There are so many dropshipping books and resources on the market. It can be confusing trying to figure out which ones are worth your time.
So what do you look for?
A well-written book can help you elevate and grow your business. You may be starting an eCommerce business from scratch and want to learn how to dropship or how to start a dropshipping business, or have an existing business and want to know how to make money dropshipping. We've curated a selection of comprehensive books that can help regardless of your current situation.
You can also read some of our other curations like the best eCommerce books, best wine books, best bartending books, best restaurant management books, and even the best eCommerce blog. We have something for everyone and every business.
Now, here are our selections for the best dropshipping books on the market today that offer value to business owners and entrepreneurs.
Best Dropshipping Books: Overall
Dropshipping & Shopify: 2021 Edition
Our top overall dropshipping book is the fourth edition of Robert Kasey's comprehensive dropshipping guide. Though the book targets entrepreneurs using Shopify as their online marketplace, the content is useful for any business owner. From the pros and cons of drop shipping to questions like "is dropshipping dead" and "is dropshipping legal", Kasey covers it all. Whether dropshipping is your primary source of income, or a side gig, you'll learn how to maximize dropshipping profit margin and minimize effort with this book.
Users of BlueCart eCommerce can benefit greatly from using the tips and tricks when building their storefront. We handle all of the hard work of building your digital catalog with eCommerce SEO in mind. All BlueCart customers also get listed in our marketplace where their products can reach 92,000+ buyers. That gives you a leg up in the market and lets them start making money from day one.
E-Commerce Business Model 2020
This 3-in-1 guide for eCommerce also made our list of best eCommerce books and covers online marketing and dropshipping ads, Amazon store-building and Amazon FBA vs dropshipping, and dropshipping websites. If you're looking for a book that gives you a holistic view of the digital marketplace, you're in the right place. Since the early 2000s, Jim Work and George Brand have been distilling their vast knowledge into these books to help you make informed decisions to increase eCommerce sales. This book covers many types of eCommerce businesses, but the best practices within can be adapted to whatever model you choose.
E-Commerce Business Model 2020 is a must-read for any eCommerce business owner and aims to teach solid thinking and long-term planning over making a quick buck. If you want to learn about demand planning, cross selling, or more, this book can help you optimize your business and make money.
The Ultimate Guide to Dropshipping
Our third pick for dropshipping books is Mark Hayes's Ultimate Guide to Dropshipping. It's one of the most comprehensive books on the market, even if it is a few years out-of-date. The book covers everything from sourcing the best dropshipping products to the reverse dropshipping model to writing an eCommerce business plan to setting up a storefront using headless eCommerce platforms. Hayes takes an in-depth look at the industry and leaves no stone unturned in helping demystify the industry and make it more accessible to all entrepreneurs and business owners. The only real drawback is that the book was written in an era before dropshipping businesses began sourcing high-quality goods.
Best Dropshipping Books for Beginners
Dropshipping: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
Our top choice for beginners is Ronald Anderson's Dropshipping. You might as well call it Drop shipping for Dummies as it's been written with beginners in mind and goes over setting up a dropshipping business across a slew of platforms or online marketplace. Anderson does a great job of answering simple questions like "what is dropshipping" and how dropshipping works. But, he also covers more complex ideas like performing research on different dropshipping niches, competitor analysis, and more. This book is a great option for beginners looking to build a sustainable and profitable dropshipping business. Whether you are starting your own business or are looking at dropshipping jobs, there's plenty of great info here and it can help you build a drop shipping business plan with confidence.
DROPSHIPPING 101
Our second selection for beginners is Dropshipping 101 by Frederic Gosset. Updated for 2021, this book is available in paperback or eBook format and covers the entire business-building process from start to finish. He does a great job of not only explaining how to start your business, but highlights many of the risks and dropshipping beginner mistakes that can happen along the way. He even covers the eCommerce marketing methods you can use to compete in a crowded market. Whether you want to use eCommerce email marketing or invest in eCommerce PPC, this book breaks down what's worth investing in and what isn't. It's a great choice for entrepreneurs looking to start their business on a shoestring budget.
Beginner dropshippers can really get the most of their marketing when selling through BlueCart eCommerce. Our all-in-one platform is built with robust SEO for eCommerce product pages, so each product can draw in new customers organically. Even better, our integrated email marketing tool lets you set up and send promotional emails to your customers right from the platform.
Dropshipping: Your Step-By-Step Guide To Make Money Online
Michael Ezeanaka's Dropshipping covers all the most important questions that come up when starting a dropshipping business. There's a step-by-step guide, in-depth coverage of the pros and cons, some valuable dropshipping business ideas, and even a guide on how to find vendors and avoid getting taken advantage of. Once you start reading, you won't be asking "is dropshipping worth it", you'll be asking "when can I start?" It even covers ways to find investors, how to tackle supply chain management, and the best wholesale items to sell. It's perfect for beginners as it's all condensed into a book that's less than 100 pages and cuts out all of the fluff and jargon.
Leave It On Read
Dropshipping can be a complicated business, so it's best to go into your new business venture with as much knowledge as possible. The books we've listed above are great for doing just that. Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned veteran, you can find something new. Remember, you need to know how to find dropshipping suppliers that are reliable if you're going to succeed, especially if you're using the drop surfing method. You'll also want to look into using a dropshipping website builder or automated dropshipping software to build your site.
Once you're done with these dropshipping books you should check out some of the best dropshipping courses on the market. Pair that with our own dropshipping articles, and you'll be ready to take the dropshipping world by storm. You should also looking into taking dropshipping courses for an even higher chance of success and invest in customer service for dropshipping.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dropshipping Books
Dropshipping’s popularity has never been higher, and that includes books. If you’re ready to start a book dropshipping business, it’s good to get acquainted with the basics. Learn more from the frequently asked questions below:
How do I start dropshipping for beginners?
As a beginner dropshipper, there are a few pitfalls to avoid and techniques to be aware of:
- Get your website and business licensing completed. You need a digital storefront and completed paperwork before you can sell. Get this out of the way early so you can focus on growing your business.
- Pick a niche with lower competition but high demand. Office supplies, bathroom accessories, solar energy products, and pet supplies are examples. This gives you the chance to make sales early on without bumping up against bigger dropshipping players.
- Find affordable, reliable suppliers. The key to a profitable dropshipping business is selling high quality goods that don’t destroy your margins. Take your time in looking for a supplier and ensure their response time is fast.
What are the disadvantages of Shopify?
There are some disadvantages of Shopify when considering a dropshipping or eCommerce business. Here are a few of them in no particular order:
- Difficult to customize themes. Though Shopify offers hundreds of pre-built themes, if you want to tweak one, it’s hard to do without creating a completely new theme.
- Potentially expensive startup costs. Even though you start with a 14-day free trial, as soon as that’s over you’ll be paying $29 per month. While that’s not a huge amount of money, it can deter small businesses from being profitable early on.
- Limited content publishing capacity. Shopify is designed almost exclusively for selling physical goods--not managing content. If you love publishing blog posts, embedding videos, and including other content formats, it’s not the easiest to do on Shopify.
- No email hosting. Email service is essential if you’re going to run a digital business, but Shopify doesn’t offer built-in email hosting. You have to use a separate service for this, which can be off-putting to newcomers.
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