How to Create an Online Course Step by Step
This step-by-step guide teaches you how to become a successful course creator.
September 25, 2023
12 minute reading
There's never been a better time to create a course to sell online.
Does the idea of online course creation seem overwhelming? If so, we're here to help. This step-by-step guide teaches you how to become a successful course creator. You'll discover how to brainstorm and research ideas, identify a target audience, film and edit, market and sell your course, and much more.
People are eager to learn new skills to start a new career, a side hustle, or a hobby, and they're looking for quality content. Creating an online course can generate extra income, generate leads and attract new clients. You can build a loyal following and position yourself as an authority within your business industry.
Often, entrepreneurs have great ideas for an online course topic, but aren't sure how to get started. This practical guide for course creation will help you work through a simple, easy-to-follow process so you can create a great online course to sell. In addition, once you've built your first online course, you'll find it easier to make the next one and continue your ecommerce journey.
How much money can you make from selling courses online?
That depends on several factors. For instance, if you don't have a large following, you may wish to sell your first course at a lower price to get feedback. If you have sales and marketing experience, those skills can impact the number of sales.
Moreover, do you have active social media accounts, an email list, or a YouTube channel? It's much easier to have a successfulonline course if you already have an engaged network. In addition, if your subject matter is more comprehensive, you can price it higher.
Suppose you have 1,000 followers, and you price your course at $20.00 Twenty-five people buy during the first week, generating $500.00 in sales in passive income. As you gain more followers and learn from buyer feedback, you create another course priced at $50.00. This time, forty-five people made a purchase, generating $2,250. At the same time, ten people also purchased the first course, adding an extra $200.00 to your sales. Now, you have a profitable online course and cann call yourself an online business owner.
How to Create an Online Course
Read on to learn everything you need to know about creating an online course.
- 1. Choose a Subject for your Course
- 2. Choose a Platform - Where are you going to offer the course?
- 3. Create a Brand for Yourself
- 4. Define your Course Goals
- 5. Plan your Course Outline
- 6. Plan the Selling Method
- 7. Pricing: How to Price Your Course
- 8. Create Course Content
- 9. Promote your Course
- Conclusion
1. Choose a Subject for your Course
A subject that interests you and you want to teach
A subject with demand - conduct proper research
- If you have a following, create a poll to get opinions on what people want to learn, giving them options if possible.
- Conduct online research on social platforms like Quora and Reddit. Another option is the Answer the Public website, an excellent platform for focused searches on trending topics.
- Create a short tutorial and share it with your audience for feedback.
- Research online course platforms and look at trending topics. If you find a course you like, study the reviews to see what students liked and disliked and tailor your content accordingly.
Brainstorm and Research Ideas and Topics for the Course Material
- Marketing for exhausted small businesses owners with no free time
- How to market your business in 5 simple steps
- Marketing for your dog walking business
2. Choose a Platform - Where are you going to offer the course?
1. Self-hosting
2. Courses marketplace
- Is there a monthly cost, and if so, how much?
- Does the platform take a percentage fee when your course sells?
- Can you create student interaction?
- Can you add course quizzes and other functionality?
- Student payment options
- Customizable integrations or plugins
- Are courses downloadable or web-based?
- Can you create discounts, special offers, etc.?
- Does the platform have a good reputation?
- Is there an option to set up a student membership?
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3. Create a Brand for Yourself
4. Define your Course Goals
- It will help you grow your dog walking business
- The course teaches you how to structure a marketing plan, find clients and price your dog walking services
- You will improve communication with your clients
- Become more confident about marketing your business
- Increase your prices from effective marketing practices
5. Plan your Course Outline
Module #1: Assessing your current marketing strategy
- Introduction
- The #1 marketing mistake costing your business
- Why this marketing mistake repels clients
- Four examples of poor marketing in the dog walking industry
- Two steps to put this mistake right immediately
- Self-knowledge quiz
- Summary
- Module #1 assignment
- Resources section
Module #2: Two simple marketing tips to do right now
- Introduction
- Marketing strategy #1
- Marketing strategy #2
- Getting feedback from your marketing efforts
- Self-knowledge quiz
- Summary
- Module #2 assignment
- Resources section
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6. Plan the Selling Method
- Subscription: Students pay a monthly subscription fee to access your course. This option benefits students if you have multiple courses. If you only have one course, it may not be the best option as the student may cancel their subscription once they've completed the course.
- Individual purchases: Students pay a one-off price. Most platforms provide instant payment and download options. The potential downside is that there's no ongoing relationship with the student unless the platform is interactive. To overcome this, create a member's only social community. Add the link to the thank you email and also within the course itself.
- Paid plans: In today's economically challenging times, offering a paid plan, such as three or six months for pricier courses, can help increase sales.
- Consider previews, trailers, and free trials: If your course is new, with no reviews, potential students may be wary of purchasing. To overcome this situation, you can create a preview or trailer, perhaps showing one or two sections of the course. That way, students decide if they like it before buying it. It may seem counterintuitive to offer free trials, but it's a great marketing tactic. You can add a time limitation for free trials in return for student reviews. Social proof is essential and can make a difference in sales numbers.
- Run a free webinar: Successful course providers understand the power of creating interest in their courses by providing a free webinar with a "special course discount" if watchers stay until the end.
7. Pricing: How to Price Your Course
- Research competitor prices: Calculate the average cost of course prices by comparing instructor expertise, their following, and average prices on the hosted platform.
- How long it took to create: Hopefully, you will have many sales but factor in production time when making your sales page.
- Course value: For instance, if the course is accredited, you can price it higher, especially if the accreditation could lead to a job or starting a business. Equally, students expect a twelve-hour course to be more expensive than a one-hour course.
- Pricing psychology: You may think a low-priced course is more attractive to students. However, behavioral science shows that students assume a higher price equals more value and more in-depth. Also, if the course is low-cost, students are less invested in completing it than if they paid a high price.
8. Create Course Content
- Purchase a ring light: If using a mobile phone for filming, a ring light creates a more professional look.
- Use a microphone: Research a decent microphone. It may seem unnecessary, but students are quick to leave negative reviews for poor sound quality.
- Have a "clean" background: Work in an uncluttered area, and remove anything potentially distracting.
- Avoid filming if the environment is noisy: If you're filming at home, check for environmental noise, such as a lawn mower or dog barking.
Editing
- Remove the "ums" and "ers"
- Add lesson titles
- Add background music if appropriate
- Add subtitles
Create Whitepapers and Resources
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9. Promote your Course
Digital Marketing
- Social media group: Create a members-only Facebook group.
- Members area: Add a members area to your website so that students can access premium content and engage with you and other students.
- An online forum: Add a forum to your website. Research user-friendly forums that are easy to manage.
Conclusion
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About author
Jan Barley
Jan Barley is a copywriter, SEO content writer, and case study writer based in the UK. She has a background in sales and has worked within a few industries, including web services, trading and investing, and cryptocurrency. Jan is a self-motivated problem solver with a commitment to continual growth as a writer.
