Ecom Elites isn’t too different from most ecommerce courses.
Sure, their marketing makes some great promise you haven’t heard from the other ecom gurus, but at the end of the day, no magic bullet overcomes the massive pitfalls of this business model.
Let’s get something clear:
There is NOTHING passive about ecommerce, no matter how well most course creators sell the dream.
If you want that travel-the-world-making-money-while-you-sleep-laptop-lifestyle, ecom isn’t for you.
To run a successful ecommerce business, you need to be constantly on the lookout for new products.
Scouring the internet for hot trends and trying to find the next fidget spinner will take hours out of your day.
Not to mention, it’s not enough to just have the hot new product…
You also need to get the customers.
That means ads…
Lots and lots of ads…
Testing, tweaking, targeting, spending thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars before breaking even.
Not to mention, Facebook hates ecom, meaning one of your top traffic sources could shut you down at any time.
All of this leads to a very stressful life, not a lot of money, and a lot of time wasted.
Time that could be better spent so you can actually live the life you want.
Now, what if there was a way you could build a passive income stream that’s actually passive?
An income stream that doesn’t require:
- Physical Products
- Low Margins
- Long Wait Times
- Angry Customers
- Thousands of dollars testing different ad campaigns
An income stream that brings in consistent revenues every single month (from a couple thousand dollars to well over $10,000)?
An income stream you could actually build in your spare time, and grow as large or as small as you want to, without having to spend hours a day running ads, researching products, and trying not to get banned by whatever platforms you’re using?
If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, check out Digital Real Estate.
This is nothing like ecommerce, and that’s probably a good thing.
However, if you’d still like to know more about Ecom Elites, keep reading.
What Is ECom Elites?
The eCom Elites course was created by Frank Hatchett as a way to show people how to build and grow their ecommerce business.
The course goes over a wide range of information including:
- Dropshipping
- Social Media Marketing
- Shopify
- Email Marketing
- Sourcing Products
- Finding Suppliers
- Facebook Ads
- Google Ads
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
All in all, eCom Elites is a video training course that targets all the facets of the ecommerce business and drop shipping.
What’s In The eCom Elites Training?
In this review, we’re going to dive into everything you need to know that has made Frank’s students successful.
Frank describes Ecom Elites as:
“The only blueprint you’ll need to build a profitable online business.”
As you’ve already guessed it, the main focus eCom Elites is Shopify and dropshipping. He takes you behind the curtain and shows you how to make money by building a long-term ecommerce business with a Shopify store and running traffic to your ecommerce store.
What sets Franklin Hatchett apart from the other courses is that he shows your the bird’s eye view of the e commerce business so that you’re not locked into one technique or one means of traffic.
The course is broken down into multiple modules and video that dives deep into each facet of the online business.
Just to give you an idea… sourcing products (one very important area) is covered in Module 2 and has over 20+ videos. Module 3, dealing with Facebook Ads, has more than 30.
Inside eCom Elites, Franklin Hatchett shows you (over-the-shoulder) how to build a store, find products to sell, and streamline sales funnels.
Note: Ecom elites is not to be confused with Ecom Success Academy. They are two separate courses.
Who Is Franklin Hatchett?
Franklin Hatchett, a native of New Zealand, is an entrepreneur in the digital marketing community that provides quite a bit of free material on his YouTube channel. He also attended the school of Hard Knocks as a result of owning dropshipping stores that sold backpacking products.
Along with eCom Elites, Franklin has many successful students in affiliate marketing training programs as well.
For the time being, it’s likely Franklin Hatchett makes a good portion of his money by teaching those skills to others, as anyone should with putting in this much effort.
When he first started, Franklin would create websites and make money by selling advertising spots, it was definitely worth the money and time that he invested, but still didn’t allow him the lifestyle he wanted.
Then he found affiliate marketing.
With this business model, he made money from selling products that other people owned. But soon found himself at the drawing board again when one of his companies went belly up.
Then dropshipping sort of fell in his lap, and by using Facebook Ads he found the success had been looking for.
Of course, this didn’t happen over night. Frank says that this type of success only happens through time and the will to never give up.
According to Franklin, anyone can have the success he’s had by following his magical 3-step formula:
- Turn off the Television
- Accept Responsibility yourself
- Start making things happen
So, is he saying that you have to cancel your Netflix and Amazon Prime accounts?
No, not quite…
But what he is saying is that you should take a hiatus on binge watching until you’re able to binge watch from your own private yacht.
And according to the nearly 175k subscribers on his YouTube channel, people seem to love that idea.
