Starting branded /brand dropshipping with your own brand? Build a webshop with branded products and make more sales with your company.
More and more stores are making the decision to switch to branded brand dropshipping instead of selling existing products. Branding is the way to be distinctive compared to competitors. This page answers most questions about branded brand dropshipping. If you’re planning to start a branded/branded dropshipping store this year then this page is for you!
What is branded/brand dropshipping?
Branded/brand dropshipping is the process of creating your own brand from products that are sent directly from the supplier to your customer. These products are usually not in your own stock but are ready in the warehouse of your supplier with your brand on it.
You therefore need to find a supplier who sells generic products, wants to put your brand on it and wants to sell it as your own branded product.
Branded/branded dropshipping shops work best with a focus on a niche. So not a wide range but a strong focus on a small selection of products.
How does brand dropshipping work?
With normal dropshipping you create a generic webshop with a wide range of generic products. You will create different campaigns to see which products sell well. Meanwhile, there are still 100 dropshippers doing the same. Your distinctiveness disappears. Everyone fights for sales, drops with the price until the profit margin has evaporated.
With branded / brand dropshipping you go dropshipping but with a unique own brand. You choose a niche and create your own product line with your own house style, logo, brand name, etc. Each product gets your own style on it.
And don’t worry, many suppliers want to brand the products themselves. So you don’t have to do this yourself.
Is branded/brand dropshipping better than standard dropshipping?
Nowadays, there are plenty of dropshipping stores that do the exact same thing. With your own brand you have numerous advantages:
- your own brand name
- distinctiveness
- unique marketing materials
- own colours
- more focus
- better customer service, you don’t need to know a little bit about everything
- more customer loyalty
- better appearance, more confidence
So, you can say that branded/branded dropshipping is better than traditional dropshipping.
How to build a branded/branded dropshipping webshop?
For building a branded dropshipping store, it’s best to follow these steps.
Identify a niche/product to sell
The first thing that is important to do is choose a niche and product. A niche in which profit can be made and preferably one that you have an affinity with. If you have a product that you really support and perhaps also use yourself, then you generally have more knowledge of it.
In addition, it is good to do research into the demand of the product, the competition, whether there is a supplier for it and whether the profit margin is high enough.
Come up with a suitable brand name
Once you have found a niche, it is time to come up with a suitable brand name. Brand names that are short with 1 to 2 syllables work best. It can work well if it is a descriptive name but there are also plenty of success stories where the name says little about the product, think of Google and Apple.
Design a complete corporate identity with logo, packaging and more
Now that you have a niche and brand name, it is time to create a complete corporate identity. You can think of:
- logo
- business card
- Packaging
- cover photos for social media
- stationery
It is advisable to design a logo in vector format with a resolution of 300 PPI in the CMYK color palette. This also applies to all printed matter. In this way, your logo also comes into its own on printed matter.
It is important to use the tone-of-voice of your target group with your appearance. If you serve an older target group, it is better to use soft colors with a calm appearance. If your target group is in the younger age category, you can use a busier and more shouty look.
The advantage of a brand identity is that you can implement it very consistently through all your marketing channels such as social media.
Choose a typography and color palette
In your corporate identity book you can include a typography and color palette that you will use throughout your corporate identity. It is advisable to use a font for the text headings and for the text. On this you can vary with bold, italicized and underlined.
It is important to note the hexa values in the color palette so that you can easily enter them into a design program.
Buy products with branded/ brand dropshipping
If you start with branded dropshipping then it is important to get products. You can do this by looking for products yourself from manufacturers and wholesalers. This partner must be open to print the products with your logo. You can also opt for a so-called ‘dropshipping agent’ who arranges all this for you. There are several ways to get started with branded dropshipping.
Create a DIY product and add your brand
There are plenty of DIY products such as beauty products, cooking products, craft products, construction products and more. You can have these products made and sold with your own logo on them.
Buy generic products and brand them yourself
A second way is to buy generic unbranded products in bulk and place their own brand on them and then sell them as branded products. It is advisable to find a supplier who is in the same country as yourself to avoid hassle around laws and regulations.
Using a private label supplier
A third option is to work with a private label supplier. This allows you to have an exclusive contact with a manufacturer who only produces for you with your brand on it. Often a MOQ is set, where you have to purchase a minimum amount.
Using full-service dropshipping business for branding and packaging
Many dropshipping services, such as NicheDropshipping, offer free product sourcing and a service to produce and burn white label. They buy someone else’s product and brand it.
