How to dropship with AliExpress

Last Updated on October 24, 2022

Using Aliexpress as a dropshipping extension is a great method to get your e-commerce business off the ground without having to worry about inventory or shipping. It’s as easy as putting a product on your own website for sale and instructing your supplier to ship the item on your behalf whenever you receive an order. 

While beginning a dropshipping business is a terrific method to start an eCommerce business from the ground up, finding a dependable supplier can be difficult. You can find a lot of products to dropship and learn how to do so with the help of excellent dropshipping tools.

What is AliExpress?

AliExpress is an online marketplace where people from all around the world may buy wholesale goods directly from Chinese businesses, and it was launched in 2010. AliExpress is a massive online marketplace with over 100 million products for sale. Alibaba owns AliExpress, which is like an Ebay service located in China.

The company, Alibaba was founded in 1999 as a result of Jack Ma’s inability to find Chinese products quickly on the internet. The resulting platform has transformed eCommerce businesses around the world by allowing Western buyers to connect with Chinese and Asian suppliers.

The original site, Alibaba, is designed for bulk purchases. The majority of sellers have bulk order minimums. You can place orders directly with Chinese manufacturers, and payment is normally made by bank transfer.

You can get popular items at a lesser price on AliExpress because most of the manufacturers are not local manufacturers. Women’s wears and jewelry, as well as gadgets and home décor, are all in the marketplace. If you want to sell things online, it’s a great site to look for products. AliExpress, unlike other marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay, offers a unique infrastructure that is convenient for dropshipping order fulfillment. 

The key difference between Alibaba and AliExpress is that Alibaba allows you to buy from the manufacturer without a third party, whereas AliExpress allows you to buy from third-party individuals or corporations who resell to you. You won’t receive the cheapest pricing, but it’s ideal for dropshippers because of the AliExpress buyer protection and option to make single purchases.

Does AliExpress Allow Dropshipping?

Yes, it does. AliExpress makes it simple to select things to sell in your online store without worrying about inventory or delivery. You may start dropshipping for free right now by using dropshipping apps or tools to search and add AliExpress products to your business in a matter of seconds. 

This is how you go about it; add the products you want to sell to your store and establish pricing that includes a markup. When you receive an order, you pay wholesale prices for it. Your customer will get the order directly from the AliExpress merchant.

If you don’t know what dropshipping is, then here is a little explanation for you. When a customer purchases on your website, you order the product from your Chinese supplier, who then ships it to your customer. There’s no need to stock inventory or bother about packaging and delivery.

Setting up a store or having a location to sell your items, such as Amazon, Shopify, or eBay, is required before you may dropship from AliExpress. You make the order with the seller on AliExpress when a buyer makes a purchase. The vendor ships the things, and you profit from the difference in prices.

When your customer receives the thing, it is as though it is from you. There’s no reason to be aware that it’s a dropshipping operation. Knowing how to dropship on AliExpress is a huge advantage for you in your eCommerce business. 

Is AliExpress Dropshipping Profitable?

Yes. If you discover amazing products and keep your delivery costs down, dropshipping on AliExpress may be quite profitable. Even if AliExpress products are cheap, you must pay to have them sent from China to the end buyer. Chinese companies can ship tiny goods directly to consumers in the United States at extremely low rates, far lower than any American company, because of a 144-year-old arrangement known as the Universal Postal Union (UPU) treaty.

A mouth guard, for example, would cost roughly $23.50 to send from the United States to China. A Chinese dealer, on the other hand, can ship from China to the U.S for less than $2.

The enormous difference in delivery costs is what makes dropshipping on AliExpress a profitable dropshipping business. With the mouth guard as an example, you could sell a snoring mouth guard for $26 and have it shipped directly to a buyer in the United States for $5 from a Chinese vendor. This will include shipping costs as well. That is a $21 profit with no risk involved. 

How to use AliExpress Dropshipping

Despite the fact that many AliExpress suppliers are retailers, the great majority of AliExpress consumers are resellers. As a result, dropshipping on AliExpress is really simple, as suppliers have already dealt with dropshippers and are happy to accommodate your specific requirements. Then the question is, how does AliExpress dropshipping work?

There are no upfront costs or fees for dropshipping from AliExpress, so you may try out products without risking your money. You can search, import, and sell AliExpress products on your Shopify store with just a few clicks if you use an eCommerce store app.

