How To Dropship Vitamins In Your Online Store
Choosing what products to sell in your ecommerce store might feel like a bit of a guessing game. It can be challenging for an online reseller to determine what will be popular with consumers. If you’re thinking about how to dropship vitamins, however, you’re definitely on the right track!
The vitamin industry is consistently profitable, and has tremendous potential for growth. In addition, GenXers are joining baby-boomers in the 50+ age group. Which is when people become increasingly concerned about their health, and drive demand for products like vitamins to boost immunity.
Stick with us and we’ll give you the low-down on everything you need to know to dropship vitamins online. From choosing the right dropshipping supplier, to deciding which products to sell, to building and promoting your online vitamin store. Let’s get started…
Why Sell Vitamins Online
We can sum up the appeal of selling vitamins online in two words – growth opportunity. Approximately 77% of Americans take at least one dietary supplement, a record high according to the Council for Responsible Nutrition. The number is even higher, 81% to be exact, in adults aged 35–54 years. That’s a whole lot of people shopping for vitamins!
The market size of the online vitamin and supplement sales industry is increasing faster than the online retail sector overall. In fact, the market size of the U.S. online vitamin and supplement industry has grown 15.2% per year on average between 2016 and 2021.
All of this is promising news for online entrepreneurs looking into how to dropship vitamins. Plus, vitamins are essential for good health. And, unfortunately, many Americans aren’t getting all the nutrients they need from the food they eat.
Vitamins are a way for health-conscious consumers to correct for any gaps or deficiencies in their diets.
What Resellers Need To Know About Vitamins
If you plan to dropship vitamins, you really need to understand the product that you’re selling. This way you can effectively evaluate different brands and decide which ones work best for your target customer.
Plus, you’ll be able to share your knowledge in your marketing materials. Which helps build trust with your customers and encourages repeat business.
Our bodies require vitamins to maintain proper levels of functioning. Unfortunately, our bodies are unable to produce adequate amounts of the vitamins we need. Therefore, humans must rely on two main sources, food and supplements, to maintain proper vitamin levels.
Vitamins are either fat-soluble or water-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins are those that are dissolved in water and readily absorbed into tissues for immediate use. Because they are not stored in the body, they need to be replenished regularly in our diet or through supplementation.
Fat-soluble vitamins are dissolved in fats. Unlike water-soluble vitamins, excess fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the liver and fatty tissues for future use. They are also better absorbed if eaten with fat.
Since fat-soluble vitamins are not readily excreted, they can accumulate to toxic levels if taken in excess. Where a well-balanced diet can’t cause toxicity, overdosing on fat-soluble vitamin supplements can. Which is why it is particularly important consumers follow proper dosing instructions when taking any of the vitamins in this category (vitamins A, D, E, and K).
Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements
Ever wonder what the heck is the difference between a vitamin and a mineral? Or a vitamin and a supplement?
Both vitamins and minerals are nutrients the body needs to grow and develop. Vitamins are organic substances, meaning they are made by plants or animals. Whereas Minerals are inorganic elements, meaning they come from the earth, soil and water and get absorbed by plants (which we later eat).
Dietary supplements can contain a combination of vitamins, minerals, and/or phytonutrients. So basically, a vitamin is a type of supplement, but a dietary supplement is not always a vitamin. It’s like how a square is always a rectangle, but a rectangle is not always a square.
Synthetic vs. Natural Vitamins
A lot of store-bought vitamins are synthetic. This means they are produced artificially in a lab. As opposed to natural vitamins which come from whole food sources.
Both can be beneficial to the body. The accepted view is that synthetic nutrients are almost chemically identical to those found in food.
However, the production process of synthetic nutrients is very different to the way plants and animals create them. So despite having a similar structure, your body may still react differently to synthetic nutrients.
Additionally, it’s unclear how well synthetic nutrients are absorbed and used in the body. Some may be more easily absorbed, while others are not.
Over the last decade, there has been a shift towards natural, healthier, and organic products. Many consumers are turning to supplements and vitamins with natural ingredients., which is why it makes sense to offer these types of vitamins in your online store.
To figure out if your supplement is synthetic or natural, check the label. Natural supplements usually list food sources or are labeled as 100% plant or animal-based.
Getting Started: How To Dropship Vitamins
Once you’ve made the decision to offer vitamins in your online store your next question will likely be, “okay, so how do I start actually selling them?”
The answer to this question can be broken down into four (4) main parts. First, you need to choose a retail method. Second, you’ll need to build your actual online store.
Third, you have to choose the vitamin dropshipping supplier you want to work with. And finally, you need to create a marketing plan to promote your online store.
