Most online stores and dropshipping stores still underuse Reddit. That is dumb, because your potential customers are already there, Google and LLMs love Reddit, and useful comments can keep bringing traffic for a long time. The trick is simple: do not spam, be useful, and mention your store only when it actually fits.

We’ve built something we’re genuinely excited about. Hertwill now has a public API. You can search thousands of exclusive high quality products from real European and US brands and sync them to your Shopify or WooCommerce store without touching the browser.

Last updated: 05 April 2026.

When starting an online store, a crucial question to consider is the choice of niche. Selecting the right niche is one of the most significant decisions on your journey towards a profitable business. It involves finding the perfect balance between meeting customer needs, outperforming the competition, and aligning with your interests. In this article, I’ll share some key points to remember that can guide you in making this decision.

We’re happy to share that Hertwill now includes sunglasses and eyewear from EU brands. You can add them to your store and start selling with fast shipping and reliable fulfillment.

We've been building something pretty great for a while now. Today it's out.

We built Hertwill to help small stores sell quality products without the usual sourcing headache. Over the years we watched thousands of merchants try to launch on Shopify or WooCommerce. Most got stuck. Many never went live. And the ones that did often spent more time maintaining their store than actually growing it.

We at Hertwill have seen thousands of online stores up close. Enterprise to solo shops. These are still the email flows that make the most money:

People love sales, and if executed properly, they can be a powerful tool. Most online stores have run sales campaigns, but it’s rare to see them done right, often not achieving the results they could. The goal of a sale might be to generate more revenue, increase profit, or just to get the first orders in. For a new online store, the objective of discounts might just be to get those first orders—to give visitors an extra nudge to make a purchase. In this case, it might make sense not to profit from the sale. But, if you’re going after profit, ensure your prices are set so you can afford the discount. So, here’s what to keep in mind when running a regular sales campaign in your store:

Our next Hero Brand is Family-SCL, a name that stands for Support, Care, and Love. They craft children’s furniture that helps kids reach higher, explore with confidence, and do more on their own. It’s about giving children the tools to learn and grow through everyday moments. All items are handmade in Latvia.

We’ve paused all deliveries to the US. Almost all logistics partners — DHL, Omniva, PostNord, and others — are stopping shipments or adding extreme fees. New tariffs and the end of the de minimis exemption (duty-free imports under $800) start August 29, and even US customs isn’t ready for the change.

We’re launching a new blog series called Hero Brands for Dropshipping. Each time, we’ll feature one promising Hertwill brand and share practical tips for dropshipping their products.

The idea is simple: you don’t need dozens of brands to build a successful store. Often, one strong brand and a few bestsellers are enough — yet we see many merchants leaving a lot of brand potential untapped.

If you're an OpenAI ChatGPT user, you can now access the Hertwill custom GPT. It's a free and helpful AI assistant for anyone who wants to build a successful Shopify dropshipping store that sells high-quality products.

Hertwill’s Shopify app, rated 4.9 out of 5, allows you to quickly add high-quality dropshipping products from European and US brands to your store. Get started for free in under 5 minutes, no credit card required.

Google Ads often represents the largest source of revenue for small online stores. Take our shoe store, Saapavabrik, which serves as a testing ground for Hertwill, as an example: in 2023, we generated €133,294 in sales solely through Google Ads, achieving a return on investment of €10 for every €1 spent. Some stores we partner with are even realizing returns of €15-€23 per every euro spent.

We’ve noticed a few online stores using “Made in EU” or EU flag badges on product pages and in ads. It’s a great way to highlight the added value or benefits of certain products.

We’ve spent countless hours compiling the ultimate checklist for building a successful online store, and we believe it’s the best checklist of its kind you’ll find anywhere.

Drawing from years of ecommerce experience—whether building our own stores, advising online businesses, or leading ecommerce units in major retail companies—we’ve also included insights from the most successful dropshipping stores partnering with Hertwill. So whether you’re just starting your ecommerce journey or you’re a seasoned pro, you’ll find valuable insights in this list.

Last updated: 1 July 2025.

The importance of traffic can’t be underestimated—if no one visits your store, it doesn’t matter how nice it looks or how great your products are. That’s why we’ve created a very simple guide for new online stores on what to focus on.

Welcome to our brand-new series where we demystify the Hertwill portfolio, giving store owners the inside scoop on which brands to feature and how to sell ’em. First up: Samelin.

Last updated: 19 June 2025.

We check out hundreds of new online stores every week. To be blunt, most of them look bad — or at best, just okay. The design doesn’t make sense, the interface is confusing, and overall… it just doesn’t look good.

That results in a poor user experience and no sales, even if you're selling great products from great brands.

Email marketing is one of the most underrated sales channels for your store. It’s cost-effective, reliable and actually drives sales. Unlike ads, you don’t need to keep spending to see results. You usually pay once to get a subscriber, but can keep selling to them over time.

It’s also less affected by things like Google algorithm changes or social media reach drops. Email is a major revenue driver for almost every successful online store—and yes, it’s possible for small stores to make 5–6 figures from email alone.

This short guide covers the essentials to help small stores use email properly and make it a steady source of revenue.

Working with hundreds of online stores, we see that merchants often struggle with prioritization. For example, if your store isn’t live yet or you haven’t made a single sale, you shouldn’t focus on making the order confirmation email look perfect. This isn’t holding back your sales. What I’ve found is that breaking the process down into simple steps can be very helpful in showing what you are currently focusing on and what you should focus on instead.

When dropshippers start their own store, they’ve often learned from YouTube dropshipping gurus that a wide product selection is the key to success. So, they turn to Spocket, Dsers, or other traditional dropshipping platforms and flood their store with hundreds, sometimes thousands of random, mediocre products.

Lately, I’ve been experimenting more with AI tools—and they’re getting seriously useful. Honestly, I think we’re getting close to the point where AI can deliver more value than many ecommerce or Shopify gurus.

Finding a hero image for you online store might be challenging. Here are some tips how to choose a top-performing hero image.

Hertwill’s 4.9 rated plugin lets you quickly add high-quality dropshipping products from real brands to your WooCommerce store. Start for free, no credit card required.