Discovery: Your Complete Guide to Dropshipping on Alibaba.com (2023) A to Z
Danny BUGINGO
✅ Digital Marketing & Social Media Marketing Specialist | Google & Bing SEO Writer | Graphic Designer ✅
Dropshipping can be a difficult process if you do not know the model, as well as how and where to source products. You may have a great idea for a certain product to source, but not sourcing from the right platforms or not knowing how the sourcing platform works can lead to failure, wasted time, and effort. This article will help you understand what Dropshipping on Alibaba.com entails and how you can use the platform to start your dropshipping business. We will also help you to understand the pros and cons of Dropshipping on Alibaba.com and how it connects your online store with other major e-commerce platforms.
So, grab a snack, a cup of coffee, or tea, and let’s get started!
1. About Alibaba.com
First, let’s learn more about Alibaba.com.
Over 20 years since it was established in 1999, Alibaba.com has grown into a B2B marketplace platform used by suppliers and buyers around the world to develop and grow their ecommerce businesses. Alibaba.com is popular because it offers a wide range of services, products, features, and administrations that simplify B2B procurement.
With Alibaba.com, you can be in direct contact with reputable global suppliers and buy products at wholesale prices. You do not have to pay anything to create or maintain the account as a buyer on the platform and there are no additional fees.
With over 18 languages, Alibaba.com has a host of features that make online sourcing easier than ever. It is a significant resource for new and established businesses, and Alibaba.com dropshipping is extremely popular to trade directly with manufacturers, factories, and international wholesalers.
B2B merchants can sell to dropshipping customers through Alibaba.com and offer order fulfillment. This means that a wholesaler can stock goods for retailers around the world and fulfill ecommerce orders from specific warehouses.
With that in mind, let's take a look at what Dropshipping on Alibaba.com entails.
2. What is Dropshipping on Alibaba.com
Dropshipping on Alibaba.com is a free marketplace that enables you to browse millions of quality dropshipping products from a huge range of categories, including beauty, fashion, home and garden, electronics, toys, and more, and import them directly into your dropshipping store to start selling right away. You can customize product descriptions, get product photos directly from suppliers, and set up pricing and logistics with just a few clicks.
Even better, you can take advantage of dropshipping suppliers on the platform to source any product you want to sell without a minimum order requirement. This is particularly useful when you want to test out product ideas before committing investment to stock a large local inventory to shorten delivery for your local customers. All sellers on Alibaba.com dropshipping centers are either top-rated or Verified Suppliers, manufacturers, and factories who are willing to provide online stores with high-quality products and fast shipping. Many dropshipping suppliers also support Alibaba.com’s Trade Assurance, which helps protect your orders. Trade Assurance fully covers your purchases when suppliers fail to meet the contracted product quality and delivery schedule. Additionally, you get to choose the best deals from factories offering discounts and special promotions.
3. How to dropship on Alibaba.com in four steps
With Alibaba.com dropshipping, you have automation and integration solutions designed specifically to strengthen dropshipping operations. For example, importing products into your online store and tracking orders or shipments can all be done automatically, making your sourcing journey truly easy and efficient. The following steps will guide you through a simplified look at the Dropshipping on Alibaba.com process.
3.1 Create a buyer account, for free
Follow these simple steps to create your free dropshipping account on Alibaba.com.
Step 1: Go to the Alibaba.com login page and click the Join Free button to register your free buyer account.
Step 2: Enter your email address, check "Service Agreement" and click "Next."
Step 3: Check your mail for the confirmation email and click the registration link.
Step 4: Fill out the registration form on Alibaba.com.
3.2 Connect to your store
Now that you have created your account, let’s see how you connect it to your online store.
Step 1: Go to Alibaba.com dropshipping center, and click on My Store on the left panel.
Step 2: Select where your store is hosted (WooCommerce, Shopify, etc.), and click Add Store to start:
Step 3: Input your store URL to proceed (taking Shopify as an example), and then click Add store and you will be redirected to Shopify to finish the connection:
Click Install app as shown above in your Shopify administration page and the pairing process will be complete. You will then be redirected back to Alibaba.com dropshipping center.
