Are you looking to find out what the differences are between blogging and dropshipping? Then look no further! Today my goal is to get to the bottom of this debate once and for all.
Both blogging and dropshipping offer you the opportunity to make money online. And since both of these things are popular, people tend to get them confused. With the blogging vs dropshipping debate, there’s a lot of pressure on newbies who have no idea what they’re doing.
Blogging and dropshipping are not competitors. They are two different things with unique benefits for each. Are you confused on the topic of whether you should start a blog or dropship? I’ll explore both options for you.
Quick summary
Dropshipping and blogging are both business models that can be challenging to decide, especially for new entrepreneurs. But with the right planning and commitment, either option can pay off. Here are some ways to help you decide between the two options:
1. What it is
Blogging is a platform relying on content. Where you publish your thoughts, opinions, or day-to-day happenings to the world of social media. Blogs work as a media entity for anyone who wants to get their ideas and thoughts out to the world using blogs as a platform.
On the other hand, dropshipping is an eCommerce model in which a store does not keep the products that it sells in stock. Instead, when a store sells a product, it purchases the item from a third party and has it shipped directly to the customer.
2. How to start
As a beginner, you want to start a blog so you can create an income from home. However, choosing the wrong method can lead to a lot of frustration and wasted money. It’s not as simple as opening a laptop and typing away.
You don’t need much to start blogging, but there are a few basic items you’ll need. You need a laptop or mobile device and an internet connection. You also need a domain name which is the address for your blog and you need to get a web hosting service to host your website.
This will be the place where you store all of your blog information. There are many different kinds of hosting, but I recommend going with a premium service like Bluehost because they handle so many blogs and know how to handle the traffic.
On the other hand, dropshipping is a low-cost, high-profit business model where you don’t necessarily need a large amount of capital to start. Depending upon the business model you choose, it does require some work and capital to begin setting up your business.
Which methods you choose will depend upon your needs, but if you are looking for a way to make money with relatively little overhead, and without any employees, this may be the perfect business model for you.
3. How it works
Blogging is just one of many e-commerce business models out there. Blogging allows you to leverage the power of content marketing to drive sales, rankings, and traffic and squeeze it all into a business model that works with almost no upfront costs.
There are many techniques out there, but just because you know how to blog, doesn’t mean you can generate income from it. Everything takes time and effort to learn and master. If you want a successful blog, you need to set goals and objectives.
Dropshipping on the other hand is the technique of selling other people’s goods for a profit without holding the product in stock. The way dropshipping works is by allowing you to purchase items and resell them online without having to keep the stock in your possession.
When someone places an order, a third-party supplier ships the item directly to the customer from their warehouse, and when you receive payment for the item.
4. Time investment
Bloggers work ethically without forging or plagiarizing the content. Advertisers use your blog on a specific post or page to promote their product. It is a win-win situation.
You get compensated for your time and efforts and they get the customers – visitors who are genuinely interested in their products and services.
On the other hand, dropshippers evade ethical ways of earning money online, by selling products that they don’t even possess on their account on sites like Amazon or eBay.
Blogging takes time and effort to maintain and grow your readership. But once you’re established, you can become an expert in your niche.
Nonetheless, remember that it takes time to grow a business. With a dropshipping store, you have to wait for third-party suppliers to deliver your merchandise.
With blogging, you must be consistent in publishing high-quality content that your readers will love and as such it might take some time to start seeing the results.
5. Startup cost
In terms of online business, the startup cost is the cost of getting a company up and running.
The exciting thing about blogging is that you don’t need to have a big startup cost. The only resources you need are passion, knowledge, and creativity to make money online.
Blogging also offers numerous benefits for your business. It helps build your credibility related to what you are selling. The startup cost for blogging depends on if you buy a domain name, hosting, premium themes, and plugins.
Starting a dropshipping business can cost very little. This depends on the products you choose to sell and your level of involvement. Some companies give you access to their products at wholesale prices which means you don’t pay extra.
Other companies charge a flat fee for prepaying for the inventory that you set aside. When this happens, you will need to find customers who are willing to purchase from your stock so that it can be purchased from the supplier.
So, in terms of startup cost, both of these business models require little capital asides from some other necessities you might need to pay for as you grow your brand.
6. Money making process
Blogging is used by many people to generate a revenue stream. There are many ways to earn money with blogging. You can run advertisements on your blog or use affiliate links to direct visitors to companies that you believe in and receive a commission for referrals.
You can also offer products from your site via a ‘shop’ page. Or you can sell the blog itself independently or via a marketplace.
Another way is by establishing a relationship with advertisers where you are compensated for readership and get paid a fee per person you have referred, or by selling digital information such as ebooks, guides, etc.
