If you’re a regular Instagram users, who also likes eCommerce-related content, then you’ve probably seen the ads for Gabriel Dias’ course, and even I discovered it that way.
Seeing it means you’ve also seen how it’s $697. Today, we’ll analyze whether or not it’s worth the money it’s asking.
This Academy gets sold as the introduction to the exact formula you need to build a successful eCommerce venture using dropshipping. Among the training, we have product research, store setup, marketing and automation.
I reviewed over 50+ courses & found the #1 dropshipping course.
(Best part is that it’s super affordable with a ton of student results!)
Hey I’m Joshua. I have been full time entrepreneur since 2019. When I first started dropshipping, I tried MANY different dropshipping courses.
Many of them had similar information to what you can find on youtube. I ended up wasting not just my time but, my money. (Not just course cost but, ad spend.)
Since then, it has been my mission to review these courses to ensure that this doesn’t happen to you. I have devoted over 400+ hours thoroughly researching various ecommerce courses!
What is Shopify Dropshipping Academy?
It’s an online course available through Teachables. That’s where you’ll pay and access the 5 modules of content in the program.
It costs $697, but that price really depends where you’re located. For instance, UK residents will have to pay 20% on VAT fees.
Each module explains a particular topic related to how you build a profitable business one step at a time.
Who is Gabriel?
Gabriel is a young entrepreneur from the US who started dropshipping back before reaching the 16 years old mark. That’s actually the result of a young interest in entrepreneurship dating back to middle school, when he ventured in different businesses like door-to-door deliveries and washing cars.
Because of his early success, he’s been a feature in several publications around the internet like Influencive and Entrepreneur magazines.
He’s released several eCommerce ventures, and he usually sells them after a while as manager. His main focus is Dias eCommerce, the brand overseeing all of his stores, and Dias Consulting, the brand over his courses.
Gabriel is more active on Instagram than anywhere else, where he’s gathered more than 26,000 followers. He also uses this platform for marketing his course, yet his actual posts are more about his lifestyle than the business model.
Other than Instagram, it’s hard to find information about him on the internet. He doesn’t even seem to have a YouTube channel, so it’s difficult to verify his sales page’s claims.
Who is Shopify Dropshipping Academy for?
The course doesn’t go too deep into the different topics, so anyone knowledgeable about the business model will find little value in this course.
That’s why it’s mostly a beginner’s course. It’s also for people who can spend nearly $700 on a course and still have enough money to pay for his marketing and store setup.
What is included in Shopify Dropshipping Academy?
Intro
The course starts with a simple 3-minute intro. You basically get to see what you’ll learn from the course and what to expect from it. There other 2 videos are about Gabriel: his story and results, and they work mostly as motivation to warm you up for the rest of the course.
How to start
This is where you actually start to learn how to build a business, and you first get to download 2 files to download: a list of suppliers and a free theme.
Then, it’s time for the video lessons. These include how to start your store with Shopify, setting up your backend, and installing apps that will make things easier. Other videos include product research (with examples) and importing with Oberlo.
There’s also a case study of a product that made him 6 figures in revenue and how Gabriel marketed it. As always, remember it’s just a demonstration of the concepts applied instead of telling you you should sell the same product.
The module ends with product customization and improving customer experience.
Building trust
Module 3 is about earning your customers’ trust and building your store’s credibility around your audience. Your customers’ perception of your website and business is a major factor in ensuring customers convert.
The lessons in this module start with how to make your website look more appealing. This includes removing the “powered by” link that Shopify leaves in your site and installing your trust badges – both are explained in another video.
There’s a video on some tricks you can use to entice your customers towards purchasing to increase conversions, and the last lesson is about getting a professional-looking logo for free.
Getting traffic
This is the marketing module for the course, and it begins with setting up your Instagram profile. Then, you learn how to get sales through organic traffic.
Of course, Gabriel then goes into paid marketing on IG and FB. You also learn how to use your ad manager on Facebook and installing your pixel before creating your first advert. He then explains how to test your products with FB, keeping your returns healthy, and how to use lookalike audiences.
There are 2 scripts for you to download for Instagram: one for influencers contact and another one for split-profit scripting.
Last touches
The last core module teaches you some advanced methods for once you’ve reached some success and are able to start scaling your business.
The module starts off with how to grow your Instagram before how you can start getting cashback on your order fulfillment. Of course, you also learn about automation, and Gabriel explains how to implement Virtual Assistants for handling processes for your store.
The last videos go into the legal side, and lessons include taxation requirements, LLC’s and some of Gabriel’s opinions on PayPal.
Bonus content
There’s a final module with an assortment of videos in different topics that don’t really fall into a specific category.
You’ll learn about tools you can use for your product research, dealing with refunds, and what you can do for products that don’t sell. There’s also a video on how you can sell your store, but that isn’t really something you should do for a good while.
There’s a video about recovering customers with email marketing, but it’s not a real lesson about email marketing. There’s a mindset lesson on how to increase productivity and a list of the 500 best stores in Shopify.
Shopify Dropshipping Academy Final Verdict
It’s not really a bad course, but it’s far from being enough to build a profitable business. Besides, the fine print stating that there are no refunds makes me not really trust the product.
I have gone through a lot of these dropshipping guru courses and personally, a lot of them are overpriced courses with very little information. They always try to sell you the dream or the lifestyle rather than actually selling you information. Dropshipping is not an overnight get-rich-quick scheme but, a lot of these gurus make it out like that. That’s why they ask for ridiculous prices for their courses. So, I personally get why you’d not trust these courses.
I have reviewed over 50+ dropshipping and eCommerce courses on my blog and by far the best course I recommend for any beginner or intermediate dropshipper is eCom Elites by Franklin Hatchett. Now, the reason why I love this course is that it’s one of the most affordable dropshipping courses out there and it has literally over 150+ videos. Franklin’s been doing dropshipping for many many years even before it was made famous by a lot of the gurus.
Now if you are still wondering whether you should try it out or not, you should read my eCom Elites Review to make an informed decision on whether or not you should get it or not.
