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Can you imagine being able to transform your hard-won knowledge into valuable income? In today’s digital age, selling online courses has become a golden opportunity not only for educators, but also for entrepreneurs, professionals from diverse backgrounds, and even entire companies. E-learning platforms have transformed the way we share and consume knowledge, opening up a whole world of possibilities for those looking to monetize their skills and experience.
But we know that taking the first step can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve prepared this guide: the definitive guide to creating and selling online courses. The following pages will answer all your questions on the subject, and will accompany you through the process every step of the way, from choosing the perfect topic, to utilizing the most innovative content creation tools and methods to promote and sell your courses. Are you ready to turn your passion into a successful online course? Let’s get started!
Online education is booming. With technology continuing to evolve, and demand growing for flexible learning, online courses have become the learning method choice for both students and instructors. One of the main reasons for this is their global reach – selling online courses opens doors beyond your immediate vicinity, allowing you to reach learners all over the world and assemble a much wider audience.
What’s more, online courses have a double benefit – helping others to grow and develop professionally, while you convert your knowledge and passion into a source of income.
So, shall we begin? Let’s discover how to start creating and selling online courses!
If you’ve been researching the best way to create and sell online courses, you’re probably already aware that your best bet is to use an authoring tool. There are lots of options available on the market today, so we recommend looking for the one that not only meets your specific needs but, crucially, is also easy to use. This is certainly true in the case of isEazy Author, the most intuitive authoring tool on the market, designed to quickly and autonomously produce attractive, accessible and dynamic e-learning courses. And all of this, even without prior experience!
But why choose isEazy Author? Here are a few more reasons to consider:
isEazy Author provides a comprehensive solution for creating online courses, combining ease of use, a wide range of resources, and a high degree of personalization with efficiency, accessibility and AI-driven innovations.
Making a start with creating and selling online courses might seem like a challenging task, but with the right tools and guidance at your fingertips, you’ll be ready to go in no time. Below, we run you through the key first steps you’ll need to follow if you want to transform your idea into a successful online course.
Choosing an appropriate course topic is a crucial element in attracting the right audience and ensuring the success of your project. Finding the ideal topic shouldn’t take too much effort, and while you probably already have several ideas rolling around, be sure to choose a subject that you truly find interesting and know about in depth. If you’re still not sure, try asking yourself the following questions:
Answering these questions will help you to identify a viable and engaging topic for your online course, ensuring that it’s both relevant to students and aligned with your own interests and passions.
Just as important as choosing your course topic is identifying a niche market for it. The market should not only be fundamentally interesting to you, but also provide enough demand for the content you intend to provide. Next, let us guide you through the essential steps to choosing the perfect topic for your course.
Just as you had to think carefully about your passions, interests, and skills in order to settle on a course topic, you’ll also need to research how this idea sits within the market to determine its viability. Is there high demand for the topic you’re considering? And how saturated is the market? Use tools like Google Trends, Keywords Everywhere, or Semrush to identify the popularity and assess the competition of the subjects on your list.
You don’t have to be a teacher to hold online classes – you simply need to master an art. This could range from crafts and DIY, to playing an instrument or even speaking a foreign language. There are many other examples on top of these. Research different online course platforms to see if there are already existing virtual courses on the subject you plan to cover, and determine how many students they have. Additionally, be sure to check as many user comments and reviews as you can in order to find out what opinions of these courses look like.
There are two ways to assess demand for your course. The first is to ask a simple question: have you successfully run an in-person course on that same topic? If the answer is yes, and clients have already paid you to give advice or consultations on the subject, then you know there is demand and that your course will sell. Another way is to check whether there are people learning about the same topic in different ways, for example through books, blogs, YouTube channels, or conferences. If you discover that there are already people teaching courses, giving consultations, or holding workshops or conferences on the subject, then that indicates demand – which is a good sign, and not something that should deter you at this stage.
Following these steps carefully will help you ensure that the topic you choose is not only in line with your interests and expertise, but also has a potential market that could help you generate income and contribute to the growth of your online course business.
