DSers Academy / Dropshipping Knowledge Hub

Understand your business.
Know your next move.

Knowledge for everyday dropshipping decisions—from choosing suppliers and setting prices to managing orders and understanding store performance.

Explore business challengesNew to dropshipping? Start here
Ready to start dropshipping?Get started with DSers

New to ecommerce? Start here

Starting your first dropshipping business?

Get clear on the essentials before you take the next step.

  1. 01
    THE BUSINESS MODEL

    How dropshipping works

    Understand the model and how the pieces fit together.

    Start reading
  2. 02
    YOUR PARTNERS

    The supplier’s role

    Understand what suppliers do and how to work with them.

    Start reading
  3. 03
    THE CUSTOMER ORDER

    From order to delivery

    See what happens after a customer places an order.

    Start reading

Explore your business challenge

What are you working through?

Choose a business challenge to understand the concepts behind it and consider your next step.

01

Start an Online Business

What should you decide before launch?

32 articles
02

Products & Suppliers

How do you compare products and suppliers?

27 articles
03

Pricing & Profit

Does your selling price leave enough margin?

19 articles
04

Orders & Shipping

How do you keep orders moving?

27 articles
05

Marketing & Sales

How do you reach the right customers?

58 articles
06

Store Performance

What should you investigate in your numbers?

27 articles

Knowledge for your next step

Find clarity for your next business decision.

Explore six areas of running a dropshipping business, with 190 concepts to help you understand what to consider next.

01 / 06: Start an Online Business

Start an Online Business

Understand the model before you launch.

Dropshipping

Sell without holding stock

A supplier ships products directly to your customer.

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eCommerce Platform

Choose where to sell

Compare the platforms that power an online store.

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Business Plan

Plan before you launch

Define your offer, audience and business approach.

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Keep exploring32 concepts
B2BB2CBrick and MortarBusiness PlanC CorporationConsignmentContent Delivery Network (CDN)Content Management System(CMS )Digital WalletDirect-to-Consumer (D2C)Domain NameDropshippingeCommerce PlatformERPFreemium ModelHeadless CommerceLLCMobile Commerce (mCommerce)OmnichannelOutsourcingPayment GatewayPoint of SalePop-up StoreQR CodeSales ChannelsSecure Sockets Layer (SSL)ShopifySocial CommerceSoftware as a Service (SaaS)Sole ProprietorshipVertical MarketplaceVirtual Reality (VR)

Products & Suppliers

Know your products. Choose your suppliers.

Supplier

Who fulfills your orders?

Understand the supplier’s role in delivering your products.

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SKU

How do you identify each item?

Use a stock-keeping unit to distinguish products in your catalog.

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Variant

How do you organize product options?

Understand how size, color and other options form variants.

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Keep exploring27 concepts
AliExpressBackorderDAM SystemDemand ForecastingDemand TestingDropshipping Agency (Supplier)Dropshipping AgentInventoryInventory OverstockManufacturingMappingMinimum Order QuantityNiche MarketOut of Stock (OOS)PIM SystemPrivate LabelProduct AttributeProduct Detail Page(PDP)Product FeedProduct ResearchPrototypeSKUStockoutSupplierSupplyVariantWholesale Distributor

Pricing & Profit

Understand the costs behind your selling price.

Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)

What does each product cost?

Understand the direct costs behind the goods you sell.

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Profit Margin

Does your price leave enough margin?

Learn how profit margin relates profit to revenue.

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Competitive Pricing

Should you match a competitor?

Understand how competitors’ prices inform your decisions.

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Keep exploring19 concepts
Average Selling Price (ASP)BOGOBundle PricingBundlingCompetitive PricingCost of Goods Sold (COGS)Cost-push InflationDynamic PricingGross ProfitListing FeesMarginMinimum Order Value (MOV)Net IncomeOpportunity CostOverhead CostProfitProfit MarginQuantity SurchargeQuota

Orders & Shipping

Follow an order from checkout to delivery.

Fulfillment

From order to delivery

Understand receiving, preparing and shipping an order.

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Shipping Method

Choose how orders travel

Compare delivery options by cost and service.

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Order Tracking

Keep customers informed

Understand how tracking helps customers follow delivery progress.

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Keep exploring27 concepts
Backorder ManagementBilling AddressCash on Delivery(COD)ChargebackCheckout PageCustomer ServiceDirect ShippingDistribution Center (DC)E-checksElectronic Funds Transfer (EFT) PaymentFree on Board (FOB)FulfillmentFulfillment Center (FC)LogisticsOne-page CheckoutOrder Management System (OMS)Order TrackingPartial ShipmentPurchase FlowPurchase Order (PO)RefundShipping MethodShopping CartSupply Chain ManagementTransactional EmailVirtual CartWarehousing

Marketing & Sales

Learn what helps customers choose your store.

Target Market

Know who you want to reach

Identify the customers most likely to need your products.

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Landing Page

Give visitors a clear next step

Understand how a focused page supports a specific action.

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Cross Selling

Offer complementary products

Introduce related items alongside the original purchase.

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Keep exploring58 concepts
Abandoned Cart EmailAdvertisingAffiliateAuto-ResponderBanner AdsBrand AdvocacyBrand CommunicationBrand EquityBrandingBuyers PersonaCall-to-Action (CTA)Canonical URLCart RecoveryCompetitive ResearchConversational CommerceCookiesCoupon CodesCross SellingCustomer AcquisitionCustomer EngagementCustomer Relationship Management (CRM)Customer RetentionCustomer SegmentDirect MarketingEmail NewsletterGrowth HackingHashtagInfographicsKOLLanding PageLead GenerationLive ChatMarket AnalysisMarket ExpansionMarketing FunnelOnline Value Proposition (OVP)Pay Per Click (PPC)Product DemoQualified LeadSale FunnelSearch Engine OptimizationSearch Engine Results Page (SERP)Small Business SaturdaySponsored MerchantTarget MarketThank-You PageTrade ShowTriggered EmailTrust BadgesUnique Selling Proposition (USP)UpsellingUser ExperienceUser InterfaceValue PropositionViral MarketingVoice SearchWebinarWish List

Store Performance

Understand the numbers behind your store.

Conversion Rate

Are visitors taking action?

Understand the share of visitors who complete a desired action.

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Average Order Value (AOV)

What do customers spend per order?

Learn what average order value tells you about purchases.

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Inventory Turnover

How quickly does your stock sell?

Understand how often inventory is sold and replaced.

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Keep exploring27 concepts
A/B TestingAcquisition CostAnalytics DashboardATC RateAttribution ModelingAverage Order Value (AOV)Average Transaction Value (ATV)Bounce RateCart Abandonment RateCart ValueChurn RateClick Through Rate (CTR)Cohort AnalysisComma Separated Values (CSV)Conversion FunnelConversion RateCost Per Action (CPA)Cost-Per-Click (CPC)Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)Customer Life-time ValueGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Tag Manager (GTM)Gross Merchandise Value (GMV)Inventory TurnoverLost Buy Box (LBB)Organic TrafficReturn on Investment (ROI)

Take your next step

Ready to put your next step into practice?

Explore how DSers supports product sourcing, pricing rules, and order workflows as you build your dropshipping operations.

Get started with DSers