You might think dropshipping on AliExpress is difficult. On the contrary, it isn’t. Here is a breakdown of how to use it.

1. Create an online store using eCommerce tools such as Shopify.
2. Use a third-party program to import products into your store. If you’re using Shopify, check out Alitools dropship, which allows you to simply import products from AliExpress into your store with a single click.
3. Then, when you receive an order on your website, you’ll go to AliExpress and order the product from your seller, who will ship it directly to your customer. 

As an important piece of advice, when choosing a shipping method, make sure to choose ePacket shipping, as it is not the default choice for some AliExpress merchants.

Keep in mind that AliExpress orders are typically handled within 24 hours. Your order will be unfulfilled during this period. You must update your customer’s order information by adding tracking information and sending them a receipt message with this information once the item has been paid for and shipped by the seller.

How to Choose AliExpress Products for Dropshipping

Now that we have learned how to use AliExpress for dropshipping and if it is profitable or not, it’s time to set up your shop. There are three basic steps to this which are defining who your customers are, choosing a preferred niche, and choosing the products that you wish to sell. Let’s begin.

• Define Your Target Customers

The first step to having great dropshipping on AliExpress is defining who you’re going to be selling to. Many dropshipping store owners do not consider who they are marketing to, but this is something they should. You advertise your products to a certain set of people when you market them. You’ve chosen this group because you believe they’ll be the most likely to buy your product.

Your dropshipping target audience is the exact set of people you market to. It is a group of people who you expect to buy your goods because they share similar interests, hobbies, ages, or gender.

• Select a Niche

The second step in creating your online store is deciding on a niche or the type of dropshipping products you’ll sell. If you’re unsure where to begin, start with AliExpress’s product categories and list possibilities depending on what interests you the most or what you’d feel most comfortable selling. 

Some dropshipping products you can sell are:

• Women’s fashion
• Men’s fashion
• Phones and communications
• Computer, office, and security
• Consumer electronics
• Jewelry and watches
• Home, pet, and appliances
• Bags and shoes
• Toys, kids, and babies
• Outdoor fun and sports
• Beauty, health, and hair
• Automobiles and motorcycles
• Home improvement and tools

• Choosing the Products

It’s time to start choosing a few products you can resell in your shop once you’ve decided on a niche. You can pick any product(s) from the categories listed above. There is a large selection of products to pick from, as with many categories on AliExpress. If you don’t choose a high-quality product from a reputable seller, this might be overwhelming and cause issues.

There is a list of factors to use while selecting a product. There’s no science to it, but I’m confident it’ll help you find trustworthy sellers. When choosing a product to dropship on AliExpress, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• To prevent mistakenly reselling fakes and knockoffs, stay away from products with existing branding. Even if the product is authentic, the danger of selling a product with someone else’s logo on it is not worth it because you won’t be a licensed reseller unless you work out a formal arrangement with the company in question. 

Yes, this will limit your options, but it will also save you time, so stick to product categories where a recognizable trademark is less important, such as electronic equipment or apparel.

• Concentrate on reselling products with free ePacket delivery as much as possible. Because the vast majority of AliExpress product listings originate in China or Hong Kong, ePacket delivery is not only the most cost-effective but also one of the fastest ways to ship small items to the United States. 

It’s worth noting that I’d prefer a vendor that offers ePacket delivery over one that doesn’t, even if it’s not free. It’s simply the most cost-effective and dependable method of transporting goods from China to the Americas and Europe currently accessible.

• A product with a large number of orders might reveal a lot of information. First, there must be a market for the goods. Second, the provider is more dependable than average because, given the volume of transactions, at least some of them are likely to be repeat purchases. You should sometimes start looking for a new item to sell by sorting things by the number of orders they have received.

• Ensure that the products you wish to resell have a high product rating, preferably over 4.5 stars, and also that the merchant has a high percentage of positive feedback. Use the AliExpress Sellers Check Chrome add-on to gain a second perspective on product sellers. 

Using a third-party service, you’ll be able to acquire a more candid and unbiased review of a seller at a look. This is far more dependable than simply relying on AliExpress’ rating system.

• Choose products that have a low price and high margin possibility. You can purchase things in the $1 to $20 price range depending on the product you want to resale. 