You are almost ready to start taking advantage of Alibaba.com. But first, you need to source some products from the Alibaba.com dropshipping center to sell on your store. You can do this in just a few clicks.
3.3 Import products into your store for selling
Step 1: To find products you want to sell, go to the Alibaba.com dropshipping center, click Search Products on the left panel as on above screenshot, which will take you to the dropshipping marketplace, where you can browse and refine your search for dropshipping products.
Use the Currency to display product pricing in your preferred currency and use the Ship to drop-down menu to filter products that can be shipped to your target destinations.
You may also want to research some drop shipping product ideas on Alibaba.com, browsing sections such as “Products under the US $10,” “Shipping fee under US $15,” and featured suppliers promotions (pictured above).
Step 2: Import products into your store by clicking on any product and selecting Add to Import List to save it to your import list. You can customize the product settings and import in bulk later on.
Step 3: After selecting all your desired products, go to the Import List, where you can customize the product title, description, pricing, fulfillment, and images as needed.
After you are all set up, you may either push products one by one or by bulk to your online store. To do so, just click Push to Store.
This process may take a few seconds depending on how many products you are pushing at one time.Once pushed to your store, the products can be viewed by clicking My Products. Inside, you can set pricing updates, chat with the suppliers, or delist items from your store.
3.4 Settle orders and fulfillment with suppliers
Having completed the above steps, you’re now selling! Orders received on your store will sync in your Alibaba.com dropshipping account automatically. Simply go to My Orders to manage and track all your orders, shipments, and to settle fulfilments with suppliers.
Under My Orders, you can confirm and pay orders to your supplier, cancel orders, confirm deliveries, request refunds, and track shipping statuses, etc.
Because all of the order fulfillments are automatically settled with suppliers on the platform and all the tools to track and manage orders are in one place, order processing and management is a doddle.
Do not have a store to connect or want to integrate later?
No worries. You can still buy drop shipping products without a minimum order requirement. Find your dream items, select SKUs, and click on Start Order on the product detail page to proceed with a general procurement process with your supplier. You have flexible payment options and the supplier will handle shipping for you. But it could take some time if you place orders for different addresses. Connecting a store with Alibaba.com will remove this hassle through automation.
Now that you know how Dropshipping on Alibaba.com works, let's take a look at the benefits of doing so.
4. The benefits of Dropshipping on Alibaba.com
4.1 Huge product pool with low prices
On the Alibaba.com dropshipping marketplace, you can find close to 2 million niche products across all major categories that you can sell straight from your online store. That number is constantly growing and most of the products available are priced under US $15 – this is your golden base to increase sales.
Additionally, there are two special collection zones – one for sourcing commodities under US $10 and one with shipping fees under US $15 – serving as a shortcut to accelerate your business performance.
Each year, Alibaba.com offers two mega promotions that last one month each– one in September and the other in March. For example, during the annual “Super September” campaign, dropshippers can pocket great savings, including 10% off and more (2021), making it the best season to place orders.
4.2 Real B2B wholesale suppliers
Unlike retail platforms, Alibaba.com focuses on B2B selling, allowing users to buy straight from manufacturers or factories without an intermediary. This provides buyers with fundamental advantages in terms of pricing, stock capacity, and service reliability. You do not have to worry about stock, shipping, packaging, or other issues relating to order fulfillment. In order to run a thriving dropshipping business, it is essential to work with reliable suppliers over the long-term in a way that benefits you both. Therefore, B2B suppliers stand to benefit the most from dropshipping.
Explore more from following list of featured dropshipping suppliers on Alibaba.com.
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4.3 No minimum order quantity (MOQ)
Minimum order quantity (MOQ) is the lowest number of units that a wholesale supplier allows buyers to purchase at one time. This concept is often referred to as the "minimum order policy."
