Welcome back, empire builders! Today I’ll be giving you a FREE step-by-step dropshipping business course. It’s the perfect guide for going from beginner to $10K/month dropshipping business owner. Let’s get started.
Finding a Niche
The first step in this step-by-step dropshipping business course is zeroing in on a niche. You can’t go wrong picking a hobby niche because they’re full of passionate people who put a lot into their hobbies. Also, they’ve been around for a while and have proven to be stable.
Start by searching “list of hobbies.” Spend some time looking into different ones. Don’t spend too much time on it, though. You can’t pick a bad one, so whichever one interests you will work. If you go with something you don’t like, then your business will feel like a chore, so choose something that you at least somewhat enjoy.
Validate Your Niche
As an example, I’ll use scrapbooking. Familiarize yourself with your niche a bit. Learn the mechanics of it and the mindset of participants. Some great ways to do that include:
- Checking Wikipedia
- Joining Facebook groups
- Watching YouTube videos
- Finding relevant influencers
Next, I’ll type “scrapbooking” into Google Trends to find the search volume. You want something with a steady line rather than a large dip in interest. That’s the difference between a trendy fad and an evergreen hobby. If the graph is over the 50 mark and more or less straight over the past year, it’ll work. Then, do some Amazon research to make sure there’s not heavy brand loyalty. Also, make sure there’s a variety of products – both physical and informational – along with many buyers, sellers, and advertising opportunities.
Finding Products
Next, I find potential products. I look for:
- Frontend Products
- Two Free Bonus Information Products
- Two Upsell Products
- Subscriptions
The Frontend Product
I use Amazon and other tools to see what people are selling. Ecomhunt is a great way to search for products for free. I type in scrapbooking and see what comes up. Immediately I see some metallic markers that came up on Amazon. That probably means they sell well.
Next, I go to AliExpress and search for scrapbooking to see if those same markers come up. They do, so I check the price and compare that to the Amazon price. The profit margin doesn’t need to be huge. I’m not going to overthink it — I’m just going to pick the markers as my frontend product.
Choosing the Right Supplier
Next, I’ll search “metallic markers” on AliExpress to find the best price. I found a supplier that has a better price, good sales, and product variation. I want to validate that they specialize in a similar arts and crafts niche, so I’ll start by checking their feedback ratings. Above four and a half is ideal. Next, I’ll see if they have more products in the niche, so I can use the same supplier. It might take time to find one, but it’s worth it. If you have to use more than one supplier, that’s fine, though.
Upsell Products
The marker supplier has two kinds of markers: thin- and thick-tipped. I like to use that kind of variation to upsell since customers are likely to want the second type, too. The next thing I look for is a similar product or an accessory. The supplier has a canvas marker case. It’s perfect for upsell number two.
Free Bonus Information Product
This is a unique step in my step-by-step dropshipping business course, but informational products matter. This will come free with the purchase to sweeten the deal. Google “scrapbooking PLR” (private label rights) to buy the rights to existing information products. I usually use the PLR Store. All you have to do is add better font and some nice images to make it look presentable. I found one right away with 62 pages for only $6. I’ll just use two basic chapters, not the whole PLR. I try to pick sections about the biggest pain points.
Subscription
Subscription offers are great sources of recurring revenue. Look for something that people in your niche will need a steady supply of. In this case, stickers, washi tape, and other supplies are good options. I like to add in some information products, too, so I’ll include page layouts. I aim for at least $24.97 a month, but base your prices on what makes sense for your niche. The goal is a 50% profit margin while doubling the customer’s value. So, if you charge $20 a month, spend $10 or less while providing $40 of value to make the subscription worth it.
Business Essentials in This Step-by-Step Dropshipping Business Course
Now we’ll get into business essentials: your website, funnels, etc. Let’s start at the beginning.
Picking a Domain Name
Using relevant niche terms makes me seem like part of the community and helps people find the site since they’ll likely use similar search terms. I’ll Google “scrapbooking terms” and look for a list or blog post to reference. I like to use fun, hipster names since they seem to perform well. Quickly glancing at the list of scrapbooking terms, I see cropping and cutting, so I’ll use CropAndCut.com. It doesn’t need to take hours. Don’t overthink it.
Google is the best place to buy domains and emails because it’s cheaper and gives you Gmail access. When buying domain emails, Support@YourDomain keeps it simple.
Payment Processor
Once you have your domain and email all set up, you can sign up for Stripe for free. The application process is simple, and it’s the best way for beginners to get started.
Building Your Website
ClickFunnels has templates to build your site quickly and easily. Don’t change the page layouts; just edit the pages with relevant images and text. Use similar Amazon product pages for inspiration. Don’t plagiarize; just take ideas from a few and combine them into original copy. If you want to create a logo, you can do that quickly in Canva, but you don’t need one. For testimonials, use the AliExpress reviews.
The great thing about ClickFunnels is how much you can do. For example, you can send automated emails. If someone opted in but didn’t buy, you can follow up with an email automatically. Also, when someone makes a purchase, they’ll be prompted to add the upsells.
The Bottom Line of This Step-by-Step Dropshipping Business Course
That’s it, guys. It’s that simple. Just don’t overthink it. If you want to learn more in-depth tactics than I go over in this step-by-step dropshipping business course, then sign up for my masterclass, where I’ll walk you through the process in even more detail.