Once you have a clear idea of your course topic, it’s time to start designing and structuring the actual course. Break it down into clear, well-organized modules and lessons, and think about how to present the information you want to share in the most effective way. You can do this by following the steps below:
The first step to creating your course is to clearly define its objectives. These goals will define the purpose of your course – that is, what it’s all about and what students stand to learn through it. Course objectives can take the form of a statement. Here’s an example:
Defining your course objectives is essential so that you can let users know what they will learn in your course, get them motivated, and ensure they have clear expectations about what they stand to achieve.
When designing a course, it’s important to start by preparing a clear plan that defines the objectives and expected learning outcomes. This document will act as a guide for both students and instructors during the educational process, setting expectations and establishing a clear structure for progress tracking. A good course outline should include: requirements for taking the course; learning materials; assessment dates; and other key elements that facilitate the teaching and learning process.
The length of a course should seek to balance two elements: depth of content and students’ attention span. Studies show that the optimal length for an online learning session is about 15-20 minutes, during which time concentration can be maintained without the onset of fatigue or flagging interest. For content that requires greater detail or a longer period of study, consider breaking the course down into a series of shorter modules. These allow students to absorb information more effectively and at their own pace. To do this, you can make use of methodologies such as microlearning – if you want to learn more then take a look at this article.
The next step is to create your online course. This can be the most daunting part of the process for many budding course-creators, but with an intuitive authoring tool like isEazy Author at your fingertips, it’s a piece of cake! And to make the process even easier for you, we’ve prepared a complete guide so you can learn how to create online courses step-by-step with our authoring tool. We also reveal the common mistakes you should avoid, and share the best tips for making your content a success.
Accessibility in online courses is essential to ensure that all students, regardless of their physical or cognitive abilities, can fully take part in learning. Integrating accessible practices into the course experience you provide not only helps you meet ethical and legal standards, but also expands your reach when selling the course, and improves the overall package for your buyers.
Think creating accessible courses is too difficult? Not with isEazy Author. Check out our complete guide to creating accessible content with isEazy Author and learn how to do it the easy way.
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Now that you know how to create online courses and understand all the options available to you, it’s time to choose where you plan to host your courses. There are multiple options available on the market, but if you really want to offer your students the best possible experience, then we present you with two options:
Here are some of other options available to you for distributing online courses – along with their pros and cons:
Online course platforms or marketplaces are a great option for those seeking an established platform with an existing audience. They are typically large websites complete with an audience that is already looking to buy courses, so all you have to do is upload your course and any additional information. This may seem like an attractive idea at first…
However, although many of them will technically host your course for free, they will then keep a large percentage of any earnings you make.
If you already have a website, another easy way to start publishing online courses is by adding a plugin. WordPress offers several popular LMS plugins, however, you’ll need to be very careful to avoid an array of hidden costs. These come from the need to upkeep servers, carry out maintenance and, above all, the obligation to hire an expert developer to help you implement the plugin, since they are typically quite difficult to use.
When looking to choose the right platform or LMS to distribute your online courses, take into account your specific needs, the type of content you intend to offer, and finally the experience and preferences of your audience. Each distribution option has its own unique advantages and characteristics, which may have a significant influence over your final decision.
We’ve come a long way! You’re now almost ready to start selling your online courses. However, getting the best results from your campaign requires a well-planned strategy that covers everything from pre-launch preparation to ongoing course promotion. In the following section, we’ll cover all the essentials of marketing and selling your online course using the sales funnel approach: provide value, educate, and sell. We’ll also explain how you can create a unique selling point (USP), set your services at the right price, design an effective landing page, and use magnets to attract leads.
The sales funnel is a helpful model for selling that describes the customer journey – in this case, from the first point of contact with your course right through to the final decision to purchase. It is divided into three main stages:
At this stage, the goal is to capture your audience’s attention and form a relationship of trust with them. To do this, you can offer a certain amount of high-quality content for free, such as small courses, so that your potential customers can get a feel for what you provide. This not only shows off your expertise and commitment to education, but also allows them to experience the value they can attain by purchasing your content.
