There are many people talking and discussing dropshipping on online forums. Is it dead? Is it still profitable? It is normal that so many people are interested in the effectiveness of dropshipping in 2020 because, in this year, online businesses are thriving more than ever. And as you know, dropshipping never seemed to require a lot of investments, so it seems like an online business plan that could be accessible for anyone.
With more and more people bravely starting their own online businesses and becoming successful, it is normal that the need to become financially independent from an office job seems appealing. And from first glance, especially when you read all those articles about how easy and profitable dropshipping is, it seems very appealing. But is it?
So, can you make money with print on demand, or is it not worth it? To help you figure out if a dropshipping business is worth it or not and answer some questions that many people are asking in the worldwide forums and actively discussing, we will share some interesting insights about dropshipping. We hope it will help you come to a conclusion if an online business model like dropshipping is worth starting for you.
Why Is Dropshipping Less Popular Than It Used to Be?
Even though we are going to discuss if the dropshipping business is still profitable and if it is worth starting in 2020, it is a fact that it is no longer as popular as it used to be some time ago. Logically, so many people would not be asking the questions if the dropshipping is dead or not if it would be completely fine and as popular as it used to be.
It is normal and completely natural that business platforms like dropshipping got less popular. Online businesses and eCommerce are constantly growing, and there are new business platforms appearing constantly. So it is completely normal that people move on and try new things that are more adapted to today’s world, today’s target audiences, and today’s pace of life.
According to Google Trends, dropshipping is not dead at all – it is still relevant, and there are successful brands that use it for years and are successful, especially in the USA. Of course, dropshipping is no longer trending as it used to be four years ago, but there are still a lot of companies who use it and make money out of it.
The Reasons Why Dropshipping Is Not Worth Your Time
There are a few very clear reasons why dropshipping has become outdated in 2020. First of all, the biggest problem is the long duration of delivering the products. As you know, ordering products via dropshipping platforms might take up to four weeks, which is not normal in the current world and the fast pace of life. If you want to order a t-shirt, you will most likely pay the same or even a smaller price to get it delivered today from a local shop.
Another reason is expensive products. If dropshipping would take four weeks to deliver but it would be half of the price than to print a text in a local store, then maybe it would be worth waiting. But now it’s not. Also, a big problem is the lack of customer service – especially when there are problems with the order, with the delivery, or the quality of the product. You are not the one responsible for these things; therefore, you cannot impact or fix these factors even if you wanted to.
More to it, if a customer would ask for a refund – it will take a very long time. This might leave your customer very unsatisfied, which could leave him writing a negative review on your website and not recommending your business to his friends. And you know how important reviews and recommendations nowadays are.
The Reasons Why Dropshipping Is Worth Your Time
There are also some reasons why it is definitely worth it to start a dropshipping business. So it is completely up to you – look at the pros and cons of dropshipping and decide if it is worth it for you.
One of the best motivations to start an online dropshipping business is because online businesses are thriving at the moment. So many people want to save their time and tend to shop online, especially after the Covid-19 situation all around the world. People are even more likely to purchase products online than go out shopping with their friends in packed supermarkets.
Also, it is very easy to transfer payments online, and a dropshipping platform will always help you out with the paid marketing campaigns so that you make more sales.