If you're interested in learning more about private label products or are ready to get started, we've put up a list of 5 suggestions to help you succeed in the private labeling market.
Indeed, more than 15% of sales come from private label products. We'll start by learning what private labels are, and then we'll go over all the actions you'll need to take to create your own private labels.
We'll also give you a quick lesson, so you're a step ahead of the majority of newcomers.
Product Research
How to do good product research ? To begin with, you may understand your ideas around your product. Take some time to question yourself about product features ; size of your product, colors, seasonal products, the weight of your product and more. All these features will impact the mode of transport, the origin of the materials, the time spent on its production.
This step is therefore essential, and can take very little time if you already have a well-defined idea in mind or, conversely, can take many months. Don't worry, product research is a success key for a successful private label product.
Once you have defined the characteristics of the product, you will have to imagine your product; how will you market it, where, with what packaging.
Table of Contents
What Is a Private Label Product ?
A retailer produces his own product by a third-party but sells by the retailer brand. In fact, the retailer has control over all the production, including characteristics of the product, his packaging and more. Then, the third-part has to deliver the end-product to the retailer.
Starting a private label product can get higher profit than other businesses, you will discover the process to sell it in 5 steps.
If you are interested in the private label products, don’t hesitate to contact the import/export experts of DocShipper, they will accompany you in the achievement of your private label product.
Step 1 : Research
Nowadays, information research is a key to developing a good business plan. To be consistent with the market, you have to prepare a couple of things that you need before starting a private label product.
DocShipper Info : Product Research is a success key for your Business. If you are aware of all features, don’t hesitate to contact our sourcing experts, they will help you to conceptualize your product, find the needed suppliers to achieve your goals.
Market Research
With the previous step, you were able to see some of the characteristics of the market. The first good thing to do is to look at the competitive market. Indeed, you will learn about success and failed brands.
The competition is a very important source of information for good market research.
The failed brands will be very enriching to understand the mistakes not to make, it will be necessary to question why a private label product does not work but others work wonderfully. Once the external analysis is done, look at your customer segment. Who are our targets, why are they targets, what characteristics attract them? This will allow you to identify the different risks and introduce them to your product, which will allow you to anticipate your business.
Step 2: Use Your Creativity
How do you imagine your product ?
This is where the real work begins. You will have to imagine how you want your product to look, how you want to sell it to your future customers? Do you want an aesthetic product or an environmental one? The choice of materials is a very important point, it will define the production time, the price of your product, the location of suppliers.
Nowadays, materials and design is a key success for a private label product. Be aware of the life cycle of your product, recyclable or not? If you choose a recyclable one, you have to think about all the processes after its life cycle.
You have to think about all security aspects, if you create a product for children, look at all regulations in place. You have to list all potential aspects that you want on your private label product.
Think about your Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s), how you want to succeed ? Let’s take a sample for children’s toys. You need to go more in depth, and need more research. Which supplier will make your children’s toys, what packaging do you imagine for your product. Do you need some specific people to do it, like a designer for example.
DocShipper Advice : To define your Key Performance Indicator don’t hesitate to contact our sourcing service, they will help you to define your product strengths to develop a clear Business plan.
Think about your brand
Obviously, if you choose to develop an environmental private label product, you have to think about your brand. Customers must be able to make the link between the product purchased and your brand. Back to your KPIs, don’t think you will succeed if you manage to get 100% positive reviews on your sales. Profits are not the only success indicator, of course you can make a successful business without a hundred percent of sales. Don’t be aware if your product is not a success, go next. Failure is a source of learning. Remember, your only limit is your imagination. Now you have all the cards in your hand to react in case of failure or success. Let's move on to the next step.
Step 3: Choose Your Provider
Sourcing is very important for your product. He is the creator of your business, for that it will be necessary to work the relation, the mutual help is essential!
The first thing you may have in mind is that providers are not enemies but business partners. Of course you will have some inconveniences during the negotiating part, but keep in mind suppliers are partners.
