Creating A eCom Shop Through Blogging (To Also Learn DM Skills Faster)

[Reapzy]

Hey guys,

Just wanted some feedback on the best way to approach creating a custom-branded eCom Shop. The niche is particularly something that I am passionate about, and am still investing time into learning.

I had dabbled in Dropshipping via eBay for a bit and made few sales. But the process was tedious and margins didn't tickle my fancy, so I didn't want to scale it/automate the process. I realized that Dropshipping is not a sustainable business (especially on Amazon/eBay), margins are always going to be somewhat minimal, and value isn't being added w/o the use of Guides, Tutorials or Product Improvements (which can't be added on eBay or Amazon).

I also attempted Affiliate Marketing via Blogging for numerous websites but didn't have the passion for the niches I entered. At the time I didn't really know what I was doing and wasn't committed. Till I had a Mindset Shift that I read here:

"Time spent consuming is time spent not producing"

And upon realizing this, I figured out a simple method to building a profitable eCom business:

Targeted Traffic + Product That Solves A Problem + Further Improvements To Product + Value Added To Product + Profit Margins = $$$

This could allow me to rapidly test products by controlling the traffic I bring in.

Basically, my thought process goes like this to approaching building a Custom eCom Shop:
1. Generate Traffic through YouTube + Blogging SEO
2. Dropship Products In Store That Are Highly Reviewed To See Sales Potential
3. Study Weaknesses of Products -> Improve on Those Weaknesses By Importing Own Version
4. Have A Store That Combines Custom Made Products + Branded High-Quality Dropshipped Products (Purpose: To create bundles/kits by combining both)

The valuable skills I'll be learning along the way would be:
-> Search Engine Optimization
-> Google AdWords / Facebook Ads
-> Web Design Skills
-> Product Research Skills
-> Videography / Video Editing Skills

The Value being added to not just be an 'ordinary' eCom store would be long-form tutorials attached with YouTube Videos to utilize both Google and YouTube Search Engines. And through building traffic, I was thinking of just testing products via Dropshipping + Doing a specific tutorial on how to use it to have added value. Then through testing whether people buy or not, look to import my own improved version.

Alongside that, they have access to both long form guides or quick video guides to solve specific problems.

How it ranks through CENTS:
C: Control - Have 100% control from the Products I choose to sell, to the Content I put out.
E: Entry - This somewhat violates entry. But I'd say it's similar to Digital Marketing Businesses. Anyone can quickly get it going, but is there people looking to sustain it? My thought process behind this is through domination by the highest-quality content, consistency, and longevity.
N: Need - The niche is trending more than ever. But is somewhat saturated already. Regardless, the skills I'll be learning will be valuable in the long run.
T: Time - Time is against me since Blogging isn't short-term and could take months to bring in Traffic. Thus why I wanted to see if there's a faster way to test products to see potential through eBay/Amazon <- Or if this is even the best method (thinking Facebook Ads/Google AdWords -> Landing Page)
S: Scale - Scale is definitely great. The more traffic I bring in from Blogging + YouTube, considering that people want the products I sell, the more Sales that could be made.

So I have a few questions on how this process could be improved:

1. Is testing products via Dropshipping a way the best way to test potential interest? Given the fact that specific tutorials and guides will be used to showcase the product?
2. Could these products be quickly tested via eBay or Amazon? (I'm located in Australia)
3. Is there a way I could improve on this process?

Regardless, this shop will be up and running simply because I know there's value to be added. The niche itself does not have tremendous pain (or I haven't found it yet), but I know through another Mindset Shift of "Building a business for the purpose of solving peoples problems" as opposed to "Building a business to get rich" - I can start to see patterns and trends where things can be improved on.

Any feedback or discussions would be much appreciated. Apologies if I had missed out on any important questions.

 

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