What is Branded Dropshipping & How to Start Your Custom Store Today

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Building a successful dropshipping business can feel overwhelming at times. For instance, how do you attract customers and convince them to trust your new online store? One effective solution is to incorporate branded dropshipping into your business plan. This article will illustrate the ins and outs of branded dropshipping and how to find dropshipping products. You’ll discover how this model can help you launch a branded dropshipping store that stands out, builds customer trust, and generates consistent profits with minimal upfront investment.

Shophunter’s Shopify sales tracker can help you achieve your goals by giving you insight into your branded dropshipping store’s performance so you can make informed decisions about your business.

What is Branded Dropshipping?

Branded dropshipping is a specific approach to dropshipping that allows you to sell products under your brand. This order fulfillment method helps you create a distinct branded experience for your customers.

What is Branded Dropshipping?

Let’s start with dropshipping first. Dropshipping is an order fulfillment method in which the online store doesn’t create, store, or ship any products they sell. Instead, they partner with:

A dropshipper that makes (or purchases) products

Warehouses them

Handles all shipping logistics

The online store doesn’t need to purchase any inventory from the dropshipper in advance. They only purchase when a customer buys the product from their online store.

How Branded Dropshipping Enhances Brand Identity Through Custom Packaging and Product Labeling

Branded dropshipping is when an online store sells a dropshipper’s products under its brand. The dropshipper packages the products using branded packaging and affixes brand labels to them before shipping them to the customer.

In other cases, the dropshipper adds the online store’s logo to the product through stamping or embroidery. This way, the online store’s brand is front and center on the products.

Why Branded Dropshipping Rocks

Branded dropshipping helps you sell products that no one else can sell. Other online stores may sell the same items from the same dropshipping suppliers. But when you use branded drop shipping, you can mark the products with your brand, helping you stand out from the competition. This is especially important in the crowded dropshipping space, where stores selling identical products can need help to differentiate themselves from consumers.

The Benefits of Branded Dropshipping

Like any business model, branded dropshipping has pros and cons. Here are some of the benefits of this approach.

Branded drop shipping creates a branded experience for the customer, which can increase customer loyalty. If your online store has a strong brand that consumers love, they’re more likely to value those products and continue buying them. Plus, it makes your product distinctive, setting it apart from goods sold at other online stores.

As a result, your store may be able to charge a premium for branded products. “Branded dropshipping is a great way to start your business. You can set up the store, get the products, and start selling them without paying for any inventory upfront,” says Rengie Wisper, co-founder of Ever Wallpaper, which sells unique wallpaper murals.

The Drawbacks of Branded Dropshipping

Branded dropshipping may cost more than regular dropshipping because the dropshipper will likely charge extra for adding your brand details to their products. In cases where profit margins are already slim, this can be a dealbreaker for some businesses. Like regular dropshipping, the online store has little control over what happens during product:

Manufacturing

Labeling

Packaging

Shipping

How To Source Dropshipping Products

How Does Dropshipping Work

What Is A Good Profit Margin For Dropshipping

What Is The Success Rate Of Dropshipping

What Is The Most Profitable Dropshipping Business

Is Dropshipping Still Profitable

How to Find Winning Products For Dropshipping

What Is AI Dropshipping

How to Successfully Start and Run a Branded Dropshipping Store

Choose Your Product Line

Identifying the right products to sell is crucial. The first step in building any branded drop shipping business is to settle on a product line. This means figuring out what products your store will sell. To find your niche, complete some initial market research. Browse businesses and brands on platforms like Amazon and Etsy, then check out a Shopify store or two.

This process helps you get your bearings and identify potential competitors. While there’s no foolproof way to identify a drop shipping business, some telltale signs include:

Extended shipping times

Limited customization options

Consistently low inventory

You may repeatedly come across the same products during your research, another indicator of a dropshipping business. Once you’ve identified your competition, note what they’re selling. Ask yourself:

Does anything specific stand out about their designs?

How can your products stand out?

What are people saying about them on social media?

If they have a page, is anyone engaging with their content?

Make sure you consider profitable, in-demand dropshipping products. Some of our top product category choices for 2024 include:

Men's clothing

Women's clothing

Children's/baby clothing

Drinkware (mugs, water bottles)

Tote bags

Wall art

Calendars

Phone cases

Carve Out a Niche

The most successful ecommerce stores carve out a well-defined niche for themselves. List your interests and passions to help align your niche with something that inspires you. The proper niche alignment lends authenticity to your brand’s voice and allows your products to resonate with your target audience and market. It will also make formulating a unique selling proposition (USP) for your products more accessible.

