How To Start Dropshipping In Lagos and Nigeria

So, you want to start dropshipping in Lagos and need some advice in this area? Dropshipping is a type of business that has become increasingly popular as it provides a way for you to kickstart your online store without making an upfront payment. You also don’t need to do your inventory. You’ll simply get products from a wholesaler overseas who ships them directly to your clients in Nigeria. Our post further breaks down How To Start Dropshipping In Lagos, Nigeria.

The good part about dropshipping is that it holds a lot of benefits. One of them is, not having to worry about steep capital or the stress of finding a physical location. Additionally, you can work from anywhere in Nigeria, which is awesome if you don’t want the stress of Lagos’ 9-5. And since you can deal in a wide variety of products, the possibilities for your business are limitless.

On that note, starting dropshipping in Lagos, Nigeria can be crushing. There are plenty of factors to keep up with, like finding the ideal dropshipping niche and platform for you, identifying good suppliers, and building a successful marketing strategy. We know it can be a lot to take in, but this article will lead you through the whole process of how to start dropshipping in Lagos, Nigeria.

What Is Dropshipping?

Dropshipping is a retail method where businesses can sell products without having them in stock. When customers make orders, the business then buys the product from a third-party supplier who ships it straight to the customer. This means that the business won’t handle the product personally.

Benefits Of Starting Dropshipping In Lagos, Nigeria

Dropshipping is more beneficial than the traditional e-commerce business models existing in Lagos. Below are a few core benefits of dropshipping in Lagos, Nigeria:

1. Dropshipping Is A Low Capital Startup

Dropshipping is a low capital point of entry for entrepreneurs who want to start their businesses but are low on funds. Conventional e-commerce stores need substantial investment to cover inventory, equipment, and infrastructure before you can start selling any product. But with dropshipping, you can begin operations with minimum investment. You just need an online store and supplier.

2. Flexible Store Location

With drop shipping, you can operate your business from anywhere in Lagos, provided you have an internet connection. This means you can work remotely, at a co-working space, or even from anywhere else in Nigeria. Being able to work from a location you please, is what makes this business attractive to digital nomads and remote workers.

3. Vast Selection Of Products

Dropshipping enables you to provide a vast range of products without needing to take inventory. This makes it simple to test and validate different products and niches. You may add or remove products from your online store depending on customer demand.

4. Minimal Risk

Dropshipping in Lagos poses a lower risk than conventional e-commerce businesses as you don’t have to invest in inventory upfront. If you don’t sell a product, you won’t be stuck in a warehouse full of unsold inventory. You can just take it off your online store and try other ones.

5. Saves Times

This business enables you to focus on marketing and expanding your enterprise, instead of spending that time on inventory and shipping products. The supplier will be the one to handle inventory management, order fulfilment, and shipping, enabling you to turn your attention to other matters.

6. No Inventory Stress

One of the largest benefits of dropshipping in Lagos, Nigeria is that it offers seamless integration of supply chains into your business strategy. You will only order products from your supplier when a client requests them on your website, which streamlines the whole supply chain process. This way you won’t stress about storing, packing, or shipping products.

7. Dropshipping Is Scalable

One of the reasons why dropshipping is so profitable is because of its high scalability. As your business expands, you can simply include more products on your website and collaborate with numerous suppliers to boost your product offerings. You may grow your marketing efforts to cater to a broader audience and maximize your sales.

8. Low Overhead Cost

The overhead cost for dropshipping is lower than when compared to that of traditional e-commerce stores. With an offline e-commerce store, you’ll pay rent, utilities, and employees, and incur additional expenses. But, with dropshipping, you just pay for the products you sell, so you get lower overhead costs.

How To Start Dropshipping In Lagos, Nigeria

In this section, we have given you the steps on how to start dropshipping in Lagos, Nigeria, with a detailed breakdown of each of those steps.

1. Select A Lucrative Niche

Selecting a profitable niche for your dropshipping business in Lagos, Nigeria is your chance to set the stage for success. Whatever you choose, will impact the success of your business, so choose wisely. We left some tips below to help you below:

Pick What You Are Passionate About

If you build your business around an area you’re passionate about, you’ll be more enthusiastic and marketing efforts more original. So, if you’re into skincare, you can try soaps, creams, scrubs, facial masks, etc.

Research Market Demand

You can use tools like Google Trends to check out the reigning popular products and niches in Nigeria. Find consistent interest and disregard niches with erratic popularity patterns. Similarly, Google Ads helps you know how often people search for a specific word. It allows you to understand people’s interests and ultimately pick the right item to deal with.

Identify Gaps In The Market

Research what products that are in high demand but need to be readily available. Which ones are selling fast on Amazon, eBay, or social media? If there are items that Nigerians love but are in short supply, you can turn them into a profitable opportunity for your business.

Monitor Competitors

Before you start dropshipping in Lagos, Nigeria, you should search what similar companies are doing. You’ll be looking into their mode of operation to find out what works and what doesn’t. You can also find out what customers like by checking out their products and brand positioning. Don’t copy everything they do verbatim, just get tips for your own business.

