Tag: Ecommerce empire academy students

How to Sell Viral Products and Make $10k per Month: Ecommerce Empire Builders Success Story

by Peter PruDropshipping Case StudiesLeave a Comment on How to Sell Viral Products and Make $10k per Month: Ecommerce Empire Builders Success Story

Welcome back, Empire Builders! I recently interviewed Ryan Jameson, our latest $10k Per Month Club member, about his strategy. We had a great conversation filled with useful advice about how to sell viral products, so I’ve summarized it here. Check out the full video to watch the whole conversation. I’m really excited to share this with you so let’s jump right in.

Tell Us About Your Backstory and Journey So Far

Ryan Jameson: I started when I was young, selling online game currency, making and selling stickers, and using eBay and WooCommerce. I found Shopify around two and a half years ago and started dropshipping. I went from one niche to the next, trying to find something that worked with no success. Then one day, I came across your videos and started using ClickFunnels. Then around the end of last year, I tried selling a gadget and made around $5K, but the profit margin was low.

At the beginning of the year, when the UK lockdown started, I thought about the businesses that closed and what products people would need. I found a product, and, using what I learned about improving your offer, I created a product guide. That month, January, I made about $9k. 

Then, in February, I noticed that a product that solved a problem created by lockdown was selling well on my Facebook feed, and it had a good profit margin. I found a local supplier, so I would be able to offer 2- to 3-day shipping. That product made around $15k.

Peter Pru: I want to unpack that because you went through a lot. Some people might hear that and think you just got lucky and struck gold. But when you get right down to it, you had a good niche and a great offer. Half the battle is finding a niche with pain points and creating an offer around the solution.

One thing I always harp on is, what’s your differentiating factor? Why should they buy from you instead of someone else? In your case, you added a digital product showing them how to use it, which isn’t difficult, and that sets you apart.  

Did You Create Your Own Digital Products or Hire Someone?

Screen grab of Peter Pru and Ryan Jameson discussing how to create offers

Ryan: I did it almost all on my own. I started with a Google search to find out what the problem was and figure out the solution to quickly create an information product. The PDF how-to guide only took me a few hours to research and put together. But it helped me win sales over large competitors that were making a lot of money and running tons of ads. I’ve sold around 250 units in the last month, so adding an information product worked well.  

What’s Your Process for Creating Digital Products?

Ryan: I found a designer on Fiverr and hired him to make me a cover for like $5. I also had an offer stack image on the product page. Then I spent a couple of hours researching to write up the how-to guide on Google Sheets. I used automation to send the guide to customers after purchase, so it didn’t take any extra effort. It was fast and easy but really increased sales a lot.

Peter: Exactly! People often focus entirely on the product. Of course, you need a product that solves a pain point and provides value, but other people will be selling it, too. You need to give them a reason to buy from you instead.  

How Did You Find Your Supplier?

Ryan: Actually, I have an interesting tip. I went on eBay to find people who were already selling the same product. You can usually see their address and website on the page, so I found a local seller and went to their site. Luckily for me, they were banned from eBay, so I was able to sell their whole supply as part of my strategy for how to sell viral products.

Is This a Side Hustle, or Do You Want to Go Full-Time?

Screen grab of Peter Pru and Ryan Jameson discussing the importance of experimentation and testing

Ryan: I want to go full-time. I’ve been running simple funnels with few upsells and no subscriptions or retargeting ads on Facebook. I’d like to add them along with using Google Shopping to increase profits. Plus, I’ll be hiring a VA to help with customer service to save time. I got a photo of the products in the crates from my supplier as social proof to help with customer confidence and trust, as well. I plan to just keep expanding and improving to grow my business and my profits.  

Peter: I want to point out how being resourceful has helped you. Many people try one really obvious thing, like AliExpress. Then, if they can’t find the product they’re looking for, they throw up their hands and give up. You went to eBay and searched for local sellers. Getting that photo to help show people you have the products was smart, too.

You were thinking outside the box and thinking of imaginative solutions for how to sell viral products. That’s what you need as a business owner: resourcefulness, creativity, and adaptability. There’s always a way; you just have to be willing to find it. 

What Are Your Goals for This Year?

Ryan: Expanding. I’ve got Google Ads, and I’m running tests to see what works. Many products sell well if you offer them in packs of 1, 2, 4, and 6, but not this one. So next, I tried a 2-year guarantee as my upsell, and that worked. I plan to just keep testing, learning, optimizing, and expanding. 

Peter: You’re doing a lot of great things. I can’t wait to watch you hit all your milestones.

Any Final Words of Advice for How to Sell Viral Products?