Once you’ve captured your audience’s attention, the next step is to educate them on the importance of your course and the specific benefits it can offer. Examples of this might include demonstrating how your course could solve their problems, or perhaps improve their skills. Some of the most effective tools available to you for educating your audience include:
In the final stage, your goal is to convert the leads you’ve built up into customers. In order to do this, you’ll need a clear and persuasive call-to-action. Some effective strategies for promoting sales include:
Your unique selling point is the angle or feature that sets your course apart from the rest. To create one you need to:
Settling on the right price for your course is very important. Here are some factors to consider when doing so:
Remember that you can use flexible pricing strategies such as:
Your landing page is by far one of the most important tools for converting visitors into buyers. It should include:
If you’ve already built your online course and launched it into the market, then congratulations! You’re one step closer to achieving your goals. However, if you want to achieve the best possible results when selling online courses, then you need to know that the process doesn’t end with the launch of the course.You’ll need to take follow-up actions in order to maintain momentum and continue attracting customers. Some of the strategies you can use to do this include:
Social media is a powerful tool for promoting your course and reaching a wider audience. Use it to share pieces of content related to your course, such as tips, lesson snippets, testimonials, and updates. Keep your audience engaged and excited by showing them the continuing value of your course over time.
You can even hold live sessions where you can interact with your audience, answer questions, and offer additional points of value. If you have the opportunity, try working with influencers in your niche who can further promote your course to their audience. Influencer recommendations can significantly increase the credibility and reach of your course.
Paid advertising can help you to quickly and effectively reach a larger, more precisely targeted audience. Facebook and Instagram ads use targeting features to show ads to users who match your ideal audience profile. Help this process by designing visually appealing ads with clear calls to action.
Additionally, try leveraging Google Ads to engage people who are actively searching for information related to your course. Use targeted keywords in text, and create compelling ads to drive traffic to your homepage. Another option that’s currently trending is to create video ads that showcase some of the highlights of your course. YouTube ads can be particularly good for capturing the attention of a more visual audience.
Finally, podcasts or blog posts can help to increase your course’s visibility and credibility, allowing them to reach new audiences. Try writing guest articles for popular blogs in your niche. Provide value through high-quality content, and mention your course organically when relevant. Not only does this method give you valuable exposure, but it can also generate additional backlinks. Another option available to you is to maintain a blog on your own website where you regularly share content. Use the blog to educate your audience as well as drive traffic to your course.
The journey of creating, launching and selling online courses is one that can help you transform your passion and knowledge into a viable source of income, as well as bring great personal satisfaction. But it’s also a process that demands good planning, detailed design, and the use of careful strategies when it comes to promoting your courses.
Ultimately, having the right tools to hand will be one of the biggest helps in bringing your vision to life. And that’s why we recommend isEazy Author, the authoring tool that allows you to design e-learning courses in the most agile and attractive way, even without previous experience. Convert your ideas into reality in record time, and enchant your audience with our range of addictive interactive courses. Request a demo today!
To start creating courses with isEazy Author, you first need to choose which type of course you want to develop: either classic or express. Then, decide on the style and structure by choosing templates and organizing the content into various modules and topics. isEazy Author has an intuitive interface with features like pre-configured slides, interactive slides, and customization options — making it easy to create courses without any previous programming or design knowledge.
In order to choose a profitable topic, first run an analysis of your expertise, your audience, and their needs. Conduct surveys and seek feedback through webinars or platforms like YouTube to gauge interest. Additionally, take a close look at your competitors’ courses and study their content to identify which topics are in highest demand. These steps will help you not only to select a topic and build a detailed level of knowledge on it, but also to ensure that it has a high potential for interest and relevance to your audience.
Optimize your course by keeping the quality high with multimedia content such as audio and video, and by integrating interactive elements such as games and exercises to keep students engaged. isEazy Author allows you to include a range of multimedia formats, and provides templates and tools designed to make courses more attractive and pedagogically sound. Additionally, you can distribute your courses through an LMS, an intranet, or even direct links, as well as take advantage of accessibility tools and AI-powered translation to reach a wider audience.
If you want to sell online courses effectively, there are many strategies you can use. Start by creating high-quality content that addresses your audience’s needs, and promote your course through social media, blogs, and webinars. Offer free samples or discounts to attract new students, while simultaneously using testimonials and success stories to build trust. Finally, implement SEO into your promotional materials to increase your visibility in search engines, and consider collaborating with influencers or blogs that specialize in your area.
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