By now, you are surely aware that sourcing from China can be a great strategy to grow your business. Low prices and diverse product options make this country especially attractive for those overseas companies that want to build new brands or expand existing ones.

However, before you put in the first order with your Chinese supplier, it’s essential to request some product samples.

Why? Keep reading to learn more!

What Are Product Samples?

Product samples are the best tool for testing and previewing before placing a sourcing order from suppliers. It’s a necessity when selecting your initial suppliers.

Nowadays, many suppliers are willing to offer free samples for overseas companies who are looking to create their own branded products. Other suppliers may charge additional fees based on the product type or specific service fee.

It’s always a good idea to ask for samples-whether they’re free or not.

You can request samples from different suppliers at the same time to make sure you get the exact product you’re looking for. It’s like trying before buying.

All in all, there are many benefits to requesting sample products when initiating your sourcing order process. Let’s explore why this is so beneficial below!

1. Experience The Product First-Hand

Above all else, you have to see and touch the actual products before buying them from the other country, especially when you also have to consider the production quantities of this sourcing project.

This part is important because you can’t just rely on what you see and read about a supplier’s product pictures and descriptions on their websites – many times what looks perfect online may not be true in person.

You have to admit that there are a lot of suppliers who don’t have an actual product to take pictures or they just don’t bother using their images. So they just simply copy some pictures from other sellers instead.

You can’t control how they work for their businesses. But you can request some product samples to confirm the quality by yourself.

As awesome as many products look in pictures, we can’t shy from the fact that some images can be a little misleading sometimes. The product may differ depending on how much care they take during production. The actual product may be less attractive due to the different materials or colors.

Remember, nothing will ever compare to touching and using the product yourself.

Therefore, by requesting samples, you can avoid any surprises down the road. It’s not only practical but also a smart way of experiencing the product first-hand when you want to start your business and keep it running in the long term.

2. Test the Product

According to Harvard Business School, there are over 30,000 new products released each year but only about 5% of them will become successful.

Worse yet, many companies have a higher chance of having their newest products recalled for serious defects found after they’ve been released onto the market.

This means that one of the most important factors to consider when evaluating whether a project is successful or not is the product quality.

As an owner of a company, it’s your worst nightmare to spend hundreds of dollars per year on marketing research and product development while still failing in production due to low-quality work.

So before moving forward with an idea to final production, you have to ask for some samples from your suppliers in China.

When you have a product in hand, you can run a detailed inspection on specific aspects of the product – such as color matching, printing accuracy, design, and function. This way, you can catch anything that might go wrong down the line before mass production which can save you money and time.

If there are any issues with the product, you can get them fixed early on and save yourself the headache of having to deal with them during manufacturing and assembly steps, therefore reducing chances for costly error or oversight later down the road.

Additionally, inspecting the product yourself allows you to ensure you are receiving precise items you plan on selling in your store at minimum risk. You don’t have to worry about a problem like IP leaking.

Last but not least, it’s important to compare products between different suppliers. With enough prototypes made available for inspection purposes, finding the perfect supplier becomes much easier.

3. Showcase The Actual Product on Your Website

Most overseas buyers may not realize how actual product photos can influence their customer’s behavior. Oftentimes, many foreign company owners spend most of their time negotiating with different suppliers, making manufacturing plans and shipping arrangements. They just ignore that showing the final product to their customers can be a key factor for them to grow their business.

As much as we may want to deny it, attractiveness or appearance is one of the most influential factors when it comes to making a purchasing decision.

You can simply glance at something and know right away whether you like it or not. This is because we are naturally visual creatures who can be easily swayed by an aesthetic presentation.

By putting up actual photographs of the product you offer for sale on your website or social platform instead of copying the default photos from your suppliers—as so many competing sellers do—you increase the chance of getting people interested in what you’re showing and selling.

This is important because potential customers tend to imagine what they will receive when making a purchase online, just as you buy from your supplier in China.

Plus, showing off the true product photos in your way can build trust with your audience. Customers will often go out of their way to buy from someone straightforwardly about exactly what they’re selling–even if it means paying more for an item elsewhere.

However, before uploading the images of the sample product, keep in mind that your sample product should be the same as the final product that you are going to sell. Otherwise, your customers will turn out to be disappointed with the different items.

4. Avoid Loss

Placing a large order for a product that you’ve never seen in person is a huge gamble. If you don’t like the product, or it’s not what you were expecting, you’re stuck with it.

Practically, you can ask for product samples in different manufacturing stages to ensure tight control over product quality and consistency.

If you’re not satisfied with the product once it arrives in your store, then you can return them at no cost to yourself.

This way, you can avoid loss especially when you can’t visit the factory now and then to conduct quality control by yourself.

Working With C2W

China 2 West is a leading sourcing company with 17 years of experience in China. With our in-depth knowledge and vast network of manufacturing suppliers, we are confident that we can find what you need quickly so that you don’t have to sacrifice too much time or money to do it by yourself. If you want to know more about our sourcing services, don’t hesitate to contact us today.