So what’s it all about?
What’s Inside Franklin Hatchett’s Ecom Elites?
ECom Elites New Members Video
Before you jump into the course, Franklin Hatchett takes a moment to welcome you to the eCom Elites family.
He wastes no time telling you a little bit about himself, where he’s from (New Zealand), but I’m sure you could tell as soon as you hear him start talking. He explains the differences between the eCom Elites course and other course you could buy.
He goes out of his way to make you feel like you made the right choice. Franklin wants you to know that the money you spent on his course will have been worth it and the time you spend on the course won’t be a loss.
Ecom Elites Onboarding
Franklin starts off by putting his money where his mouth is.
“Welcome to the best darn money-making course online.”
Now, I’m not gonna lie… when I first read this I understood the point that he’s trying to make about his course, but when you compare this one to one of the higher prices course, how can this really bring any value?
As Franklin points out, this course is primarily for the people who are just getting their feet with e-commerce and dropshipping. The veterans most likely won’t get much from it.
Just remember that this dropshipping course is for newbies.
More likely than not, you’ve done a bit a research into dropshipping before you decided to purchase the course, so you have a pretty good understanding of the topic.
At this point, Franklin doesn’t go into much detail about the course. He stresses that this isn’t a get-rich-quick-scheme and will take time and hard work to make it big.
Module 1: Setting Up Your Store
His teachings on setting up your Shopify stores are crucial for the beginner’s success. But if you already have some working knowledge about creating a store, then you could probably by-pass some of this stuff.
Franklin doesn’t mention anything here that isn’t already widely known about Shopify, but here are a few things he’ll cover in Module 1:
- Franklin leaves no stone unturned (from beginning to end) when talking about creating your Shopify store.
- Next he talks about shipping and collecting payment through Paypal, Stripe, Visa, etc.
- Just in case you were wondering, he goes onto explain which apps are crucial to your site like the Amazon Plugin and Lazy Load.
- Then Franklin starts touching on setting up some of the more critical things regarding your store, like abandoned cart email, funnels and automation.
Module 2: Sourcing Products
I get it, almost 5 hours worth of videos on picking out what products you want to sell on your store might be a little hard to sit through, but trust me… you’ll need it. Besides, Franklin has some really awesome techniques and examples, so it may seem like overload, but it’s worth the time spent.
Next, Franklin starts talking about what he does in the “real world” to find products with the various apps that he uses on his site. You don’t feel like you’re being lectured on what to do… he actually steps you through what he personally does.
Now, I’m not going to drop any secret tidbits or website names that provide the software he implements, but what you’ll find out when going through this module is that it’s certainly worth every minute to see how a dropshipping expert does all their product research.
You just won’t find a lot of the stuff in this module covered in other courses.
Module 3: Facebook Ads
Module 3 is where we start getting into the nuts and bolts of how Franklin uses Facebook to make sales. I’m sure I don’t have to tell that Facebook is the 800 lb gorilla with more than 10 hours of video for you to comb through. I’d have to say that this module is probably the most thoroughly covered in the entire course, so pay attention.
Since Facebook is so essential to the marketing success you’ll have with his course, Franklin is meticulous with the information he provides, like:
- The right way to create your FB Ads Account
- What are the different ways that Franklin uses to advertise
- Creating custom audiences based on specific demographics for the FB marketing campaigns.
- What the Facebook pixel is and implementing it.
- How to set up a split-test for your various FB ads
- Analyzing the information from your campaigns and creating look-a-like audiences for retargeting campaigns.
- Increasing the budget spend on your campaigns.
- Getting through the bidding process. Franklin also touches on key data like mining, power editor and optimization.
As with the previous modules, Franklin shows you pragmatic examples of his work rather than just teaching you the academic principles.
NOTE: You’re gonna spend a lot of time going through this module, and even more time putting into practice, but it will be time well spent.
I haven’t seen very many other course owners cover this much information on FB Advertising as Franklin Hatchett does.
Just keep in mind that those who have a good deal of experience with FB Advertising might not find anything ground-breaking given that Franklin is a bit conservative with how he operates.
Module 4: Instagram Traffic
Now, with Instagram catching on lately as an effective advertising platform, there is no shortage of Shopify experts that sing its praises, but not very many show you how they do it.
However, in module 4, Instagram traffic is what Franklin zeroes in on and show how he separates himself from all the other course creators.
