What is Print on Demand Dropshipping?
Dropshipping custom products is the most lucrative way to sell online in 2020. With developments in the print industry, entrepreneurs have found out a way to produce unique brands without investing hefty amounts of money.
That’s what Print on Demand dropshipping does. You don’t need to maintain inventory, get involved in packaging or delivery services. Yet, you can have your exclusive products with tags, labels and designs of your store. It’s an improved version of dropshipping that also gives the feeling of exclusivity and ownership.
Why has Print on Demand Become Such a Prominent Business Idea?
Usually, when someone talks about Print On Demand, the foremost thing that comes to our mind is designing clothes on demand. However, it’s not only limited to that. Print on demand could be anything from dresses, packaging to electronics accessories.
Here’s some of the reasons why Print On Demand Dropshipping has become such a prominent business Idea.
You have Plenty of Products to Choose from
We’ve already discussed that Print on demand is not just about t-shirts. However, most stores that you see today have started as something that offers custom-made designs on clothes, but the industry has evolved a lot since then.
Print-on-demand services like Printful, Printify and so on have provided solutions to many problems for online dropshipping entrepreneurs. Printful claim to have 253 products, and on the other hand, Printify claims to have 250+ products. Similarly, AliExpress Print on Demand has 14 different categories.
We can expect to see much more of that in the future since this positive growth encourages new emerging platforms, products, and so on. The fact of the matter is that printing technology is advancing at a high pace. Resulting in the way forward for new white label products, and ODM (Original Design Manufacturers) in the category of Print-on-Demand.
Therefore, you have plenty of products to choose, and there is a lot more potential to grow as well, as many new things are in the process of becoming part of it.
Big Opportunities for Newbies
If you are an Artist, it’s going to be great for you, but even if you are not, and new to this world of Print On Demand, there’s a lot of opportunities readily available for you.
The most valuable thing is to come up with exceptional designs that you can put on your products even if you are not an Artist. One approach that many entrepreneurs adapt is finding a designer or artist on freelancing websites. They hire them for compelling designs and integrate with their white label products, which leaves more time to focus on other important subjects, such as creating marketing funnels, to write related content for the blogs, search engine optimisation, customer support and so on.
Entrepreneurs who have jumped on the bandwagon of Print on Demand earned financial success because of low competition and high-profit margins compared to other dropshipping methods. So, there’s a lot of space for newcomers to discover and start a print on demand dropshipping business.
No Financial Worries
If you’re planning to start your brand on a limited budget, print on demand is the best option for you as the initial cost is relatively low. It becomes more insignificant when you are good at designing.
With print on demand dropshipping, you don’t have to maintain inventory or fulfil the orders yourself.
To get started, all you need is to invest in a domain name, hosting service and a compelling mobile-friendly website.
Running an online print on demand store is a one-person job, and initial startup stage work is manageable. So, you don’t have to hire any staff at this point.
Manageable Risks
Risks are always one of the top reasons for many people for not starting a business. Risks are prevalent in business, but fortunately, there are negligible risks involved in Print on Demand dropshipping compared to any other online retail business model.
You’re free from stock and delivery services management, so you’re not investing much capital up front for sure.
In another model of print-on-demand dropshipping, you can work as a middleman and not even bother with designs. There are some graphic design services offered by Printful, AliExpress, and Alibaba print-on-demand that can do that for you.
Growing Industry
2020 is a life-changing experience for many world-wide. Many businesses have been looking forward at, or in a process of offering services online. People have known the value of it and will continue to follow the trend, as it seems to be the new normal. Online buying and selling trends have grown exponentially, and so has print-on-demand.
That’s why it’s the right time to start developing your online print-on-demand dropshipping business.
Quick and Easy to Start
Setting up print-on-demand dropshipping is pretty straightforward. it’s effortless and easy to start. All you need is to go online to establish a website, find the best print-on-demand service provider and upload your products and start marketing. And once it’s all ready, it won’t take too long to have your first sale.
Endless Possibilities to Grow
Print-on-demand dropshipping is just a starting point, yet you have endless possibilities.
You can scale up your store to anything you want within a matter of time. It all depends on you how you want to pursue this into the future. You can stretch your limits by integrating more things into your product offering, and include bew options depending on where you stand. You can increase your profits and could convert your print-on-demand dropshipping to a more brand focused structure after it’s more established.
Pros & Cons of Print On Demand Dropshipping
There are certain advantages and disadvantages to every business. So, there are some for print-on-demand dropshipping that you should know about.
So, let’s dig into further!
Benefits of Print on Demand Dropshipping
One of the significant perks of print-on-demand dropshipping is that you don’t have to invest a lot, making it an enticing choice for entrepreneurs who want to start with a little investment.
With another model of print-on-demand dropshipping, you can give your customers a platform where they can upload information or designs for the products, which can save the cost of designing and getting personalised orders. All you need to do is provide that design by your client to your supplier.
Before print-on-demand dropshipping, a brick and mortar store was an essential element to start a brand. However, with online platforms such as WooCommerce, Shopify, and other online marketplaces like eBay, Amazon and so on, things are pretty straightforward. Now, you can establish your brand quickly with your online profile. it’s easier for you to engage customers as well.