Blogs provide many opportunities to earn money, but dropshipping provides only one way: commissions from sales made from your store.
A blog is a good way to get free traffic from search engines to your website without spending any money on advertisements. Starting a blog allows you to earn money like blogging in dropshipping as well.
7. Things to consider
Choosing the right business to start can be tough, and blogging vs dropshipping could be a major decision to make. Blogging is becoming an attractive option for anyone looking to move away from dropshipping, but is it always the right choice?
These are some things to consider before making a decision.
Creating a blog requires a few things. A computer and an internet connection are the two most essential things that are required for creating a blog.
But, besides these two things, you need some skills like writing skills, the ability to use a computer and basic knowledge of photoshop and other graphics tools. In dropshipping, you do not need any of these things.
You just buy products online and resell them depending on your profit margin. However, as with blogs, you need to have a social media presence to increase your sales and make yourself popular in your niche.
8. Pros and cons
Pros of blogging
1. Become an expert and build your brand online
It’s not surprising that many successful bloggers have become brands in themselves. They’ve realized the value of a blog in building their brand and have created loyal fan bases by providing unique content.
If you’re looking for a way to build an audience and connect with people who love your content, blogging is a great place to start – and it’s easy too!
By blogging, you’re going out there and building up valuable experience and knowledge, becoming an expert in your field. And when people see you as having some authority, they’re more inclined to buy from you.
2. Flexibility
Blogging is flexible. Flexibility means you can start a blog from anywhere, even when you are not on the internet. If you are trudging along a remote area and wished to start a blog then you can still do it.
Flexibility also allows self-expression to happen, learn new skills, earn more and more money and gain popularity and a name for yourself.
3. There are many ways to generate income
Remarkably, blogging can not only earn you money but can do so in many different ways. Some bloggers focus on one particular thing, like Google Adsense by selling ads that lead to profit.
Others put up an e-commerce site where they sell their own or other people’s wares. Still, some put up affiliate links with Amazon for example! Or even create and sell apps. The opportunities are vast.
4. Build a loyal and big audience online
The biggest and best way to see real results in blogging is how you can build up a following. If you have a list of loyal followers you know are the customers that will buy from you every time, then you have a valuable asset that any company will want to buy.
In addition, running a blog is a great way to gain your traffic and even turn that traffic into leads. It is very similar to the traditional way of building an email list. You will need time, patience, content, and hard work to run a successful blog.
Cons of blogging
1. Bloggers need time to achieve results
Bloggers need the traffic to their blogs to achieve results. To get traffic, bloggers must write great content and promote it. But being a blogger is time-consuming work.
Some posts may take several hours to write, and much more to promote. They also need to spend a lot of time on client support and product research. Dropshipping may be a better option if you are looking for quick results quick
2. It requires a great deal of content creation
Perhaps the biggest advantage that dropshipping has over blogging is the fact that it does not require as much effort to create content as blogging does.
Blogging requires a great deal of time and effort to be committed to creating new articles and blog posts. Every blogger needs to create new, unique content on a daily or weekly basis.
3. Highly competitive
One of the most competitive ways would be starting a blog. This is because there are so many people who want to be successful at blogging. If you are an entrepreneur looking for a get-rich-quick scheme, blogging would not be the best option.
With the right amount of time and effort, one can start making money immediately. Just remember that it could take some time to build up a good income stream from blogging.
Pros of dropshipping
1. More likely to generate income faster
This option might allow you to generate income faster than blogging, depending on your niche. I would class dropshipping as a passive income source.
This means that once you have set up the website/store and received your first order, you will not need to do anything. All payments will be automatically paid for by the third party, usually PayPal or Stripe (depending on who you use).
2. Business model expansion to high-end retail
With dropshipping, a high level of quality is important. You want to sell customer satisfaction, not just a product. As long as you take great care of the product/service you deliver to customers, you should be able to expand it north and south in the retail chain.
This will further expand your customer base, enhance your brand awareness, and ultimately open a new channel of sales for your future business model expansion.
3. Less capital
Dropshipping means there is a minimal capital investment or inventory cost. This saves you a lot of money in the first year and perhaps beyond too. Also, many dropshippers work from their bedrooms or co-working spaces which eliminates operating costs like rent, utilities, etc.
4. Easy to start and flexible
All you need is a computer and an internet connection. You can open a dropshipping business in minutes. No need to invest in inventory or rent for a store.
It’s more flexible – if sales slow down, you can close your dropshipping business quickly without having to worry about excess inventory.