In this module, he’ll cover:
- How to get traffic with Instagram
- Hiring influencers at the best price
- The Best approach when creating Instagram Ads
- Setting up a post schedule to get people active
Module 5: Email Marketing
It goes without saying that in module 5, email marketing is fundamental to sales…
And Franklin leads the way by covering:
- Creating your squeeze page
- Making a lead generation list for your Shopify store
- Automating your email marketing (this is a must!)
- Using coupons and lead magnets for your FB Ads
- Implementing Frank’s formula for launching your campaigns.
Nobody wants to get their nose bloodied (via trial and error) by wasting a bunch of time and money, especially when you’re tight on both… this is why Franklin provides you with all of the secret email marketing tricks and techniques that have worked for him over the last several years.
Module 6: Chatbot
Have you heard of chatbots?
It’s new to me and Franklin Hatchett is one of the few course creators that digs into the nuts and bolts of how to use them. In this module, Frank spends about 3 hours showing you how they work and more importantly, how to makes sales from them.
This is pretty much a technical module, kind of like the email marketing one. He covers things like:
- Setting up a Chatbot
- Working with commands
- Creating your menus and different chat flows
Of course, he doesn’t really go into any detail about this because, honestly, there isn’t really anything complex about a chatbot. But Franklin will walk you through everything you need to know.
Module 7: Sales Funnel
In this module, Franklin goes over some of his techniques for creating a successful sales funnel, things like:
- How to skyrocket your sales
- Using virtual assistants for scaling
- Creating goals for yourself and sticking to them
Since Franklin is a foreigner from New Zealand, he does touch on a few issues about taxes in his country.
Of course the principles of paying taxes are pretty much the same no matter what country you’re from, but it would be well worth your time to get in touch with an accountant or tax attorney for any questions that you may have.
Not many other course creators touch the subject of taxes, that’s why Franklin covers this in “Business 101” (the 3rd video), because he wants to add value for his students.
Module 8: Google Ads
Now, if you’ve been around for a while, you’ll know that Google Ads and FB Ads are totally different animals… but Franklin Hatchett uses both of them, depending on the situation, type of product or niche.
In module 8, Google ads are Frank’s primary focus and he spends about 3 hours going over every little detail on how to set them up for the best possible ROI.
Frank teaches many aspects of Google ads such as adwords, Google shopping, retargeting campaigns, and keyword research in his little Google shopping ads academy.
Franklin Hatchett digs into all the facets of Google Ads, such as:
- Creating adword adsets
- Campaign retargeting
- Keyword research
The information he covers about the advertising platform is very extensive and thorough.
Module 9: Organic SEO
Ok, so I know we’ve mentioned a few times the topics that other courses don’t really touch on, but organic Google traffic is one that sort of tops them all.
I know course will skim over topics like how to build out your Shopify store and creating content, but I have to say that no one really covers the aspect of getting traffic to your site by any means other than Google Ads or FB Ads.
Who doesn’t like FREE? Well, this module is all about getting your store free traffic. Unfortunately, Franklin really glosses over organic Google traffic, but it’s not a deal killer and most of the information he doesn’t cover can be found on YouTube.
Though if you ask me, I’d have to say that his course should give it more than just 90 minutes and 8 videos.
There are plenty facets of the Google Algorithm that Franklin could have covered, but that really is left to a more advance course. But kudos to him for drawing attention to it.
Module 10: Top Secret Videos
Franklin proves his value in module 10 by covering various topics for improving sales in this top secret videos collection.
The topics he covers include:
- Using warranties for better sales
- Getting more sales with coupons
- Getting an advantage over the competition with review websites.
- Frank’s methods for building your email list and FB fan page.
- Digging up dirt on your Facebook competitors
Franklin Hatchett really goes the extra mile in his course. The information that he’s covered up to this point is well worth the cost of the course alone. All the techniques that he shows you to use, like creating a FB fan page and spying on your Shopify competition, could warrant a price tag of 10 times what he’s charging.
Module 11: Video Requests
In module 11, Franklin had the forethought to prepare for the future. Now, most of the course videos were created in 2017, but Franklin knew that wasn’t going to cut it since the internet is in a constant flux of change, so then he created this module and then made some updates for the 2021 version.
Since Facebook is always making changes and updates, it stands to reason that the Facebook ads that you create should be monitored for any modifications that might be necessary.
The videos in this module go into detail about how you can keep up-to-date with all news changes Facebook does, and as an eCom Elites member, you’ll be in the loop with any updates that occur.
Franklin, really goes over-board because most courses just give you the content and leaves you hanging.