Dropshipper learning how to sell viral products on his online storefront

Don’t just think about finding products in terms of what you like. A big part of how to sell viral products is looking at what’s trending right now. What are people currently buying? After that, it’s all about making the offer stand out so it makes sales. Also, don’t be scared to just jump in and try something. Learning is all well and good, but at some point, it takes action. Then, you can look at what went right and what went wrong to learn from experience.   

Okay, Empire Builders, hopefully, you enjoyed hearing what Ryan had to say and learned something from his experience about how to sell viral products. If you’re ready to take his advice and start building your empire, subscribe to my YouTube channel or check out my free webinar to learn how I made full-time income without touching a product or building a website. You can also get my $100K funnel template completely free just for showing up. Remember, your empire starts now!

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How Using Dropshipping Funnels Helped Our Student Earn $50k per Month

by Peter PruDropshipping Case StudiesLeave a Comment on How Using Dropshipping Funnels Helped Our Student Earn $50k per Month

One of our students, Leo Batistella, managed to go from $0 to $50,000 per month by using dropshipping funnels, along with other winning strategies. Leo has built several successful dropshipping businesses that hit the $50k mark. Here we’ll go over the steps he took to scale his businesses so quickly. We’ll also explore how he started dropshipping and his gradual journey to success.

Pursuing His Own Dreams of Success Online

Originally from Brazil, Leo moved to the United States to develop his own success story here. His story begins like many others: working a full-time job in which he was building someone else’s dream. Becoming disillusioned with this around two years ago, Leo was determined to start his own online business that would specifically be online. 

The day that he made this determination, he quit his job. With enough savings to get by in the meantime, he immediately started studying. Beginning with little information around eCommerce and dropshipping, Leo worked quickly to educate and equip himself with the knowledge needed to successfully start his business.

Leo lost money for the first six months of his endeavor. But he understood that this was part of the learning process and stuck with it. He pushed himself, working 12- to 14-hour days to build his business. The key motivating factor for Leo was the fact that he knew several successful dropshippers pulling in $50k per month in his network. This, coupled with the certainty that he could do as well as or even better than those examples, motivated him.

Searching for the Right Resources and the Right Product

Leo and Peter Pru discussing Leo's business successes

Although Leo personally knew multiple successful entrepreneurs in his network, they didn’t provide him with any helpful guidance. Instead, Leo turned to external resources to learn everything he could about dropshipping. At the same time, he didn’t know who to learn from — so many gurus out there are seeking the spotlight. Leo also had a language barrier to contend with, as he preferred to learn from people who spoke Portuguese. Subsequently, he began seeking guidance from professionals in his native Brazil, only to find that most dropshippers in Brazil only conducted business in Brazil. 

Additionally, Leo sought the ideal product that would help him go from losses to profits. The solution would come as a surprise while spending time in Las Vegas. While in Vegas for New Year’s Eve, Leo discovered a product that most wouldn’t think to sell from the start: emergency urine bottles. In addition to a version for men, he sold another version for women as an upsell, finding that the product to be an unexpected winner. He eventually gained $40k in sales.

Leo reveled in his success with this hit product. But then the pandemic hit, and he was uncertain about his future. While at a party, he met an entrepreneur who saw success in manufacturing and was trying to market face shields, which weren’t yet widely used in the U.S. Because of Leo’s experience in B2C sales, this entrepreneur asked Leo to sell his products, which saw a quarter million in sales within a week. Leo wasn’t used to this level of success. So he sought help from both the entrepreneur behind these masks and his mentor in Brazil, the latter of whom would become Leo’s partner.

Discovering Ecommerce Empire Builders and the Key to Long-Term Success

Leo and Peter Pru discussing the importance of consistency

Leo may have seen success with his initial ventures. But he was still experiencing certain frustrations when it came to upsells and establishing long-term success. As he attempted to learn more, he continued seeking out thought leaders he could trust. Eventually, he would come across us and a couple of other personalities he deemed worth following.

What drew him to our team at Ecommerce Empire Builders was a combination of ample resources, helpful guidance, and consistency. Willing to commit, Leo purchased our course and signed up for Clickfunnels. This would further lead him to the long-term success he’d always wanted. By taking our course and using dropshipping funnels, Leo began seeing the upsells he wanted. He also started making significant profits, raking in as much as $8,000 within a 15-day period.

Using Dropshipping Funnels

Leo first started using dropshipping funnels in February. He developed his funnel after seeing a Facebook ad for a product that caught his eye. The seller of this product was already scaling in the U.S., so Leo wanted to try selling the product in Brazil. The problem was that Leo had no prior experience with dropshipping in Brazil. So, Leo reached out to his partner in Brazil and began selling this product to that market. The move would prove a success, culminating in $50k in sales in December 2020. 