2. Pick The Right Platform For Your Dropshipping Business

Picking the right platform for your dropshipping business is a crucial step as it affects the success of your business. Whatever platform you choose, will be the base for running your online store. It is what will determine how you handle products, process orders, and simplify shopping for clients. 

When you choose a platform, consider – your technical expertise, budget, scalability needs, and preferred level of customization. 

These are the most popular dropshipping platforms:

Shopify

Shopify takes the lead for dropshipping platforms because of its user-friendly interface and a vast array of features created for your e-commerce needs. With its comprehensive library of themes, you may customize the look and feel of your store to suit your brand.

WooCommerce

Woocommerce is a free plug-in that can transform your WordPress website into a fully functional online store. Since this CMS is widely used for content creation, you can seamlessly integrate e-commerce functionalities into your existing website.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a large toolbox with everything you need to run your dropshipping business. It is easy to use, so it’s a platform you’ll find helpful even as a beginner dropshipper. And when your business expands, it still has a lot of stuff you can utilise. 

3. Set Up Your Business Website Or Online Shop

When you’ve chosen the right platform for your dropshipping business, the next step would be to build a website or online store. These are some vital steps and factors to consider:

Domain Name

A domain name is your address online and a vital part of your brand identity. Pick a name that is memorable, relevant to your niche, and reflects your brain. If the domain matches your business’ offerings, it can help clients recall it easily and find your site.

Pick A Theme

Any theme you choose determines the appearance and user experience of your website. Go for a theme that is visually appealing and aligns with your business’ aesthetics. The theme should also be user-friendly, making it simple for visitors to navigate your site and find products. Additionally, ensure the site is responsive to mobile without hassle.

Add Products

Depending on what type of platform you have, you can import products from your chosen suppliers or include them manually. When adding products, use high-quality images, clear descriptions, and relevant information like pricing and available variants. Organize your products into relevant categories to allow seamless navigation for customers.

Product Descriptions And SEO

Write product descriptions that provide customers with all the information they need about the products. Additionally, you may incorporate relevant keywords into descriptions to boost search engine visibility. This process is called, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and can help your products rank high in search results and attract organic traffic to your online store.

Payment Methods And Checkout

Using safe and secure payment methods provides a smooth checkout experience for your customers. There are various payment platforms available, so use ones that are trustworthy for your target market. Ultimately, a seamless checkout process can impact your conversion rates significantly.

Shipping And Returns Information

Ensure that your shipping and return policies are clear to clients. Being transparent in these areas aids you in developing trust and managing customer expectations. They should know if your stores have lengthy shipping times due to international suppliers.

Contact And Customer Support Information

Your dropshipping business should have contact information and a customer support option that is accessible to clients. You can foster trust with your customers by replying to their enquiries and concerns.

Legal Considerations

Guarantee that your website follows legal requirements, like privacy policies, terms of use, and applicable industry and location regulations.

4. Research And Select Products To Start Dropshipping In Lagos

Whichever products you decide to sell will form the cornerstone of your business. Extensive research and strategic selection make all the difference between a successful venture and a budding one. These are the key steps to researching which products to sell:

Check Amazon and eBay

Amazon and eBay are treasure chests that hold the best market insights. You may explore these websites to discover the best-selling products, trending items, and what consumers prefer. Be attentive to customer reviews and ratings, as they give information about product quality and customer satisfaction. Check seller metrics too to measure your niche’s competition and pricing trends.

Test And Confirm

Do these things before you commit to a wide inventory of products:

• Test run and validate your product selections.
• Begin with a small quantity to measure client interest and demand.
• Analyze sales, customer feedback, and engagement to know which products your audience likes.

Seasonal And Trend Analysis

Stay updated on seasonal trends and emerging fads. Products with seasonal relevance can increase sales during specific periods of the year. But, ensure that you also have evergreen items in your product range that are in demand year-round.

Client Preferences

Understand what your target audience likes and their purchasing behaviour. Take surveys, engage with your followers on social media, and analyze customer reviews to get insights. Serve every customer preference by creating a personalized shopping experience.

5. Get Good Suppliers For Your Dropshipping Business

Getting good suppliers for your dropshipping business is significant to its success. Any supplier you partner with will affect every area of your business. This includes product quality, shipping times, and customer satisfaction. Below is a detailed breakdown of how to find the right people to supply you. 

Use Directories To Find Suppliers

On directories like Oberlo and AliExpress, you’ll find many suppliers who provide a vast range of products good for dropshipping. You can search for products in your chosen niche and assess suppliers using ratings, reviews, and shipping options.

Directly Contact Manufacturers

Directly contacting manufacturers has lots of benefits. One of them includes the possible negotiation of better prices, customized products, and a more streamlined communication process.

Evaluate Them Using Relevant Factors

When evaluating suppliers, use factors such as their ability to offer high-quality products, faster shipping times, fair shipping costs, reliable customer support, reviews and ratings from other drop shippers, and order samples.