Stick with us and we’ll show you how to do all four! Starting with what we think is the easiest way to start selling vitamins right away – dropshipping.
1. Why You Should Dropship Vitamins Online
You’ve decided to start a new online business and you’re thinking you want to dropship vitamins. We’re here to tell you, that’s a smart strategy. We recommend this retail method to anyone who wants to break into the online vitamin business.
With dropshipping, you only need to purchase any vitamins or supplements you actually sell. Thereby eliminating pretty much all of your inventory risk.
How Dropshipping Works
Dropshipping is an order fulfillment method that allows retailers to sell products without having to purchase a bunch of inventory. Maintaining inventory comes with a lot risks such as value loss, spoilage, excess inventory, or supply shortfall.
These risks can make the barrier of entry into the vitamin and supplement space too high for people who want to sell these products online as a side job. It requires up-front investment, and can be extremely time-consuming. Dropshipping solves for this.
Think about it, where else are you going to find a online business model that enables you to start selling with:
- Little to no startup costs
- Never having to stock inventory
- No packaging or shipping out orders
With dropshipping, you won’t ever need to store or manage any inventory. Your supplier maintains all the products for you, then pulls, packs and ships out orders directly to your final customers. How easy is that?
The difference between the supplier’s wholesale vitamin price and your retail price will be your profit. That’s money in your pocket with every online vitamin sale!
You can focus your time and energy on what’s most important, marketing to attract the right niche customers to your online store. Your dropshipping supplier will handle the rest.
Benefits Of Dropshipping Vitamins
Here are a few great reasons why choosing to dropship vitamins online makes for an ideal side business:
- You minimize your risk because starting a dropshipping business requires minimal up-front capital.
- Retail prices for vitamins and dietary supplements are usually high enough for increased profit margins. Just be sure to partner with a dropshipping supplier like GreenDropShip that can offer you true wholesale prices.
- Light shipping weights for vitamins bring down the shipping costs.
- People need vitamins on a regular basis. You can potentially enjoy low returns and high reorder rates.
2. Set Up Your Online Store
Setting up your online store is a relatively straightforward process. First, you’ll need to choose a web hosting service and a payment gateway, which is the service that will allow you to accept payment from customers.
Second, you’ll need to design and build your actual website. There’s a couple different ways you can go about this, but two of the most popular options are to build a WordPress site with the WooCommerce plugin or to launch an online store on Shopify. Both platforms are optimized for ecommerce, which makes setting up your store pretty simple.
If you already have a WordPress site, or you really want to design and customize something from the ground up – WooCommerce might be the right choice for your business. This plugin instantly makes your WP site shoppable. Plus it’s scalable, and offers other features like web hosting, SEO, configurable shipping and more.
If you want something a little more plug-and-play that comes with pre-built design templates and easy set-up, Shopify might be the right choice for you. Plus the platform offers a ton of really useful apps that can help you do everything from email marketing, to lead generation and bookkeeping.
One thing to keep in mind when choosing an ecommerce platform is to be sure it will integrate with your chosen dropshipping vitamin supplier(s).
For additional information on building your online store, including a step-by-step guide, check out the following resources:
- How to Dropship: 7 Steps To Build A Store
- How To Start An Online Store
- The Ultimate Guide To Shopify Website Design
3. Choose A Vitamin Dropshipping Supplier
This is a very important step in the process, and one you don’t want to gloss over. You should treat your dropship vitamins supplier as a partner in your business. In other words, you’ll be working together to retain customers and boost your profit margins.
Be sure you choose a reputable supplier with an extensive inventory of vitamins and supplements; as well as the ability to quickly, efficiently, and safely ship those items.
Remember, your customers will think the vitamins you dropship come directly from you. Therefore, they’ll associate the service they receive from your dropshipping supplier with your brand. In their minds, it’s all the same.
Which is why it’s essential to choose a quality supplier that does the job right, so you’ll get repeat business. We share some tips for finding the right dropshipping supplier below.
Search Online
Try doing a Google search related to whichever ecommerce platform you use. For example, try searching “Shopify dropshipping vitamin supplier” or “WooCommerce dropshipping supplement supplier” to find suppliers that will integrate with your online store.
Then check their online catalog to see if they offer a good selection of vitamins, supplements, or health products that align with your dropshipping niche.
Check Supplier Directories
Consult an online supplier directory. These resources provide updated lists of prescreened suppliers and the type of products they offer. Some of the more popular directories include:
Vitamin Dropship Suppliers: Key Traits To Look For
When evaluating different suppliers, what should you look for? What are some ‘best-in-class’ traits you’d expect to find in a quality dropshipping vitamin supplier?
