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How to find great suppliers for dropshipping
Choosing a supplier for your dropshipping business is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. If your supplier screws up, it’s your responsibility to make it up to your customer, not theirs. You want to make sure you choose someone who will have your back and that you can build a good supplier relationship with.
How to find the best dropshipping suppliers (that are reliable and legitimate)
Now you know what to look for, but how do you actually find great dropshipping suppliers? Are there any step-by-step methods to follow?
In fact, there are! Here are the best ways to find reliable and legitimate dropshipping suppliers:
Of course, whenever the need for finding information arises, the first source we go to is usually Google. Google is a fast way to find wholesale dropshipping companies, but it also comes with its own risks and downfalls.
The easiest way to find wholesale dropshippers on Google is by searching “[Product] + dropshipper.”
Phew—1.6 million results. What’s worse? You have no idea how trustworthy any of these sources are. You’ll have to put each one of them through a strict vetting process (which I’ll cover briefly in the next section of this post).
This takes time and comes with a lot of inherent risk. I definitely wouldn’t recommend using Google to find your dropshipping suppliers. Why? Because the key to making great money as an eCommerce business is buying products low and selling them high.
The best suppliers are busy supplying and don’t have time to work on marketing or SEO, so they’re likely to be buried very deep in the search results. In fact, that’s why SaleHoo was born!
SaleHoo (our directory)
SaleHoo was created by a couple of eCommerce store owners who were fed up with the difficulty of finding great suppliers, and the ease of falling into a scam.
We’re a supplier directory site, and we thoroughly investigate every supplier before adding them to our categorized list. The benefits of that include:
- Lower risk—you’re not going to be scammed by our suppliers
- Easier searches—filter search results based on the exact specs you need
- Faster research—quickly find suppliers’ product offerings and contact information
- And more!
- More trus—these are actually suppliers that you can build a good supplier relationship with
If you’re ready to find great dropshipping suppliers who are reliable, legitimate, and affordable, learn how SaleHoo can help you now.
Alternatively, you can also check out our fully categorized list of 60 dropshippers.
The key features of SaleHoo Directory include:
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Extensive Supplier Network: Gain access to a vast and carefully vetted directory of reliable suppliers, ensuring you find the best partners for your business.
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Product Research Tools: Utilize powerful tools to discover trending products, analyze market demand, and stay ahead of the competition.
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Quality Assurance: SaleHoo rigorously verifies suppliers, assuring you of high-quality products and reducing the risk associated with dropshipping and eCommerce.
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Educational Resources: Benefit from a wealth of guides, tutorials, and educational content to enhance your knowledge of eCommerce and dropshipping strategies.
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Supportive Community: Join a thriving community of sellers and experts for advice, insights, and networking opportunities, fostering a supportive environment for your business growth.
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User-Friendly Interface: Navigate the platform effortlessly with an intuitive design, making it easy for both beginners and experienced entrepreneurs.
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Reliable Customer Support: Enjoy responsive customer support to assist with any queries or concerns, ensuring a smooth and successful experience.
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Market Insights: Stay informed with real-time market trends and insights, helping you make informed decisions and adapt to changes in the eCommerce landscape.
What makes a great dropshipping supplier?
Not all dropshippers are great at what they do. However, there are a few keys to finding the diamonds in the rough. Before we discuss how to find your dropshipper, let’s take a look at what a great supplier looks like.
1. Experienced and helpful sales reps
One thing I personally look for in a dropshipping supplier is an awesome sales rep. I want to know that I can call them and get my questions answered as fully as possible, and that they’ll know how to handle any issues I have.
Don’t get me wrong; no one is perfect and there will be questions they can’t answer right away. But they should be willing to find the answers for you and get back to you in a timely manner.
2. No huge per-order fees
Most dropshippers charge a “per-order” fee. This is a fee you have to pay every time you place an order with them. It makes sense because they have to take the extra time and resources to pack and ship your order for you.
However, sometimes wholesalers take advantage of this and charge outrageous fees. They could range anywhere from $2 to $10. Whether or not this is high depends on the profit margins you’re making on your products.
My advice is to do the math and see whether you can still make a good profit when dealing with a high fee. If not, keep looking and even consider building a good supplier relationship with them to get better pricing.
3. Fast shipping (keeps customers happy)
If your supplier takes more than 24 hours to ship an item (48 at most), then they will not be a good fit for you. Dropshipping is an overly competitive market—there is no room for a lengthy shipping process. The competition will beat you if yours is too long.