This success motivated him to sell the product in Canada, considering the U.S. was the primary market. Again, Leo saw encouraging results when selling to the Canadian market. Leo thought the product had already saturated the U.S. But he decided to sell the product to this market again, this time using Clickfunnels. Once more, Leo saw great results that made him excited for the future of his business as he continues using dropshipping funnels.

Leo’s Goals for the Future

Ultimately, Leo wants to implement a strategy that consists of an eCommerce business in the back-end, with another business selling products in the front-end. He wants to build the back-end business to the point where he can begin selling those products on the front end. This way, he can benefit from the security of having two businesses.

One of the biggest aspects we admire about Leo’s success is his mindset. Leo is always motivated to continue trying new things. He sticks with a strategy until it works or until he comes across a better one. We understand that many people in this industry may not have that kind of mindset as they grow discouraged. 

However, Leo recommends that people continue committing to their business, learning regularly, and not giving up. There are so many opportunities out there and an unlimited number of products to try. This means your chances of success are extraordinary if you take the time to identify and commit to the right ones. In his early days, Leo celebrated the times when he simply wouldn’t lose money. Recently, he’s had more and more profitable days that are measured by bigger benchmarks.

Reach Your First $50k Like Leo by Using Dropshipping Funnels

Dropshipper putting in the hours to grow his business

If you want to experience the kind of success that Leo enjoys with dropshipping, you need to take the right approach with a successful strategy. Using dropshipping funnels can significantly help boost sales and profits. To learn more about how to properly implement sales funnels and excel with your online business, reserve your seat at our free eCommerce masterclass today. See other student success stories by subscribing to my YouTube channel.

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Turn Your New Dropshipping Business Into a Six-Figure Ecommerce Brand

by Peter PruDropshipping Case StudiesLeave a Comment on Turn Your New Dropshipping Business Into a Six-Figure Ecommerce Brand

Empire builders, how would you like to transform your dropshipping business into a six-figure dropshipping brand? Sounds great, right? While this might seem like an unattainable dream to some, others are ready to buckle down and put in the work to turn their dreams into reality. One of our long-time Inner Circle students is the perfect example of turning dreams into reality. Javier has been involved in the Ecommerce Empire Builders community for several years and was able to take his beginner dropshipping business and turn it into a success. 

I recently sat down with Javier to discuss how he went from a beginner in dropshipping to creating his own profitable brand. Read on to learn more about Javier’s six-figure ecommerce brand and how you too can create a profitable ecommerce business in 2021. 

Getting Started With eCommerce 

Today, Javier owns a six-figure ecommerce brand known as Finisher Secrets. The brand specializes in producing high-quality planners for entrepreneurs. I love Javier’s product, and I’m not just saying that because he’s one of my students. The Finisher’s Journal is a planner I use myself. I would recommend it to anyone looking to get on top of their scheduling and productivity. With over 250,000 followers on Instagram, I think it’s safe to say that more than a few people would also recommend the Finisher Secrets brand.

Javier has found a great deal of success with e-commerce. But he had to overcome many obstacles on his path to success. Before owning a six-figure ecommerce brand, Javier was just a guy learning the ends and outs of dropshipping. Like many individuals, Javier started with the Amazon FBA program. Javier soon realized this program would not yield him the results he wanted when he was simply competing against other sellers on price. 

He wanted to do something different, so he started reading business books. Through his self-education, he began reading about sales funnels and soon signed up for a Clickfunnels account. While he liked Clickfunnels, he wasn’t making much progress on his business. However, everything began to change for the better when Javier stumbled upon an Ecommerce Empire Builders case study video on YouTube.

Finding Success Through Ecommerce Empire Builders 

Screen grab of Peter Pru and Javier discussing dropshipping

After watching some YouTube videos on the Ecommerce Empire Builders channel, Javier decided to take the leap and become an Inner Circle student. Javier is a very ambitious individual, and my team and I helped him channel this ambition in the right direction. Every Ecommerce Empire student learns the importance of picking a niche and finding a product within that niche that solves a problem for consumers. Javier himself struggled with productivity and planning as he was trying to juggle his new business while moving to the United States. He came up with the idea to start selling journals that helped entrepreneurs overcome procrastination and distractions. 

The Finisher’s Journal that Javier came up with and designed himself was definitely a passion project. Luckily, Javier’s passion project also appealed to the masses. After Javier started obtaining sales from dropshipping journals and planners, he began talking to different suppliers about branding his own journals. Once he completed negotiations with his suppliers, Javier went to work designing the perfect planner with amazing packaging and the highest quality paper he could get. 

Through it all, Javier has been very receptive to feedback from me and the Ecommerce Empire team. Any suggestion we have made, Javier has listened and executed on it. Javier’s own fortitude, combined with the guidance of the Ecommerce Empire Builders team, has allowed him to create a thriving six-figure business over the course of just a few short years. 

