What is The Ecom Success Academy? Proven Dropshipping Course or Total Scam?

Ecom Success Academy is training course spread over a number of modules.  It is delivered in a step-by-step manner so that you can work at your own pace.  It will guide you through the process of creating, publishing, and then managing your own Shopify store.

His course offers a lot of content, but his delivery method is relaxed so that it never feels too intense or unachievable.  The majority of the training is delivered via videos using an “over-the-shoulder” style, which are high-quality and easy to follow.

The course is designed for the complete beginner who hasn’t got going yet, or for someone who already has an e-commerce store but isn’t getting the traction they desire and want help. 

Let’s have a look at the modules they cover off in their training:

Introduction

This is a short overview of what the course covers and what to expect as you progress through ESA.

Module #1 – Shopify

This module is dedicated in teaching you all you need to know about the Shopify platform.  It is a solid choice for those looking to start an e-commerce site or dropshipping business.

The training in this module is split into eight separate modules which are:

1. Shopify Setup – how to setup your store, etc.
2. Dropshipping – a quick overview of what dropshipping actually is
3. Adding Products – 5 videos that take you through sourcing your dropshipping products and then adding them to your Shopify store
4. Promotion Strategies – discussing promoting your products, etc.
5. Your Sales Page – how to optimise your sales page to get sales
6. Building Your Brand – how to create your brand and then build on that brand
7. Shopify App Arsenal – a selection of strategies that Morrison uses that he shares with you.
8. Shopify Quickstart – a video that shows you how to get your product up and running in your store within ten minutes

You may or may not know this, but there is a cost to hosting your e-commerce business on Shopify.  I am hoping you are already aware of this fact, but if you are completely new you might not, so making sure you get all the facts with this review!

This first module is  a total of 48 video tutorials, and that equates to over 11 hours of video content!

Module #2 – Sourcing Products

The actual process of setting up a Shopify store is not exactly complicated, but there is little point have a store if you don’t choice the right products to promote.

That is where this module comes into play.  It focuses on helping you find the right vendors.  Common things to avoid or look out for.  Adrian also offers advice on how to negotiate prices, sourcing and scaling.

He also adds a bonus part of training when it comes to sourcing and selling your own custom designed high-end products.  An important aspect of selling unique products is art licensing, and he covers this well in the training.

My only watch out is that whilst many believe dropshipping to be relatively easy, it is actually a very complicated business model with a few pitfalls that present themselves when product choices are concerned.  We tried it for a while with our wedding business.  But when the supplier all of a sudden stops selling one of your most popular products, it can cause a number of issues and problems when it comes to customer service…

This second module is a total of 12 videos, which comes out at 7 hours and 25 minutes worth of content.

Module #3 – Facebook

We all probably know Facebook as a social media platform, but there are many benefits for an online business using it as well.  There is a huge potential customer base on there, and this is where this modules comes in.

It will show you how to setup a Business Page for your new venture, how to use Facebook Business Manager.  But the primary focus here will be on Facebook Ads.

You will learn how Facebook Advertising works, and how you can use this to grow your reach and your sales.

He will take you through optimising your ads campaigns based on your objectives, how to utilise the Facebook pixel, amongst other different aspects of this form of marketing.

There is a lot of value in this module, as getting your advertising right can have great rewards for your business, but it can also be the other argument too.  You need to be spending less than you make, otherwise it isn’t profitable.  In my opinion, Adrian could have gone into more detail around the manual ad bidding, it is an important aspect of making sure you succeed at dropshipping.

Again, just to point out the techniques he will be focusing on requires you to have a budget to spend on advertising.

This module is a total of 79 videos, which is just over 18 hours worth of content.

Module #4 – Email Marketing

I keep seeing things that tell me that email marketing is dead, but trust me it is not.  If you get a proven email list it is a great asset to have for your business.  This module focuses on how to setup your email marketing campaigns with Adrian’s recommended autoresponder.

An autoresponder allows you to manage a list very effectively and will be a worthwhile investment.  He recommends MailChimp, which will cost you around $14 a month to get started with.

He talk you through how to set that up, how to set up promo’s and he also provides you an email template you can use for your campaigns.

This module is 8 videos, covering over an hours’ worth of content.

Module #5 – Building Your Team

This is a module that focuses on how and where to recruit Virtual Assistants to help you with some of the everyday tasks of your business.  Adrian offers a few options on where to get your Virtual Assistants from, which will depend on the task you want completed.  You can get VA’s to do specialised tasks, such as:

• Product Research
• Customer Service
• Custom Theme Design
• Graphic Design
• Custom Programming
• Project Manager
• Social Media Manager

This content is very similar to what you would find in other dropshipping courses out there…

This module is a combination of 7 videos, and just under an hours’ worth of content.

Module #6 – Project Management

This follows up on one of the videos presented to you in module five, and this is where Adrian shares with you information relating to project management.

Adrian suggest a couple of options that you could use to manage your projects and communication.  Each app that he recommends has its own strengths and weaknesses, however it depends on your budget and whether you can afford to have these additional costs. 

The one tool he recommends is $6.67 per month and the other is $11 per team member, per month.  That can quickly add up, especially when Facebook Manager has a great way of communicating with your team without the need for an added expense…

This module is a total of 4 videos, with just over an hours’ worth of content.

Module #7 – Long-Term Exit Plan

We found this to be an interesting module to include, but it basically shows you how to prepare your exit plan, for if you decide to sell your online business.  It is a basic module though, and only covers the basics because of that.

All it does is provide you with a spreadsheet template.  It doesn’t cover a number of aspects you would need to consider, such as:

• How and where to advertise your business?
• How to find the right buyers?
• How would you vet the prospective buyer?
• What are the tax implications?

I could go on, but there are many factors to consider if you wanted to sell your business, and I was a little surprised to find it included.

This module is only 1 video, which is 12 minutes long. 

Maybe Adrian could improve the module in a future update.

There are also a number of bonuses included within your membership, here is what you gain access to:

Weekly Live Training (Profit Power Hour): this is a weekly training series that is held by Adrian himself, which makes it a valuable part of the course.  Adrian talks about the latest news from the industry, and the newest campaign settings and insights.