On the flip side, if you can find suppliers who ship very quickly, you’ll gain a competitive edge. To find the best dropshipping companies, I recommend placing a test order before you make your final choice.
4. Quality product (lower returns)
As we talked about earlier in the section on finding a product to dropship, finding the best dropshippers means finding the dropshippers selling the best products.
Selling a high-quality product means:
- Higher customer satisfaction
- More word-of-mouth referrals
- Fewer returns
- Better product reviews
I can’t even think of any downside to selling a quality product, other than perhaps lower margins. However, the benefits above will mean more profit for your business over time than you would ever get from selling the high-margin but low-quality product.
5. Invested in technology
The latest tech in automation, efficiency, and scalability are going to be increasingly important to you as your dropshipping business grows. While not important right out of the gates, you’ll want to try picking suppliers with the endgame in mind.
Some signs that a dropshipper is invested in technology include:
- A detailed website with full product descriptions
- An inventory data feed to automatically update your product listings
- The options to place and cancel orders on their website and via email
Of course, not all dropshipping companies are going to have these advanced features. Don’t count one out just because they don’t have a beautiful website—just keep these things in mind during your search.
6. Brand-name products
In the section on finding a product to dropship, I talked about how selling brand-name products is probably a bad idea. This is true for beginners.
However, as you advance as a drop shipping business owner, this may be a category you want to tackle. If you think you’ll eventually want to sell name-brand products, this is a factor to consider when choosing a supplier.
How to find manufacturers for dropshipping?
Typically, wholesalers or retailers source products directly from manufacturers. That’s because manufacturers normally have minimum order quantities (MOQ).
With the dropshipping model, you do not keep goods in stock and source your products from a supplier (usually a wholesaler) that ships the goods directly to your customer. However, some manufacturers are willing to dropship products to your customers. To do this you will need to contact the manufacturer directly and make an inquiry.
If you are interested in finding manufacturers for dropshipping:
- Head to our SaleHoo Wholesale Directory and filter for ‘manufacturers.’ There you will find relevant contact information. You will also find other helpful information such as their trustworthy score, product range and quality, and customer service information. If they do not offer dropshipping and you want to sell their products ask them for their list of wholesale distributors.
- Do your own research finding suppliers - This could be done online, visiting trade shows and looking through trade magazines. Check out this article on how to find manufacturers in China for more information.
Related: Perhaps you are searching for manufacturers for your private label product? If so, check out this helpful article on how to source from private label manufacturers.
Here are the steps to finding reliable suppliers and manufactures for dropshipping (and eCommerce in general) on SaleHoo:
- Create an account on SaleHoo and log in to access the platform.
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Navigate to Supplier Directory:
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- Once logged in, go to the Supplier Directory section on SaleHoo.
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Use Filters:
- Utilize filters to narrow down your search based on product category, location, minimum order quantity (MOQ), and other relevant criteria.
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Check Supplier Profiles:
- Review the profiles of potential suppliers. Pay attention to their product range, MOQ, location, shipping policies, and company information.
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Contact Suppliers:
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- Reach out to potential suppliers with any questions or concerns you may have. Pay attention to their responsiveness and the quality of their communication.
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Verify Business Information:
- Confirm the supplier's business details, such as address, contact information, and the number of years they have been in operation.
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Request Samples:
- If possible, request product samples to assess the quality of their offerings. This step is crucial in ensuring the products meet your standards.
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Negotiate Terms:
- Discuss pricing, MOQ, payment terms, and any other relevant details. Establish a clear understanding of the terms before proceeding.
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Secure Payment Methods:
- Choose suppliers that offer secure and reliable payment methods. Avoid dealing with suppliers who insist on unconventional payment methods.
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Continuous Communication:
- Maintain open communication with your chosen supplier. Regularly check in and discuss any changes or concerns to build a strong business relationship.
How to choose the best dropshipping supplier for your business?
Now that you know how to find the best dropshipping suppliers and what makes a great one it's time to get down to the nitty gritty and actually choose!
Follow the checklist below to ensure you choose the right supplier for your business:
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Good experience
As mentioned, dealing with new dropshipping sites can be a dangerous move due to the potential risk they could be fraudulent and the fact new sites go out of business all the time. For these reasons, it is important to check the age of the supplier’s website. Our SaleHoo Directory automatically displays the number of years each supplier has been in business. But you can also do your own research. Simply, head to a domain age checker tool, type in the URL of the site and see how long it has been running. Here at SaleHoo, we recommend using sites that have been in business for more than 2 years.