Tips to Grow a Six-Figure eCommerce Brand 

Screen grab of Peter Pru and Javier discussing dropshipping tips for new dropshippers

The first step to growing a six-figure ecommerce brand is simply to get started. When Javier first got started in ecommerce, he had many more questions than he had answers. While Javier has been able to obtain success in ecommerce, this success was not achieved overnight. Throughout his ecommerce journey, Javier discovered some tricks of the trade. 

When I sat down with Javier, I asked him what his advice would be to other aspiring ecommerce entrepreneurs. The two most significant pieces of advice Javier gave were to 

  1. Choose a niche you are passionate about.
  2. Be consistent in your approach with your business. 

I love these answers and couldn’t agree more with Javier’s tips. 

Entrepreneurship comes with many ups and downs. As Javier pointed out, passion will keep you going in the tough times. There will be times you are overwhelmed, depressed, or just down about how business operations are going. Being passionate about your business and the products you are selling will keep you on the right path during tough times. Along with being passionate, you must be consistent as you grow your business. You need to be willing to show up every day and put the work in. Growing a six-figure business won’t happen overnight. 

However, if you remain consistent and show up every day, great progress will be achieved. Javier remained consistent with growing his brand on Instagram. He posted consistently and worked with influencers to promote his journals. As a result of his consistency, he has over 250,000 Instagram followers. This just goes to show that with passion and consistency, great things can be achieved.

Consult With the Pros

Entrepreneur staying organized with a productivity journal

I hope Javier’s story has shown you that growing a successful six-figure ecommerce brand is possible. If you are willing and ready to learn and put in the work, then you will find success in the ecommerce industry. Now is the perfect time to start your own ecommerce business. If you’re like Javier and looking for some assistance in developing your mindset and growing your ecommerce business, feel free to reach out to us today. 

At Ecommerce Empire Builders, we can help you build, launch, and scale your own profitable dropshipping business. To get the ball rolling, sign up for access to our exclusive free webinar today. Be sure to check our YouTube channel for even more free resources and insights into the dropshipping and sales funnel industries. Remember, your empire starts now! 

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How My Online Ecommerce Course Student Hit $50K per Month

by Peter PruDropshipping Case StudiesLeave a Comment on How My Online Ecommerce Course Student Hit $50K per Month

Seeing our students prosper in the ecommerce industry never gets old. Steve Swiat is the latest example of a student who achieved financial success by continually improving his income-producing skills and learning from our online ecommerce course. Over five years, Steve went from dabbling in ecommerce to earning an Empire Builder Award. From his early days of selling magnetic knife holders to his adoption of sales funnels, Steve saw his dropshipping revenue grow from zero to $50,000 per month.

A Taste of the Wild West

Steve began dabbling in ecommerce in 2014 when he got his start as a Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) seller. The early days of FBA were much like the Wild West of ecommerce. Like many new FBA sellers, Steve faced a vicious cycle of selling products at a reduced rate to earn reviews and trying to boost his status with Amazon. Taking a loss was not uncommon, as he ended up giving away a sizable amount of product in the process.

A New Direction With the Online Ecommerce Course from Ecommerce Empire Builders

screenshot of Pete and Steve talking about ecommerce

Undaunted by his minor losses with FBA, Steve was ready to leave lackluster results behind and improve his income-generating skills. He switched gears and got serious about boosting his revenue in 2018. His first step on his new journey was listening to our podcasts. Then, he enrolled in our online ecommerce course to learn exactly what steps he needed to take to jumpstart his earnings. As Steve put his newly developed skills to work, his income began to rise.

A Pivotal Moment

Hitting the $10,000 per month mark was a pivotal moment for Steve. But along with that milestone came another critical realization: Steve had gained the ability to recognize problems quickly, diagnose them, and resolve them before they took hold and hurt his business.

For Steve, the process of resolving issues typically begins with a look at the lowest hanging fruit. He notes that sometimes addressing the smallest things can have a huge impact on results. Little tweaks, such as inserting the words “Free Shipping,” can make a huge difference in your conversions. Making sure your funnels are succinct is also important, as many of the highest converting funnels say a lot with only a few words.

If minor adjustments don’t alleviate the problem, then Steve suggests reviewing your funnel. See if there’s something in your copy that is confusing to the prospect. Funnels give you a powerful opportunity to use a lot of text. But it’s up to you to make sure they aren’t too wordy or confusing. More importantly, you have to create your copy with care to ensure that your ad, the copy, and your order form are all congruent, which are skills we emphasize in our online ecommerce course. 