Because these products might range in price from $20 to $50 or more, this provides you greater leeway in terms of marketing costs spent to gain a customer. For instance, you can buy running shoes for roughly $20 on AliExpress and sell them for $50, giving you a 60% profit margin before marketing charges.

• Examine the product photographs for authenticity. Do your homework to make sure the photographs are from your manufacturer and not from another online merchant. A fast Google image search will reveal whether the product photographs belong to a legitimate brand and merchant or the manufacturer.

• Before placing an order with a merchant, don’t be scared to ask them questions. A trustworthy seller will promptly respond to all of your inquiries. It’s a significant red flag if a seller doesn’t react to your messages.

Best AliExpress Dropshipping Products

The following is a list of some of the best AliExpress dropshipping products listings:

• Face masks for children
• Toothbrushes that are powered by electricity
• Brushes made of bamboo
• Patches of acne
• Leggings that can withstand squats
• Tracksuits
• Pajamas
• Ring lights
• Backpacks
• Wine fridges
• Dog beds
• Microphones for podcasts
• Brushes for between the teeth
• Eye masks for sleeping
• Gummies for sleeping
• Overshirts
• Soap dispensers that operate automatically
• Pencil covers
• Mats for yoga
• Silicone rings
• Massage gun
• Smart locks
• Electric kettles
• Rolling jade
• Smart lightings
• Mechanical pencils
• Vitamin C serum
• Blenders
• Tripods for iPhone
• Doormats
• Headsets for gaming
• Glasses that block out blue light
• Ceiling/standing fans
• Soap dishes
• Curtains and blankets
• Duvets
• Wrenches for sockets
• Lamps for bedside
• Monitors for video games
• Mousepads for gamers

How to Select Trustworthy AliExpress Suppliers

AliExpress indeed does its best to deal with unreliable suppliers. We nevertheless advise you to be cautious when choosing AliExpress dropshipping suppliers.

Here are a few pointers from our dropshipping guide on how to select trustworthy AliExpress suppliers:

• Research

Finding out which supplier dropshipping on AliExpress is available and can meet your needs is one of the most crucial things to do. You’ll need to look through AliExpress and compare costs, user reviews, and shipping alternatives. You can do it by yourself or use software like Alitools to assist you through the process and make it faster and more precise. 

To save time in your search for a qualified provider, utilize filters by entering a keyword and selecting the characteristics you want in a product to exclude those that don’t interest you. 

• Contact Supplier

Establish a relationship of trust with the supplier. Maintaining direct contact allows you to inquire about their services, hear about special deals, and establish successful communication. The end of this act is to know the supplier on a one-on-one basis.

Maintaining a positive relationship with your dropshipping suppliers improves your chances of receiving prompt responses to inquiries and bettering network conditions. We advise you to switch to another platform like WhatsApp or Skype once the supplier has responded on AliExpress because it is easier and more comfortable to talk and make yourself understood. It’s crucial, especially if you’ll be communicating with each other daily. 

It’s critical to ask all of the questions you can while dealing with the supplier to avoid any doubts. To avoid misunderstandings, never make assumptions. Instead, ask them everything. If a supplier doesn’t reply to you within 24 hours of your request, do move on to find other suppliers.

• Order Samples 

Order samples for yourself initially when you’ve chosen several vendors with whom to collaborate. Check out their customer service, delivery schedules, packaging, and any other concerns you might have to make sure you’re happy with your decision.

This process is an important element of deciding on a partner since you can see how your customers will perceive your business and how satisfied they will be with the quality of service firsthand. You will be able to know exactly how your customers will be treated by the vendor. This is easy to do, as you will be the customer at this point. Take down your observations from the point of making an order and receiving the order. 

We recommend that you place orders from several providers to compare product and service quality before deciding on the best option.

• Order from a Competitor

If one of your competitors patronizes the same supplier like you, you can learn about their product packaging and service offerings. If they utilize other dropshipping suppliers, you can place an order with them to get an idea of the degree of service you’ll need to deliver in order to match or outperform the competition.

• Pay Attention to Details

When you first establish your company, the suppliers you choose may not be appropriate for your target market. It could be about the raw materials they utilize, their business practices, or the way they handle returns. To avoid having your brand destroyed, it’s critical to gather as much information as possible.

