There are two main ways to set up a dropshipping store:
Shopify/Oberlo, or WordPress/AliDropship.
We have chosen to use the second option, because
1. we already have hosting (£4/month!) – if you don’t, try AliDropship hosting..
2. we are familiar with domain registration (GoDaddy)
3. we already know our way around WordPress ( we run several WP sites )
4. the AliDropship plugin is $75 (one-off payment, with discount)
The alternative (which we think is better suited for beginners or non-techies, is:
1. £29/month for a shopify account
2. £13 a year for a domain name
3. Oberlo (free up to 50 sales)
** please note: within the WordPress/AliDropship route, there are two options:
- Use the non-woo AliDropship plugin
- Use WooCommerce and the Woocommerce version of the AliDropship plugin
For the sake of simplicity, and also because we’ve never used WooCommerce before, we’ve decided to use the Non-Woo version.
This may come back to bite us later, and it also means we are stuck with the themes that come with the non-woo plugin, but it should reduce the learning curve a bit.
BOTH versions of the plugin are included in the one-off $75 price.. don’t forget to use the “STARTER15” discount code..
Actually, you can save yourself a LOT of effort if you buy a custom-built store direct from AliDropship..