The Importance of a Changed Mindset

dropshipper working on her business early in the morning after exercising

Steve attributes his jump in income and his troubleshooting abilities to his commitment to changing his mindset and routine. Among other changes in his life, he also began making use of the extra time he had on the weekends. By devoting five or six hours on Saturday and Sunday to improving his funnels, Steve’s business really began to take off. Here are some other specific steps he takes to keep himself focused each day:

  • Start early by getting up at 5:30 every day.
  • Kick off the day with a healthy activity such as exercise.
  • After launching your day with two “wins” (waking up early and exercising), start with a manageable task.

Steve shares another confidence-inspiring tip: try putting yourself in an uncomfortable spot each day. For example, Steve would periodically go for a walk in the hot Arizona sun at 4:00 in the afternoon. When you survive this type of activity, your confidence builds, and you can face work-related challenges better.

Never Lose Focus

Just because you hit 50K per month doesn’t mean you are destined to enjoy that same level of success every month moving forward. Success is not automatic, and there are no shortcuts. Steve notes that if you want to continue to attain a large income and make dropshipping your full-time job, you must be willing to invest the time. 

Taking care of your body and personal life are also critical for maintaining your focus in the ecommerce industry. Steve notes that if you let one area of your life slip a lot, it’s going to impact your work and the other areas of your life. While a “slip” every now and then is not necessarily bad, you must be careful not to let the “slip” become a pattern. 

Data: The Key to Continued Success

While building a funnel and positioning products might be enjoyable, the actual launch can be a bit more intimidating. A quest for perfection can sometimes cloud efficiency and progress. In many cases, your initial creation may already be good enough. But you will never know unless you have data. With data, Steve notes, you can easily view your progress and make adjustments and improvements to your funnel. 

A Final Piece of Advice

screenshot of Steve giving advice to other dropshippers

Jumping into an industry full of established competitors can be intimidating. But you will make progress as long as you are committed to continued learning. Remembering that you CAN enter this industry and succeed is vital to making progress!

If you aren’t seeing success today and feel like there is no hope, Steve offers a simple recommendation: make sure you keep showing up every day. Also, remember that everyone has their own journey, and it takes time to get better. As you move forward on your journey, be sure to work on your income-producing skills. If you keep working hard every single day, you will look back in a year and see that you have made progress.

Looking Back on the Journey

Looking back on his journey, Steve said that his early failures were a big part of his learning experience and success today. He learned how to analyze problems and diagnose them so he could develop good long-term solutions and maximize his productivity. 

To discover how you can achieve financial success in the dropshipping industry, we invite you to reserve your seat at our free ecommerce masterclass today. We look forward to helping you make it to the $50,000 level through the Ecommerce Empire Academy online ecommerce course!

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How to Generate Over $50,000 as an Ecommerce Empire Academy Student

by Peter PruDropshipping Case StudiesLeave a Comment on How to Generate Over $50,000 as an Ecommerce Empire Academy Student

Empire builders, sit back and get ready to learn some awesome insider secrets of the ecommerce industry. I recently sat down with Michael Koss, an Ecommerce Empire Academy student. Mike is a great guy that has an inspirational story that everyone can learn something from. Over the last few years, Mike went from being a high school dropout to generating over $50,000 a month in his ecommerce business. I asked him what his secret to success has been and what his advice would be to other aspiring entrepreneurs. Read on to learn more about Mike’s success in the industry. Also, discover how you can create this reality for yourself by becoming an Ecommerce Empire Academy student. 

The Road to Ecommerce Empire Builders 

Mike’s road to becoming an Ecommerce Empire Academy student was one of many ups and downs. Mike began with affiliate marketing three to four years ago. He got his start with the Motor Club of America. Through the MCA, Mike was earning $80 per referral. However, any traction he had gained was soon lost when the company sold. Referrals went from $80 down to $10. At this point, Mike knew he needed to break into an industry where he had more control over his earnings and career. 

The Switch to Clickfunnels

After his initial setback, Mike learned about affiliate marketing for Clickfunnels. He started promoting Russell Brunson’s books and was sucked even deeper into the world of ecommerce. He began to dedicate all of his energy to learning from the multitude of big names that were already thriving in the ecommerce world. Mike was talking to his dad one night about all he was learning about ecommerce and how he wanted to get into sales funnels. The next morning Mike’s dad actually stumbled upon one of our Ecommerce Empire Builders webinars and sent Mike the link.    

The stars seemed to align for Mike at this point. After watching our Ecommerce Empire Builders webinar, Mike was hooked on sales funnels. He took the plunge after watching the webinar and became an official commerce Empire Builders Academy student. Mike has been in our community for over a year now, and I met Mike in person for the first time in February 2020 when he came to one of our Build Your Empire Live conferences.