Most dropshippers are guilty of not taking note of very important details as they start and progress through their AliExpress dropshipping business. Pay attention to the products that customers like and order frequently. This will help you know the category of products to focus more on. 

• Know Which Suppliers to Avoid

There is a lot of variety on the AliExpress platform because there are so many suppliers, from those who offer you great deals to those who have high ratings or sell branded products. Every supplier will appear to be the best, and this might make it difficult for you to know which supplier to avoid and the ones to trust. There are a few ways to know which suppliers to not do business with. 

A positive feedback rating is one approach to evaluating an AliExpress dropshipping seller in general. Every marketplace relies heavily on rating systems for both products and sellers. Pay attention to what other merchants have to say about each vendor and take notes. In order to choose the most dependable suppliers, seek the ones with the best ratings. 

The supplier’s reaction time and ability to understand your problem and offer you clear details are also important factors to consider. You can avoid a supplier if he or she simply answers with a generic, useless reply. 

Avoid suppliers that want you to pay them monthly. Why should you be paying them monthly? Isn’t that suspicious? 

• Supplier’s Refund and Return Policy

The majority of AliExpress vendors do not handle returns. Returning, on the other hand, is a critical process, and being able to properly and respectfully accept a buyer’s return request, and also respond to negative feedback, is an essential aspect of running any business, especially dropshipping.

Suppliers with poor AliExpress refund and return policies will clearly have an unimpressive customer relationship. This will affect his business negatively. 

This characteristic of a supplier can be checked in the process of you ordering a sample for yourself. You can check out how a supplier responds to you in cases of a damaged product or wrong delivery. How the supplier treats you tells how they will treat your customers. Choose wisely.

Adding Products To Your Store

It’s time to start adding products to your online store once you’ve set up your business and decided on a product category or niche, as well as a supplier. This is a critical step to go over in-depth because it’s not as simple as copying and pasting the images and information from an AliExpress listing onto your own online shop. 

There are a few things you can do to make your online store successful. Let’s dive into them:

• Create product descriptions of your own

Having your own original content will benefit your business in the long term and will aid in the conversion of visitors to consumers on your product pages. Finally, if you write a unique copy for all of your store’s pages, you’ll eliminate the chance of duplicate content. This requires a basic knowledge of copywriting or content writing. Your unique product descriptions will make your shop outstanding.

• Use monitoring tools to track your orders

Customers may send you emails questioning where their purchases are due to the longer shipping durations than most people are used to. Using an order monitoring tool will allow your consumers to keep track of their orders, resulting in increased trust in your store. If you’re running an eCommerce store using Shopify, for example, you can utilize a tracking order app from the Shopify App Store to inform your customers about the status of their order. 

• Indicate an average delivery time

It’s a good idea to mention on the product page that clients may have to wait up to a specific number of days for their order to arrive. The duration depends on the supplier and the type of product. The aim is to let your customer know the estimated shipping times he or she should wait to receive the order.

• Include free delivery as an option

Low shipping fees can become a competitive advantage for you. Offer free shipping to your customers through the shipping options provided by many AliExpress suppliers, which could be free or low shipping fee.

• Percentage margins

Consider charging roughly twice as much for your stuff. A higher percentage margin can help cover other marketing expenses. Once the profits are fairly high, you will want to continue the business. 

Why Use AliExpress For Dropshipping?

It’s okay to wonder why many people use AliExpress for dropshipping. Here is why: 

• User-Friendliness

AliExpress is a user-friendly online marketplace with a simple layout and navigation. It is simple and quick to sign up, and you can start browsing and buying things right away. It provides excellent customer service. Also, users can leave reviews on the website after making an order. This helps to know how users feel and what they want to be improved. 

• Easy Payment

AliExpress accepts a range of payment ways because it is a worldwide service. The most prevalent payment option is credit cards. Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, and American Express are all accepted by AliExpress. Other additional payment methods are Giropay, Sofort Banking, Carte Bancaire, Przelewy24, SMS Payment in Russia, Cash Payment, etc.

• Customer Protection Policies

Buyer protections are in place on AliExpress, so if your purchase does not come or is not satisfactory when it does, you will be refunded.