Suppliers set this limit to avoid wasting time and resources on orders that would yield little profit, and is a common production method among most merchants around the world.
In addition, both suppliers and manufacturers set minimum order quantities to ensure that they make a profit on every order.
Often, the more products produced, the less expensive the cost of production in relation to the components required, such as labor, raw materials, and capital
Previously, it was challenging to find suppliers who provided orders without a minimum order quantity requirement, but with the launch of the Alibaba.com dropshipping center, it’s never been easier to do so. All B2B suppliers in this dedicated marketplace support dropshipping and the best part is, many also offer no MOQ, which means you only need to buy one SKU per order.
4.4 Verified Suppliers or Gold Suppliers
An important point to note is that, in dropshipping, you are responsible for customer service, thus you have to deal with issues that may arise, including everything from processing customer orders, delivery, and refunds. Therefore, customer experience can make or break your business.
In the dropshipping center on Alibaba.com, all suppliers are rated as either Gold Suppliers or Verified Suppliers to minimize potential negative customer experience.
Suppliers are divided into Gold or Verified suppliers during the verification process based on their respective certifications.
Let us look at what constitutes these two ratings.
4.4.1 Gold Suppliers
The Gold Supplier badge is a membership program for suppliers who promote their products on Alibaba.com. To achieve this status, suppliers must go through a designated verification process in which Alibaba.com verifies the legal status of their business by checking for a letter of incorporation, the "ownership status," and business license. In addition, the contact details and location of the manufacturing plant are also verified by Alibaba.com.
4.4.2 Verified Suppliers
The Verified Supplier screening process is similar to the Gold Supplier, with the main difference being that merchants must allow their business to be inspected by Alibaba. com-hired third-party certification company. Alibaba.com will also examine the various aspects of the supplier’s business, including:
It is however important for you to exercise due diligence Even though Alibaba.com offers safeguards business practices, it is important that you continue to exercise due diligence when shopping around for manufacturers and report any suspicious practices that you may come across.
Now let’s see the main differences between the two badges.
4.6 Fast Delivery
Alibaba.com boasts its own shipping methods for global destinations, including economy options. The platform also works with major carriers to offer ePacket, air freight, and other shipping solutions to provide on-time delivery, tracking information, and competitive pricing. Specifically, the trusted suppliers on Alibaba.com work with numerous shipping companies, such as DHL, UPS, and many more. This ensures that your customers receive their products as quickly as possible. This way, you can keep your customers happy and reduce potential complaints about product delays.
4.7 Free dropshipping tools
In dropshipping, sourcing and listing products can range from a single-click process to a long and arduous slog with endless manual copying and pasting from your source supplier's website. And that’s not to mention the effort required to frequently update your new listings. This can eat into your selling time, which is arguably what you should be focusing on the most.
Alibaba.com dropshipping offers all the tools you need, including searching for a product, customizing a product listing, importing products into your store, and tracking orders and shipments, etc. Best yet, all of these steps are highly automated, saving time and money, and you don’t need to pay a single penny to use the related tools.
5. The limitations of Dropshipping on Alibaba.com
Alibaba.com dropshipping is a fairly new service, with many new features still in the development pipeline. While this means that some limitations currently exist, the business opportunities and tools will only expand with time. With that in mind, here are some of the current downsides..
5.1 Limited product searching features
Currently, the product search functions on Alibaba.com lack advanced filters. For example, the main Alibaba.com marketplace features powerful filters for you to quickly find your desired items or suppliers:
Meanwhile, when searching for products on Alibaba.com dropshipping center, searches are limited to keywords, minimal filters, and product categories.
This can make specific searches – such as discovering the best-selling items in a specific category – a little more difficult. Providing such a service is something Alibaba.com is working on.
5.2 Only direct connections with Shopify and WooCommerce supported
Ideally, Alibaba.com would connect with every shopping platform out there so that dropshipping entrepreneurs could source products from Alibaba.com and leverage each site’s unique values. However, Alibaba.com is currently limited to connecting with Shopify and WooCommerce. So, if you currently have an ecommerce store built with a platform such as BigCommerce or Wix, you can’t currently connect it directly to Alibaba.com dropshipping center.
