Dropshipping and websites
While eBay is the most popular platform for individuals to make use of dropshippers, it is certainly not the only way to present your products to customers.
Another option is to have your own website where you can display and sell your products. Having your own website puts you in complete control over your business. You can decide how the goods will be presented, how and where to promote your website and its products, and build consumer loyalty not just by providing quality products but also by providing extra services to the customer.
For instance, if you sell fishing rods you may want to build a website that provides tips, information about types of fishing rods etc. and build a community of fishing enthusiasts. This will give visitors an incentive to return to your site and build visitor loyalty. Once a visitor is on your website you will have him all for yourself, unlike on eBay where your competitors are listed right below you.
Having a website of your own also gives you more possibilities to automate your business. Orders can be automatically forwarded to the dropshipper, so you don’t have to spend much time on order processing and are able to focus on marketing.
There are also disadvantages though: selling on eBay gives you access to its visitors and its facilities, selling on your own website means you have to gain your own visitors and develop your own facilities. Your website needs to be secure, optimized for search engines and have a professional look so visitors won’t turn away. This will take time and money to develop, but in the end it will be worth it and provides you with more stability than eBay can give you.