Build a long-term relationship
Creating a long-term relationship is fundamental to be efficient with your private label product. That would improve negotiations, quality of production and reduce the time of production.
You have to learn about his production line, to understand how your product is made. Meet your provider like a private person which you want to know, like in your life. Be curious, ask him some questions and then you can start your negotiations. Don’t think you’re his boss, try to find a win-win solution. Of course, you need to maintain
DocShipper info :
Here are some questions that you can ask your provider
- Do you have any advices for my product?
- Is custom packaging possible for my products ?
- How many items do I need to produce a final product?
- Can you send me a sample?
- Are you interested by ordering in large quantities?
If you want more details, don’t hesitate to contact our sourcing service, they will help you to find the perfect supplier. Or visit our sourcing site, where many tips are listed.
After getting a positive reaction, the next step is to request a sample when you receive a response that confirms all of the relevant information and provides you with facts that fit with what you require.
Because you're looking for things to market, you'll need a lot of samples. Before placing a large order, it's critical that you view what you're going to sell in person.
Be a control freak
Being a demanding controller is an important part of your private label product, you have to be a reviewer, this is not the best part but you need to make sure that all features, details are respected and have a final product as close as possible to your base sample.
Some companies provide free samples, but you may have to pay for shipping, which is common when dealing with an international manufacturer. As soon as you have the sample, double-check that your items are scalable and straightforward.
Even as you check the quality, shipping, and price, keep in mind that running a private label business carries legal dangers.
These dangers may arise as a result of rules, trademarks, or product supply. We recommend that you consult with a private label lawyer and become well-informed before making a purchase.
Also, before you begin working with them, make sure you have a contract in place. A simple talk isn't enough. Get a contract signed, regardless of how confident the producer appears to be. This will almost certainly prevent future problems.
Check for the shipping arrangements
“Time is money”, so be precise on your schedule, check if your supplier is on time, if everything is done go to the next step ; how do you want to organize your shipping arrangements?
Shipping goods is a very important and stressful time. For this, many solutions are available according to your needs. Do you want to rent a warehouse to manage your shipments in an organized way or do you want to do it from home for economical reasons? Also pay attention to the taxes, if your manufacturer is located in a foreign country to yours, check the laws in force, do you have to pay the country’s tax of your supplier, the country’s tax of your country? It is really necessary to pay attention to all the taxes in force.
DocShipper Advice : If you have any questions about country taxes and shipping cost, check our sourcing website.
Step 4: Vending your Products
Now, you have your final product in your warehouse or anything else, how do you want to sell it ? in your own online shop, by intermediaries, by platforms, you can also deal with a supermarket to put it in.
How To Start Selling
Nowadays, it’s easier to sell products online for economic reasons, but you can also do it traditionally and sell it offline if you are not comfortable with online sales.
Creating a New Account
To begin with, you have to create an account or a website. As a registration to a website, you have to fill in some information like your sexe, address, name, payment method and more.
Promote Your Listing & Products
Once your creating account is done, you need to attract consumers, for that several marketing actions are to be done. First of all, before any communication, you need to present your product. The strength of marketing is important, take pictures highlighting your product, videos presentations are increasingly appreciated by the public. Be inventive, find a flashy title that will highlight your product. And of course finish with a nice product description, with all the characteristics of your product.
Harness the Power of Promotions & Ads
The promotion of a product has a real impact on the choice of consumers. Indeed, marketing promotion has a huge influence on our purchases. Don’t be aware about promotion and ads, this is a difficult point. Even if you failed the first time, don’t hesitate to train yourself, you have time for it. Especially if you are new to this field, don't dwell on complex approaches, there are many, which we won't be able to explain due to the amount of data to be processed however, most of the time the simplest ideas are the best. In addition, promotion and advertising techniques vary between platforms, so try to focus on one platform first, to become an expert on this one.
DocShipper info : If you want a complete resume on live sales, don't hesitate to check our website, you'll find details about all the online sales process.
Define a Price for your Product
Here is the part you are all waiting for, the pricing of your products.
