Week 03 -- Affiliates vs. Drop Shipping

I have learned a lot this week regarding drop shipping and affiliate programs.  In the photography world having prints drop shipped to customers not local to you is a hot topic with very few people changing their minds because of quality control etc.  Considering affiliate vs drop shipping isn’t something I have ever considered because affiliate programs don’t have much of a place in the photography world until you branch into education or have a substantial following of other photographers who are looking for recommendations on equipment or services.

An affiliate program seems easy, but the reality of having any substantial income from an affiliate program in a timely fashion is unrealistic and drop shipping products from unknown suppliers possibly overseas there is a potential for quality control problems.  In the case study I solved that by finding a wholesaler within the US who is well established with both drop shipping and selling to storefronts avoiding the problems that come from an overseas supplier.

It does have me reconsidering whether or not to have prints drop shipped to clients, but part of it comes down to trust and I have never had a quality control problem with my printer so I may keep drop shipping unframed prints an option.

~Heather