Dropshipping vs Print on Demand – Complete Guide for 2025

Running a Shopify store is a thrilling journey, but one thing that can make or break your business is shipping. Whether you’re selling locally or internationally, the cost of shipping plays a crucial role in shaping your customers’ buying decisions. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about setting up and optimizing shipping rates in Shopify. By the end, you’ll have a solid understanding of how to set competitive rates, compare shipping options, and use the best tools to streamline your shipping process. Shipping isn’t just an afterthought—it’s a fundamental part of the customer experience. Customers are more likely to abandon their carts if shipping costs are too high or unclear. In fact, studies show that 60% of online shoppers have abandoned a cart due to unexpected shipping costs. So, how do you keep your customers happy and still maintain a profitable business? In Shopify, shipping rates are one of the most flexible yet essential aspects of your store setup. They can make or break your business, especially when you’re dealing with different product sizes, weights, and destinations. Setting the right shipping rate can be the difference between a customer clicking “buy” or heading to a competitor’s site. As a store owner, you want to find the sweet spot between offering competitive rates and covering your costs. So let’s dive into how you can optimize your shipping rates in Shopify, starting with setting them up. How to Set Shipping Rates in Shopify Setting up shipping rates in Shopify may seem overwhelming at first, but trust us—it’s much easier than it looks. Let’s break it down step by step. Step 1: Creating Shipping Zones The first […]

In the dropshipping industry, choosing the right supplier is crucial, and price often plays a key role in our decision-making process. I’m sure every dropshipper is interested in how to find affordable dropshipping suppliers. Next, let’s embark on our dropshipping journey by starting with the search for a supplier that is both budget-friendly and reliable. I believe that by the end of this guide, you will have gained more tips for finding suppliers. Who Are The Cheapest Dropshipping Suppliers？ Without further ado, let’s take a look at which suppliers can offer the most cost-effective products for dropshippers. This section will introduce you to those suppliers who are both affordable and reliable in quality. Choosing them will significantly enhance the smooth operation of your dropshipping business. Whether you are a newcomer to the industry or an experienced veteran, this list of suppliers will provide valuable references to help your dropshipping venture thrive. 1.AutoDS Marketplace AutoDS Marketplace is an automation tool platform specifically designed for cross-border e-commerce sellers. Its main features include product sourcing, price monitoring, inventory management, and order processing. This platform helps sellers efficiently manage their product listings across various e-commerce platforms, optimizing their operational processes. The products offered by AutoDS Marketplace typically come from multiple suppliers with competitive pricing, allowing sellers to acquire goods at lower costs and thereby increase their profit margins. Additionally, AutoDS Marketplace features automation for pricing, inventory management, and order processing, enabling sellers to reduce labor costs and time investment, which further lowers operational expenses. Moreover, bulk purchase discounts may be available on AutoDS Marketplace, allowing sellers to resell at higher profits based on these savings. 2.AliExpress AliExpress is a well-known online retail platform launched […]

A while ago, my mom suddenly asked me, “Can you make one of those websites where you sell stuff online?”I replied, “Do you mean like Taobao or Pinduoduo? Or the kind where you don’t keep inventory?”She said, “The kind without inventory—I don’t have space to store stuff.” Alright, that made things clear: she wanted to do dropshipping. So, I slapped my thigh and decided to help her set up her own independent store—not a little shop on Pinduoduo or Amazon, but a website she could truly call her own. Step 1: Define the Product Category Before diving into product selection, I did a simple yet practical market research with her to make sure we weren’t blindly listing products but making decisions based on data and trends. We mainly referred to the following platforms and dimensions: Google Trends  This was the first tool we checked to confirm the popularity trends of a product category globally or within our target market. We didn’t just look at recent trend curves but also pulled data from the past five years to see whether the category was a seasonal spike or a stable, long-term growth niche. For example, some holiday-related products peak once a year but miss the timing and fail completely; while categories like fitness or pet supplies have steady trends and are better for long-term operation. TikTok & Instagram These two platforms helped us capture real-time consumer interests and hot topics. On TikTok, we focused on viral videos’ likes, genuine feedback in the comments, and influencer recommendations on how to use the product. Instagram was more lifestyle-oriented; we searched keywords to see what people were sharing and recommending, and also got a glimpse […]