Cons of dropshipping
1. Handling of customer support
Dealing with customer support is often a headache for many dropshippers. Some of the problems include communication issues, product return and exchange, and finding the cheapest shipping rates.
You may have devoted employees working for you, but they are not in direct communication with your customers. They can’t fulfill all the requests immediately and that might disturb your customers’ satisfaction level.
2. You are not in control of many things
Many online store owners that start a dropshipping business will soon regret it. Because of the lack of full control, many things can go wrong. Even if you choose to use a dropshipping strategy, you still have to take the time to research your supplier and your products.
The suppliers that you choose are going to make a huge impact on your success as an eCommerce owner. Make sure they can deliver the products timely, and that they offer competitive prices.
3. Traffic from search engines is difficult to generate
Traffic generation from search engines tends to be very difficult in dropshipping business because you’re usually just an affiliate/publisher pushing certain products and the individual retailer gets the direct commission.
So it’s hard to generate traffic/leads because you’re not the owner of any products, but just an affiliate promoting certain stuff.
Overall winner
Strategically, blogging and dropshipping shouldn’t be an “either-or” choice. Starting with a blog is better for long-term success. However, starting with dropshipping can offer immediate profit.
Blogging is an ongoing activity that requires time and hard work, while dropshipping allows for passive income as long as you build a store that generates money. It is up to you to decide which is more important to you.
If you’re still wondering whether to start a blog or a dropshipping store, I’d say it’s worth starting both! It is hard to focus on SEO when you first begin blogging, especially if you have a good content plan at the beginning.
With a sales funnel like dropshipping, you gain easy exposure and customers.
FAQs
Is there a link between blogging and dropshipping?
Yes, there is a link between blogging and dropshipping. Blogging means creating a blog and posting content on your page. While dropping shipping means having the product shipped to the customer directly. Together you can create an amazing business for yourself.
Blogging has become a much sought-after skill these days because it allows you to sell your own products regardless of whether or not you have an inventory.
Both blogging and dropshipping create a link between your business and its customers, but there are some benefits that can be found in one but not the other. Blogging is a very personal way to interact with people, and through this interaction, you can develop trust.
Is dropshipping worth it?
Yes, it is! In fact, if you have no idea about online business, then dropshipping can be a good quick-start for you. You don’t need any warehouse and you don’t need any shipping cost. Dropshipping company will do all of this work for you.
Besides, dropshipping is as lucrative as the conventional retailing business especially when you consider the low investment and the ease of entry. However, it is more work than a normal job, and you work weekends.
Why are blogs important for SEO & business?
A blog is an easy and convenient way to establish your business on the web. A blog provides readers with fresh content which helps your search engine rankings, gets you new traffic, and helps extend the reach of your business.
For SEO, content is king. To be on top of any search engine results, the first factor that comes into play is a large number of unique quality content.
Blogging is a great option in this scenario; you can have regular content on your site and it is easy to handle if you are good with words.
See also: 8 things you can do to boost your ranking.
What type of blogs make the most money
As you probably already know, there are different types of blogs out there. However, one of the most popular and most profitable ones is affiliate blogs. These blogs earn money by selling other people’s products or services.
Another type of blog for making money is the niche blog (or authority site) that produces original content that ranks well in search engines.
See also: Profitable blog niches that will make you a ton of money.
What should I dropship?
There is no best niche, with any product you want to dropship, just pick something that can be shipped right to your customer.
Your dropshipping business should focus on products you love or are passionate about. This will keep it personal and not just a business, it’ll allow you to promote the products better, and in turn, make more sales.
What do I need to start blogging?
In truth, very little. But that doesn’t mean it’s cheap. If you already have a laptop you can start blogging right away. Aside from the computer hardware and operating system costs, all that you technically need is a domain name and WordPress hosting plan.
The one thing I should mention though is you will want to use an SSL certificate on your site for security reasons. Make sure you get the padlock in your browser’s address bar!!!
See also: What you need to start blogging.
Final thoughts
Blogging vs dropshipping is one popular debate facing many successful online entrepreneurs today. Many people are vigorously debating the merits of each method which presents different advantages, however, both methods have a few things in common.
Both have pros and cons, however, it is important to remember that either way, success relies on talent and expertise first.
What I have seen is that blogging and dropshipping work for those who wish to spend the time and energy putting it together. The real question you should be asking yourself at this point is “am I willing to give it whatever it takes to succeed?”
No matter what decision you make, blogging vs dropshipping, be sure to make the right one. Picking a platform that is certainly not right for you will produce the wrong outcome.
Thanks for reading. In addition, I’ve written about the differences between podcasts and blogs. It’s worth checking out. The article is insightful.