How Not to Run an eBay Dropshipping Store

Starting your own dropshipping business on eBay can earn you a lot of money, if you have the right products and business skills. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs damage their chances of success with certain common mistakes. These kinds of missteps can cost you repeat business and bad word-of-mouth, and therefore damage your prospects of a good profit. Here are some bad practices that will make it harder for you to succeed.

1. Making a table of rules as long as the Code of Hammurabi:
   It may be tempting to make an exhaustive set of policies for every eventuality. However, such things are only going to confuse and frustrate your prospective customers, who want things to be clear, concise and simple. The main list of rules should cover the most essential processes, such as payment, delivery and return of products. You can always link to auxiliary policy codes, or prepare documents you can send to customers who email you inquiries for more details.
    
2. Ignoring customer questions:
   Expect to get frequent inquiries as well as orders from your customers. Answering questions about goods and services on your site is one of your responsibilities as the owner of an eBay dropshipping store. If you do not answer these questions, customers will assume that you do not care about them, or even about your own business, and will spend their money elsewhere. Answer questions as soon as possible, and in a personalized, polished way.
    
3. Neglecting to give payment instructions:
   Your site should have payment instructions displayed in an easily-accessible place. Buyers should be able to find such information as soon as they make up their minds to purchase something. If your site has features that allow customers to have everything processed online, on the spot, say so and give a link. If you want them to phone you to give you the information, notify them and give them your phone number. Otherwise, they will either buy the product from someone else, or ask you how to pay. By the time you get around to replying to them, they may have changed their mind anyway, and you will have missed out on the chance to make a sale.
    
4. Slacking off on your promises:
   This becomes an issue particularly when it is time to deliver your product. If you say you will have the goods sent by the time a certain amount of days or hours have elapsed, but end up waiting too long, your customers will be extremely disappointed. Do not expect them to recommend you to others, or to come back to your store. If you rely on your customers to pay on time, they should be able to count on you to deliver on time, and to stick to your own rules, too.
    
5. Not giving the essential facts about products:
   This one seems like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many sellers make the mistake of leaving out essential information, on the notion that the buyers know this information already. This is not a fair assumption. For all you know, the buyer is purchasing the product for someone else, and knows nothing about what he/she is buying. You should include all product, even the facts that you think would be obvious from photographs. Include information on special features or variations, like flavor, color, etc.

Here are Top 5 Mistakes eBay Drop Ship Sellers Make. Are you making any of these mistakes? If you are, it might be time to think about updating your site.