In order to do this, you will have to carry out a good competitive analysis, which will allow you to obtain the right price.
Be Precise with your Research
This step is essential in order not to destroy all the work done beforehand. Indeed, a price too high or too low reflects your product. For that, you have to check the market price with the highest and lowest prices.
Don't be too demanding on your profits from the start. Many starting businesses post prices slightly below market and will then raise their prices. Many multinationals use this method to attract as many consumers as possible, for example fast food restaurants. In fact, when they are established, most of these restaurants neglect their profits and increase them little by little.
Don't display a low price that could scare away potential customers, who rely on the price to define the quality of the product.
Take the Final Decision
Now it’s time to make your decision. Remember that if you choose a lower price solution, you will do more sales than a higher price solution. If you choose a low-cost solution, be careful of your profit margin.
Step 5: Selling On Amazon like an expert
Nowadays, many online platforms allow to sell products on the net. If all the previous steps have been respected, your product will be appreciated by these platforms and will allow you to have a lot of visibility. From here on, we will focus on Amazon, a very important platform in the world of e-commerce.
Get Rid of Brand Restrictions
With a private label product, you have the opportunity to be free. Indeed, a simple reseller will be restricted but not you. You don’t work for nothing !
Bit the Competition
Competition on Amazon is very strong. You will be referred to all similar products. An attractive title, great image of your product with a good story telling will improve your referencing. You will appear in the first suggestions of Amazon. Your keywords are therefore very important and must be well defined beforehand.
Improve your Brand Content
How can you improve your Brand content? Several features can help you to improve your traffic. To begin with, you have to get your stuff prepared (previous step).
Use Professional Pics
You don’t need to be a professional or hire a professional to take professional pics. Nowadays, smartphones can take high quality pictures. If you can afford it, you can buy a quality camera and then you will have crisp pics. Thinking about the light, it goes without saying, professional pictures need professional lighting.
Never Forget Title & Keywords
For example, if you are a toy seller, you can’t name your brand like “Toys Brand”, it’s useless. Use a title to include a keyword, you will gain visibility. You can used words like ;
- Intuitive toy
- Wood toy
- Baby toy
- Luxury toy
- Fun toy
- Electronic toy
There are many qualifying terms which improve your traffic and increase your sales.
Enhance your Product Features & Benefits
In the sales domain, research on competitors is imperative, take a look and be creative. For this part, you have to create a need for consumers. You can add some keywords on your product description. The aim is to improve your features and benefits, of course it’s not an easy part but an important one. Be confident, you can’t be the worst one.
Promotes Your goodies on Shopify
A lot of other platforms are available on the net. Amazon is the most famous one. Shopify is another platform where you can create your own website. With the Shopify app, you can manage your private label business in more detail than Amazon. Like we see before, Amazon set up a brand restrictions policy. Shopify gives you more freedom than others, you can design your website as you want, there are a lot of design options available. You have to train on it, to develop skills.
Shopify provides more flexibility but less visibility than Amazon. The Shopify marketing system is not optimized as an Amazon platform. You have to work on SEO techniques to be on the front page. Be careful, Shopify is not a free platform, you will pay around 30$ / month. The Shopify system did not include a PPC feature (Pay-per-click), so you will pay if someone clicks on your advertising.
Sell your Items Over Other Platforms
There are many other platforms available on the net. If you are curious or want to be a shopper of course you can. But you have to look at marketing methods. According to platforms, there are a lot of differences between them. Other platforms offer information on customer behaviors and a different look on the customer behavior and a different look on traffic. Browse platforms as much as you can to be a marketing expert.
Once you are more comfortable with marketing methods you will be able to deal on several platforms. You will boost your business and generate more profits.
When Will It Be Cost Effective
Your own private label product will be profitable if all steps have been respected. You have to be determined and creative to become a seasoned salesman. Remember failing is a source of learning. You need to be a hard worker to improve your sales.
I hope this article will help you start your own private labels. If you are questioning yourself about several points, don’t hesitate to contact our services. Enjoy your day.
