Have you ever wondered how to source for the products you intend to sell online? If you want to start an e-commerce business or online store , but have not found any suppliers yet,Do not worry, after reading this article you will be familiar with and know all the necessary details that you would like to know how to start your online store and how to provide your store with products and your relationship with suppliers.

How much does it cost to create and start online store?

This is a question that many people ask themselves: what is the price of an e-commerce site? This is a perfectly normal question and it is legitimate for you to ask it. However, responding to it is not so simple and depends on your project, the chosen solution, the degree of customization of the site, functionalities. In short, a very large number of factors. A car can be worth 2,000 $ in occasion or 100,000 $ (upscale nine). For e-commerce sites, the scale is the same.

To be honest, it is impossible to give “THE” price of an e-commerce site. But, we will try to present the different types of e-commerce sites that can be created and the prices attached to it.

The price depends on the type of solution used to create the e-commerce site

1-E-commerce site created with web software:a very large number of proprietary software allowing you to create your own e-commerce site: Jimdo , Wizishop , Shopify,These platforms are designed to create an e-commerce site without special technical skills and have a very simple user interface .

This solution, which by definition requires recourse to external service providers, is the least expensive. Count between 10 and 100 $ per month. For some software, you must add to this price the commissions levied on your online sales:

• Jimdo: 190 $ / year
• Wizishop: 43$ / month + commission of 1% to 3% according to the level of your turnover.
• Shopify: $ 29 / month + 2% commission on your turnover

2-Unusual e-commerce site created with an open source CMS:If your product catalog has several thousand products and you choose the proprietary software solution, browsing your site may be very difficult. If you do not have a big budget, you can opt for an e-commerce site solution created using an open source CMS.

Thanks to open source CMS, you will benefit especially from a more complete and flexible back office, allowing you to manage all your product sheets and all your page templates. But beware, specific needs can not all be managed. They must be quite limited.

Prestashop and Magento are the two leaders in the open source software market. They occupy the same place as WordPress for classic sites. They are both references in the field.

3-Very personalized e-commerce site:If you want to create an online store that is unlike any other, has its trademark and reflects the values ​​of your business, which is clearly distinguishable from competitors, you must plan a substantial budget.

In the same way, the more specific your need is, the more customization of the site is necessary. In this respect, the rule is very simple: the more personalized the site, the higher the price. For at least two reasons: first, you will have to use more flexible technologies, so more complex, so more expensive. Secondly, you will need a developer who will offer you a tailor-made service.

How to find a good supplier for your online store?

If you are a supplier, you will not know what you are going to pay for your products, and therefore you will have no idea how much profit you can make . In such conditions, it is obviously impossible to plan anything. Many stages mark the course of the project of your commercial site in its effective implementation. One of these steps is to find reliable suppliers .

Caution is required

The management of an e-commerce website is a separate activity . Yet many believe that the establishment of their shop will ensure their wealth and independence . Fraudsters know this well, and they are ready to “pluck” those who cradle these illusions.One of the tricks frequently used by fraudsters is to pretend to be a supplier( a company that claims to be a manufacturer or a wholesaler), while it is at the end of the distribution channel. Fraudsters are not short of ideas and in some extreme cases they sell their products more expensive than merchants can sell them to their customers. This would be impossible if the merchants respected a number of basic rules . But the lure of gain (preferably fast) leads them all too often to dig their own grave.

A trusted partner

You must be able to trust your provider and make it a partner . How to sell your products without being scammed? You must first register your business .

Business registration is usually very simple, and inexpensive . This step is nevertheless very important .Once your business is registered, you will have a business name and a number with the taxes. You can then contact wholesalers and suppliers. The distributors, wholesalers and manufacturers worthy of the name will do business with you ONLY if you are registered .

In other words, a company looking to sell you goods without checking that you are registered is probably not very reliable.

Wholesale lots

Registration unfortunately does not open all doors. The quantity of products you intend to buy when launching your online store is of paramount importance . Many manufacturers and wholesalers only sell their products in batches – which means they will not open their cartons to sell smaller quantities. It will be all or nothing. This makes sense for a wholesaler, since it is easier to sell a whole carton than to divide it into parts. Less work, more money, an easy choice. But it’s not all about money. Sell ​​lots also protects you as a reseller.Why would a person bother to buy from you if they can buy directly from a wholesaler? and how to optimize your online store to drive more buyers ?.

