Dropshipping suppliers are companies that are in charge of manufacturing products for sellers. Most suppliers are located in China. The suppliers mainly focus on product manufacturing instead of running marketing programs to attract sellers/business partners. So, it often takes sellers days to spot the best dropshipping supplier on the market.

Below are a few ways for sellers to find the best dropshipping supplier:

1. Do market research

Let’s take advantage of AliExpress Dropshipping Center (ADC). After sellers find out what product to sell via the ADC, they should search for suppliers by product keywords. In this step, they should collect as much information about suppliers as possible. Types of information to collect and consider include location, material sources, delivery times and costs, and service potential. Also, check their ranking and credibility point, and read the reviews (if any).

2. Contact Suppliers

After finding out some potential suppliers, sellers should directly contact them. Sellers should ask the suppliers as many questions as possible; thereby, they can test how responsive and reliable they are. It is also important to ensure that all terms and conditions in partnership contracts between sellers and suppliers are crystal clear and straightforward. If there is any confusion, sellers need to clarify it immediately. This helps everything run well, right at the beginning. As Aristotle said, well begun is half done.

3. Order product samples

It is time for sellers to order some product samples from 2 or 3 best suppliers of their list and then make comparisons. Criteria sellers should compare service quality, product quality, delivery time and cost, packaging, etc. If there is anything wrong with the ordering process, sellers need to ask the supplier to fix it instantly. Also, they should make sure that their customers never experience it.

4. Order products from competitors

Save the best for last; this is an important tip. If you happen to find a competitor using service from the same supplier, make an order with them. In this way, you can randomly check the service quality and how they pack and label products. 

It would be even better if you can make an order from a competitor using another supplier’s service. Therefore, you can compare and see how well they are doing, setting a standard for your business.