Complete another round of more informed, in-depth market research to identify underserved niche markets. Check out hashtags on platforms like:

Twitter

Instagram

Then ask yourself the following questions:

Is anything related to your potential niche trending?

What are the best-selling products on Amazon for your niche?

Validating Your Niche with Google Trends and Crafting Buyer Personas for Branded Dropshipping

Use Google Trends to validate your research. It will analyze your queries and serve up stats on search volume, regional popularity, and related terms to help you confirm what your potential customers want. Return to your competitors’ online stores. Are they on top of the trends, or can you exploit a market gap? Your in-depth market research will provide critical insight into your potential customers:

Needs

Preferences

Pain points, and more.

Use this information to refine your target audience and craft detailed buyer personas for your branded products. While finding a niche aligned with something you’re passionate about is essential, remember that you’re here to make money.

Is your niche narrow enough to cut out most competitors but broad enough to help you generate a profit?

Will you be able to fulfill your brand promise and product branding goals in a way that’s appealing to your target market?

Build a Brand Identity

Once you’ve identified your niche and target audience, it’s time to think about how you’ll differentiate your dropshipping brand from other dropshipping businesses. According to Exploding Topics, 81% of consumers must trust a brand to consider buying. Good branding for ecommerce brands is more than simply an internationally recognized logo. It’s supported and driven by values and a strong brand voice that runs like a thread through everything from the brand’s website and social media to packaging and the packed-in freebie stickers.

The first step is to develop a brand identity—a beautifully packaged promise of quality and trustworthiness. This helps form positive customer relationships crucial to making them return. If customers leave with neutral or sour opinions, convincing them to return is much more complicated.

Here’s what to consider:

Your brand’s purpose: The brand’s purpose is the big “why” your business exists. You might know it, but does your target audience understand it? Defining an intention is especially valuable for brands committed to a specific cause or value. Addressing the purpose through:

A brand story will build trust
Increase customer loyalty
Inspire engagement

A brand’s motivation: Defines what distinguishes its products from competitors, which significantly helps marketing efforts. The aim here is to inform the audience about the direction the business is taking and its long-term dream. This can be shared on a brand’s website and weaved into other elements like:

Content copywriting
Packaging
Designs.

Your brand’s values: Strong values play a big part in effective branding strategy as they can charm the audience and help build customer loyalty. Statistically, most US consumers prefer shopping with companies aligned with their values. Loyal customers are also more likely to recommend your business to others, which means you get marketers who don’t even work for you.

Your brand voice: Consider your core message to your target audience and what language style will best accommodate it. Try to sound friendly and familiar, like there’s someone behind the brand that your audience can connect with. Most of us can’t help but like things that are familiar to us. When your customer meets your brand, there must be sparks and emotions. We connect to things that get us, and brands can synthesize this feeling of connection by becoming the physical expression of their customers’ personalities.

Showcase Your Brand Identity

Showcasing your brand identity is like rolling out the red carpet for your customers. It’s your chance to make a memorable first impression and tell your story. Creating a cohesive and engaging brand presence will set you apart from the competition and help build a loyal customer base, whether through your website:

Logo

Color scheme

Other branding elements

Crafting a Unique Brand Identity: Storytelling and Website Design That Captivate Your Audience

Your brand identity can manifest as a brand story. The website is your product catalog and storybook, where you can set the stage and exercise your brand voice. An ecommerce website design can be sleek with a trendy web user interface, but for some niches, it makes sense to think outside the box.

Dogecore perfectly mirrors its niche with its old-school website design and fun content. In the Words section, you’ll find a description of the brand’s creator, John Dogecore, who single-handedly destroyed the last vampire colony in Ireland back in 1994. And in the FAQ, the About Us section says, “Two monkeys with internet access, just vibing.” This type of website and use of a distinct writer’s voice no doubt captivates their Gen Z target audience, who appreciates the humor and the specific early-aughts aesthetic that’s back in fashion.

Because the website’s storytelling even reaches into the product descriptions, one downside is that it’s probably difficult to do keyword research for product listings. This means you’d have to use other tools, like social media, to generate traffic for a site like this.

Birthnerds is another excellent example of an e-commerce store targeting a narrow niche audience. It addresses birthing professionals of color to help promote healthy conversations around birth and lactation. The website’s simple design, featuring an empowering black and yellow color duo, accentuates the brand’s purpose and adds a touch of seriousness. Anyone entering the website is greeted with the store’s mission, the cornerstone of its business.

Select a Dropshipping Service

Now, it’s time to choose your dropshipping partner. Research white-label or private-label suppliers to see who might be a good fit.

