Choosing which platform you’ll use for your DropShipping business is a big decision. In this guide, the experts at Armaan Resales highlight the differences between two of the world’s leading eCommerce platforms, helping you make the best decision for your business.
Designed to give DropShippers with little to no experience the ability to sell to millions of consumers, Amazon and Shopify have foundational differences that should be considered when choosing which platform to work with.
Ultimately, everything comes down to answering one fundamental question.
How do you want to run your DropShipping business?
When choosing between these two eCommerce giants, you can look at it this way. Using Amazon is like selling your items in the world’s largest department store, whilst using Shopify is like renting a shop in a large shopping centre. Either way, millions see your products; they’re just presented in different ways.
Setup and Usability
The setup and usability of these two platforms are where the differences couldn’t be starker. Whilst you’re listing your products and countless eyes each day see them, they’re presented in entirely different formats.
Amazon
Whether a well-seasoned pro or a newcomer to the DropShipping industry, Amazon is often an easy choice. Its independent seller services are designed for beginners. When you sign up, you’re taken through an onboarding process and provided with plenty of resources to help make you more successful. When choosing to sell your products on Amazon, there’s no worry about building a customer base because millions of people visit its websites every day.
One difference between Amazon and Shopify is how products are listed. With Amazon, products are chosen using “Amazon Seller Central”, a vast database full of all the products; and there are requirements about product names and details and a cataloguing regime that must be followed.
If you’re not fussed about building a brand, Amazon has a worldwide reputation as one of the biggest online eCommerce markets – and your DropShipping business can benefit from selling under its branding. When using the Amazon Seller option, everything carries Amazon’s branding. Whilst you can add your business logo, options for further personalisation are limited.
Shopify
If you’re creative, want your own branding and want to build a recognisable website for fans of your products, Shopify is the solution for you.
Shopify requires a bit more work than Amazon’s easy set-up, but you’ll have your own digital shopfront. Shopify provides you with the tools necessary to create an online store – then it’s up to you how it should look, how products are presented to customers and their experience while using your site. It’s entirely different from selling your products on Amazon.
Shopify’s ability to completely tailor your online store to suit your needs and target audience is a boon – if you’re willing to learn and put in the work. Creating a completely bespoke website requires knowledge of CSS and HTML coding though there are free to use templates to start you on your journey.
Profitability
In both cases, online DropShipping stores will be as profitable as you’re willing to work for. Amazon provides access to over 300 million users in 180 countries. Still, it will require ingenuity in product descriptions, providing a niche, trendy product and a strong pricing strategy to help you stand out from the competition.
While you may not have a ready-made customer base with Shopify, a Shopify store can be incredibly lucrative once built with full SEO, engaging content and with the use of digital or social media advertising. Additionally, Shopify allows sellers to target their local market, providing improved visibility and the ability to create a loyal base of customers in your local area.
If you’re looking to create something entirely bespoke, with a unique brand to sell your DropShipping goods, Shopify is the way forward.
Experts in DropShipping for over a decade, Armaan Resales helps its DropShippers make the best choice for their needs. Whether they want to get started quickly and have the sales rolling from an Amazon independent seller account or prefer to build something unique with a recognisable brand and proven products, Armaan Resales can help.
If you’re looking for a side hustle, trying to stretch your pension pot further or want to create your own business, working the hours and pattern you want, DropShipping could unlock that second income stream or replace your full-time position entirely.
Get in touch with our team of experts to start DropShipping.