As you narrow your list of potential suspects, consider the following five (5) items:
No. 1: Offers a wide variety of products. Potential customers will want to buy name brand vitamins that are safe, effective, and high quality. Consumers also look for assurance from labels such as; Organic, Natural, Vegan, USP (United States Pharmacopeia) Verified, or NSF Certified for Sport.
No. 2: Innovative tools to help you track sales and source products. The best dropshipping suppliers integrate with your ecommerce platform and include detailed product descriptions, high-resolution images, real-time inventory tracking, and customizable data feeds.
No. 3: Knowledge of the health and wellness industry. Good suppliers want you to succeed, and will share the latest supplement trends and ecommerce tips with you via a dedicated blog, email newsletter, or social media. You want to partner with someone who keeps you informed.
No 4: The ability to ship products quickly and efficiently. For consumers, this is one of the most important parts of shopping online. Your supplier shouldn’t take longer than 1 to 2 business days to pack and ship an item. This is why when you want to dropship vitamins, a domestic ‘Made in USA’ dropshipping supplier is often the best choice.
No 5: If you’re selling glass or perishable items, make sure your dropshipping supplier can ship these without breakage or spoilage!
GreenDropShip is a reputable domestic vitamin dropshipping supplier that meets all the above criteria. With over 20,000 natural and organic products, we have an extensive inventory to fit almost any niche.
GreenDropShip also offers competitive pricing, no minimum order requirements, customer service, easy integration with every major ecommerce platform, and quick shipping. Plus we have the tools you need to succeed; including detailed product information, images, marketing tips, and more.
We even launched a GreenDropShip app for Shopify so you can add products to your Shopify store with just 1-click.
4. Promote Your Online Vitamin Store
Dropshipping is an attractive business model because it allows entrepreneurs like you to focus on building relationships with customers, while your supplier handles all the logistics.
However, in order for your online store to be profitable, you first need to grab a shopper’s attention and convert them into buyers. That’s why having a solid marketing plan in place is critical.
Here are eight (8) marketing tips to help you promote your online vitamin store:
Tip 1: Build trust by adding customer reviews and testimonials to your website. Potential customers will want to hear about other peoples’ experiences with vitamin brands.
Tip 2: Understand the FDA’s dietary supplement disclaimer language requirements and include these disclaimers whenever applicable.
Tip 3: Run Facebook Ads and/or Instagram Ads to reach potential customers. Each of these platforms have pros and cons, depending on your needs and budget.
Tip 4: Engage on social media and create shareable content. Consumers will likely buy vitamins from your dropship store because they feel a personal connection to your brand, so be sure you have an approachable persona on social media.
Tip 5: Use retargeting techniques to increase conversion rates. About 92% of visitors have no intention of buying anything during their first visit, so be sure you launch an abandoned cart campaign or use Facebook or Google Ads to reconnect with customers and get them to come back.
Tip 6: Write a blog on your niche topic. This is the best way to implement search engine optimization (SEO) and drive organic traffic to your website. Be sure you consistently post new, quality content that is keyword-rich and matches user search intent.
Tip 7: Build a subscriber list and develop an email marketing strategy to build a stronger relationship with your customers.
Tip 8: Offer promotions and deals. Once you have your mailing list, send out targeted promotional emails that incentivize visits to your online store. Additionally, make sure you are cross-selling and up-selling by offering bundled or related items.
RELATED: Your Complete Marketing Guide For Dropshipping
Top 6 Vitamins To Dropship:
You’ve found a dropshipping supplier and built your online store, now comes the fun part. Choosing the vitamins you want to dropship your customers!
Pick products that align well with your dropshipping niche and brand, and will also appeal to your target customer. You might want to hit up Google and do some research to see what’s trending in the vitamin and supplement industry.
Which name brands are popular? What items are selling out on competitor websites? Are there vitamin brands with great stories your customers would respond to? These are additional clues that will help guide you in making inventory selections.
Here are six (6) of the most popular vitamins you might want to consider adding to your online store. All of these products, and more, are available from GreenDropShip.
1. Multivitamins:
71% of vitamin and supplement users take a daily multivitamin, which makes multivitamins the most commonly used vitamin of all. In fact, a quick search on Google’s keyword planner tool shows that the term “multivitamin” gets upwards of 100K searches a month! This is definitely a product consumers are looking for online.
A good quality multivitamin is one of the most important supplements for optimal health. The vast majority of Americans are not able to meet their nutrient needs by diet alone. According to a CDC study, only 1 in 10 adults eats the recommended amounts of enough fruit and vegetables each day.
