Easily find suppliers for your online store

Why is it important to choose the right supplier?

Choosing a supplier is an essential step before launching an online store. It plays an important a strategic role in building customer loyalty and sustaining your business.

The supplier is a natural or legal person who ensures the supply of raw materials or services required for a company's production.

This choice is critical for at least two reasons:

• Ensuring product quality . Quality has always been an effective selling point. Your ability to deliver quality products depends on your choice of supplier.

• Guarantee reliable delivery times . Choose a supplier capable of meeting delivery deadlines to avoid any problems with customers.

The different types of suppliers for an online store

There are 3 types of supplier, depending on their position in the supply chain:

The manufacturers

It's the company that manufactures the product . In some cases, the manufacturer may use an intermediary company to sell its products. Or they may become suppliers themselves.

In the latter case, the price may be more attractive because there's no middleman. The end customer can also benefit from other advantages, such as requesting product customization.

Wholesalers

Wholesalers specialize in the wholesale trade, and their activities include advantageous prices provided you buy in large quantities.

The wholesaler buys or imports products in bulk and then resells them. He thus plays the role of intermediary between manufacturer and end customer .

Les dropshippers

Dropshipping is an alternative sales model to traditional e-commerce. Here, you don't buy stock products for resale. The mechanism is simpler: all you have to do is list your suppliers' products and market them.

The latter remain responsible for stocking and then delivering orders to your customers. So when a customer orders a product, the retailer buys it from the supplier, who takes care of shipping it to the end customer.

Sourcing from a dropshipper allows you to not managing logistics operations related to product storage and shipping.

How do you find suppliers for your online store?

Here are 3 of the main ways to find suppliers for your online store:

Using online directories

Kompass, Pagespro, Alibaba, Amazon or Europages are just some of the online directories that you can consult. There are general directories, but also some that specialize in specific sectors.

Participate in trade shows

You can also visit trade shows to select suppliers.

But don't forget to prepare before you go, to avoid wasting time. Find out more about the companies present to see if there are any that interest you.

You can also program your route according to your needs . The aim? Make the most of your visit, based on the information available on the show website.

Search for wholesale platforms

Just type in B2B e-commerce platforms and a long list appears. This can easily overwhelm you if you haven't determined in advance which sector you're looking for.

Among the largest wholesale platforms, you have :

• Shopify

• BigCommerce

• 3DCart

• Commerce Magento

• WooCommerce

These are platforms that connect retailers with manufacturers and wholesalers so they can stock up on products.

Criteria for selecting a good supplier

Given the strategic importance of your supplier to the success of your online store, you need to choose them with tact. Here are 4 criteria you can use to choose wisely:

Product quality

Quality is a must if you want to stand out from the competition. That's why you need to make sure you find a supplier who can quality products.

To do this, keep an eye out for "quality" references such as labels, certifications, ISO standards, etc.

Price and payment terms

Any company is bound to seek profitability in its operations. That's why price is a key factor. a major challenge .

Don't forget ancillary costs (transport, conditioning, packaging, etc.) and total cost of ownership including :

• Cost of use

• Acquisition cost

• Replacement

• End-of-use recycling

• Etc.

Don't forget to negotiate attractive payment terms (payment facilities, payment deadlines, etc.). With Hero, you can benefit automatically

Delivery times

On-time delivery is a key criterion for customer satisfaction. That's why you should check your supplier's reliability in this respect before signing with him.

Reputation and opinions of other customers

Ask the supplier's business customers about issues such as :

• Product quality

• The supplier's responsiveness in terms of communication

• On-time delivery

A good way to do this is to consult online review sites, forums and newsgroups.

How do you evaluate a potential supplier?

Now you know where to find suppliers and how to choose them. Here are our final tips to make sure you make the right choice.

Request product samples

There's nothing like getting a feel for the quality of a potential supplier's products yourself.

To do so, request product samples . Some brands even offer free samples. This way, you can see for yourself whether they really meet your expectations.

Check certifications and quality standards

Quality certifications and standards attest to a company's compliance with certain legal and regulatory requirements . ISO 9001 certification is the international benchmark for quality certification, and a company with it is the ultimate in product quality assurance.

