How to Create an Online Course to Sell It?
With the hike of online learning platforms and the increasing demand for flexible education, creating and selling online courses has become profitable for many passionate individuals and entrepreneurs. Whether you are an expert in cooking, coding, marketing, or yoga, there is an audience for every online course category. So, if you are curious about how to create an online course to sell, let’s look into the essential steps to get you started on the path to success.
Steps to Create and Sell Online Course
Here are the steps to understand how to create an online course effectively:
Step #1: Choose a Popular Subject
To create an effective online course, start by picking a subject you know well. Think about what you have learned and experienced in your life and career. Create a list of possible topics based on your expertise.
You can also check Google Trends to see what topics are popular. It is essential to choose a subject that people are actively searching for online. It is crucial for effectively marketing and selling your course.
Additionally, search online to see if courses are already available on your chosen topic. If there are many courses, it indicates that people are interested in that subject. You can still choose it, but aim to give your content a unique angle so that it stands out from the competition.
Step #2: Focus on a Niche Within the Subject
Once you have chosen a subject for your online course, it is important to narrow it down further by selecting a specific niche. A niche is like a smaller category within your subject area. For example, if your subject is writing, your niche could be blogging, press releases, or academic writing.
To decide on your niche, consider who your target audience is. You should clearly understand your target audience’s reasons for wanting the course and their buying habits. This understanding can come from market research, analyzing data about your current clients, and making educated guesses. Ultimately, you want to choose a niche that has the potential to be profitable online.
Step #3: Draft Your Course Content
Creating and selling online courses can be time-consuming because you must write and record the content. You will need to update and improve it to benefit your students constantly.
When you are planning your course, organize the content into sections. Consider breaking down your main topic into smaller, logical parts. For example, if you are teaching about blogging, your sections could include:
- How to choose a blog topic?
- How do you create catchy headlines?
- Steps to write the main content
- Ways to craft a strong conclusion
- Understanding SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Each section should cover the information students need and how you will deliver it through videos, audio, animations, or text. You can also decide whether to include quizzes or activities after each section.
As you write your course content or scripts, use simple language while jotting down important concepts. Avoid using technical jargon, even if your topic is complex. The goal is to help people learn; they cannot do that if they cannot understand what you are saying.
After you have written everything, take a break and review your content with fresh eyes. It will help you catch any grammar errors or passages that might be unclear or unhelpful to your audience.
Step #4: Get Tools for Video Making
Creating video courses may be difficult if you lack experience with filming or editing. But the good news is that you don’t need fancy or expensive equipment to start.
To create online courses, you will need basic tools like a camera, microphone, lighting, and editing software. If you don’t have a professional camera, you can record videos with your smartphone. Alternatively, you can buy a decent camera for around $300, like the Canon VIXIA HF R700.
LED panels are a good investment for making your videos look more professional as they are the most common tools useful for lighting.
To improve your audio quality, consider getting a shotgun microphone. Its amazing feature is that it can only pick up sound from the direction it’s facing. Another option is a lavalier lapel microphone, which can give you clear voice recordings. These tools will help you make better-quality videos for your online courses.
Step #5. Plan Your Video Shoot
Creating videos for your online course requires some photography skills and knowledge. If you do not plan well, you will end up wasting time and possibly money. You might film unnecessary details, struggle with the storyline, and have to fix costly mistakes later on. However, with a clear plan, you can focus your efforts efficiently.
Before filming, write a detailed script and checklist based on your course plan. Aim for different shots and angles, following the rule of three: film each scene three times from three different viewpoints. Your script should include details like shot types (close-up, wide shot), camera movements, equipment needed, and setup time.
Then, create a storyboard to organize your content visually. It will help you see how the final video will look.
When it is time to film, choose a well-lit area, preferably with natural light. You can also use LED lights attached to the camera or placed on stands. Adjust the lights until you get the lighting you want.
Step #6. Choose Your Hosting Platform
When considering hosting options for your online course, you typically have two choices: self-hosted platforms like WordPress or online course platforms. People often prefer online course platforms because they offer comprehensive features tailored to course creation and sales. Here are some platform examples:
1. Udemy
- Provides access to 60+ million learners.