However, this shouldn’t discourage you from signing up. After all, how many people have a Shopify store and are successfully dropshipping? A lot.
To bridge this gap, Alibaba.com has teamed up with numerous partners to help connect the Alibaba.com platform to your store with other platforms. We will cover this later in the article.
5.3 The lack of a market analysis tool
While AliExpress offers an analysis tool to dive into in-depth insights such as sales volume and market trends, Alibaba.com dropshipping does not yet provide any such market analysis tool. Instead, buyers must undertake any analysis themselves and have a clear idea of the product you want to source and the strategy to sell in your specific niche.
In the meantime, Alibaba.com has partnered with other service providers to provide analytics tools, including Modalyst, Syncee, Dropified, Sesam, and Spocket. We’ll look at the pros and cons of each below.
6. Use Dropshipping partners of Alibaba.com to unlock more possibilities
If you want to connect your store with Alibaba.com dropshipping center but don’t have a Shopify or WooCommerce account, the good news is that Alibaba.com has partnered with many other dropshipping platforms to help you unlock all the features you need.
6.1 Dropified
Dropified’s partnership with Alibaba.com allows you to source products from trusted third-party sellers through seamless integration. It’s efficient dropshipping automation software allows you to easily import dropshipping products into your favorite dropshipping store, whether it's WooCommerce, Shopify, BigCommerce, or another. You can then arrange for sold products to be shipped directly to your customers in just a few clicks.
6.2 Syncee
Alibaba.com has partnered with Syncee to enable you to browse millions of products from real merchants and manufacturers and upload them to your online store with just one click. Syncee integrates product data into online stores on major ecommerce platforms such as Shopify, Ecwid, BigCommerce, Ecwid, and WooCommerce, etc. In addition, it helps you work with real margins, defines flexible pricing rules, automates product loading and updating, and provides bulk orders’ processing.
6.3 Sezam
Sezam’s partnership with Alibaba.com will help you run an ecommerce business with real manufacturers selling affordable products, helping you run your online store effortlessly. After finding a product on Alibaba.com, simply import it directly to your site with just one click. The selected product will instantly appear complete with descriptions, images, and variants.
6.4 Modalyst
Modalyst is an end-to-end dropshipping solution for product sourcing and order fulfillment. With its features, you can build a dropshipping store in minutes without advanced purchases. Modalyst supports the most popular store platforms, including Wix, Shopify, and BigCommerce. Its integration with Alibaba.com dropshipping center allows you to unlock the value of dropshipping for hundreds of millions of Alibaba.com buyers and sellers worldwide.
6.5 Spocket
Spocket is an official Alibaba.com partner, offering dropshippers a unique and exclusive list of winning products to seamlessly import directly from Alibaba.com into your store. This saves you valuable time in finding winning, niche, and quality products before anyone else.
Thank you for reading this blog post.
In conclusion
dropshipping on Alibaba.com offers a convenient and efficient way to start your own online business without the need for upfront inventory or warehouse management. By leveraging the platform's extensive product pool and connecting with reliable B2B wholesale suppliers, you can access a wide range of quality products at low prices. The dropshipping process on Alibaba.com is streamlined and user-friendly, allowing you to easily import products into your online store, customize product details, and manage orders and fulfillment. Additionally, the platform's verification system ensures that you work with reputable suppliers, minimizing the risk of negative customer experiences.
If you're an employer looking to promote your business through dropshipping, I encourage you to consider utilizing Alibaba.com as a valuable resource. Its vast network of suppliers, seamless integration with major e-commerce platforms, and comprehensive support for dropshipping operations make it an ideal choice for expanding your product offerings and reaching a global customer base.
If you would like further assistance or
have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email at bugingodanny1@gmail.com or phone number: +250786947596. I would be more than happy to provide additional information and support to help you succeed in your dropshipping endeavors.
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