Dropshipping vs. Blogging: Which Business Model to Choose?

Blogging and dropshipping are two of the most common online business models for plenty of good reasons. Their relatively low barriers to entry are one factor, and it’s hard to look past their significant revenue potential.

However, doing your research is important before jumping head-first into either. Both will require significant work, and neither is best suited to everyone. Comparing blogging and dropshipping together before you start is also wise.

I’ve spent time dropshipping in the past, and I also run a blog in the travel niche with 15,000+ monthly views. Both have their merits, and given my expertise, I will help you choose the right business model.

Dropshipping involves you selling an item and someone else shipping it to the customer. You don’t interact with the product at any point of its journey to the end user. Like blogging, dropshipping is very lucrative; in 2023, profits in this industry surpassed $410 billion.

Though often associated with low-quality products, dropshipping can be a legitimate business model. You can sell various items, from art to clothing and books.

Like blogging, you need to consider the pros and cons of dropshipping before you launch your business. One benefit is that you don’t need to stock inventory and are not responsible for shipping the product. On the flip side, though, you will need to deal with customers.

Pros of Starting a Dropshipping Business

• No Inventory Management: Your dropshipping partner will manage all your items and ship them to the customer, meaning you don’t need to pay for store inventory. You can also automate your dropshipping.

• Flexibility: Dropshipping lets you sell multiple kinds of products, and you also have flexibility regarding which markets you serve.

• Fewer Upfront Costs: You only pay the supplier when you make a sale; you’ll also need to cover shipping costs, but you don’t need to worry about recurring expenses. However, you will still need reliable hosting to market your products effectively.

Cons of Starting a Dropshipping Business

• Customer Service: You need to deal with customer support, which can be draining.

• Returns: Customers may return low-quality products or items they no longer need. You’ll need to factor this into your revenue forecasting.

• Profit Margins: You’ll need to pay the dropshipping partner for production and shipping costs. So, you may not make as much money as you would with a blog.

Blogging is a form of digital content creation where you dive deeper into topics and concepts. The medium was originally associated with people sharing their thoughts on a personal website, but since then, it has evolved into a multi-million dollar industry.

Blogs are now more sophisticated than ever, with many major companies using them as a key traffic source. You’ll also find countless independent creators in various niches, such as technology, travel, and finance.

Despite the narrative that “blogging is dead”, statistics show this isn’t true. Social Media Today revealed that over 1.5 billion blogs exist, but even more importantly, 77% of internet users read blogs. Moreover, the average person reads around 10 blog posts each day.

Blogging has several advantages, such as building a business around something you’re passionate about. It’s also an excellent way to create an online community.

On the other hand, you need to consider the time investment and competitive landscape. Here are some of the biggest advantages and disadvantages of creating a blog business:

Pros of Blogging as a Business

• Unlock Unique Opportunities: You’ll become an expert in your niche as you provide more value, which leads to unique opportunities. For example, I’ve been invited on trips to dream destinations and landed photography gigs. This is despite having a smaller audience than some.

• Very Rewarding and Creative: Building a website from scratch and watching it grow is an incredibly rewarding experience. You also get full creative flexibility; besides writing, you can also delve into photography, video content creation, and more.

• Low Startup Costs: Starting a blog is relatively affordable. Blog hosting and domain names will be the main cost, but even then, you can get these for as cheap as $1/mo. You can later invest in themes, SEO software, etc., but these aren’t mandatory initially.

• Build a Diverse Skillset: Blogging helps you build several useful skills, such as writing, SEO, and web design. Besides applying these to your website, you can offer these skills as a freelancer to earn some extra money.

• Long-Term Growth: Blogging is a steady business model that grows over time, which can make it more sustainable than “growth-hacking” practices. Over the long run, you can scale your income and build a loyal audience.

• Relatively Simple Business Model: Though blogging is not easy, the steps to build one are simple.

Cons of Blogging as a Business

• Making Money Takes Time: Blogging is the furthest thing from a “get-rich-quick” business model. Building results will likely take time.

• The Need for Future-Proofing: Blogs can be prone to algorithmic changes on search engines and social media, impacting traffic and revenue. Understanding these and knowing how to future-proof yourself is essential.

• Differentiation: With so many blogs out there, it’s important that you differentiate yourself. Choosing a niche you’re interested in and knowledgeable about is vital, but you should also consider branding and other elements.

Let’s now look at how blogging and dropshipping compare more granularly.

