So far, we’ve given you tips on how to improve your website
using SEO and in terms of conversion. We’ve also focused on the business side
of retail and when to take advantage of seasonal selling. Today, we’re doing a
shameless plug on why Shopster beats the competition.
There are a number of other players in the dropship market. DHGate,
Doba and Dropship Access are the top three competitors that come to mind. Of
these, Doba is the one offering services closest to what Shopster can offer.
Both Shopster and Doba offer access to about 1.5 million
products from a number of suppliers, wholesalers, distributors and
manufacturers. The variety of products and the low prices are great selling
points we both offer.
When it comes to industry recognition and reliability, both
Shopster and Doba belong to eBay’s Certified Service Providers list (which has
less than 50 members as of writing).
In terms of pricing both Shopster and Doba offer a free version.
Upgrading would open up a bigger world of possibilities for merchants. Shopster’s
cheapest upgrade package (PowerMerchant Starter) is priced at $39.95 per month
while Doba offers theirs at $49.95 per month.
I’m pretty sure customer support for both Shopster and Doba
are at par. After all, we wouldn’t be topping the markets if it were any
different. Both companies also provide
articles to help you learn more about dropshipping and how to use it in retail.
Tools for listing products in comparison shopping sites are
available in both. Doba talks about its API technology in its website, while
Shopster has datafeed capabilities for sites like eBay, Amazon, NextTag and
more. This means you are opening up your market to other distribution channels,
giving you a better potential to earn even more. In terms of inventory management, Doba offers
a single, consolidated product catalog while Shopster actually has an
integrated inventory management tool.
The real differentiating factor of Shopster when compared
head-to-head with Doba, are two things: the social network and the store
builder. Shopster rules because it will let anyone who wants to get into eCommerce
a go at it instantly.
The store builder functionality of Shopster is unique in the
dropshipping industry such that each new retailer that registers automatically
gets a virtual storefront with different professionally designed, free
templates to choose from. This is hosted as a subdomain, but can be customized
to a more brand-centric one if the retailer chooses to do so. Furthermore, the
online store is already connected to the dropship item database so you can
choose to upload and sell products right away. If you choose a product to
include to your managed inventory, it automatically inputs the images and the
descriptions that come with that item. No need to upload or export anything.
Shopster is also a social network. You get to connect to
other retailers and suppliers. Products are pooled in a virtual warehouse, so
you get to buy and sell to other Shopster members. This is also an advantage to
Shopster subscribers because it opens up even more inventory for you to sell,
at competitive prices.
Shopster empowers merchants to sell immediately without
having to go through the hassles of creating a store for dropship products. It
truly is the all-in-one eCommerce solution you are looking for.