Consider the following:

Product collection:

Does your dropshipping service offer a wide variety of products for your online store?
Do their products fit your brand voice and identity?

Product Quality: What kind of materials does your dropshipper use?

Shipping:

Where will your branded products be produced?
How will shipping costs affect my pricing strategy and profit margins?

Pricing Strategy: Will my ecommerce store still have healthy profit margins after employing this dropshipper?

Customization: How easy is putting my designs and brand logo on products and packaging?

Customer Service: Will they help me resolve issues quickly to keep my customers happy?

Choosing the Right Dropshipping Supplier: Ensuring Quality, Timeliness, and Customer Satisfaction

Once you’ve settled on your niche and brand identity, choosing the right dropshipping supplier is the next crucial step. Your selected supplier:

Impacts product quality

Shipping times

Customer satisfaction

To make an informed decision, investigate potential dropshipping suppliers. Look for reviews and testimonials from different dropshippers. Reliable suppliers should have a positive track record of fulfilling customer orders on time and providing quality products.

Evaluating Dropshipping Suppliers: Key Factors Like Shipping Speed, Return Policies, and Custom Branding

Customer reviews and ratings are a good starting point. Shipping speed is another critical factor in customer satisfaction. Confirm the average shipping time to your target markets. Be wary of suppliers with long shipping times, leading to dissatisfied customers and negative reviews. Make sure you understand the supplier’s return and refund policies.

A flexible policy will help manage customer returns and maintain satisfaction. Ensure the supplier can handle returns efficiently and that their process aligns with your business model. Since you focus on branded dropshipping, check if the supplier can accommodate custom branding options, including packaging, labels, and other branding materials.

Choose a Platform for Selling

Locking down your brand image is a big step toward choosing the right channel (or combination of channels) for selling your branded products. There are a few common sales channels and platforms, each with advantages and disadvantages:

Running your website is the right path if you want total control over your store’s design and functionality. You’ll need technical skills and robust marketing strategies to make it work.

Selling on an e-commerce marketplace such as Amazon, eBay, or Etsy gives you instant access to a broad audience of potential customers. Still, limited customization options make it difficult for your brand to stand out amongst the fierce competition.

You’ll also have to pay hosting and transaction fees. Using an e-commerce platform like Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce lets you customize your store’s layout and design to align with your brand identity and eliminate some of the technical lift associated with running a custom website.

Setting up and maintaining your store requires technical expertise. You’ll also be responsible for protecting customers’ data.

Make sure also to consider where your target customers shop the most. Is a Shopify or Etsy store more aligned with your target audience and brand identity?

Consider customization possibilities, associated fees, and whether integrations are available for your dropshipping service.

Add Products to Your Dropshipping Store

Capturing high-resolution, professional images for your store is one of the most important things you can do to sell your branded products, so hire a professional if you need to. If you don’t have samples available, upload a vector image or PNG of your logo to Gelato+ to see how your logo looks on hundreds of mockups.

Your product descriptions should be no less impressive. Compelling, search-optimized product descriptions and titles include:

Relevant keywords about the features and benefits of your branded products

Their production materials

Dimensions and more

They also consider your target market's:

Buying habits

Preferences

Needs

Market Your Store

Advertising your branded dropshipping business is essential for attracting customers and driving sales.

Here’s how to create a compelling advertising strategy highlighting your brand identity and resonating with your target audience.

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are potent tools for advertising your dropshipping business. Showcase your products on social media through engaging visuals and compelling stories. For example, Instagram is ideal for visually appealing ads highlighting your product’s features, while Facebook allows for detailed targeting options based on user interests and behaviors.

Create eye-catching ads with high-quality images or videos that align with your brand identity. Use consistent branding elements like your logo, colors, and fonts to reinforce brand recognition.

Search engine advertising, such as Google Ads, can help you reach customers who actively search for products like yours. Create targeted ads using relevant keywords that potential customers will likely use when searching for your products. Optimize your ad copy to highlight the benefits and features of your products, encouraging clicks and conversions.

Email marketing: Email marketing remains one of the most potent ways to reach and engage customers.

Get new subscribers through incentives like discounts or free shipping.
Send regular newsletters with updates, promotions, and personalized product recommendations.
Make sure your emails are visually appealing and consistent with your brand identity.
Customized emails that address the recipient by name and offer tailored suggestions can significantly improve engagement and conversion rates.

Content marketing: Content marketing is another powerful way to attract and retain customers. This can include:

Blog posts
How-to guides
Product reviews and more

For example, if you’re selling fitness apparel, you could write blog posts about:

Workout tips

Fitness routines

The benefits of your apparel

Share this content on your website and social media channels to drive traffic and build trust with your audience.