 Mike already had a great business idea but was not getting the results he wanted. Our team was able to set Mike up on the right path as he became an Ecommerce Empire Academy student. His business, as well as his mindset, has grown leaps and bounds over the last six months. 

The Importance of Understanding Your Niche 

Man doing niche research for his ecommerce business

Mike’s business has grown significantly over the last six months. One element that has helped Mike find success is his thorough understanding of his niche and the customers he is trying to sell to. Understanding your niche will always be important in this industry. Without understanding your customer base and what they are looking for, your odds of creating a profitable ecommerce business are very low. You have to understand the ends and outs of your niche. 

One thing that has helped Mike better understand his niche is his willingness to test and test often. In a month, Mike created over 100 different Facebook ads. His goal was to understand what types of ads and what targeting keywords resulted in the best results within his niche. Mike’s willingness to test paid off. He went from making $10,000 a month in sales to $50,000 a month in sales through this research alone. 

Another element that Mike has learned very well through growing his business is what offers and upsells are most enticing to the customers within his niche. Mike sells unique American flag stickers. He is selling a passion product. The offers and upsells Mike offers or presents to the customers in his niche prey on their passion. Mike’s ability to understand the customers within his niche is what has allowed him to grow his business and stand out from his competitors. 

Mindset Will Always Be the Key to Finding Success 

Screen Grab of Peter Pru and Michael Koss

As our interview came to an end, I asked Mike what his biggest piece of advice would be to those entering the ecommerce industry. Mike has put a lot of work, time, and effort into understanding both his niche and the ecommerce industry. These elements are definitely important to finding success within the industry. However, Mike believes that most of his success came from his mindset. 

Mike’s advice to all aspiring entrepreneurs is to keep a positive mindset throughout their journey. There will always be ups and downs in whatever you choose to do in life. However, the key to overcoming the hurdles you face is keeping a positive and can-do mindset.

There are huge opportunities awaiting you in the ecommerce industry. You just have to be willing to learn and keep pushing forward even if things don’t go exactly how you envisioned. Mike’s final piece of advice is to simply try to be amazing at whatever you choose to do. 

I couldn’t agree more. Having passion in your work will always take you further, and in the end, your business success will always be dependent on one thing: you.

Consult With the Pros as an Ecommerce Empire Academy Student

Ecommerce student watching webinars on his tablet at home

Mike took himself from being a high school dropout to a successful ecommerce entrepreneur. He accomplished this journey through hard work and adopting the right mindset. It’s my hope that you will be able to take the information and advice Mike has provided and implement it into your own ecommerce business. If you feel like you need a little more guidance in setting up your own profitable ecommerce business, then feel free to reach out to us today. 

At Ecommerce Empire Builders, we can help you build, launch, and scale your own profitable dropshipping business. If you’re ready to get the ball rolling, then sign up for access to our exclusive free webinar today and become an Ecommerce Empire Academy student. Also, be sure to check our YouTube channel for even more insights into the dropshipping and sales funnel industries. Remember, your empire starts now!

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How My Ecommerce Empire Builders Student Earned $100,000 and Sold His Business

by Peter PruDropshipping Case StudiesLeave a Comment on How My Ecommerce Empire Builders Student Earned $100,000 and Sold His Business

Do you want to see just how successful you can be as a dropshipper with well-utilized sales funnels? Here is another success story from an Ecommerce Empire Builders student to help showcase the effectiveness of these strategies. Meet Mike Filev, who began with a simple Shopify store and a viral ad video. He learned how to use sales funnels to his advantage, leading him to make $100,000 on a single product before successfully selling his dropshipping business.

Beginning With a Single Product and a Simple Store

Mike didn’t have a long, storied background in ecommerce. In fact, he planned on going into electrical engineering after college. However, his plans would soon change as he sought to earn more money and find his true passion. He didn’t care much for engineering, and the cost of living in downtown Toronto with his family was placing even more pressure on him to earn a better living.

Looking for a new outlet to channel his creativity, Mike eventually turned to ecommerce and quickly found some success selling one product early on: a seat belt for dogs. At the time, Mike merely had a Shopify store to help him sell his products, but he was able to bring a lot of attention to this one via an effective video ad. That ad was effective because it showed (using fake dogs, of course) what would happen if a pet owner neglected to use the seat belt in the event of an accident, and it helped increase sales. It also made Mike realize the potential that he could achieve with a more profitable strategy.

The Problem With Relying on Shopify Alone

screen grab of conversation about Shopify between Peter Pru and Mike Filev

Despite the popularity of his dog seat belt product and his ad, Mike found that he simply wasn’t able to make any one-click upsells on his product. It didn’t help that Shopify was compatible with a solitary app that took forever to install and setup. Upon discovering the power of sales funnels through a brief course in Shopify, Mike began to research their effectiveness. This led him to me, Peter Pru, and becoming an Ecommerce Empire Builders student.

