Paid Wholesale Drop Shipping Directories – is it Really Worth the Money

There appears to be a symbiotic relationship between wholesale drop shipping directories and new web stores. The easy access to e-Bay and affordability of turnkey web store packages has made it possible for just about any individual to start their own web store. Online wholesale directories has helped fuel this growth and it seems as though new web store holders cannot get enough of paying for memberships to have access to wholesale product suppliers. At first this sounds quite odd given that most of these suppliers are already listed on the internet for free. However the lure of sourcing cheap products all over the world with the assistance of one web site has appealed to thousands of would be web store entrepreneurs and eBay marketers around the world.

What Is A Wholesale Drop Shipping Directory
Firstly a wholesale drop shipping directory is just that, a directory of suppliers ranging from wholesalers, manufacturers, drop shippers and liquidators. Please don’t mistake a directory for an actual wholesaler or drop shipper. The problem I found was that many of these sites claiming to have the greatest directory in the world simply collated lists of suppliers without actually doing any genuine research or offering a service other than a listing.

I could have spent time simply collating these lists myself but who really knows how reliable and trustworthy these suppliers are. Even more importantly will their products actually sell on eBay or anywhere online. My research has shown that many sites simply duplicate their lists from other sites and provide little supporting information.

What Should You Look For In A Wholesale Drop Shipping Directory?

-A Quality List Of Trusted Manufacturers, Wholesalers And Drop Shippers Who Supply Brand Name Products Across A Number Of Product Categories That Will Provide The Variety For Successful Product Sourcing
- Product Demand Research Tools To Find Out What Does Sell On eBay & Online (product research is the key for selling any product online)
- Complete Support To Help You Get Started (not just a list). Supporting Product Sourcing Education e-Books And Guides, Research Tools An Online Support.
- A Members Forum (this is important for the novice to get tips from experienced web store holders)

A quality wholesale directory can help the novice online store marketer have access to product sources around the globe. Some directories even provide a pre-verified list of suppliers in order to protect their members from being scammed by fraudulent suppliers. Some of the better credentialed wholesale drop shipping directories and aggregators online include Salehoo, Worldwide Brands and Doba.

These directory web sites are simply a resource and it’s still up to the web store owner to build relationships with their suppliers over time. Working with pre-verified suppliers from day one does provide the newbie with some comfort. However the downside is that these suppliers are also accessible to all other members who may ultimately be your competitor. Overall a wholesale dropshipping directory should only form a part of your overall product sourcing strategy.