This could be the case if you buy things that are supposed to be authentic but turn out to be fake. To begin the refund procedure, you’ll need to open AliExpress dispute claim in your account, detailing the issue and why a refund is necessary.

• Wide Selection of Goods

There is a large selection of products to choose from in this category, as in many others on AliExpress, as well as the delivery methods. The AliExpress marketplace features the broadest range of products for any taste and budget.

• Discounts and Special Offers

Who wouldn’t want to be given discounts and special treatments? Almost every AliExpress merchant has a special deal for loyal customers. Almost every AliExpress store offers discount coupons to help you save even more money. 

AliExpress Dropshipping Pitfalls

No human is above mistakes. This applies to doing AliExpress dropshipping business. There are many reasons people fail as dropshippers on AliExpress. Let’s address a few of them.

• Not Testing Enough Products

The majority of sellers who stop using Aliexpress Dropshipping say they have only tested five products. In reality, most people only try a few products before concluding that the business model isn’t viable or profiting. 

It is not possible to know which product or products will work out for you by testing 1 or 2 of them. On average, test about 15 products. This will give you enough idea of what works and what doesn’t. 

• Not Focusing on Product Description

Creating product descriptions is one thing, but creating product descriptions that convert is another. Many dropshippers leave their online stores to fate and luck. You will not succeed that way. Your product descriptions have the ability to attract buyers to your shop or repel them. 

When you upload a photo of a product, follow it up with a detailed but engaging description of the product. Include enough information about the product so a customer will not be aware of what he or she is about to purchase. In writing a product description, you can include a bulletin list. 

• Lack of Remarketing and Follow-Up Campaigns

Existing customers make up a large portion of new sales through Aliexpress dropshipping and comparable services. Most firms will find that existing clients account for 50% of their sales. You’re missing out on a big source of revenue if you’re not implementing marketing campaigns to entice customers back to your store. Existing clients already trust you, so persuading them to buy from you again is much easier and less expensive. Don’t only concentrate on the first few sales. 

Remarketing has the highest return on investment of any sponsored ad. With a tracking pixel, you can capture visitors who are exploring your site and use remarketing. It can be used to keep track of it online and promote it on other sites. Typically, you will market to them an item that they were previously interested in.

Because of the huge volume of traffic, remarketing has a high return on investment. People browse because they’re already interested in what they’re looking at. It will be easier to reach an agreement as a result of this.

Sending consumers emails announcing new products and/or great offers is the simplest approach to entice them back to your company. Dropshippers from AliExpress and similar sites rarely conduct email campaigns, and as a result, they lose a significant amount of money. If you don’t want to make the same mistake, creating a series of emails is a terrific idea. 

People are motivated when they are reminded of certain products. It makes them know you’re thinking about them. When you run your first ad on a product, setting up a remarketing ad can bring a lot of profit to you, even when the product is a low-value product. 

8 Tips to improve your Dropshipping Store

You will not yield results from your dropshipping store if it is not properly managed. We want to help you improve your store with the following tips:

• Setting Product Prices

You have complete control over the price of your products when you dropship. But be wary of overpricing. Prices for your products should be reasonable. Today’s online buyers are savvier than ever, and they’ll recognize when they’re being taken advantage of. If you overprice your products, customers will leave your website and go to one of your competitors. 

Most dropshippers monitor the prices of their competitors to set theirs. Setting your price to a low price doesn’t determine whether customers will come to your store. Also, setting high product prices can be enough to make customers leave your shop. Create a balance in your pricing.

• Ask the supplier to not include a packing slip, invoice, pricing, or samples

Because it’s probable that some of your more intelligent customers will figure out that you’re drop shipping your products, you should do everything you can to hide it.

One approach to accomplish this is to request that your supplier not deliver any invoices, packing or price samples, or promotional materials with the product.

• Avoid selling items that infringe on copyrights

Avoid infringing on copyright products because AliExpress is full of designer fakes. If you don’t make it clear that they are not original products, you risk luring in unsuspecting customers who think they’re getting a good deal on a branded products.

You will undoubtedly receive a large number of irate consumers in your inbox once they receive their item and learn it is not the genuine one, and this will not be enjoyable. It is easy to clearly state on your shop website that they are not original products or simply avoid copyright products at all costs. It is best you sell same products that aren’t branded. 

