Website Design and Dropshipping
by Warren
(NY)
Although you might think that the odds of this scenario occurring are relatively small, they are still odds that you can’t afford to gamble. For example, supposed that a buyer places an order for five items. You then check with your merchant and discover that only three items are available. You now have no choice but to contact your buyer, apologize and either suggest fulfilling part of the order or selecting other replacement products.
In most cases, your buyer will either want to postpone or cancel the order, never to return again. Even worse is the scenario where you receive poor feedback as a result. This customer experience, for better or worse” is also shared with family and friends.
With dropshipping, merchant relationships are key to your success. At least weekly (daily if possible), obtain updated product listings/catalogs. It is important to monitor what is in stock so that your website displays only the merchandise that is available for shipping.
In order to maintain a smooth transaction process you will also need a website design that allows for quick changes to your backend. You must be able to update your stock listings quickly.
We all understand the importance of product selection, pricing and promotion however; if you can’t fill the order then it is useless. You never want to end up investing your time and money, setting up products on your site only to discover that that the merchant is out of stock.
Conclusion:
When dropshipping, fulfillment is just as important as product selection, prices and promotion. It is extremely important that you run your dropship business based solely upon what is in stock. Your starting point, a website design and procedures that strive to maintain an updated stock listing at all times. This works to smooth the customer transaction process while also protecting your reputation.
