Oberlo Chrome Extension: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide for Dropshipping Success

Ecommerce has exploded in the past decade, with retail giants like Amazon leading the way. However, running an online store remains out of reach for many small businesses and entrepreneurs due to high inventory costs.

Dropshipping offers a smart alternative by letting you curate products for an online store without holding any inventory. When a customer places an order, you simply purchase the item from a third party supplier and have it shipped directly to the customer.

This dropshipping model has made ecommerce accessible to almost anyone. Popular platforms like Shopify have made setting up an online dropshipping store easier than ever.

But managing communications and logistics with suppliers can be a major pain point. That‘s where Oberlo comes in to automate routine tasks.

This comprehensive guide will walk you step-by-step through exactly how the Oberlo Chrome Extension eliminates dropshipping friction so you can focus on growing your business.

Why Dropshipping is Booming

The main appeal of dropshipping is eliminating the need for upfront inventory purchases and storage. By acting as a middleman between suppliers and customers, you can test new product ideas with little risk.

According to Statista, global retail ecommerce sales reached $4.9 trillion in 2021. The opportunity keeps growing:

Shopify powers over 1 million businesses, showing the demand for easy ecommerce solutions.

Of course dropshipping isn‘t all upside. Challenges include:

Lower profit margins – To stay competitive you‘ll make less per sale than selling your own branded goods.

Quality control – You rely on suppliers to provide decent products and service.

Fulfillment delays – Shipping times can be long using third party suppliers.

However for many entrepreneurs, the benefits outweigh the downsides. Oberlo streamlines the complex parts so you can tap into this opportunity.

What is Oberlo and How Does it Work?

Founded in 2015, Oberlo aims to make dropshipping easy. The Lithuanian startup joined Shopify in 2017.

The free Oberlo Chrome Extension integrates directly into Shopify stores to help merchants:

• Quickly find products to import from the AliExpress marketplace
• Seamlessly add items to the Shopify store catalog
• Automatically fulfill orders by purchasing from AliExpress

This eliminates tedious manual work so you can focus on your store‘s brand and marketing.

Oberlo handles sourcing, inventory syncing, bulk ordering, and shipping. You get complete visibility into order status from processing to final delivery.

The plugin streamlines the entire workflow:

Let‘s walk through how to get Oberlo set up and leverage its powerful automation.

Installing Oberlo in Just 5 Minutes

Adding Oberlo to your Shopify store takes just minutes. Simply:

1. Open the Chrome Web Store and search "Oberlo".
2. Click "Add to Chrome" to begin installing the extension.
3. Click "Add extension" to confirm.
4. The Oberlo icon will now appear in your Chrome toolbar.

Next, you‘ll sign up for an Oberlo account or sign in to connect your Shopify store.

And that‘s it – you‘re ready to begin using Oberlo‘s powerful features to grow your dropshipping business.

Finding and Importing Products

Oberlo grants access to the AliExpress product catalog directly within Chrome. Here‘s how to easily import items into your store:

1. Browse AliExpress and click the "Add to Oberlo" button on any product.

2. The item will be saved to your Oberlo import list for processing.

3. Click "Push to Store" and Oberlo will automatically import the product into your Shopify catalog.

4. Images, descriptions, variants and other details are synced.

The result is your products get added with almost no effort. You can even configure Oberlo to automatically update pricing, inventory, and availability.

I recommend carefully vetting suppliers and ordering samples to ensure product quality. But Oberlo makes it effortless to test lots of new items and see what sells.

Streamlining Workflows with Extension Settings

Beyond basic product importing, Oberlo offers powerful customization so you can filter products and tailor the experience.

In the extension settings you can:

• Display processing time estimates to set buyer expectations.
• Filter products by country destination to show relevant items.
• Convert currencies to ensure consistent pricing across regions.
• Hide out-of-stock or slow shipping items to curate product catalog.
• Toggle inventory syncing between Oberlo and Shopify.

Leverage these settings to create a targeted import list matching your business needs and audience.

You can save so much time compared to manually reviewing and uploading products one by one.

Order Fulfillment Automation

The biggest payoff comes from Oberlo‘s order fulfillment automation.

