D2C Selling: Marketplace, Social Commerce, or Your Own Website – Which is Right for You ?

Given to the fact that a lot of people have dream of opening their own business, but lack funding to open one, or do not know where to start or do not have their own products to sell, but you badly want to have it, then dropshipping & social commerce is the answer to your dreams.

Opening a business has never been so easy with technology and so many online platforms that offers help to start your own business. I mean you can start your own business even if you are a student or a house wife. Yes, you heard me right. Seems impossible right ? Read further to know more.

Have you ever heard of the term drop shipping? In simple words drop shipping means that you have a website where you enlist the products from sellers, but the best part is you neither manage the inventory (goods that is for selling) nor the logistics (shipping). You are like the middle man between the shopper or the customer and the seller and you make profit by earning from listing the product on your website at your price. Now there are many famous global drop shipping brands like Spocket, Alibaba, Aliexpress, Modalyst, CJ Dropshipping etc.

But hey even opening your own site seems to be daunting. You are clueless how to open one, how to design or manage a store, how to do online sale? Too much for a new business person isn’t it ?     

No! I will tell you of two methods by which you can easily earn by becoming the middle man.

Step no.1: Becoming a reseller in Meesho

The best part about Meesho is that it not only sells goods to customers, but you can become a reseller, by buying a product on Meesho and the platform then ask you this specific question whether you want it for your self or you want to resell and if you want to resell then Meesho will ask you to give the profit amount that you want to get after selling the product.

For example if a Lipstick is priced 150 Rs in Meesho, you can set the price for the lipstick Rs, 300. And that 150 Rs is your profit. Because Meesho will do the shipping once the product brought by you is sold on your social platform like Intagram or Facebook or your Shopify website. And it will also give you the profit amount once they receive the amount after the return date is over.

To become a reseller on Meesho, follow these steps:

1. Sign Up: Download the Meesho app and sign up using your phone number or Google/Facebook account.
2. Set Up Profile: Complete your profile with basic details like name, contact info, and payment address.
3. Browse Products: Explore the “Shop” section and choose products you want to resell. View cost and profit margin.
4. Choose Products to Resell: Select “Resell” when prompted. Set your selling price and profit margin.
5. Promote: Share product images and descriptions on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, or other social media.
6. Manage Orders: When a customer shows interest, place the order. Meesho handles shipping and payments.
7. Collect Profits: After delivery, Meesho transfers your profit to your bank account.
8. Reinvest and Scale: Reinvest earnings to buy more products and grow your customer base through social media promotion.

This is a quick way to start a reselling business with minimal investment!

Step no.2 Selling the product through your FB,  Whatsapp  or Instagram. And how you do ? By the following methods :-

  Using Meesho on WhatsApp:

• You can browse the Meesho app, select products you want to sell, and share their images and details directly with your WhatsApp contacts or groups.

  Using Meesho on Facebook/Instagram:

• Post product images and descriptions from Meesho catalogs to your Facebook Marketplace, business page, or Instagram profile.

To make it more lucrative and dynamic you can even buy a single product and wear them or use them and click pictures or upload videos or stream live and then once you get the orders through DM’s go for the bulk purchase.

The only down side is that the seller may put a cap on your profit margin in Meesho. That is for the same lipstick that you wanted to sell for 300 Rs. The seller has set the cap of 100 Rs profit so you can set the price of the product to 250 Rs. and not more than that.

Step no.3: Opening an online store in Shopify by paying ₹399 per month is not that complicated as you may think & it is cost effective as well. You can open yourself or take our help to set up your online store.

The Shopify Starter Plan is a fixed monthly subscription fee and is charged regardless of how many products you sell. This is a flat fee you pay to have access to the Shopify platform.

In addition to that, there is a 5% transaction fee on each product sale made through Shopify Payments.

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Sign Up for Shopify

• Visit the Shopify website.
• Choose the Starter Plan or a plan that fits your needs.
• Create an account by entering your email address and basic details.

Step 2: Add Your Products

• Once your store is set up, go to the “Products” section.
• Add product descriptions, images, pricing, and stock details.

Step 3: Customize Your Store

• Select a theme that aligns with your brand (free and premium options are available).

Step 4: Choose a Domain Name

• You can use a free Shopify domain (e.g., yourstore.myshopify.com) or purchase a custom domain.

Step 5: Set Up Payments and Shipping

• Shopify supports various payment gateways, including credit cards, UPI, and cash on delivery.
• Configure shipping rates and delivery zones.

Step 6: Promote Your Store

• Use social media and Shopify integrations to share your store on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

So for example :

1. Monthly Fee: ₹399 INR (this is fixed and charged every month).
2. Transaction Fee: If you sell a product for ₹1,000, Shopify will take 5% of ₹1,000 = ₹50 as a transaction fee for that sale.

If you sell 5 products priced at ₹1,000 each, the total transaction fee would be ₹50 x 5 = ₹250 for those 5 products.

What are the things that you are getting in the starter basic plan ?

  Online Store: Set up product pages, contact info, and secure checkout (Shopify payment gateway).

  Mobile POS: Sell anywhere using just your smartphone.

  Linkpop: Share your store links via your bio.

  Shopify Apps: Use apps to improve your store.

  Order Management: Easily manage your orders on Shopify.

In case you need any help to setup a Shopify website and need to know clearly what are you getting in the starters plan contact us for free consultation. We can help you set up your dream business in as short as 7 days time span. Don’t let anything stop you just go ahead with your dream.