Read customer reviews and testimonials

In the age of social networks, discussion forums and review sites, you can easily gauge people's opinion of a product, service or company, making them an excellent resource for your business. find out about a company's reputation before choosing it as your supplier.

It's not a good idea to choose a company that doesn't respect delivery times, or that has a high number of returns, for example. The reputation of your online store is at stake.

Common mistakes to avoid when choosing a supplier

Here are the pitfalls to avoid when choosing your supplier.

Do not check supplier reliability

Any supplier selection must be preceded by a mini-survey of the supplier's reliability and reputation. Does it provide good customer service? Are the products on offer of high quality?

To answer these questions, you can consult social networks and reviews on specialized websites even get in direct contact with former customers.

Based on price alone

Price is certainly one of the most important criteria for selecting a supplier. It certainly plays a part in calculating a company's profit margin. However, it would be a mistake to focus solely on price.

Imagine a supplier who offers attractive prices but neglects quality criteria and delivery times. The different criteria that make a good supplier are cumulative and include various requirements . So don't overlook these other criteria in the name of attractive prices.

Ignore delivery terms

Quality and accuracy of delivery are integral to customer satisfaction. Delivery conditions even figure prominently among the criteria customers use to choose an e-commerce company.

That's why it's so important to be attentive to your supplier's reliability . It is necessary choose a partner that scrupulously honors its commitments in terms of delivery times . The reputation of your own online store is at stake.

The best suppliers for your online store

Here's our list of the best suppliers for your online store.

Alibaba

The Chinese giant remains the benchmark platform for finding suppliers.

Plus points :

• The a versatile platform . A wide range of products is available.

• Products can be customized

Minuses:

• Most suppliers are located in China, which can delay deliveries.

• Products are not adapted for the American market

Global Source

This site is also renowned for sourcing from suppliers outside China (mainly in India).

Plus points :

• Associated services including shipping logistics support and document translation

DHgate

Plus points :

• Affordable prices

• A wide range of products available

Minuses:

• Few payment methods accepted

AliExpress

AliExpress is a subsidiary of the Chinese Alibaba group . This is the reference marketplace for dropshipping.

Plus points :

• A rich catalog of products

• Sophisticated, easy-to-integrate delivery tracking and automation tools

Minuses:

• Language barrier with Asian manufacturers

• Long delivery times due to geographical constraints

SaleHoo

This is New Zealand's dropshipping platform.

Plus points :

• Affordable subscription rates

• Access to hard-to-find products

Minuses:

• The platform itself does not manage the commercial relationship with the manufacturers. You must therefore contact each manufacturer individually.

Worldwide Brands

With over 20 years of existence This is one of the oldest platforms in our selection.

Plus points :

• A wide range of products

• Suppliers of different nationalities: American, Chinese, etc. .

Oberlo

It's the e-commerce platform specifically dedicated to Shopify store owners.

Plus points :

• A free basic plan

• Guidance in dropshipping

Minuses:

• Platform specifically for Shopify stores

• Advanced features are not free

Negotiating with suppliers

Right from the start, even before signing with a supplier, you can use the competition and compare service providers. The goal? Sign a supplier contract with the best terms and conditions in terms of price, purchasing conditions and payment terms.

Here are some possible areas of negotiation:

• A sliding-scale price scale for products that sell well

• Return of unsold goods

• Return of goods without reason.

Negotiating the best prices is always a good thing. On the other hand, beware of overly tempting offers that may conceal restrictive quid pro quos!

Use Hero to optimize the management of your online store

Launched on the payment solutions market in 2020, Hero has evolved into a neobank. The solution can be an interesting financial partner for online store owners.

Hero simplifies payments with suppliers thanks to a wide range of payment methods: credit card, direct debit and bank transfer.

With Hero, you can also manage your company's cash flow effectively thanks to the payment facilities offered on the platform.

We can advance the funds for your supplier payments. It is then up to you to reimburse in 3 or 4 payments or deferred payment, after 60 or 90 days.

Hero also features a new function that allows you to automate the collection of accounting vouchers.

In a nutshell choosing the right supplier for your online store is far from a trivial act, as the stakes are so high. In particular, you need to check the quality of the products on offer, the reliability of the supplier, delivery times and prices. Once you've launched your online store, you can optimize its financial management with Hero and its innovative banking offer.