The personalised product market is gaining momentum as we, the consumers, are increasingly demanding what we want, when and how. Not only do we want to receive a personalised product service but we want to be actively involved in the process.
Dropshipping is a popular business model and with the right product it can also be a very promising route to market. Dropshipping personalised products has greater potential to improve traffic and conversion.
Brian O’Donnell, Managing Director of Map Marketing, shares his insights and tips on selling personalised products through dropshipping for the long term survival of your business.
Map Marketing is a manufacturer of maps and jigsaw puzzles based in Devon, UK. Selling predominantly in the UK and the US, they supply off-the-shelf, short-run and one-off maps and jigsaw puzzles. Having shipped over one-million personalised map jigsaw puzzles they are specialists in dropshipping.
How Map Marketing does it
Map Marketing has a unique product in that each jigsaw they make is different to the next one and therefore it has an added value. Customers are thrilled because the product is completely unique and holds special meaning for them.
Whilst Map Marketing carries a lot of third party products on their own websites, in principle they only sell their own products on marketplaces. With their own production facilities it makes sense for them to sell what they make to retailers and wholesalers.
When you sell other branded products that everyone is also selling the two mains ways you can differentiate is through service and or price. Selling someone else’s product means they set the price. The sellers begin to compete by selling for slightly less and all of a sudden they find themselves in a race to the bottom - where no one wins.
The simplest way to sell personalised products is to take in a product of somebody else and add value to it.
For example, sellers on Etsy often take a standard product, like a leather journal, emboss your name on it and then sell it to you for twice the price. It all comes down to the understanding that personalization makes something twice as valuable.
Differentiating and adding value to your product means you have greater control of the market as it is less likely that someone might undercut you. For example, you can use components of a product and create your own brand. This doesn’t mean you have to start manufacturing parts of a product but that you can add your own touch to it and create something that nobody else can sell.
Dropshipping
Dropshipping is a method of fulfilment where you don’t stock the product you are selling. When a business uses the dropshipping model it buys the item from a third party and has it delivered directly to the customer.
In essence you can feature items on your website and get paid directly from the customer whenever they make an order without having to worry about inventory and the logistics of delivering items.
The dropshipping business model is very appealing, especially when you are first starting out in eCommerce. Once you have figured out what product you want to sell you can literally start creating your website and marketing the product. You don’t have to worry about having stock and a place to store or delivery methods and times. Dropshipping world best when you are cash poor. No stock = no risk.
The risk that you take with the dropship model is that you source your fulfilment reputation to a third party. You have to be able to trust them. Some dropshippers will let you down, others will promise the earth but not quite deliver. That’s the risk you have to consider.
There is also the potential double cost of shipping if a customer orders two products.
For many people dropshipping can be a good way to start a business but it’s not a good place to end up. One of the key things that you’re judged on as business is how quickly you deliver the product to the customer and what state it arrives in. A lot of reviews focus on the delivery process. Secondly you need to consider your costs. If somebody buys a stock item and a drop ship item, you’ll be charging the customer once for shipping but you would have to pay twice.
A few tips for those looking to offer dropshipping:
>> Research dropshipping companies that are interested in building a brand and representing the brand well.
>> Choose a trustworthy and experienced dropship partner. You want someone who will be honest with you about stock and not let you down. Angry customers will not help your business.
>> Look for a point of uniqueness on the product. Ask the dropshipping company if you can make any changes to the product to help you differentiate and stand out. How helpful are they?
>> Focus on the product and the value proposition
>> Create a content rich website for the product. SEO is still vital and people forget that at their peril.
Personalisation is becoming the norm as consumers are expecting it more and more from the brands they interact with. Businesses that respond to this change from mass production to mass personalisation will go the distance.
Takeaway #1 Personalisation makes a product twice as valuable.
Takeaway #2 Add value to a product by making it unique to you
Takeaway #3 While personalisation is important, quality is key.
Takeaway #4 Dropshipping can be a good place to start your business but not a good place to end up.
Map Marketing Dropship Jigsaws for eCommerce
Map Marketing can dropship jigsaws to your customers. Your website takes the order, you send Map Marketing the order files and they pack and post directly to the customer and invoice you at the end of the month. Their sales team handles all returns and delivery enquiries.
Map Market also operates All Jigsaw Puzzles, the UK’s No.1 store supplying jigsaw puzzles for adults and Geopacks, an educational division that supplies products designed to make teaching geography easier.
If you are interested in the dropship model and think you can market personalised jigsaws then check out Map Marketing and connect with Brian O’Donnell.
Connect with Brian O’Donnell:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/odonnellbrian/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bod1966