Other studies have shown that the produce we eat today contains lower levels of essential vitamins and minerals than the produce we consumed just a few short decades ago. This is likely due to soil depletion. Supporting a nutritious diet with a high quality multivitamin helps health-conscious consumers ensure their bodies have what they need to function optimally.
Here are some high quality natural and organic multivitamin brands to consider adding to your online vitamin dropship store.
SmartyPants Adult Multivitamins
Starting with a multifunctional supplement based on the needs of the average American diet, SmartyPants has expanded their offerings to include multivitamins and supplements custom-tailored for a range of life stages and dietary requirements.
The brand never uses any synthetic colors, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners or preservatives. In addition, each SmartyPants product is non-GMO and third-party lab tested for purity and potency.
And for every bottle of SmartyPants sold, they make a 1-for-1 nutrient grant to Vitamin Angels to help get life-changing supplements to those in need around the world. This is a great brand story you can share with customers as part of your marketing plan!
Rainbow Light Multivitamins
The Rainbow Light name is a reference to the first product offered by this brand, spirulina. When initially conducting nutritional testing procedures, their researchers discovered that spirulina refracted all the colors of the rainbow under a light spectrophotometer. The rainbow colors revealed the full spectrum of nutritional constituents present in spirulina.
Today, Rainbow Light stands out from the crowd by using spirulina as part of the food base in every one of their multivitamin products. In addition, they add a customized blend of nutrients and targeted superfoods specific to each formula. This helps consumers who have gaps in their diet ‘eat the full rainbow’.
2. Children’s Vitamins:
Many parents choose to give their children a multivitamin to ensure they’re meeting their nutritional needs, improve their overall health, and boost immunity. But when it comes to kids, proper dosing and formulations are crucial. Too much of any vitamin can be harmful and cause side effects, especially with smaller bodies.
That’s why it’s important to choose a multivitamin formulated specifically for children that comes from a reputable brand. Here are two popular vitamin brands you might want to dropship. Both are designed specifically to meet the unique dietary needs of kids.
SmartyPants Kids
SmartyPants is a great brand for adults. But they also make a special line of high-quality organic vitamins formulated especially for kids.
SmartyPants children’s multivitamins are non-GMO, and contain no added sugar. They’re also super popular with parents. The term “SmartyPants kids” gets upwards of 10K searches a month according to Keyword Planner.
ChildLife Essentials: Multi Vitamin and Mineral
ChildLife offers a wide variety of nutritional supplements and vitamins that are designed specifically for infants and toddlers. Their award-winning products were developed in a pediatric clinic and are non-GMO with no artificial ingredients.
ChildLife is a reputable brand that is well-reviewed online, which you can use to help boost sales. They also offer organic vitamins, which is great news if you have a dropshipping store targeting the organic niche.
3. Vitamin D:
Getting enough vitamin D is crucial for your body to absorb the calcium it needs for healthy bones and teeth. Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to certain cancers and heart disease.
But unlike other vitamins, our main source of vitamin D isn’t food – it’s the sun. And the reality is that over 40 percent of people in the United States don’t get enough sunshine.
Living in wintery locations with little sunlight, working in an office , and applying sunscreen (which blocks vitamin D synthesis) makes getting vitamin D hard. That’s why many people need to take a quality vitamin D supplement, and why its a great choice to add to your online store.
Natures Answer Vitamin D3 Drops
Nature’s Answer Vitamin D-3 Drops were developed to give your body all the benefits of Vitamin D-3, without the concerns about getting enough or too much exposure to the sun. Nature’s Answer Vitamin D-3 Drops are also salt-free, wheat-free, corn-free, soy-free, yeast-free, sugar-free, milk-free, preservative-free and contain only the natural golden color and taste of high quality extra virgin olive oil.
Help your customer’s get the Vitamin D their bodies need by offering these drops in your online store.
Natrol Vitamin D3 Tablets
Natrol is a very respected brand in the vitamin industry. Natrol Vitamin D3 tablets are known for their ability to help build strong bones, support immunity, heart health and more. This is another one of our most popular vitamins to dropship.
4. Vitamin B12:
Vitamin B12 helps keep your nerve and blood cells healthy, and it aids in your body’s energy production and DNA. You need to be able to absorb it properly to get these benefits.
As people age, they have less acid in their stomach to break down protein and release vitamin B12 from food. Also, conditions like Crohn’s disease or medications such as proton pump inhibitors, H2 blockers and the diabetes drug metformin can interfere with absorption.
For these reasons and more, many consumers are looking to supplement their B12 intake with high quality vitamins like the two listed below. Again, all these vitamins are available to dropship from GreenDropship.