Sooner of later, with all the changes to Facebook, Google, Shopify and Instagram, if the course didn’t have any updates, you’d have to figure things out all on your own.
Here’s another great feature about Frank’s course.
So, if you come across anything that has you beating your head against the wall, and the videos in the course don’t really shed any light on it, Franklin will take it upon himself to create a video for you.
Who Does That?
Some of the videos that have already been covered include things like:
A few of the videos that Frank has already done cover topics like:
- Creating extra Facebook accounts
- Using Adwords with Shopify
- Working with PPE and customer conversions
- Techniques for writing good ad copy that converts
So when Franklin says that he wants to bring value to his Shopify students, he’s not lying.
If you ask me, a good teacher will always go out of their way to make sure their students are taken care of and this is exactly that Franklin believes, and he delivers in spades.
Module 12: Weekly Videos
In Module 12, Frank offers his students Q&A sessions where he answers questions that they ask him over a variety of topics like how to recover when you have your FB account banned, how to improve your Google Adwords performance, and how to legally spy on sites by Flippa.
Don’t worry if you don’t know what that’s all about, when you get to this module, it will be old hat.
Now, the quality of the videos might not be up to par with the other videos on the course, but it’s really more about the quality of the content rather than the actual video itself.
On the other hand, if you’re really stuck on something and need some insight that the course may not cover, your time could be better spent asking some of his other students in the FB Group that digging through these videos.
Ecom Elites Facebook Group
Once you sign up for the eCom Elites course, Franklin Hatchett will let you into his FB Mastermind.
You’ll love this
There is a multitude of students in this group and there will be no shortage of brains to pick when you run into a snag.
Whenever you hit a brick wall, just know that someone will be there to help you push through.
So, what I would say is that first go through the course, do what’s in the training and don’t get sidetracked by shiny objects, and trust the process. Then, when you need it, the students in the Mastermind group will be there for you.
What Does The Internet Have To Say About ECom Elites?
I decided to do some lurking on Reddit to see what other people thought about the course, and here’s what I found:
“I bought it, was some of the best money I spent. “
“It’s not that great. Theoretical stuff only. There are many sites where it’s available for free.”
“Just type “$10K IN ONE MONTH” on youtube and feel the cringe pour down upon you. Not nearly enough people are making this kind of money in Ecommerce as they are selling bullshit on youtube and their blogs.”
As you can see, opinions can vary. But people vary too, so it really just comes down to what’s right for you.
Is Ecom Elites A Scam?
So, is Ecom Elites a scam? Not technically. You can make money with this program, but it’s definitely not as easy as Franklin Hatchett makes it sound.
There’s a ton of work to be done upfront, no real guarantee of success, and – most importantly – you need to do a ton of volume to make any real money.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with front-loading the work and making the money later.
But if you’re grinding it out for 3 months, $3-5k in the hole on ads (because that whole “get started with $5 a day” thing is total BS) and then your reward is 15% profit on a $12 product (which comes out to $1.80), it’s not really worth it.
What if, instead, you could do that same 3 months of work (in your spare time), and your reward was a $500 to $2,000 payment that came in every single month?
And what if you actually didn’t need to wait 3 months? What if you could get started today and have your first payment in a week?
And what if you could double it next week?
Well, that’s the power of Digital Real Estate.
And, unlike dropshipping, you can legitimately do this from anywhere. It’s a true lifestyle business.
Your laptop and an internet connection is all you need.
Some of the most successful students in this program run their entire 6-figure businesses from:
- A camper in the middle of the woods
- A beach chair on the water in Mexico
- A small villa in Greece
They’re able to travel around, living their lives first, and focusing on their income second.
Because even if they stop working for an extended period of time, the money keeps coming in.
So adventure, memories, and experience are the top priority.
And they never have to worry about how to pay for the next trip, or consider asking for time off.
If this sounds more like the type of life you want to lead, just click here to find out more about Digital Real Estate.
How Much Does Ecom Elites Cost?
Ecom Elites Standard costs $197 for the and $297 for the ultimate package.
The first option is $197 where you’ll get all the basic training and support.
The second price option is $297 and with this package you’ll get a few extra bonuses that you can see in the image above.
Does Ecom Elites Have A Refund Policy?
Frank does have a refund policy, but you’ll need to make sure you meet all the eligibility requirements before you request it.
I would say that his conditions are fair, he doesn’t want his product stolen.
However, you only have 30 days to request the refund and you may have to weight 14 days before the money is back in your account.
Are There Alternatives To Ecom Elites?
