AliExpress is an enormous online retail Store owned by the Alibaba Group. The platform offers products at rates remarkably lower than Amazon and similar alternatives. For this reason, it is very popular among drop shippers.

If you’re interested in Dropshipping through AliExpress, you’re in the right place. This post covers all you need to know on the subject.

Why use AliExpress for dropshipping

Although AliExpress positions itself as an online retailer, most vendors on the platform know many of their customers are resellers interested in dropshipping. Consequently, the platform has taken steps to simplify the process

Simplicity

Dropshipping with AliExpress is straightforward. There are no upfront fees or costs, so you can try out products without any significant financial commitment. In fact, you can start dropshipping right now with one of Wholesale2b’s free online accounts.

Product imports

Most AliExpress vendors have existing product photos and product descriptions you can import to your store at no charge.

Pro tip:

If you’re planning to sell a commodity, don’t overlook the importance of differentiation through positioning. Its helps to get the small details right. If you want to stand out from the rest, invest in compelling photos and custom product descriptions.

Why would customers buy from your store instead of AliExpress?

Your site has better product selection.

AliExpress boasts the reputation of being an enormous eCommerce platform where you can find just about anything. The platform is home to over 8 million active sellers with an offer of over 100 million items, so there’s variety.

However, this isn’t always a good thing. Studies show that a shopper looking for a specific product is more likely to buy it from a niche eCommerce store than from AliExpress.

It’s challenging to find a single item when you’re presented with a list that has thousands. It is for this reason that buyers avoid other enormous market places – they don’t want to get lost. They prefer dedicated spaces with minimal categories because they are easier to navigate. Besides, a niche eCommerce store is likely to focus less on generic items and more on specialized products.

Your site is More Convenient.

Customers love simplicity.  AliExpress forces buyers to register, and it’s a massive deterrence for many online shoppers. On the other hand, your niche store can allow customers to make purchases in a straight forward way. Instead of asking customers to register, you can let them make payments through pay pal. In that way, there’s no need to spend extra effort on gathering delivery addresses and providing verification.

You have better customer support.

Alibaba is comprised of several independent manufacturers. The vendors are given a significant level of autonomy, much like sellers on eBay. As a result, the quality of customer service often suffers. Not all the vendors on AliExpress offer helpful customer service, and for that reason, customers would instead buy from niche stores with reliable, dedicated customer support.

How to dropship with AliExpress

Step 1

If you have an online store, go to AliExpress and find the products you want to offer on your own store. After you find products to sell, import them to your store through a dropshipping tool like Wholesale2b

Step 2

It’s best to have between 5 and 20 products in your store. Now is the time to create captivating product pages (the pages that describe products in detail and offer a purchase link). It won’t help your conversions if your eCommerce site looks spammy.

Step 3

You can start advertising your products through digital channels such as Facebook and Google ads.

Step 4

When a customer visits your store and purchases one of your products, you should go to your dropshipping tool and place an order. The dropshipping tool will connect to AliExpress, add all the individual items from that order to your cart, fill in all the customer details.  After that’s done, all you have to do is hit enter.

How long does AliExpress take to deliver products?

Because there are so many individual sellers on AliExpress, delivery times can vary widely.  It may take anywhere between two weeks and 2 months.

That said, as a general rule, shipping times will depend on your destination country and shipping method. If, for instance, you want to ship to the United States, it will take between 19 and 39 days.

Shipping times on AliExpress may seem too long, but it won’t make much difference if the product is worth waiting for and you clearly tell your customers that delivery won’t be the next day.

How to handle customer service and refund requests on AliExpress

Have a clear returns policy

Returns may be bad, but they get a lot worse when they find you unprepared. For this reason, it is wise to have a reliable returns policy.  Keep the following in mind.

If your supplier says they provide a 30-day window after delivery during which items can be returned, your returns policy should say 20 to give you and your customer ample time to send the package.

State the acceptable reasons for return.

It doesn’t matter whether your supplier is flexible with the returns. You needn’t do the exact same thing. You could say in your policy that “goods once sold are not returnable except when the product sent is wrong or damaged.”

This will help you process returns faster and more efficiently.

Returns handling process.

• When a customer requests a return or refund, evaluate their request on the basis of your returns policy.
• Next, assuming the customer’s request is covered within you and your supplier’s returns policies, ask your supplier for a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number and a replacement or refund.
• Send your customer an apology email with the RMA number and the return address. They will ship the package to you or your supplier.

Note: Remember to ask your customer to purchase a tracking number if they’ll be paying for the return shipping. Furthermore, if it’s your first time dealing with returns, it helps to have the rejected item shipped directly to you so you can analyze it for damage, defects, or other applicable reasons, and take photos.

You have all the information you need to dropship through AliExpress. If however, you feel unsure of yourself, wholesale2b can handle all your dropshipping orders for you. The company’s team will fetch tracking codes, update all order details, and push them to Amazon, eBay, or your online store. They will also handle return requests, so you can focus on marketing and growing your brand.