A Step-by-Step Guide to Starting a Dropshipping Store and Making Hundreds of Dollars per Month From the Comfort of your Home

By Fayeque Mir: May 7, 2025

As discussed in Life Advice’s last blog post about the meaning of and advantages of Dropshipping, the allure of running your own online business, setting your own hours, and tapping into a global market is undeniable. For many aspiring entrepreneurs, dropshipping is an accessible and appealing pathway into the world of e-commerce.

But while the concept is straightforward, successfully launching and scaling a dropshipping store requires a lot of work. Careful planning, diligent execution, and a commitment to continuous learning are all keys in building and maintaining a successful brand that attracts customers. Understanding that all this is pretty hard for the rookie e-commerce entrepreneur, our team at Life Advice built this comprehensive guide, that will walk you through each crucial step, empowering you to turn your e-commerce aspirations into a thriving (and money-making) reality.

1. Finding Your Profitable Product Category

An example of a possible niche

The foundation of any successful dropshipping store lies in the niche you choose. A good niche is a product with high demand and low supply. This means people want it, but not much businesses offer it to customers.

Focus on a specific product category that aligns with your interests (you want to make sure you’re selling something that sparks at least a bit of interest in you), market trends (what customers want), and potential profitability (are there huge business, like Amazon or Walmart, already selling this product successfully?).

To select the perfect niche, follow your passion, as your enthusiasm will fuel your efforts and make the journey more enjoyable. It's also important to identify market needs by researching trends and cater to growing demands, while also selecting a niche which has as less competition as possible. Tools such as Google Trends can help explore search volume and trends, and online storefronts like Amazon and Temu can identify how much competition a market for a certain product has.

For example, you recently found out through google trends that searches for “Cute Mug with sloth face on it“ (It’s just an example, I don’t know how much searches for that actually happened in reality) are skyrocketing, indicating demand for such a mug. To find out how many competitors are already selling a similar product, you search up the same thing and find no such mug on Amazon, and only find 5 or 6 with mediocre reviews on Temu. You then select this mug as your niche.

2. Finding Reliable Dropshipping Suppliers

Some shipyard your product is probably stored at while getting to your customer

Once you've identified your niche, the next key step is to find reliable dropshipping suppliers. A supplier will be the party that stores and ships the goods you are selling. Your supplier usually manufactures the product as well and may also handle product returns if your store offers them. Suppliers are the backbone of your operation, their efficiency and product quality directly impact your customer satisfaction and reputation. Which is why choosing the correct one is really important. Bad supplier = bad product = bad reviews = no money.

Before deciding what supplier to choose, let’s break down 2 popular types of suppliers you can work with in a dropshipping model. There are standard suppliers which help you sell a product that’s already made (an example could be the sloth mug). And then there are print-on-demand suppliers, which make custom made products after a customer has ordered them, based on designs you create through the suppliers online designing tool yourself. A print-on-demand supplier has a bunch of standard blank products, like blank T-shirts, mugs, water bottles and more, for you to print designs on to. Both types of suppliers have their advantages and disadvantages, and it’s crucial you do your research before selecting either one of them.

It's also essential to assess product quality by requesting samples to ensure they meet yours’ and customers’ standards. Shipping time and costs are also really important. Make sure to ask about their processes, timelines, and fees, as fast and affordable shipping is a huge advantage in the dropshipping industry (after all, who wants to wait a month for their product to arrive?). Make sure your supplier can be communicated with easily and has fast response times. Review their return and refund policies as well.

Finally, check if their platform integrates with your chosen e-commerce platform for a smoother operation. Many suppliers offer software that directly integrated into popular website building platforms and online marketplaces like WooCommerce, Squarespace, Etsy, and Amazon.

To find a standard dropshipping supplier, searching for merchants on marketplaces like AliExpress, and Temu, are an option, while directories like SaleHoo and Worldwide Brands can help you find reliable standard suppliers too. If you want to try print-on-demand suppliers, options like Printful, Printify, and Gelato are available. Remember that once you’ve found a potential supplier for you niche, thoroughly vetting them through reviews, sample requests, and direct questions is paramount. Building strong relationships with reliable suppliers is a long-term investment in your store's success, which means money for you.

3. Choosing the Right E-Commerce Platform

All Dropshipping takes is a laptop, a good internet connection, and dedication.

Your online store is the face of your business, and selecting the right e-commerce platform is crucial for creating a user-friendly and visually appealing shopping experience. Many platforms are available that cater specifically to dropshippers, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.

Some options include WooCommerce, which is free. It provides flexible and highly customizable options, but requires more technical setup while offering greater control. Another option is Squarespace, which provides the ability to create beautiful websites code-free, accept payments and sell products. You can also sell your products by becoming merchant on Amazon or Etsy if you don’t want to make your own store.

Dropshipping integration, which means automating your store such that when you get an order it goes directly to the supplier and they ship it to the customer, can be possible with platforms like Oberlo for AliExpress based suppliers and direct integration with the supplier on platforms that offer them. For example, print-on-demand supplier Printful offers direct integration with e-commerce platform WooCommerce.

Also consider if the platform you chose has integration with popular payment methods like PayPal and Stripe, SEO-friendly features to improve traffic, and reliable customer support. Taking the time to explore the features and pricing of different platforms will help you find the one that best aligns with your technical skills, budget, and long-term goals.

4. Marketing Strategeis to grow your store

Make sure your strategy helps you drive traffic and sales.

Having a beautiful and functional store is only half the battle. You need a solid marketing strategy to drive traffic, attract potential customers, and ultimately generate sales/ make money.

An effective marketing strategy for dropshipping stores is social media marketing, where building a presence on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok allows you to engage with your target audience, run targeted ads, and build brand awareness.

Another strategy is paid advertising through platforms like Google Ads and social media ads, which can reach a wider audience and spread the word about your store.

Email marketing is also a strategy to consider, as it allows you to build an email list and nurture leads with valuable content, product updates, and promotions.

Influencer marketing is something else to try, and it involves partnering with relevant influencers to promote your products to their followers.

Make sure to market your products to the ones who will want them the most, using the strategy that will target them best, for example, if you are selling a T-shirt which features a certain videogame character on it, you may want to talk to an influencer well known in that videogames’ community to help spread the word about your product.

Your Escape From the 9-5 awaits

Starting a dropshipping store requires dedication, effort, and a willingness to learn. It may not be that hard, but it certainly isn’t a cakewalk either. But with careful planning and execution, and a customer-centric approach, you can build a thriving online business that offers flexibility, scalability, and the potential for significant success. Get ready to watch your e-commerce dreams take flight, and to ditch the 9-5 for good.