Offer promotions and discounts: Everyone loves a good deal, and offering promotions or discounts can be an excellent way to attract new customers and encourage repeat business. Time-limited offers, flash sales, and exclusive discounts for email subscribers or social media followers can create a sense of urgency and drive sales.

Advertise these promotions across all your channels, including your website, social media, and email campaigns.

Measure and optimize your advertising efforts: It’s crucial to measure the performance of your advertising campaigns and improve them for better results. Use analytics tools to track key metrics like:

Click-through rates
Conversion rates
Return on ad spend

Analyze this data to determine what’s working and adjust your strategies accordingly. Continuous optimization ensures that your advertising efforts continue to work and pay off.

Refine With Customer Feedback

Loyal customers are the backbone of your dropshipping business, and one of the best ways to encourage brand loyalty is to engage new and existing customers in conversation. If the store for your dropshipping business features a subscription model or gives customers frequent reasons to return, nurture that community with a customer loyalty or rewards program that issues discounts for repeat purchases or incentivizes referrals with points or merchandise.

Building Customer Advocacy Through Loyalty Programs and Feedback Integration

Customer loyalty programs also direct you to your biggest supporters and provide the opportunity to get meaningful feedback on aspects of the shopping experience.

Asking for and implementing customer feedback is one way to encourage customer advocacy, an effective form of brand promotion in which satisfied customers feel motivated to recommend your brand to their peers. Customers feel more invested in the brand’s success When they feel heard and see that their input is taken seriously.

Top Branded Dropshipping Suppliers

Choosing the right supplier is critical in establishing a successful branded dropshipping business.

Modalyst

Modalyst specializes in connecting online stores with suppliers that offer high-quality products. It offers a vast selection of items suitable for branding, and its integration with eCommerce platforms like Wix makes it user-friendly.

While Modalyst offers a range of products, its pricing can be higher than other platforms, which may affect your profit margins. After creating a website, integrate it with Modalyst for your branded dropshipping business.

Spocket

Spocket connects online stores with premium US and European suppliers, offering high-quality products suitable for branded drop shipping. With fast shipping and a user-friendly platform, Spocket ensures smooth order fulfillment, helping you build a trusted brand. It integrates seamlessly with eCommerce platforms like Wix, making adding branded products easy and automating fulfillment.

While Spocket has a free plan, higher-tier plans unlock access to more premium suppliers and faster shipping options. After building your website, integrate it with Spocket to scale your branded dropshipping business.

Printify

Printify is an excellent print-on-demand company that produces custom products. It offers a wide array of apparel and accessories you can easily brand. The mockup generator tool is handy for visualizing your branded items.

Printify relies on third-party providers for printing and shipping, which can sometimes lead to inconsistencies in product quality or fulfillment times.

Printful

Like Printify, Printful offers comprehensive print-on-demand services with the added benefit of in-house manufacturing. This control over production often results in consistent quality and reliable shipping.

The cost of products on Printful can be higher, and because they handle production themselves, the range of available items might be more limited than that of other suppliers.

AliExpress

AliExpress is known for its vast selection and competitive prices. Finding suppliers willing to accommodate custom branding requests for various products is possible.

Shipping times from AliExpress can be lengthy, and language barriers with suppliers may pose challenges. Quality control is crucial as product standards can vary widely.

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6 Branded Dropshipping Product Ideas (+20 Products)

Selecting the right products is crucial for your brand's success. Here's a list of viable branded dropshipping business ideas to help you brainstorm.

1. Customized Apparel

Customized apparel refers to items personalized or modified chosen by the customer according to:

Specific design preferences

Logos

Text

Graphics

This customization can be done through various methods, such as:

Screen printing

Embroidery

Direct-to-garment printing

Heat transfer

Branded dropshipping involves selling products online without handling the inventory or fulfillment process. In apparel, when a customer orders, the product is manufactured and shipped directly from a third-party supplier or manufacturer to the customer.

Personalized Products That Drive Customer Satisfaction

Customized apparel is particularly well-suited for branded drop shipping for several reasons:

Customization allows customers to create unique

Personalized apparel that reflects their style or aligns with a specific brand.