Yes, there are plenty of Dropshipping programs and resources to choose from if you want to pursue this business model. Here are just a few:
- Spocket Dropshipping
- Dropshipping Titans
- 100K Blueprint
- Oberlo
- Biaheza Dropshipping
What Is Our Top Recommendation For Making Money Online In 2023?
Our review team has spent months researching, reviewing, and vetting dozens of business models and thousands of programs.
While there may be no “perfect business”, the research IS conclusive:
Digital Real Estate is the #1 online business model for those just starting out.
Whether you’ve never made a dollar online, or you’ve been in this space for a while but never really “made it,” Digital Real Estate is for you.
Why?
1) It’s Flexible: got an hour a day? You can do this. Ready to drop everything else and dive in full time? You can do this. Yes, the more time you put in, the faster you see results. But even with a little time each day, you can move the needle in a Digital Real Estate business.
And because this system is so flexible, you don’t have to constantly be working to make more money. It’s called PASSIVE INCOME because if you stop working, the money doesn’t.
Imagine taking 3 months off to just tour around Europe, rent a cabin in the woods to write a book, hike the Appalachian Trail, or live on the beach and surf all day.
This is only possible if you have an income stream that’s not tied to your time.
2) You Own & Control EVERYTHING: With dropshipping, you don’t really own anything. You have no control over the quality of products. You don’t even own the products because they go straight from the supplier to the customer.
Yes, if you’ve got a Shopify store, you technically own that. But if every ad platform suits you down, you’ve got a store with no customers. Which is literally worthless.
With Digital Real Estate, you own the assets, which means you have all the power and all the control.
3) Little To No Startup Costs: It’s possible to get into Digital Real Estate with zero dollars upfront. Because, using the strategies outlined in this program, you can get a client to pay you BEFORE spending a penny out of your own pocket…even before you do any work.
Even without getting paid in advance, you can have your first Digital Rental Property up, running, and generating profits for less than $100.
4) No Inventory: Ok, so technically you don’t have to worry about inventory since you’re not filling up your garage or a warehouse with products.
But, you still have all the headaches of a physical products business.
Since most dropshipped products come from China, you already have a 2-3 week wait time from when a customer places an order.
But right now, with global supply chain issues, your customers would be lucky to get anything in less than a month.
Imagine finally landing your first customer after months of experimenting, and then getting hit with a refund request or chargeback because they had to wait 6 weeks to get their order.
With Digital Real Estate, a 100% online business, you never even have to think about that risk.
5) Easy To Duplicate: Ok, here’s the best part: once you have your first Digital Rental Property up and running, you can literally DOUBLE your income with a few clicks, a couple keystrokes, and a single phone call (and you don’t actually need the phone call).
Remember: each Digital Rental Property is worth $500 to $2,000 a month in semi-passive income (over 95% profit). Every time you decide to create another one and increase your income, it gets easier.
Because you have more knowledge, more experience, more results, and more momentum.
If you wanted to double your income with dropshipping, you’d have to double your inventory, your profit margins, OR your average order value. And, guaranteed that’s a lot harder than a few clicks and a few minutes of your life.
6) Make Money Helping Real People: This part is what makes it all worth it. 99.9% of the time, the dropshipping business model provides no value to anyone but the seller.
In a lot of cases, it has a negative impact on the customer because of poor product quality and an overall bad experience (i.e. waiting 6 weeks to get your order).
And that makes it pretty hard to sleep at night.
But with Digital Real Estate, you’re actually helping people by solving your clients’ biggest problem:
Small, local businesses need more customers, and with Digital Real Estate, you are unleashing a flood of happy, paying customers for these businesses.
You make money by helping them make money.
Not a big, faceless corporation either…a small business owner who’s using that money to put food on the table for their family, start a college fund for their kids, or take care of a sick parent.
Once you see how Digital Real Estate makes a real impact in the lives of real people, you’ll sleep like a baby with a big smile on your face.
Now, the choice is yours. You could continue browsing, looking at opportunities like Ecom Elites and other dropshipping courses which could one day make you money.
You could continue researching, never making a decision.
OR, you could take a look inside, consider what you really want, and join a program that makes your dreams a reality. At the same time, joining a community of over 2,000 successful students that are living life on their own terms thanks to Digital Real Estate.
A consistent, reliable, semi-passive stream of income that doesn’t depend on you or your time to keep producing profits.
All while genuinely helping real people who are grateful and happy to pay for it.
If this sounds more like what you want out of life (or if you just want some nice side income), click here to learn more about Digital Real Estate.