Another way to protect yourself : order a minimum quantity. Most buyers only need small quantities and are not registered as sellers. They can not therefore be supplied by wholesalers. Without this protection , you would have no place in the food chain.

Spot the crooks

How? They do not have questions about your registration and resell the products at inflated prices – which leaves you with a narrow margin, see no margin (that is, if you manage to find this product on the Internet at the same price or at a lower price, avoid this supplier !). In addition, some charge a monthly subscription to send you the list of products and prices. No wholesaler worthy of the name engages in such practices.

Armed with this knowledge , you can start looking for suppliers . For this, start at the top of the ladder . Look for the manufacturer and pick up your phone. Ask to get in touch with the sales department and ask them who is the distributor of their products in your area. Once you know the distributor, you can contact him to find out if he is willing to engage in a business relationship with you and under what conditions. Depending on the size of your business, it may direct you to another distributor.

It’s as simple as starting an online store . Once you know a distributor, they will be able to provide you with other products or to put you in contact with other distributors who might do so.

The lounges

The lounges, reserved for professionals , also used to make contact with distributors . Visit the stands to meet a host of small manufacturers willing to work with you to reach a wider audience . Your interlocutor may be the manufacturer himself. Whatever the size of the company from which you wish to source for your e-commerce site , it is always good to check its legitimacy by contacting the manufacturer of the product.

Drop Shipping Too good to be true? Maybe not

So how do you start your online store if you do not have sufficient financial resources? By trimming on your profit margin. Rather than store products, you can send an order to the sender who will send the product to the customer for you. Just create your shop , put in products that the sender supports, and promote your site.

Some companies with “drop shippers” lists charge you a monthly subscription to allow you to access product and price lists. It turns out that these products are often more expensive than those available on the Internet. To find real “drop shippers”, reliable more over, follow the approach described above.

What is Drop shipping ?

Drop shipping is a technique mainly used in the United States. Companies doing this type of activity will ask you for information about your registration because they are wholesalers who sell only to companies.

Customer references

Ask the “drop shipper” a list of references from his customers and order one of his products through a friend to control the operation of his system. If you use the drop shipping technique, you will not have to store and ship the products. But in the eyes of customers, it is you who will be responsible for the proper conduct of this procedure .

Always remember that when you build your supplier network, you need to connect with the people you will be working with .Your reputation, your sales, and your ability to grow your store depend on it .

Where can I find suppliers to supply my e-commerce?

At first, to answer the question ” How to find suppliers for my shop ? You can participate in professional events in your field of activity.

This will allow you to identify and make contact with renowned and serious suppliers.

Trade shows, regularly organized in France, remain a very effective way to find suppliers quickly and forge lasting partnerships.

In addition, the internet remains one of the gateways to explore to find suppliers.

Even if there are few wholesalers who own a site, launching a search on the internet remains a valid way to answer the question ” How to find suppliers for my shop ? “.

If you can not find wholesaler sites, you can go to specialized directories like Kompass or consult the professional press.

They are also useful tools for finding reliable suppliers for the supply of your merchant site.However, it is important to recognize suppliers who can become long-term partners for your development.

How to find suppliers for my online store and make sure they are serious?

To succeed in choosing your suppliers and correctly answer the question ” How to find suppliers for my shop ? , Pay attention to certain aspects such as payment terms, product delivery times, order payment conditions .

Here are some tips for choosing a reliable provider to make your business online:

Opt for a trusted partner

The essence of the relationship between an online seller and a supplier is mutual trust.

To avoid choosing an unreliable partner, consider registering your e-commerce  with the official services.

This will allow you to have a tax registration number and an official business name for your activity.

In fact, reliable wholesalers and suppliers only credit registered stores. Therefore, if a supplier wants to trade with you without taking the time to check if your shop is officially recognized, there may be something under the rock!

Play the competition

Always with the aim of answering at best the famous question «« How to find suppliers for my shop ? », Contact several suppliers and compare their offers: prices, conditions of purchase and payment facilities, services offered, quality of products, etc.

Then, think of conducting the negotiation with each selected supplier, putting it in competition with the offers of other wholesalers in its field of activity.

With a little trick, you will be able to conclude an interesting commercial contract.