eCom Elites Review 2026: Franklin Hatchett's Laser-Focused Shopify Dropshipping Model + A Business Alternative

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eCom Elites is a good Shopify dropshipping course that teaches how to target specific buyers with targeted ads. It has 34+ hours of content and weekly coaching from Franklin. However, Shopify dropshipping with paid ads is expensive and unpredictable. You can easily spend $1,000-$2,000+ per month on ads just to test products. There are also rising expenses for sourcing products, fees, refunds, and chargebacks. Many campaigns fail partly due to ad fatigue. People now ignore or block ads, even if they're the target audience. This makes it very hard to get consistent and profitable sales. Local SEO lead generation avoids those risks. This business model finds targeted leads and sells them to local businesses. For that, you build a local service website and rank it. This will bring in people who are already actively searching for that service. You can then sell them to local businesses that need these customers. There's no ad spend. There's no inventory. You only need $50 to $100 for a website, and $30/month to maintain it. And because you connect people who need each other, you can earn a predictable monthly income.
In this eCom Elites review:
- You'll learn more about Franklin's laser-focused marketing strategy.
- I go over the 10 modules, from "Store Setup" to "Bonus Training".
- You'll learn more about Franklin Hatchett and how he became a successful Shopify dropshipper.
- I went through all the reviews on Reddit and YouTube, so you don't have to.
- I compare Shopify dropshipping with local SEO lead generation.
In my experience, the Shopify dropshipping with paid ads model that eCom Elites teaches is like ordering a dish with Serrano ham. The amount you get for your money is usually very thin. Paid advertising costs cut into that even more. What many dropshippers find especially frustrating is ad fatigue. Dropshipping ad campaigns are like the Hindenburg disaster because they can burn out so quickly. Poor-quality suppliers can result in issues that lead to negative reviews. Negative reviews can cause a company to go bankrupt, like Spirit Airlines.
Public Review Sentiment
Sentiment is based on public reviews, discussions, and independent analysis available at the time of publication. Percentages reflect identified positive, negative, and neutral sentiment by platform.
Reddit (41 reviews)
Candid mixed feedback
Positive: “His is the best money spend without a doubt. He also provides a private Mastermind which is imo the most valuable.”
Negative: “The knowledge is out there for free. Paying $97 WILL NOT give you a magic wand.”
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Negative: “Just type '$10K IN ONE MONTH' on youtube and feel the cringe pour down upon you.”
Negative: “They refused to give me all my money back even after their ads said that they would within that time period.”
Neutral: “YouTube is now filled with a ton of kids saying similar things, which may have worked a year ago, but now are becoming stale.”
YouTube (15 reviews)
Useful but incentive-sensitive
Positive: “We rated eCom Elites 3.9/5, still one of the most comprehensive & affordable dropshipping course out there.”
Negative: “Dropshipping has far too many variables for me to be a viable online business option.”
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Neutral: “I thought about getting into eCom for a little while, but it's getting so saturated in 2019.”
Positive: “Kudos to you for being straight up man. There aren't enough transparent folks just slapping people with the ugly truth. 5 stars”
Independent Review Sites (4 reviews)
Detailed but commercial
Positive: “It’s the most complete dropshipping course at this price point and Franklin consistently keeps it updated.”
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Neutral: “eCom Elites reviews are mixed. The program has no presence on popular review sites like Trustpilot or BBB.”
Positive: “In a nutshell, eCom Elites is the most detailed, up to date, and quality dropshipping training one can find in this price range.”
Neutral: “You’ll need to factor in at least $500 for ad testing - with no guarantee to see any return on that investment.”
Positive: “Franklin certainly over-delivers here on content and it’s by far the best value course on the marketing.”
What Are the Pros and Cons of eCom Elite?
✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
eCom Elites is updated with the latest strategies like Instagram marketing and AI Chatbots. | eCom Elites' reliance on paid ads could easily be expensive and risky for beginners. |
It includes weekly coaching calls with Franklin. | Some of eCom Elites' strategies are outdated. |
Franklin has made over 7-figures in sales with dropshipping | Its Shopify dropshipping model has a high failure rate of 90% |
Price: The eCom Elites Standard Package costs $97 and the eCom Elites Ultimate Package costs $197.
Refund Policy: eCom Elites has a 30-day action-based money-back guarantee. You must go through at least 50% of the training.
Origin: Franklin Hatchett created Ecom Elites in 2017.
What Is eCom Elites' Laser-Focused Marketing?
eCom Elites’ Laser focused marketing targets specific buyers instead of running broad, generic ads. The idea is to hone in on a specific buyer. Your messaging should speak directly to that buyer’s needs. Here’s how it works:
- Define a single buyer persona per product. Pick one clear segment, like their problem, desired outcome, or context of use.
- Write ads for that persona, instead of generic "cheap/discount" messaging. Lead with an angle that matters to that buyer and matches why they’d want the product.
- Target tightly at the ad-platform level. Build audiences that match the persona. Run separate ad sets so you can see which one is actually converting.
- Match the landing page to the same persona and angle. The page should continue the exact promise the ad made. Use case studies and show benefits and proof.
- Use structured testing to find winning ads. Test different audiences and angles in small batches.
- Retarget with "high-intent" follow-up using tighter messaging. Use chatbots to bring back old leads and increase engagement.
What's Included in eCom Elites?
- Over-the-shoulder store setup training.
- Over 34 hours of video content across 10 modules.
- Access to the private Facebook group.
- Weekly Q&A calls with Franklin.
- Lifetime access to course updates.
What Do You Learn in eCom Elites' 10 Module Training?
- Store Setup – Learn how to launch a Shopify store quickly with tweaks that maximize profits from the start.
- Product Sourcing – Learn how to find winning products and reliable suppliers.
- Facebook Ads – Master Facebook Ads to target the right buyers, scale campaigns, and automate sales.
- Instagram Marketing – Discover how to drive traffic from Instagram without wasting ad spend.
- Email Marketing – Learn how to set up automated email campaigns that generate repeat sales.
- Chatbot Marketing – Learn how to use chatbots to increase engagement and drive traffic that converts.
- Sales Funnels – Learn how to create advanced funnels that boost profits using the available templates.
- Google Ads – Master Google Ads for affordable traffic and high-intent buyers.
- SEO & Organic Traffic – Learn long-term, free traffic strategies that generate sustainable revenue.
- Bonus Training – Exclusive"insider" lessons designed to give students an edge over the competition.
How Did Phil Oakdon Reach $80K a Month In Sales With eCom Elites?