When a customer purchases:

1. Oberlo automatically captures their shipping details and order info from Shopify.

2. It then places the order with your AliExpress supplier configured to ship directly to the customer.

3. Shipping and tracking updates are synced back to your Shopify order administration.

This eliminates the tedious manual work of copy-pasting customer data and tracking order status across multiple platforms.

For bulk ordering, Oberlo allows submitting multiple AliExpress orders with one click so you can rapidly fulfill purchases.

Automation makes high volume order processing possible so you can scale your dropshipping business.

Expert Tips to Grow Your Dropshipping Business

While Oberlo simplifies routine tasks, excelling at dropshipping still requires strategy. Follow these pro tips:

– Carefully Vet Suppliers – Order samples and read reviews before promoting products in your store to ensure quality.

– Sync Inventory – Toggle Oberlo settings to keep stock numbers accurate across platforms.

– Add Markup – Price items higher than supplier cost to build in profit margin. Oberlo supports bulk editing.

– Automate Purchasing – Use Oberlo Orders to automatically purchase items when an order is placed.

– Analyze Performance – Utilize Shopify and Oberlo data to identify fast selling products to focus promotions on.

– Delight Customers – Set expectations on processing and shipping times up front to avoid negative reviews. Follow up with excellent service.

With the right strategy, Oberlo can help you scale a wildly successful dropshipping empire. But avoid just importing random products without a plan.

Advanced Tips to Take Your Business to the Next Level

Once you‘ve mastered the basics, Oberlo offers powerful addons and integrations to take your business to the next level:

• Oberlo Analytics gives crucial data to optimize your store performance. Track top-selling items, suppliers, and regions to focus your efforts.

• Oberlo Supplier Score lets you rate suppliers on order accuracy and delivery time. Lean into reliable partners.

• Automated Purchasing instantly buys items from vetted suppliers when a customer order comes in. Say goodbye to manual work.

• Accounting Integration connects Oberlo data to Quickbooks or Xero to simplify tax preparation.

• Warehousing Integrations from facilities like ShipMonk help transition to maintaining your own inventory once you‘ve scaled up.

• Marketing and Social Integrations with Mailchimp, Facebook and others expand your advertising reach.

With the right stack of services, the sky‘s the limit. But start with the basics before getting too advanced.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

While Oberlo makes dropshipping simpler, it can‘t prevent every mistake. Be aware of these common issues:

• Using untested suppliers that deliver poor quality products at slow shipping times will frustrate customers. Thoroughly vet any provider before making them available in your store.

• Forgetting to sync inventory between Oberlo and Shopify can result in overselling an item that is out of stock at the supplier. Toggle automatic syncing and monitor manually.

• Not adding enough markup over supplier costs leaves no room for profit. Use the bulk editing tools to easily optimize pricing.

• Importing inappropriate or illegal items could lead to your store being shut down. Carefully check any product before adding to ensure compliance.

• Failure to delight customers with quick fulfillment and responses will impact your business‘s brand reputation. Manage expectations upfront.

With some discipline and preparation, you can avoid these pitfalls and find success.

Success Stories From Real Merchants

Oberlo isn‘t just used by small startups. Fast growing companies leveraging it include:

ThinkCrucial – This electronics accessories store launched in 2015 has made over $20 million in sales. Founder Ahmad Usman says Oberlo helped them rapidly test new product ideas without risk.

xDealDrop – An electronics and home goods store that grew from $0 to $200k per month within a year with Oberlo‘s automation fueling rapid product testing and scaling.

Lordly – This jewellery startup expanded globally from Australia to the UK and Canada thanks to easily managing multiple currency pricing and translations.

The list goes on and on. With the right product-market fit, Oberlo‘s automation gives you the wings to soar.

Conclusion and Next Steps

I hope this complete step-by-step guide provided you with everything needed to understand Oberlo‘s immense value prop for dropshipping.

Getting started is as easy as installing the Chrome extension and connecting Shopify in just minutes.

Oberlo eliminates the tedious parts of sourcing, importing, and fulfilling orders so you can focus on strategic growth.

Combine its capabilities with the right business strategy and there‘s no limit to how big you can scale a dropshipping empire.

To learn more, explore their official Oberlo site with helpful courses, documentation, and resources.

You have all the tools needed to build a thriving ecommerce business. Now get out there and make it happen! Let me know if you have any other questions.