You’re likely to have seen the advertisements for Gabriel Dias’ course if you are an Instagram user who likes eCommerce-related content.
It’s $697. You’ve seen it. We’ll be analyzing whether it’s worth it.
The Shopify Academy is a guide to how to create a profitable eCommerce business using dropshipping. We also offer training in product research, store setup and marketing, as well as automation.
What’s Shopify Dropshipping Academy?
This online course is available through Teachables. This is where you will pay and have access to the 5 modules.
The cost of the VAT is $697. However, it all depends on where you live. UK residents, for example, will be required to pay 20% VAT fees
Each module covers a specific topic that relates to building a profitable business.
Who’s Gabriel?
Gabriel, a young American entrepreneur, started dropshipping before he was 16. This is actually due to a youthful interest in entrepreneurship that Gabriel had in middle school. He started dropshipping in order to start other businesses such as door-to-door delivery and car washing.
His early success has led to him being featured in many publications online, including Entrepreneur and Influencive magazines.
He has launched several eCommerce ventures and usually sells them once he is done as manager. Dias eCommerce is his main focus. Dias Consulting is the brand that oversees all his stores.
Gabriel is active on Instagram more than any other platform, with more than 26,000 followers. Although he uses Instagram to market his course, his posts actually reflect his life and not the business model.
It’s difficult to find information about him online, other than Instagram. It’s hard to verify the claims on his sales page as he doesn’t seem to have a YouTube channel.
Who’s Shopify Dropshipping Academy?
This course is not designed to go into detail about each topic, so it will be of little benefit to anyone who is familiar with the business model.
It’s a beginner’s course. It is also available to people who are able to spend almost $700 on a course, and still have enough money for marketing and store setup.
What’s included in Shopify Dropshipping Academy
Intro
A 3-minute introduction is all that’s required to start the course. This is basically a 3-minute introduction that explains what the course entails and what you can expect. The other videos feature Gabriel’s story and his results. They serve mostly to motivate you for the rest.
How do I start
You will learn how to build your business here. To begin, you need to first download two files: a list with suppliers and a theme.
Next, you can watch the video lessons. These videos will show you how to set up Shopify and start your store. Additional videos include product research with examples and Importing with Oberlo.
Gabriel also provides a case study on a product that brought him six figures in revenue. Remember that this is just an example of how concepts can be applied, not a recommendation on what product you should sell.
The module concludes with product customization and customer experience improvement.
Building trust
Module 3 is all about building trust with your customers and establishing credibility for your store to your target audience. Customers will convert if they trust your business and website.
This module teaches you how to make your website more attractive. This includes getting rid of Shopify’s “powered by” link on your website and installing your trust badges. Both are covered in another video.
The video shows you how to get customers to buy to increase your conversions. And the last lesson is about how to get a professional looking logo free of charge.
Getting traffic
This module is marketing and begins with setting up an Instagram account. Next, you will learn how to generate organic traffic and make sales.
Gabriel then moves into paid marketing via IG and FB. Before creating your first advertisement, you will also learn how to use the Facebook ad manager and install your pixel. He then explains how you can test your products on Facebook, how to keep your returns healthy, as well how to use lookalike audiences.
You can download 2 Instagram scripts: one for influencer contact and one for split-profit writing.
Last touches
This module is the last in the core modules. It teaches you advanced techniques for scaling your business once you have achieved some success.
This module explains how to grow your Instagram and how you can get cashback on your orders fulfillment. You also learn automation and Gabriel explains how Virtual Assistants can be used to manage your store’s processes.
These videos cover the legal side of things. Lessons include LLCs, taxation, and Gabriel’s views on PayPal.
Bonus content
The final module contains a variety of videos on different topics, which don’t necessarily fall under a particular category.
Learn about the tools that you can use to conduct product research and how to deal with refunds. Also, what you can do if products don’t sell. You can also watch a video about how to sell your store. However, this is not something you should do for quite some time.
Although there is a video on email marketing to help customers recover, it doesn’t teach much about email marketing. A mindset lesson about productivity is included as well as a list with the 500 most popular Shopify stores.
Shopify Dropshipping Academy final verdict
Although it isn’t a bad course, it is not enough to create a profitable business. I don’t trust the product because of the fine print that states there are no refunds.
Franklin Hatchett’s eCom Elites is a better value for money. You can still get all the content and much more from this course for $197-297. eCom Elites offers a variety of tools to help you market your business. This includes SEO, email marketing and sales funnels.
Shopify Dropshipping Academy Alternative
I’ve been through many of these dropshipping guru programs and found them to be very expensive with very little information. Instead of providing you with information, they will try to sell you the lifestyle or the dream. Dropshipping isn’t an easy way to maske quick money, but many of these gurus seem to think so. They charge outrageous prices for their courses. These courses are not worth your trust, which I can personally attest to.
If you are a beginner or an intermediate dropshipper, I recommend that you take a course. It can help you save a lot of time and money. Franklin Hatchett’s eCom Elites course is my personal favorite. This course is my favorite because it is one of the most affordable dropshipping programs and has over 150+ videos. Franklin has been dropshipping for many years, even before the gurus made it famous.