6. Add Products To Your Dropshipping Store

Adding products to your store is a vital step to creating a visually pleasing and captivating customer shopping experience. Here are the most effective ways to add products:

Import With Apps Or Plugins

Using apps like Oberlo or AliDropship streamlines the process of importing products from suppliers. They smoothly integrate with your e-commerce platform, which allows you to conveniently import product details, images, and variations.

Optimize Product Pages

When optimizing product pages, follow these steps:

• Give detailed and compelling product descriptions that highlight benefits, features, and solutions, and answer customer questions and concerns.
• Put multiple high-quality images that are clear and from different angles.
• If available, display customer reviews and ratings for said product, to build trust and social proof.
• Include variations such as colours, sizes, or styles. 
• Show transparent pricing and shipping information, plus extra taxes or shipping fees.

Categorization

Organize products into categories or collections. This makes it easier for clients to navigate your website and helps them find the products they’re interested in faster.

Search Engine Optimization

Write in relevant keywords into your product titles, descriptions, and other important sections. This can help you boost the visibility of your products in search engine results. Create appealing meta descriptions and use relevant tags to optimize your product pages for search engines.

7. Create An Effective Marketing Strategy 

An effective marketing strategy is the engine that drives your business forward and allows potential customers to know what you’re selling. Here’s how to build a sustainable strategy.

Use Social Media Marketing

You can use Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to promote your products, connect with your target audience, and build a community around your brand. These are some elements you can incorporate into your social media marketing strategy:

• Identify your target audience – who they are, interests, pain areas, and habits. Then tailor your content to resonate with them.
• Create a content strategy that shows what your products can do. back it up with high-quality images, videos, and captions that speak to your audience.
• Post regularly to engage the audience. Share insightful tips, behind-the-scenes, and user-generated content.
• Use platforms like Facebook and Instagram to run targeted ads to reach a wider audience. You can set the ads to cater to specific demographics, interests, and behaviours to ensure you reach potential buyers.

Build Relationships With Email Marketing

Your email is a way to directly reach the people who are interested in your business. So, use email marketing to foster relationships and push sales.

• Segment your email list using order history, interests, and engagement level. This way you can send tailored messages to specific types of clients.
• Send new clients a welcome email, and offer them a discount code or a freebie to thank them for joining your list.
• Make new product announcements, special offers, and limited-time promotions via email. Let your subscribers feel like insiders with exclusive deals.
• Don’t always be selling, sometimes share useful tips, how-tos, and relevant content to keep subscribers engaged and excited to open your emails.

Optimize Your Website

Search engine optimization is one sure to get your dropshipping business to show up when people across Lagos search for related businesses. This is how to optimize your website for SEO.

• Perform keyword research to discover the keywords your prospective customers may use to search for products like yours. Include those words in your product descriptions, blog posts, and other content.

• Create comprehensive blog posts, guides, or videos that offer valuable information about your niche. This helps you with SEO ranking and puts you forward as an authority in your niche.

• Establish relationships with other websites or bloggers in your industry. You can submit guest posts or invite collaborators to get priceless backlinks, which boost your website’s SEO.

Best Tools And Resources For Dropshipping In Lagos, Nigeria

Below are some tools and resources that can help you when starting dropshipping in Lagos, Nigeria. 

1. AliDropship

AliDropship is a strong WordPress plugin you can use to set up a dropship business with AliExpress. Features of this plugin include WordPress compatibility, personalized store creation, and automated order fulfillment.

2. Oberlo

Oberlo is the go-to tool for streamlining your product-importing process. You can use it to find amazing products on AliExpress, with one tap, they’ll all appear on your Shopify store.

This tool syncs easily with Shopify, which saves you the stress of entering products manually. You can use it to select products to import, edit the details if you need to, and voilà they are in your store. Oberlo handles different options like sizes and colors too.

3. Google Trends

Google Trends gives you a look into trends in the dropshipping industry and how popular certain search terms got over time. Trends will tell you which products are hot and the ones that are not. 

You can use it to make insight-driven decisions about which items should be displayed in your store. It also helps you monitor seasonal surges.

Top Niches Ideas To Consider When Dropshipping In Lagos, Nigeria

Dropshipping offers entrepreneurs limitless opportunities for products they can sell or niches they can get into to build their business. As someone who is just becoming a drop shipper, you may want to get your hands into everything, but before you do that, you may want to start with these niches first:

• Men’s or women’s clothing and accessories
• Health and wellness.
• Babies and children’s clothing.
• Home appliances and kitchenware.
• Phone accessories.
• Pets.
• Cars and motorcycles.

Wrap Up

Beginning a dropshipping business in Lagos is a fantastic choice for you, if you are an entrepreneur who wants to build an online store but you do not have enough capital to do so.

Dropshipping lets you run a successful enterprise, without all the cost of renting a shop, doing inventory, or manufacturing a product. This post on how to start dropshipping in Lagos, Nigeria, teaches you how to establish a prosperous venture as a dropshipper.