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Legitimate fees
The supplier is doing the heavy lifting keeping stock and shipping your products so it is only reasonable that they charge a pre-order fee. Just remember that you want to make a good profit and not be taken advantage of with unnecessary fees. Also, keep in mind not all dropshippers on SaleHoo charge a fee!
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Fast shipping
It’s important to sign up with a supplier who can ship just as fast or faster than your competition. This will keep you and your customers happy. Ideally, within 24 hours if possible but definitely less than 48 hours!
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High quality product
One of the most important factors of your business is finding quality products to sell. This helps build your successful brand with happy customers and fewer returns. While it may require a bit more effort on your part sourcing quality products the return, in the end, will be worth it!
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Great customer service
Efficiency is incredibly important for your business. Make sure your supplier is fully capable of answering your questions and handling any issues in a timely manner. It’s always helpful to find a supplier with experienced staff if possible. A great idea is to send them a test email to check what type of customer service you are likely to get. For example, ask generic questions like ‘how much do I need to spend to get a discount’ and rate their answers and response time.
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Suitable return policy
With a successful dropshipping business it is important that you can handle returns effectively. To do this it is crucial to know your suppliers return policy and any fees you have to pay. Make sure your policy works with the suppliers and you and your customers are happy.
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Based in your desired location
You may want to look for dropship suppliers in specific locations or even in the same location as you. There are many benefits to this. First, if you're looking for fast shipping, then finding dropship suppliers in your location or in the location of where you wish to sell is very important. This way you can guarantee that shipping is smooth and fast, something your customers will appreciate. Plus, you'll be able to speak the same language as your dropship supplier, reducing friction and the potential mistakes that they can make. There are also big benefits to using dropship suppliers from specific countries. For example, if you're selling a product in the US but found a dropship supplier in Europe that sells something similar with a very important variation (such as material, design, or another user function), you would benefit greatly from using a European dropship supplier. Plus, you can differentiate your product by marketing it with a "Made in Europe" angle. We've sorted out some popular location based dropship suppliers which you can find below:
How to contact a drop shipping supplier
Once you’ve built a small list of potential drop shipping wholesalers or manufacturers, it’s time to reach out to them to see if they’ll be a good fit.
Email them first. It’s much easier to get the information you need via email than phone. An email will get you all the information you require without time wasted sitting on the phone waiting.
Not sure what to ask in the email? SaleHoo members get a list of free email templates to ensure you come across as professional and get all the info you need. The supplier contact emails will also save you time and increase the likelihood a supplier will respond to you.
Follow up with a call. After you send the email, increase your chances of a response (and learn more about how good a supplier’s support reps are) by sending them a follow-up phone call.
What to say to the dropshipper
As you’re thinking about emailing a supplier or getting them on the phone, you’re probably wondering what the heck to even say to them, right? Here are my recommendations:
Be prepared with a list of questions. The key to steeling your nerves and sounding like a professional is being prepared. Questions help you learn more about your supplier, see if they’re a good fit, and show you’ve done your homework.
Here are 10 questions to ask:
1. What are the payment terms? Are they negotiable?
This is a pretty basic question. It will help you see their true pricing (the price listed on their website is often higher than what they actually charge) and get the best deal.
2. Are there any costs besides the direct cost of the product?
Some suppliers charge delivery fees, fuel surcharges, restocking fees for returns, or duties on imported goods. It’s good to know what you’re getting into ahead of time.
3. Do you sell direct?
It’s not uncommon for suppliers to sell directly to consumers in addition to selling dropshipping services. You should know this before you choose them because if the answer is yes, you are competing directly with your supplier—which could make things difficult.
4. What is your return policy?
Sometimes customers make mistakes and order the wrong item, and sometimes suppliers accidentally ship the wrong item. It’s going to happen—you want to know how your supplier will handle this situation.
5. What is my expected gross margin?
Gross margin is business speak for the amount of money you make after you sell something minus the item’s cost to you (also called the gross profit margin). Even if you set your own prices, your supplier should be able to tell you what other sellers are making, on average.
6. When might prices change?
It’s not uncommon for a supplier to spring a price change on you out of nowhere. A major shift like this can be detrimental to your business, so it’s important to know when this might happen ahead of time.
7. What kind of warranty or guarantee does the product have?
In order to offer your customers a great return policy for malfunctioning products, you need to know what kind of warranties your supplier gives you.