Barrier to Entry

Dropshipping has a relatively low barrier to entry. You don’t need to know how to manufacture your products from scratch, helping you launch quicker. You will need a dropshipping website, but these can be easy to create.

However, you’ll still need some skills. For example, you must still learn about marketing and how to write product descriptions. Moreover, you should have at least some people skills.

Blogging also has a lower barrier to entry than other business models. You should have your own website but don’t need comprehensive coding knowledge. Moreover, you’ll need a domain and hosting service subscription.

Beyond that, having basic writing skills that you can build on is wise. Since the logistics involved are minimal compared to dropshipping, blogging gets the point here.

Winner: Blogging

Time to Make Money

Blogging will take you a long time to make money. For example, it took me 18 months to start consistently generating $100 monthly from my website. This was despite having a background in content marketing and more advanced SEO knowledge than most.

Despite dropshipping being marketed as an easy way to make money, it will still take a long time. Expect to work for at least six months before you generate your first sale. You’ll need to find your market position and gain the trust of your audience to sell.

Dropshipping typically has a quicker time to make money than blogging, but neither is a get-rich-quick scheme.

Winner: Dropshipping

Startup Costs

Blogging has relatively low startup costs. Expect to pay the following:

• Web Domain: $15-20/yr (you often get the first year free)

• Hosting: $0.60-$40/mo

• Premium themes (optional): $30-100 (some are yearly subscriptions, others are one-time purchases)

You can also use free themes for your first year to save costs. Once you’ve established site traffic and are ready to scale, you can invest in tools like SEO software.

Meanwhile, you can expect the following for a dropshipping business:

• Hosting: $0.60-$40/mo

• Web domain: $15-20/yr (first year free)

• Platform subscription: $20-40/mo

• Paid advertising (optional): $150/mo

Considering the simple startup costs and more optional purchases, blogging wins.

Winner: Blogging

Income Diversification

Diversifying your income is a crucial part of becoming a successful business owner. Blogging and dropshipping both offer different opportunities for doing this.

You can diversify your income in numerous ways with blogging. Ads and affiliate marketing are two of the most popular options. Even from these two alone, you could build a profitable business.

Blogging also opens the door to brand collaborations and selling products. Moreover, you can delve into other media platforms (e.g., YouTube) and monetize those.

Dropshipping allows you to diversify your income by selling multiple products. Moreover, you can work with brands to develop unique items once you become more established. However, blogging is by far the better option for income diversification.

Winner: Blogging

Overall Time Commitment

Blogging and dropshipping both require a significant time commitment to become successful. I recommend spending at least 10 hours per week if you still have a day job, and ideally, carve out some time on the weekend to work on your business, too.

The results you get will largely match your efforts and the time you spend on important tasks. Incorporating remote work tools to improve productivity can be a good idea. I also suggest setting a clear daily schedule.

Winner: Tie

Recurring Income Potential

Blogging offers numerous opportunities for recurring income. Once you qualify for an ad network, you can generate money each month based on your session RPM and number of users.

After building an engaged audience, you can also offer subscription packages and paid communities for recurring income as a blogger.

With dropshipping, you can generate recurring income if you satisfy your customers, and they become repeat visitors. However, your options are limited compared to blogging.

Winner: Blogging

Blogging is an excellent choice if you’re deeply creative and want to combine multiple hands-on skills. For example, I started a travel blog because I’ve always liked writing and photography.

You should also consider blogging if you enjoy sharing information. Starting your own website is a great way to produce informative content about topics you’re passionate about. You’ll also attract like-minded people, making it an excellent friend-making opportunity.

Blogging is also an ideal business choice to build something long-term. Though things will be slow in the beginning, blogging is a rewarding path if you’re willing to stick with it.

Dropshipping is a better business model if you already have a product idea that you want to share with the world. You’ll also like it if you want to interact with your customers and you enjoy organizing logistics.

If you already have experience in marketing, dropshipping can be a great way to flex your skills. You’ll also find it interesting if you enjoy exploring different markets and analyzing consumer behavior. It’s an ideal business model for analytical brains who aren’t stereotypically “creative”, though you’ll still require some creativity.

Dropshipping is an ideal business model if you want to set up an eCommerce store but don’t want to manage inventory.

Blogging and dropshipping both have their merits, and understanding which one fits your needs is essential. Your choice will depend on your skills and interests, along with what you’re willing to commit to in the long run. Both will require significant effort, but you can enjoy success in either if you’re eager to learn and iterate.