Make the product more attractive

Increase customer satisfaction

Examples include:

T-shirt dropshipping with original designs

Embroidered hats and beanies

Personalized hoodies and sweatshirts

Branded athletic wear for fitness enthusiasts

Custom-designed socks and footwear

2. Accessories

Accessories complement or enhance a person’s outfit or appearance but are not essential. They add style, functionality, or personalization to an individual's look. Accessories can include various items such as:

Jewelry

Watches

Hats

Scarves

Sunglasses

Belts

Bags and more

Offering accessories can have several advantages in the context of branded dropshipping. The first is their versatility. Accessories come in various styles and forms, providing a versatile range of products for a branded dropshipping store. This diversity allows businesses to cater to different tastes and preferences within their target audience.

Accessories can be customized with a brand's logo, colors, or specific design elements, helping to maintain a cohesive brand identity. This consistency across products reinforces brand recognition and strengthens the overall brand image you’re trying to create.

Driving Impulse Buys and Expanding Audience Reach

Many accessories are relatively affordable compared to clothing items, making them accessible to a broader audience. This affordability can attract more customers, and the lower price point may also lead to increased impulse purchases.

Branded dropshipping accessory products include:

Engraved jewelry pieces (See jewelry dropshipping)

Custom-printed scarves and bandanas

Personalized leather wallets and belts

Branded sunglasses and eyewear accessories

Unique phone cases with custom artwork

3. Home Decor

Home decor involves furnishings and decorative items that enhance the aesthetics and functionality of a living space. This category spans:

Furniture

Lighting

Wall art

Textiles

Various decorative accessories

Branded dropshipping in the home decor niche offers several advantages. Stores can offer diverse and customizable items to attract a broad audience with varying design preferences.

Some fantastic home decor products to dropship include:

Custom canvas prints and wall art

Branded cushion covers and throw pillows

Personalized kitchenware like mugs and coasters

Scented candles with signature fragrances

Designer bedding sets with custom patterns

4. Tech Gadgets

Tech gadgets are electronic tools or devices with advanced technology that aim to:

Make our lives easier

More entertaining

More convenient

This category includes:

Smartphones

Smartwatches

Fitness trackers

Smart home devices

Gaming accessories and more

Many people like keeping up with the latest technology trends. Tech gadgets are in high demand, especially those with innovative features or improvements. The tech industry is constantly changing, introducing new gadgets and innovations regularly. This constant evolution creates trends and encourages consumers to look for the latest and most advanced products, making tech gadgets great for dropshipping.

Examples of tech gadgets to sell include:

Custom skin decals for laptops and tablets

Branded wireless chargers and power banks

Personalized USB drives and tech accessories

Smart home devices with your brand logo

High-quality earbuds and headphones in custom colors

5. Beauty Products

Beauty products cover personal care, skincare, makeup, and grooming items like:

Creams

Makeup

Hair products

Perfumes

Grooming tools

This category is favored by those aiming to enhance their appearance, practice self-care, and stay updated on beauty trends. The beauty industry, known for its consistent demand, attracts people seeking products for skin, hair, and overall appearance, making it a reliable market.

Examples of beauty products to sell include:

Private-label skincare creams and serums

Custom-branded makeup palettes

Organic hair care products with your branding

Nail polish sets in exclusive colors

Bath bombs and soaps with personalized packaging

6. Fitness and Wellness

Fitness and wellness products like workout gear, supplements, and gadgets support a healthy lifestyle. As more people prioritize health and stay active, the demand for these items increases. As folks focus more on well-being, there's a growing market for fitness and wellness stuff. People are willing to invest in products that help them reach their fitness goals.

This category includes various products, from exercise equipment to supplements, offering a diverse range to suit different preferences. Many fitness and wellness products, such as supplements, often lead to repeat purchases. This helps keep customers coming back and establishes long-term relationships.

Examples of fitness and wellness to sell include:

Yoga mats with unique prints

Branded water bottles for gym-goers

Fitness trackers with your company logo

Wellness supplements in bespoke packaging

Eco-friendly tote bags for shopping or gym use

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Dropshipping vs Ecommerce

Shophunter is a unique Shopify sales tracker store that helps e-commerce entrepreneurs estimate sales, validate product ideas, and research competitors. Using a custom algorithm, ShopHunter tracks sales for both entire stores and specific products to help users quickly understand the revenue potential of their next dropshipping item. The platform goes beyond basic sales tracking, featuring an ad spy tool that monitors advertising activity across stores. This combination lets users spot trending products and successful marketing strategies early on. ShopHunter aims to streamline product research and reduce the risk of investing in low-performing items, whether you're:

A dropshipper

A Shopify store owner

Someone looking to enter the e-commerce space

Sign up for a free trial (no credit card required) of our Shopify sales tracker tool to find your next eCom opportunity or to level up your current eCommerce store by learning from your competitors.