Why build an online course?

Trading your time for money will only get you so far, you are not scalable. Getting more and more students into a room or online can help, but this can’t be scaled up like an online course.

The Course Creation Checklist will get you started.

Once you create an online course or product you can automate your sales process to maximise your revenue. Your growth is potentially endless.

If you can increase sales of your product, service or course, whilst saving manual work, this will allow you to reach more people and generate more money for your business – so what’s stopping you?

This client thought that his knowledge couldn’t be transferred online, and it took a while to take the first step. Not only did the system make much more money, the feedback from the students was amazing. They said that the online format was much easier to follow, and it fitted in with their lifestyle – a better way to learn.

This guide will help you understand the process to plan, create and execute online e-learning courses from someone who has done it successfully.

How do you build an online course?

There are now millions of courses in every field imaginable. You can get an online course about pretty much any subject, some are good and some not so good.

There is a lot more to the success of a course than the course itself, however I have seen people spend far too much of their valuable time creating e-learning platforms, and nobody turns up to buy their course.

This is the biggest issue we see. Building a course that you ‘think’ everyone wants without doing the research properly. Some people build a course for customers they don’t understand or know how to find, the course could be just what is needed, but a deep understanding of the Avatar, or ideal customer, they will never get it in front of the right prospects.

I have also seen people with great ideas get stuck on which is the best platform to use to build their course. The teaching platform you choose is only important for your own usability experience, and most platforms are just fine, and they are all evolving constantly.

What is more important is that the user, your new student, has the best experience, and that is determined by the type of course you create, and the content you provide – the platform it is on is less important. We will delve deeper into that in future chapters.

We have studied most of the online course software available, however the most important thing here is to sell courses, so marketing should be much higher on your list.

We love transparency and just so you know, some of the links below are affiliate links and if you purchase we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our opinions and we only recommend software that we like using.

Thinkific

In Thinkific’s own words…

Thinkific’s powerful, all-in-one platform makes it easy to share your knowledge, grow your audience, and scale the business you already love. Whether you’re educating 10 students or 10 million, feel confident that you’ve got the easiest technology and best support in the business.

What it looks like…

Thinkific is the only big online course platform that actually has a free option to create to sell courses. As a course builder, it’s so easy to use and the feedback from students using this platform is excellent. So if you’re just starting out, I’d say this is perfect for you.

Teachable

In Teachable’s own words…

Create online courses and coaching services. Transform your experience and know-how into a thriving knowledge business.

What it looks like…

Teachable is a very good course builder, but doesn’t have as much flexibility as other softwares. So if your course is super simple and you just want to get it out into the world, this might be the option for you.

Podia

In Podia’s own words..

Everything you need to sell online courses, webinars, downloads, and memberships without worrying about the tech.

What it looks like…

Another all in one software, but Podia’s main USP is marketing. The software allows you to send newsletters, drip email campaigns, build funnels, segment lists and create sales pages. If you are just starting out and want all in one software, I’d prefer Podia over Kajabi.

Overall summary…

I would definitely recommend Thinkific, it’s a great place to get started and is extremely affordable. It’s simple and very easy to use yet has flexibility that allows you to create courses that not only look great, but give your students a straightforward experience that will keep them coming back.

Don’t forget your WHY

The course has to have a strong purpose, a real need to be built. You have to understand your Avatar, and you should have a strong plan for marketing, the course launch, and the customer journey. So let’s concentrate on marketing the course itself…