Learning About the Value of Upsells and Sales Funnels as an Ecommerce Empire Builders Student

As he began to learn more about providing value to customers and inspiring more upsells, he decided to offer a harness that offered more neck support for dogs using his seat belts. Focusing on these harnesses, he started seeing an increase in sales and went from around zero percent net profit to around 20-30 percent consistently. Around that time, Mike saw his first thousand-dollar day of net profits. 

Mike saw the possibilities of using sales funnels and upsells to help boost sales significantly. But he was still somewhat disappointed with the overall performance of that single store. By the time he had made around $20,000 with the store, the cost of living was catching up to him, and he needed to find a more lucrative opportunity. Luckily, his first store had become a considerable success, and he had a valuable Instagram page for it that performed impressively — both of which could serve as assets for others.

From Selling Products to Selling Dropshipping Businesses

Mike wasn’t happy enough with how his first store was performing to keep it going. But he found that others were interested in acquiring these types of businesses. Understanding that the Shopify store he had been running had potential for someone else, he was able to sell it for $10,000, which got the ball rolling for him. From there, he sold his dog seat belt business as he looked for his next dropshipping opportunity.

What the Process Entailed

In the event someone came along who was interested in purchasing Mike’s dog seat belt store and sales funnels, Mike had recognized several assets going for him that would appeal to the investor.

First, Mike had set up an efficient landing page modeled after our own. It consisted of a header, image, and button that offered a free seat belt. This landing page had managed to achieve an opt-in rate of around 50-70 percent, depending on the traffic source. This translated to a total of around 47,000 email leads. All of the leads fell into the target market for that product. Also, some of the top brands out there like Petco are willing to buy a single lead for $1.60 or more. So Mike realized he was sitting on an ecommerce goldmine.

To help sell his business, Mike approached the effort in much the same way he would with selling products. He offered a bundle in an appealing package that would entice the buyer. He listed all the assets that his business had accumulated, including:

  • $100,000 in sales within a period of five or six months
  • 20 percent net profits plus expenses
  • A massive email list worth approximately $70,000 on its own

With this offer, Mike put the store up for sale on Flippa for $50,000. The sales price was based on a calculation of twice the net profits his business earned annually. Based on what he learned, he could have actually sold this business for much more. But that’s just part of the learning process when it comes to ecommerce experience.

Focusing on a Different Niche for Better Opportunities

business owner replicating her store to scale profits

While Mike experienced some success with the dog seat belt store, he recognized that this opportunity was too limited. He was selling to a highly specific niche of people, and the product would attract mostly impulse buys. After selling this business, he turned to a much more promising opportunity of selling weight loss products.

The demographic he was selling to at this point included women who were interested in losing weight. This was a much wider demographic than his previous niche. Another advantage of selling to this audience was the number of offers that you can utilize when selling weight loss products, especially through affiliate marketing.

To attract more leads, Mike also created a landing page in his sales funnels that asked for opt-ins via Facebook Messenger. He found that people were much more likely to choose this method over email because they didn’t worry about spam. 

(As a side note here, we definitely recommend that you try multiple lead generation outlets; test with channels like Facebook Messenger, and request an email in your offer. Then see which campaign performs better while doubling your assets in the process. Also, an email list is uniquely yours. Channels like Facebook Messenger still fall under the property of other companies, which can complicate the process of selling.)

Mike hasn’t decided to sell this store quite yet. But he is keeping the idea in mind as the business continues to grow. At the same time, Mike is experiencing more success and happiness as a result of his efforts. He’s living it up in Miami as he keeps his eye out for the next big opportunity.

Become an Ecommerce Empire Builders Student to Streamline Your Own Success

man selling his ecommerce business

We love success stories like Mike’s that remind us precisely of why we’re doing what we’re doing. Do you want to experience the kind of success that Mike has? Then sign up for the free Ecommerce Empire Builders Master Class. You can become an Ecommerce Empire Builders student and learn all about how to begin your dropshipping business. You can also pick up key tips and insights on my YouTube channel.

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Learn How One of Our Ecommerce Empire Academy Students Generated $100,000 in Just One Month of Sales

by Peter PruDropshipping Case Studies4 Comments on Learn How One of Our Ecommerce Empire Academy Students Generated $100,000 in Just One Month of Sales

Empire builders, are you ready to absorb some insider secrets of the ecommerce industry? I sat down with an Austin Eckman, one of our Ecommerce Empire Academy students. I asked him what his secret to success has been with creating profitable ecommerce dropshipping businesses. Austin was able to generate $109,000 from his sales funnel in just a month’s time and has graciously let us in on his winning formula to success below. 