One of the most generous perks of print-on-demand dropshipping is that you don’t need to have inventory or warehousing, and that reduces a lot of the burden. You can focus more on marketing and discovering the places that are lucrative for you to sell your products.
Downsides of Print on Demand Dropshipping
Besides these great benefits of print-on-demand dropshipping, there are still some downsides that you should consider.
The first disadvantage is the production cost. Even though you won’t require investment for inventory, getting custom products from suppliers can be costly. Suppliers would need additional materials to prepare your products. As a result, these add-on items add to the final value of your products. Eventually, you’ll be selling these products at higher prices.
The second downside is that in some print-on-demand dropshipping models, you would also need to have strong design or creative skills to fulfil orders.
Finally, delivery speed is sometimes slow as you need extra production time in addition to shipping.
Some Misconceptions about Print-on-Demand Dropshipping
Here are some of the most common misconceptions about print-on-demand dropshipping.
Print-On-Demand Demands a lot of Upfront Cost.
Almost every business requires upfront costs and so doe print-on-demand dropshipping. But print-on-demand dropshipping doesn’t need a lot of initial investment. All you need to invest is in making a website, which you can make yourself, and that’s it.
Print-On-Demand Dropshipping Products Don’t Sell Well.
Nothing sells well unless you have proper research, information about marketing trends, strategy and you’ve invested your efforts into it. Streamlining your marketing funnels and making the right efforts will always help you in getting conversions. So, print-on-demand will sell well from your well directed efforts, with trial and error. It’s like any business.
Chances to Fail in Print-on-Demand Dropshipping is High
For getting successful in Print-on-demand dropshipping, it depends on how properly you market and present your products. Your products should stand out from the rest in terms of quality and attractiveness, and most importantly, you must know the audience for particular merchandise. For example, if we’re selling sweaters to an audience living in a hot climate, in summer, it would fail.
Furthermore, set the profits accordingly after studying your competition to progress quickly.
It would be great if you’re a Graphic Designer
It’s not compulsory to be a Graphic Designer. Though it may have certain advantages in print-on-demand dropshipping, yet there are many other options available. You can either take on different designs available online or hire designers from freelancing websites such as Fiverr that would help you create eye-catching designs for your products.
Market Potential of a Print-on-Demand Dropshipping
Print-on-Demand is in its fledgling stages of growth and has not discovered its full potential, but it’s growing at a very high pace. According to Smithers.com forecasts, the print industry will reach $821 billion by 2022, with average growth of 17% per annum.
Many new products are ready to be part of the print-on-demand space that we haven’t even thought about yet.
For starters, it’s best to begin with custom products that you can launch on your website that would also allow you to create a brand image in the online marketplace, leading to faster growth and profitability. Furthermore, you can create custom packaging for your products with the help of your suppliers to make your product stand-out from others.
Your website design is major key to success for the growth of your print-on-demand dropshipping business. Make a compelling mobile-friendly website, as many people now prefer smartphones over desktop and personal computers. Give them an environment where they could easily select, choose, upload and buy to their heart’s content.
Platforms like WooCommerce, Shopify, BigCommerce, and so on have eased the process by providing a user-friendly environment, themes and templates that are helping print-on-demand dropshippers to proliferate.
Best Print On Demand Suppliers
Here are some of the print on demand suppliers that you can choose to work with:
Printful
Printful is among the top suppliers worldwide. It offers 253 print-on-demand custom products that you can dropship easily. You can automate your dropshipping store by integrating printful with almost any eCommerce platform like WooCommerce, Shopify, bigcommerce, and so on.
And, if you don’t have a design, Printful also offers graphic design services for print products. The costs of the products are pre-determined. However, you can use different variants of products to create your profile easily.
Zazzle
Zazzle is an online store that offers different products according to seasonal needs. From gift collection to customised products, it’s easy to get quality made customised items for your dropshipping store. It has a wide range of print on demand products available
Zazzle connects with different customers to help them recognise their designs in the market.
It’s an option for the dropshippers who are working in print-on-demand for some time.
Redbubble
Redbubble offers a lot of options from weirdly meaningful art to customised stickers. It provides a wide range of customised products that you can easily choose for your store. it’s a friendly space for newcomers and could be an option for you.
From kids’ apparel, electronics accessories to notebooks, you can customise any product with the design you need. Redbubble also offers a wide variety of products.
Printify
Printify offers 250+ print-on-demand products. With more than 500 thousand wholesalers, Printify is a complete Print-On-Demand service. It’s among the best print-on-demand service providers worldwide. You can integrate your products automatically and sell them right in your print-on-demand dropshipping store.
CustomCat
Customcat is another reliable option, especially for print-on-demand dropshipping. From no minimum order to a variety of services for creating products, you can quickly generate stock for your print-on-demand business. You can easily sync CustomCat products into your online print-on-demand dropshipping eCommerce platform.
Bottom Line!
Print-on-Demand Dropshipping is a lucrative opportunity. It’s a fantastic way to start a brand of your own without investing much in inventory and other associated costs upfront. If you’re planning to start, now is always the right time.
Simply hire a developer to create a compelling website, design a few well-researched products yourself or using one of the options we’ve suggested, and start selling. With the right marketing strategy, you’ll surely be having your first sale soon.
And if not, be persistent!
Feel free to contact us if you need any further help regarding print-on-demand dropshipping or creating your eCommerce website.