reading this article here before you give up!

That article also includes other reasons why people fail with dropshipping. Maybe it'll give you some motivation!

Taking action

Reading and absorbing information and knowledge is great (definitely if it’s free!), but do you know what’s even better?

Taking action!

So, to help you with taking action with what you have learned in this article, take a look at the bullet points:

• Treat dropshipping as a legitimate business and avoid purchasing courses from self-proclaimed ‘gurus.' Instead, learn from reputable blogs and free courses mentioned in our article!
• Conduct competitor research to learn from their successful strategies and gain inspiration for your website.
• Decide between a general store or a niche store. We recommend a niche store as it offers more advantages over a general store.
• Register your domain name through reliable and cost-effective domain registrars mentioned in the article.
• Do product research using free product discovery tools, as they save you valuable time that you can utilize while starting out.
• Prioritize trustworthy suppliers, even if they may be slightly more expensive, as they ensure timely product delivery and minimize returns.
• Creating a budget is vital to the success of your dropshipping store. Decide the advertising platforms you will use based on the provided infographic in the article, and establish pricing strategies.
• Opening a Shopify account is straightforward, but make your store stand out by perfecting its design and functionality.
• Initially, add free Shopify apps, especially if you have budget issues.
• Focus on adding one to three unique products and invest time in perfecting them to differentiate your store. The remaining products can be more generic.
• Optimize your Shopify store for speed by selecting an appropriate theme, reducing image sizes, and utilizing AMP.
• The way you handle refunds and returns with dropshipping suppliers can significantly impact the success of your venture.
• If your business operates in or caters to customers in the EU, ensure compliance with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) guidelines.
• Remove password protection from your store before launching it to the public.
• Continuously conduct product research, test new products, and make necessary adjustments to your Shopify dropshipping store to improve conversion rates.
• If your product is selling well, consider importing it in bulk to a fulfillment center like Amazon.

Conclusion

So, there you have it! The complete guide to opening your own Shopify dropshipping store in 2023!

I hope this article motivates you to keep pushing forward. Please don't give up!

If, after reading this article, you're still not sure if you can start with your dropshipping store, then check out this article, which contains seven great tips to help you get started.

And don't forget to check out our complete AliExpress dropshipping guide as well:

AliExpress Dropshipping: A 20-Step Getting Started Guide (2023)

If you haven't created your Shopify account yet, sign up by clicking this link to get a free 3-day trial + pay $1/month for the first 3 months.

If you have any suggestions for this article or questions regarding dropshipping, let me know by commenting below or contacting us directly by pressing the ‘Contact Us' button at the top!

Good luck with your Shopify dropshipping store, and remember to push through the hard times!

Want to learn more about Shopify?

Ready to move your Shopify store to the next level? Check out the articles below:

• PageFly Review: Great Landing Pages for Shopify? (2023)
• How to Display Your Shopify Product Reviews on Google (2023)
• Shopify Payments Alternatives: Best Payment Gateways for You

Plus, don’t forget to check out our in-depth how to start a Shopify store guide here.