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When it comes to dropshipping, the misinformation floating around the internet is astounding. Unfortunately, a great deal of this misinformation comes from the companies who promise to make the process easier. Robert Nikic is the founder and CEO of Why Unified, a dropshipping platform designed to cut through misinformation and give entrepreneurs the real tools they need to succeed.
According to Robert Nikic, there are seven major reasons why dropshippers aren’t successful, and some of them might surprise you.
Reason #1: You Don’t Treat it Like a Real Business
All too often, dropshippers launch their online stores, then fail to run those stores like an actual business. Robert can’t count the number of times he’s seen dropshipping ventures fail because the entrepreneurs behind them treated them more like hobbies than businesses.
“If you’re going to open an e-commerce store, you should treat it like you’re opening a bricks-and-mortar retail store. You have to make sure the layout is well-designed. You have to source the best possible suppliers and offer your customers the best possible prices. You have to do some marketing and let people know you exist. These things ultimately lead to your success; failing to do them will be your downfall. A dropshipping store is a business, and you should always treat it as such,” Robert says.
Reason #2: You Let Social Media Influence Your Expectations
If you spend much time watching Facebook Reels, TikToks, or Instagram Stories about dropshipping, you’ve probably seen people claiming they became millionaires in two months. Every once in a while, a dropshipper will experience sensational success, but it’s very, very rare. Going into a dropshipping venture with huge expectations will only let you down in the end.
Robert elaborated on this. “One of our Why Unified clients chose us to help market their business with our Ads Plan. Although we work very hard to set the proper expectations, this particular client had been immersed in social media to the point that he believed he would see thousands of dollars in profit in the first week. This client’s advertising budget was $78, and that advertising was for a $50 bowl and spoon set. When the thousands in profits didn’t materialize in that first week, this client was furious with us. He blamed us for his “failure,” cancelled his Ads Plan, and gave up on dropshipping altogether. The worst part? He actually made some profit that week – more profit than he had ever made! Thanks to social media and false expectations, it wasn’t enough.”
“It’s unfortunate, because many of the people who are giving up on dropshipping due to failed expectations have the potential to be incredibly successful. We have to stop letting these unrealistic expectations rule over us. It’s like the fashion industry creating the stigma that people are only attractive if they’re a specific shape and size. It’s just not true, and this stigma does more harm than good.”
Reason #3 – You Invest More in Yourself than Your Business
Any business requires investment, and that includes dropshipping. It can be a little tricky for entrepreneurs in dropshipping because there’s so little physical and logistical involvement. They aren’t doing the inventory counts or picking and packing orders, so the “out of sight, out of mind” adage rings especially true. Robert says this is a common downfall among dropshippers.
“Just because you don’t have to rent the warehouse or pay employees to pick and pack orders, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t invest in your business,” says Robert. “Dropshippers won’t hesitate to spend thousands of dollars on a tool that promises to make website integration easier, but they balk at paying someone to help them with marketing or supplier acquisition. If you’re going to be a successful dropshipper, you have to invest in your business, and for many entrepreneurs, that means paying for expert marketing, supply chain management, and more.”
Reason #4 – You Follow Trends, but Don’t Create Them
When a dropshipping entrepreneur does enjoy seemingly overnight success, it’s generally because something about their store has gone viral and people want to be in on the action. Stores don’t enjoy viral status for following trends; they go viral because they create the trends.
“Jumping on a trend bandwagon can be profitable,” claims Robert, “but the most successful entrepreneurs are the ones who create the trends rather than following them. Choose an industry and niche for your dropshipping store, then do some research to find out what you can do to help people within that industry solve problems. You’re selling more than just products. You’re selling solutions to people’s problems. Look for new ways to do that, and you’ll be setting trends in no time. That’s where the real success lies.”
Reason #5 – You Lack Discipline and Hard Work Ethic
If you think opening and managing a successful online store is a piece of cake, think again. Robert – and many other successful entrepreneurs – will be the first to tell you that discipline and hard work are required. If you’re going to succeed, be prepared to spend a great deal of time learning about your industry, researching your audience, reaching out to potential suppliers, writing blog posts, engaging with social media followers, and more.
Robert is no stranger to hard work. “Why Unified wasn’t something I put together overnight. It is the culmination of years of trial and error in dropshipping. If I had given up the first time I experienced hardship, there would be no Why Unified. The best way to build discipline and work ethic is to find your why. Why are you opening an online store? Why did you choose to open a store in this industry or niche? In my case, I wanted a stable income for my family, and I wanted to help people who were falling victim to the false promises being made by dropshipping giants. When I had a bad day, or when something wasn’t going my way, I reminded myself of these things.”
Reason #6 – You Don’t Truly Love Dropshipping
Imagine going to a sushi restaurant that’s owned and managed by someone who doesn’t even like sushi. What would you expect to find? The same can be said for e-commerce entrepreneurs. If you don’t love dropshipping – including the potential and possibilities it brings – your dropshipping business venture isn’t likely to be very successful.
“When I founded Why Unified, it was because I loved the concept of dropshipping. Absolutely anyone could open an online store and be successful with enough patience and hard work, even if they don’t have much to invest in the beginning. I loved dropshipping enough to know that Why Unified’s competitors were preying on entrepreneurs’ hopes and dreams. They were selling false promises. Eventually, when I couldn’t find a single solution that actually lived up to its claims, I knew I had to change the entire industry. Why Unified does that, and to date, it’s helped 20,000 dropshippers across the globe succeed.
Before you even think about opening an e-commerce store, make sure you sell products you love. Make sure you love the industry, and make sure you love the idea of entrepreneurialism in general. If you’re skeptical, you’ll only hold yourself back.”
Who is Robert Nikic?
Robert Nikic has always been driven to succeed. He was born in the country once known as Yugoslavia, but immigrated to the United States due to war when he was very young. He worked as a server at various luxury hotels and resorts to pay the bills, and eventually he started his own marketing business. Today, Robert refers to that first business as a “proudly failed venture.”
Later, in 2011, Robert founded Why Unified as a marketing platform aimed toward entrepreneurs in e-commerce. As the years passed and dropshipping grew more popular, he saw Why Unified’s true potential, and in 2018, his Why Unified platform completely disrupted and transformed dropshipping as we know it. He started his own dropshipping store to put his creation to the test, and within three years, he had earned $2 million. He sold that company for double its value, convinced that Why Unified really was the solution to every major dropshipping woe, and doubled down on his efforts to make it the best dropshipping platform on the market.
The Dropship plan – which is currently Why Unified’s most popular and beloved plan – utilizes the same techniques that Robert employed to generate $2 million in revenue with his own store. To date, this plan has led to the success of thousands of independent dropshippers around the world, and its popularity continues to grow in the dropshipping community.