8. Can your service representatives answer my product questions?
While not 100% necessary, it’s good to know how heavily you can rely on your supplier to answer your questions about the product. The more complicated the product, the more important this becomes.
9. Do you have a data feed?
Remember when I mentioned data feeds in the “invested in technology” section? It’s good to know if your supplier supports data feeds so you can easily update your store without manually entering information like quantity, descriptions, images, etc.
10. Can you manufacture custom items?
Part of being a store owner in the long haul is improving upon existing products to give yourself a competitive edge. If you ever plan on creating your own unique products, you’ll need a supplier or manufacturer who can customize your items.
Remember: If you need help sending emails to potential suppliers, SaleHoo members get access to all of our supplier outreach email templates. They’ll save you time and increase the likelihood a supplier will respond to you.
One last tip when reaching out to suppliers...
Don’t come across as a newbie.
Wholesale dropshipping suppliers and even manufacturers are looking for people who are in it for the long game. Whether you believe you’ll be running your online store in 10 years or not, you still want to come across as such.
If you sound like a newbie (i.e. like you don’t know what you’re talking about), suppliers will charge you higher prices or not even respond to you at all. My best advice on sounding professional: use the email templates, do your homework, and ask questions. If you do these things, you’ll get the best deals and the best suppliers.
How to avoid dropshipping scams
Unfortunately, not all dropshippers have your best interests in mind. There is no shortage of people out there looking to steal your money.
However, there are some ways to protect yourself and ensure you never get scammed:
Use SaleHoo
The easiest way to avoid fraud is to use the SaleHoo supplier directory. It’s only $67 per year and we have a 60-day, no-questions-asked money-back guarantee. But, I won’t push you ... much!
Look out for warning signs
There are some red flags to watch out for when searching for a wholesale dropshipping supplier:
Monthly fees or membership fees
While some legitimate suppliers charge monthly fees, some are only looking to take your money. The easiest way to avoid this fraud is to find out why they charge the fees. If the reason sounds honest, it probably is. The bottom line? Do your research.
Refusing to accept credit or checks
If a supplier deals strictly in bank transfers, turn the other direction. Over 99% of serious suppliers will accept credit or checks. The SaleHoo directory automatically checks and displays these metrics for you.
Not displaying an address
Every legal supplier must display an address, so not showing an address is a huge red flag. SaleHoo lists all supplier addresses right on their page.
Not being listed on the BBB (US only)
The Better Business Bureau is a US-based nonprofit that keeps businesses in check. It’s a place where people can go to report frauds. The BBB will also take legal action against illegal or unethical business practices, so it’s a great way to see a company's dirty laundry, so to speak.
Just go to their website, search for the supplier, and see what comes up. They may not have information on every business, but it’s still a good source to check. The SaleHoo directory automatically checks and displays every US supplier’s BBB rating.
Action steps to avoid fraud
Here are some direct actions you can take to check every supplier on your consideration list:
Check their domain age
A young domain name likely means a new business, which (in terms of suppliers) often means a scam. Most suppliers have seen a thing or two and been around awhile. The SaleHoo directory automatically displays the number of years each supplier has been in business, but you can check the domain age of other supplier websites using the Domain Age Checker tool.
Search for their name and “scam” or “fraud” on Google
If someone had a bad experience with a supplier, they likely wrote about it somewhere online. The easiest way to find these writings is by searching for “[Supplier Name] + Scam” on Google. Oftentimes, if the supplier is running a scam, you’ll find out right away in the results.
Call them
One of the quickest and simplest ways to spot fraudulent suppliers is by calling them. Ask them the questions I laid out above. If they stutter or have difficulty answering, it should raise some red flags. In many cases, the phone number won’t even work.
Look up their address
If their address doesn’t show up or isn’t actually their place of business, that’s a big no-no. Check out the street view on Google Maps to get a look at their building. Does it look like a distribution center or just some house—or some other business entirely? We show you the address of every supplier in the SaleHoo Directory to make this step easy.
Ask the manufacturer about them directly
Normally, every manufacturer has a list of all the wholesalers and suppliers they sell to. If the manufacturer of the product doesn’t have their name, there’s a good chance they’re not legitimate.
Make a small order to test their process
I alluded to this a few times above. Making a small test order is a great way to determine the skills of a supplier as well as ensure they’re not a fraud.
Congratulations, you’ve now (hopefully) found your ideal supplier! You’re one step closing to creating a successful dropshipping business.
But you’re not done yet—head on to the next section to find out what the day-to-day operations of running a dropshipping business look like, and how you can market and grow your new online shop.