- Offers discussion boards and community features to enhance student engagement.
- Utilizes its own platform to promote courses to users.
2. Kajabi
- Offers ready-made designs for a professional course appearance.
- Provides tools for creating assignments and quizzes.
- Facilitates course sales with built-in features.
3. Teachable
- Allows integration of various content types, including videos, to enrich teaching.
- Simplifies the creation of assignments and quizzes.
- Supports course sales with user-friendly features.
4. Thinkific
- Provides diverse payment methods for course purchases.
- Offers bundling options and discounts to attract customers.
- Allows collaboration with affiliates to boost sales.
5. Mighty Networks
- Allows flexible pricing options, including one-time fees or subscriptions.
- Provides features for course sales and management.
- Supports community building alongside course delivery.
Your decision on which platform to use should align with your priorities. Platforms like Kajabi, Udemy, or Teachable could be suitable if you prioritize course appearance. Conversely, platforms like Thinkific might be more appropriate if you focus on optimizing sales. It is also important to consider your budget when making a decision.
Step #7. Decide the Price of Your Course
Figuring out the best price for your online course can be challenging. Instead of selling a physical product, you offer a result or outcome. When deciding on a price, you need to consider several factors. It includes:
- Researching your competition
- Understanding your target audience
- Knowing the pricing standards in your market.
To set a price that your potential students will be willing to pay, you need to understand their mindset regarding money. You also need to evaluate the value your course provides. You should price your course lower if it covers a basic topic with limited material than an advanced course offering extensive knowledge.
Adding extra resources to your course, like quizzes, tests, workbooks, or other materials, can increase its value and justify a higher price. Setting a higher price as a provider of high-quality education is also justified. Just to give you an idea, some online courses can cost as much as $200 while some cost even $20.
Step #8. Include Bonus Content
When selling online courses, it is smart to give students something extra to make them more likely to sign up. This extra something is called a bonus. However, the bonus must complement the course they are buying and not be something they can easily get for free elsewhere.
For example, if you are selling a course on email marketing, do not offer a bonus like a gift card for a pet store. Instead, give them something related to email marketing that they will find useful, like a template for writing welcome emails.
The bonus should be exclusive, meaning it should be available only to people who buy the course. It would make it more valuable and give people an extra reason to enroll.
Step #9. Use Social Media
To create buzz for your online courses, use social media wisely. First, figure out which platforms your target audience prefers. For example, if you are targeting professionals, LinkedIn might be best. If it is lifestyle content, try Pinterest.
Once you know where to focus, set up your business page and post content that connects with your audience. Offer special deals or freebies to get people interested. You can even do live streams to explain your course and how it can help.
However, remember, social media is not the only tool. Create a website to display all the details of your courses. Share useful content related to your expertise to attract visitors. To make your site more visible, consider working with an SEO agency to improve its ranking in search results.
Do not forget to include student reviews on your website to build trust. This approach will help generate excitement and credibility for your courses.
Step #10. Get Reviews for Your Course
When creating and selling courses online, it is important to consider how to get good feedback from your students and showcase it in your marketing. 70% of people trust reviews from other consumers. So, the more positive reviews you have for your course and the more people see them, the more likely you are to make sales.
Make sure you regularly ask your students for their thoughts. You can do this a few times during the course or at the end. Using an online platform for your course can make gathering feedback and showing off reviews easy. You could include a link to your social media or a review site in your course content so students can easily click on it to leave feedback. Alternatively, send them an email with a link to a survey.
However, to get those good reviews, your courses need to be really good in the first place.
Final Thoughts
Anyone can earn money by using something they love, something they are good at, or something they have experience in. All they have to do is learn how to create a course on it and sell it online. Follow the above steps on how to create an online course, and soon, you will have a booming online course business.
Author: Baidhurya Mani
Baidhurya Mani started SellCoursesOnline.com. He often gives advice, tools, and tips to help people who want to make their own online courses and businesses.
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