• Spice up your product presentation

Take the time to write exceptional product descriptions and text, as well as take or choose as many high-quality photographs as possible, to make your products outstanding. You might not have a second chance to make the first impression so, be creative in your description. Do not use ambiguous words. Make it easy for your customers to understand what your product is all about.

• Only Use Responsive Suppliers

Always pay attention to a supplier’s responsiveness. To put this to the test, create a fake emergency and message a dropship supplier about it to watch how he or she reacts. If a supplier doesn’t respond to your message after 24 hours of sending a message, it is possibly a sign that he or she is not reliable, hence, cannot be trusted. 

If a supplier takes weeks to reply or sends you an ineffective response, you should probably avoid doing business with them. If you need to contact them quickly and they are unable to respond with a beneficial solution, you will undoubtedly encounter issues in the long run.

• Learn about eCommerce marketing

Although starting a dropshipping business is quite simple, you will need to understand a few things. You cannot rule out the fact that there are concepts in eCommerce marketing that you need to familiarize yourself with. Learn about Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, and Email Marketing. 

Taking courses from professionals to learn about eCommerce marketing is an advantage for your dropshipping business. You can also ask questions from dropshippers who have been in the business longer than you. 

• Keep your customers happy

Keeping your customers happy makes it easier to give excellent customer service. Respond quickly to customer questions and offer a refund policy. This necessitates excellent contact with your supplier to rapidly fix any concerns. Pay attention to customer satisfaction as this will help your dropshipping venture greatly.

To help the process go more smoothly, make sure you’ve ordered the item you’re selling and gone through the whole customer experience.  This way, you’ll have a better understanding of what it’s like to order from your source and have placed yourself in the shoes of the consumer. 

• Use the AliExpress affiliate program

The AliExpress affiliate program is another easy way to make money online. It is simple. You create a website and use it to market various AliExpress products. If your viewers are interested in purchasing the item, they can do so by clicking on the links on your website, which will take them to AliExpress. 

The AliExpress sellers pays you a fee or commission when they make a purchase. You have to simply pique customers’ interest in the goods and encourage them to purchase them. You are not required to place orders, respond to questions, or process returns. You’ll get a minimum of 8.5 percent commission in the end.

How Can Alitools Help?

Doing dropshipping with AliExpress appears to be a straightforward business concept, but it necessitates a significant amount of time and capital in the beginning. However, you are not on your own in this situation. Alitools is your go-to source for the greatest prices, reputable vendors, and unbiased reviews. 

You’ll appreciate the following Alitools capabilities as your AliExpress shipping business expands and grows:

• View photos of customer reviews.
• Images can be used to find stuff.
• Compare items from several providers that are similar.
• Keep track of product pricing fluctuations over the last six months.
• AliExpress allows you to track products directly.
• Verify the seller’s credibility.

Alitools is available on iOS and Android, allowing you to take advantage of its many features from anywhere. You’ll be able to manage your eCommerce store firm from your smartphone in this manner. 

Conclusion

As previously said, being an AliExpress dropshipper is fairly straightforward. Inventory, a fulfillment method, and a large budget aren’t required. We have covered all there is to know about dropshipping on AliExpress in this article. Now is the moment to launch your own dropshipping business online. Best wishes.

FAQs

Is AliExpress still good for dropshipping?

Yes. It is always being upgraded to make it more convenient for both consumers and sellers. Even though AliExpress currently has a huge number of sellers and suppliers, you can still use the platform to promote and market your products in your own special way. If you are still asking, “Is AliExpress good for dropshipping today?” here is another answer; yes.

Is AliExpress dropshipping illegal?

It is not illegal. You can do dropshipping on AliExpress.

How much does it cost to dropship on AliExpress?

There are no fees associated with AliExpress dropshipping. To partner for your business, you only need to connect with an AliExpress supplier and establish some sort of contact with them. This action is free, and if the supplier demands payment for the supplement, you should cease doing business with him or her.

Is AliExpress dropshipping dead?

It is not dead, rather, it is growing rapidly. 

How do I access AliExpress dropshipping center?

To gain access to the AliExpress dropshipping center, sign in to your AliExpress account and fill out an application.

Is AliExpress dropshipping free?

Dropshipping with AliExpress is completely free. It’s simple to find things to sell on AliExpress with no startup fees if you’re establishing a dropshipping business with no money.