Phil Oakdon reached $80K a month in sales with eCom Elites after implementing Franklin's strategies. Immediately after adopting Franklin's marketing methods, he made $79,992 in the first month. He credits the course materials and Franklin's coaching for his success. Today, Phil's store has made over $3 million in sales.
Who Is Franklin Hatchett?

Franklin Hatchett is a 7-figure Shopify dropshipper and serial entrepreneur. He is the founder of the eCom Elite and Savage Affiliates training programs. He also created the Online Dimes blog and eCom Turbo Shopify store theme. The New Zealand dropshipper also has a YouTube channel where he posts dropshipping-related content every week.
Before going into dropshipping, Franklin was doing affiliate marketing. He earned ad revenue on sites he ranked using SEO. He then moved to using Facebook Ads to promote affiliate products. In 2008, he started doing dropshipping on eBay. His best-selling product on Shopify was a solar power phone charging brick. Selling it in 2016, he made about $800K in revenue at a 45% profit margin.
What Is Franklink Hatchett's Savage Affiliates?

Franklink Hatchett's Savage Affiliates is an affiliate marketing coaching program. It teaches you how to promote offers (mainly ClickBank, plus Amazon’s affiliate program) using SEO, email marketing, funnels, and paid traffic. You get over-the-shoulder modules, access to a private Facebook group, and weekly Q&A sessions.
What Are Franklin Hatchett's Claims?

- Franklin claims that dropshipping lets you start a business "with practically no risk" and "no money down" because you don’t buy inventory upfront.
- He claims that you have little operational work because the supplier and Shopify handles of the fulfillment.
- He claims that his "laser-focused marketing" strategy lets you win over the competition.
What Are the Realities of Franklin's Claims?
- Even if you do not pre-buy inventory, you still carry real risk from paid traffic spend, refunds, and disputes. Returns alone average 14.5% of retail sales, according to the National Retail Federation. That is also before chargeback losses and ad costs. Dropshipping is a high-risk, high-spend model.
- You still own the customer experience. You will spend most of your time handling common issues like non-delivery, delays, and defective products. The reputation of your store and its ability to draw customers still rely on your input.
- Platform costs can rise regardless of skill. eMarketer forecasted social ad CPMs rising across all major platforms. Even with more focused ad targeting, the CAC may still outweigh the profit from each sale. DHL says the average dropshipping profit margin is 15% to 20%. Rising ad costs could only lower those margins.
What Are Some eCom Elites Alternatives?
- Brook Hiddink's High‑Ticket Incubator — A Shopify dropshipping mentorship that teaches you how to sell expensive, high‑margin products. It includes beginner training, supplier sourcing tools, and advanced marketing techniques.
- Nick Dahlberg's The Accelerator — A branded dropshipping coaching program for new dropshippers. It covers product selection, store setup, social media, and paid ads marketing.
- Devin Zander's Apparel Cloning System — A Shopify print‑on‑demand course that teaches beginners how to use AI to clone and improve best‑selling apparel designs.
Final Verdict: Is eCom Elites Good For Starting a Shopify Dropshipping Business?
eCom Elites is good for starting a Shopify dropshipping business as it offers a lot of value for its price. The over 34 hours of video training and weekly Q&A calls are a big help when starting out. However, it does not address the high risk and low margins of the business model. eCom Elites can shorten the learning curve but does not save you from the 90% failure Shopify dropshipping rate. Beginners may want to start with less risky models like blogging or local SEO lead generation.
Is Shopify Dropshipping More Stable Than Local SEO Lead Generation?
In my experience, Shopify dropshipping is less stable than local SEO lead generation because of the unpredictability of suppliers and paid ads. Comparing Shopify dropshipping to local SEO lead generation is like launching a product on Indiegogo versus the traffic flow on Interstate 90. Indiegogo needs constant paid ads to stay visible. You deal with nonstop customer messages and rely on suppliers to ship on time. One delay or refund can lead to low margins and bad reviews. Interstate 90 keeps cars moving day and night with only minimal upkeep. There is no need to advertise its existence to attract traffic flow. Local SEO lead generation works the same way in that leads keep arriving after a site is ranked. The overhead is low and there is no ongoing marketing.
Why Local SEO Lead Generation Is Better Than Dropshipping?
With local SEO lead generation is better than dropshipping because your success isn’t based on finding the right trending product each week or each month. You just need to be able to rank sites using SEO. There’s no need to run Facebook ads or Google ads to generate traffic. You don’t have to worry about any inventory or the logistics involved with shipping or returns.

One of my local SEO lead generation websites is Orange County Artesian Custom Iron Gates, 3529 East Chapman Avenue, Orange, California 92869, 714-248-0432, https://ocirongates.com/. Last month, it generated 25 leads and my client closed $12,230 in new business. We have a 10% commission deal, so I got paid $1,223 for my leads.
Local SEO lead generation builds a portfolio of digital "properties" rather than gambling on the next product and ad combo. Check out local SEO lead generation for a much more predictable way to build long-term passive income.

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