Getting Started in Ecommerce 

Austin started his first ecommerce endeavor in November 2017. He launched his first store using Shopify and did pretty well. In the first two months with his Shopify store, Austin generated $10,000 in sales. He had a 9% conversion rate, which is extremely impressive for a Shopify store. However, after about three months, the traffic and sales started to taper off significantly. 

After his first ecommerce endeavor fizzled out, Austin went back to focusing on his original career of website consulting, as he is a web designer by trade. It wasn’t until a year later, in November 2018, that Austin decided to give ecommerce another shot after being inspired by Ecommerce Empire Builders YouTube videos. 

After watching Ecommerce Empire Builders on YouTube, Austin decided to give the ClickFunnels platform a try. Austin has found a ton of success through utilizing ClickFunnels and has achieved a 33% conversion rate on his order form. After generating over $100,000 in sales in just a month’s time, Austin has not looked back.

Choosing a Profitable Niche 

During my interview with Austin, I asked him how he went about choosing a profitable niche. Austin told me that he dove into his passion when it came to choosing a niche for his ecommerce business. I was thrilled with Austin’s response, as I encourage all of my Ecommerce Empire Academy students to go into a niche that they are genuinely passionate about. Being passionate about your business makes it so much more enjoyable. 

Austin advises everyone getting into the ecommerce industry to choose a niche that they are passionate and knowledgeable about. He has seen how his passion and knowledge about his niche has given him an advantage over his competitors. Because Austin truly understands the products within his niche, he can see problems that exist within the space and come up with product solutions to these problems. This first-hand knowledge also allows Austin to create well-rounded offers that customers simply can’t pass up. 

How to Pick the Right Product Niche

woman working on her ecommerce dropshipping business that sells dog products

My advice is to pick a niche you’re passionate about and figure out how you can provide value to your customer through a physical or digital product within the space. Austin is an entrepreneur who understands that you have to really understand the psychology behind why a customer wants your product and then fulfill that “why” through an exceptional offer. 

Every product out there, no matter how small, solves some sort of problem for a person. Austin likes to solve customers’ “why”s through an offer that combines both a physical and digital product. Austin’s strategy for getting digital information products is through working with content creators. Austin has actually paid creators on Udemy to produce information products that teach customers how to use the physical products that he sells. 

Ultimately, combining a physical and digital product together in your offer is a great way to set yourself apart from competitors. To be successful in the ecommerce industry, you have to create exceptional offers. You have to give customers a significant reason to buy from you rather than from Amazon or Walmart.  

Advice for Ecommerce Empire Academy Students and New Ecommerce Entrepreneurs 

screenshot of Austin Eckman emphasizing the importance of reading

Towards the end of our interview, I asked Austin what his advice would be for those just getting into the ecommerce industry. Austin’s first piece of advice is to keep your ecommerce business simple. The most profitable funnels are the ones that keep the buying process simple and easy to follow. Austin created his first funnel from our Ecommerce Empire Builders sticker template. This template is a straightforward funnel that allows us to:

  • Hold the hand of our customers.
  • Walk them through the buying process.
  • Provide an overall excellent customer experience. 

The second piece of advice Austin has for newbies in the ecommerce space is to be passionate about the products that you are trying to sell. If there’s no passion behind your business, it won’t be sustainable. It doesn’t matter what your passion is. Within every niche, there is a way to frame an offer that provides value to the customer. You just have to be willing to put the time and effort into your market research to create a winning offer. 

Tip: Build Reading Into Your Schedule

man reading books about ecommerce and dropshipping

Austin’s final piece of advice is to invest a ton of time into understanding buyers’ psychology. He suggests that all ecommerce entrepreneurs dive deep into books on the subject and read every day. 

I couldn’t agree more with this piece of advice. I truly believe that reading has become a lost art. If you’re looking for a mentor in this space, then there is no easier way to find one than through a book. If you’ve been struggling to figure out the why behind your business, a great book to invest in is Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson.  The book provides key insights into choosing a profitable niche. It also explains how to market your products in ways that are proven to generate sales.

Consult With the Pros and Join Our Ecommerce Empire Academy Students Today

Austin presented some useful nuggets of information for Ecommerce Empire Academy students and new ecommerce dropshippers. It’s my hope that you will be able to take this information and implement it into your own ecommerce sales funnel. Do you feel like you need a little more guidance in setting up your own profitable ecommerce business? If so, then feel free to reach out. We can help our Ecommerce Empire Acamdey students build, launch, and scale a profitable dropshipping business.

To get the ball rolling, sign up for access to our exclusive free webinar today. Be sure to check our YouTube channel for even more free resources and insights into the dropshipping industry. Remember, your empire starts now. 

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