Nutrition Now B12 Raspberry Gummy
Nutrition Now Vitamin B-12 gummies, made with natural flavors and colors, provide an excellent source of vitamin B-12 for energy support. This product is free from artificial colors, flavors, wheat (gluten), milk, eggs, peanuts or soy. Plus this gummy version tastes great!
Nature’s Answer Liquid Vitamin B Complex
This liquid vitamin B complex is a dietary supplement offering a holistic balance of the best botanical ingredients. Nature’s Answer’s products have each been tested, verified and identified for authenticity.
5. Vitamin C:
Another popular choice, Vitamin C is known for being the go-to vitamin when you’re feeling a cold coming on. But vitamin C is good for more than just boosting your immunity.
Vitamin C is also an antioxidant that fights free radicals in the body. Studies have shown that vitamin C may help lower blood pressure in both those with and without high blood pressure. In addition, several studies have shown that vitamin C may help reduce uric acid in the blood and, as a result, protect against gout attacks.
The really interesting part of all this is that most studies use 500 daily milligrams of vitamin C to achieve health results. Which is way higher than what the average American gets from the fruit and vegetables they eat. Which means taking a supplement is often recommended, and is a great reason to offer this product in your online store.
American Health: Ester-C with Citrus Bioflavonoids
Ester-C is a patented Vitamin C formula supported with naturally occurring metabolites. Metabolites help enhance the absorption of Vitamin C by your white blood cells, an important part of your immune system.
In addition, Ester-C’s unique, chemical-free manufacturing process neutralizes pH, making it non-acidic and gentle on the stomach. Which consumers with vitamin sensitivity will appreciate. Plus, added Citrus Bioflavonoids may help bodies better absorb and utilize the Vitamin C.
Rainbow Light: Super C
Rainbow light Super C is a food-based, high potency vitamin C that’s gentle on the stomach.
Vitamin C is a powerhouse vitamin, which is one reason it’s so popular for supplementation. Vitamin C plays a crucial role in normal immune function, is necessary for the development and maintenance of collagen supporting healthy skin, gums, cartilage and blood vessels, and is also critical for the absorption of iron.
6. Vitamin E:
Vitamin E is not a single vitamin, but rather a group of fat-soluble vitamins with antioxidant effects. Antioxidants fight free radicals, which have been linked to a wide range of health conditions.
What’s interesting about Vitamin E is that it is most popular as a topic oil applied directly to the skin. It’s supporters say that the antioxidant properties of the oil reduce inflammation, soothe skin irritation, and promote wound healing.
So when thinking about which vitamins to dropship, don’t forget vitamin E oil! It’s a popular choice in the wellness industry as a topical skin treatment.
Derma E: Vitamin E Skin Oil
This fragrance-free, hypoallergenic Vitamin E Oil deeply penetrates to renew and condition skin. With 14,000 IU of Vitamin E within a base of pure Safflower Oil, this formula helps moisturize, soothe, and rehydrate dry, rough skin to help reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
Derma E purchases all of their Vitamin E from an award-winning manufacturer in Switzerland known for its quality control and is listed amongst the top leaders of sustainable companies in the world. 100% vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, mineral oil-free, lanolin-free, gluten free, GMO-free. This is a great brand story to share with your customers
Golden Way: Vitamin E Oil Roller
This cool mini-roller from Golden Way makes it easy to get the skincare advantages of Vitamin E when you’re on the go.
Collagen rich antioxidant promotes new cell growth. This oil helps minimize the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, scars, cuts and burns. It also smooths dry, rough , ashy, problem skin and lips.
**Please Note: GreenDropShip blog content is for informational purposes only and is not meant to replace the guidance of a licensed healthcare practitioner. Statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Information and products are meant for general use only and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease or provide medical advice. Any decision to use vitamins or supplements to support specific needs should be considered in partnership with your licensed healthcare practitioner.
Start Dropshipping Vitamins Today!
Vitamins are great products to dropship. They are easy to ship and because most customers need a steady supply, it tends to have a lot of repeat orders. Vitamins are usually not just a one-time purchase. As long as customers are happy with your brand, they will come back whenever their supply runs low.
You’re next step would be to partner with the right dropshipping supplier and start adding vitamins to your online store. You want to be sure your supplier is reputable, reliable, and will deliver exactly what you advertised to your customer.
GreenDropShip is the smart choice if you’re looking for wholesale vitamins and supplements to dropship. In fact we carry over 20,000 natural and organic items in a variety of niches, including health products, groceries, household items, beauty, body care, and more.
Let us handle all of the logistics. So you can focus your time and energy where it matters most, marketing to drive more traffic to your ecommerce store.
Join GreenDropShip today and start making sales!
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