What are the best brand suppliers for branded/branded dropshipping?
There are two types of branded dropshipping suppliers you can work with. Private label vendors and white label vendors (or a service like NicheDropshipping that does both).
Private label dropshipping generally yields a higher profit margin, but on the other hand, you need more starting capital to buy in. It is therefore not really normal dropshipping because you do not have a MOQ.
On the other hand, white-label manufacturers produce the same product for different sellers, only provide it with its own brand. This can sometimes start with a simple sticker. It’s harder to stand out with this.
Marketing promotion to sell your products
The main activity in branded dropshipping is marketing. In this phase you will really use your brand. There are plenty of ways to start marketing, starting with 1 or 2 channels to keep focus:
- social media marketing organic
- social media marketing paid
- influencer marketing
- search engine marketing organic
- search engine marketing paid
- affiliate marketing
- e-mail marketing
As you can see, there is quite a choice to promote your branded dropshipping. The biggest problem of many entrepreneurs is that they want to fly everything at once. This is at the expense of the focus and yields less below the line.
If you choose an organic way, you will have to get started with, for example, a social media page or group, optimizing your website for search engines or affiliate marketing. You do not pay per click, but you invest more in time and energy to achieve results in the longer term.
If you want more results in the short term, you will have to invest in paid marketing. With this form of marketing you will invest in a paid campaign via, for example, Google or Facebook. You pay per action / click. For example, you can advertise on certain keywords in Google and you can focus on certain target groups in Facebook and create an advertisement for this.
If you start with paid marketing, it is important to get answers to the following questions:
- how much money can I spend on ads per order?
- how many times a year can I have my existing customers buy again?
- how can I best convert my visitors into customers?
- how much revenue and profit do I want to make per day?
- how can I sell more expensive or related products?
By having the answers to these questions clear, you can invest responsibly in paid marketing without running out of money.
Is dropshipping with a brand better given the MOQ cost?
Many suppliers and dropshipping agents work on the basis of individual orders. This means that for every order from your customer, you place an order with a supplier. This way you do not have to purchase a minimum quantity but your purchase price is higher. However, this is a good way to do product research. You can start small marketing campaigns to see if your product appeals to the target group. If the prdouct hits, you can place a bulk order so that the purchase price drops and you have more profit margin.
Advantages and disadvantages of branded dropshipping
Like any form of business, branded dropshipping has advantages and disadvantages:
Benefits of brand-related dropshipping
- Building a brand is better in the long run
- Brands enjoy more trust and loyalty
- You can scale a business much better if it’s a brand
- A higher profit margin on the products
- Better for experienced dropshippers interested in growing faster
Disadvantages of brand-related dropshipping
- Requires a minimum order quantity or MOQ
- May require a small upfront investment
- Fewer chances to switch between products and try different products
- You could lose several customers as you switch from standard dropshipping to branded dropshipping (it can cause confusion among your regular customers);
- More work to establish your branding
- Requires regular content/marketing efforts
Branded dropshipping is always better than dropshipping all kinds of products from different suppliers.
Switching from standard dropshipping to branded dropshipping
If you already have a dropshipping business but want to upgrade to branded dropshipping, you can take the following steps:
- choose a profitable niche
- find a supplier
- determine your target group
- come up with your brand name
- design a corporate identity
- register your trademark with BIOP or EUIPO
- buy EAN codes for your products
- start a webshop and create the products
- start marketing via Facebook, Google or another channel
- arrange a good accountant and automate order processing
If you have taken these steps then you have a good basis for your dropshipping business.
What are the best niches/products for brand-related dropshipping?
Whether or not a product in the chosen niche will be successful depends on: price margin, ease of packaging, size, demand, competition, brand, etc.
Taking all of these factors into account, some of the best niches for branded products for dropshipping are the following:
- Health & Beauty
- Jewelry
- Phone accessories
- Clothing
- Shoes
- Animal care
- Fitness room and training
Try to sell products in a niche that you are also passionate about.
How do you package your branded products for dropshipping?
Branded packaging is crucial for your branded dropshipping store. Whether it’s a packaging box or a branded bag, many dropshipping services can help you do just that.
Using a dropshipping service in the supplier’s country can save you a lot of headaches and logistical hassles.
Conclusion
Branded dropshipping ensures a scalable and sustainable business for the long term. You do not have to constantly change products but can build 1 brand with a small selection of products. With my webshop https://www.lifedeals.com I am currently working on my own product line so stay informed!