FAQ | The 5 main Steps To Sell A Private Label Product
How to define a success key ?
These dangers may arise as a result of rules, trademarks, or product supply. We recommend that you consult with a private label lawyer and become well-informed before making a purchase. Also, before you begin working with them, make sure you have a contract in place. A simple talk isn't enough. Get a contract signed, regardless of how confident the producer appears to be. This will almost certainly prevent future problems. These dangers may arise as a result of rules, trademarks, or product supply. We recommend that you consult with a private label lawyer and become well-informed before making a purchase. Also, before you begin working with them, make sure you have a contract in place. A simple talk isn't enough. Get a contract signed, regardless of how confident the producer appears to be. This will almost certainly prevent future problems.
What are the main advantages of having an e-commerce website for your company?
3 main advantages of having an e-commerce website Lower starting and operational costs than “offline Businesses” Setting up an e-commerce website is less expensive than setting up a physical store. Your company's entire sales system is automated online. As a result, you'll save money on things like personnel, wages, and other business expenses like energy, rent, and heating. The money you've saved can then be put toward expanding your e-commerce website and product line. E-commerce websites can also help you extend your product range faster than you might in a traditional brick-and-mortar store. The business can be operated from anywhere E-commerce websites eliminate any geographical limitations that an office-based business might have. You may be anywhere in the world and yet run a profitable e-commerce firm. Having access to emails, the Internet, and phones are all necessary in order to manage an e-commerce website from anywhere. Capability on a large scale E-commerce websites are quite useful for determining which products are doing well and ensuring that supply levels of these items are raised. Also, how can these successful products be broadened to create a wider choice of things to sell on the website? This will enable you to expand your company's sales, customer base, and profitability. Amazon's online shopping website has thrived by expanding their product line and continuously analyzing what is popular with customers. As a result, they've been able to drastically expand their product line into a variety of industries.
What is the best online sales platform for 2022?
Facebook Marketplace is a platform that allows you to sell The Facebook Marketplace is a well-known online selling platform that was developed to connect people in communities together to buy and sell products. It was established in October 2016. The company's recent commitment to aid online shops is one of the most exciting features of Facebook Marketplace. Facebook has partnered with online selling platforms like Shopify to make it easier for online merchants to be found on the Marketplace. Despite the fact that there are no listing fees, there are some rules and criteria that must be followed if you want to be a successful Marketplace vendor.
Is offline marketing still effective ?
Offline marketing is far from being out of style, contrary to popular belief. The benefit of employing a more traditional medium, such as a business card or a brochure, is that it is less likely to get lost in an overburdened email box or an unreadable contact list. Advertisement posters in the subway or on the side of the road are another example. At the sight of a stunning XXL poster, who hasn't wished to purchase a meal from Just Eat or go on vacation? These marketing strategies are, of course, more expensive, but the media exposure is not. However, it is not always necessary to spend a large sum of money in order to be successful.
What is a cost-benefit analysis?
A cost-benefit analysis is a systematic method used by organizations to determine which actions should be made and which should be avoided. The cost-benefit analyst adds up the possible benefits of a situation or action, then subtracts the overall costs of pursuing that action. Some consultants or analysts create models to put a monetary value on intangible elements like the advantages and expenses of living in a certain area. Knowing How to Do a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) Before constructing a new factory or undertaking a new project, sensible managers do a cost-benefit analysis to assess all of the project's possible expenses and revenues. The study findings will decide if the project is financially viable or whether the corporation should pursue another idea. In many models, the opportunity cost is factored into the decision-making process as part of the cost-benefit analysis. Alternative advantages that may have been gained if one option had been chosen over another are known as opportunity costs. In other terms, the opportunity cost is the value of an opportunity that is foregone or missed as a result of a choice or decision. When opportunity costs are taken into account, project managers may assess the advantages of different paths in a cost-benefit analysis, the cost-benefit analysis should evaluate the whole course of action, not just the present path or option. The cost-benefit analysis is more complete and enables for better decision-making when all possibilities and potential lost opportunities are considered.
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