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Ultimate Guide for Creating and Launching an Online Course. Some Simple and Practical Steps Which You’re Unaware Of

It all started when an instructor who offered a correspondence course started sending lessons and received students’ completed assignments by mail. Hence distance learning was born, and the online courses are its predecessors.

The online course is nothing new. Perhaps the technology is new. But the concept originated over 170 years ago.

how to create an online course

From students to working professionals, online courses are proving to be more affordable than what traditional learning is offering.

Online education is taking the world by storm because it overcomes the biggest drawback of normal courses and allows students to interact with instructors in real-time.

Do you want to know how to create an online course and earn lots of money? I will help answer all the questions you have in launching an incredible course.

 

Why Should I Create An Online Course? Is There Any Demand In the Market?

Right now, online courses are at its peak; it is the big headline and not just a fad. You may have seen and heard some things on social media and membership sites that are promoted by so-called experts come and go.

But I believe an online course has a massive impact on people that won’t fade away. Also, you’ll be creating a legit online course to make the learning process more engaging and successful for students.

 

Are There Any Prerequisites For Creating And Launching An Online Course? If Yes, What Are They?

Yes, there are a lot of prerequisites to create online courses because online course creators are dedicating their lives to helping others grow and progress in their chosen field. Think about it; it’s a billion-dollar industry!

The 7 essentials to sell online courses are listed below:

  1. Firstly, choose the right online learning platform, their differences, pros, and cons.
  2. See why educating your audience has tremendous benefits to your business, sales, exposure, position, reputation, reliability, and your earnings.
  3. Research which kind of informational and educational products you can create.
  4. Principles to follow to make the course more engaging and transformational.
  5. It must be profitable.
  6. Prising and designing the course perfectly.
  7. Create a solid course content.

Now that you know about the essentials, let’s dive into the frequently asked question of whether creating an online course is easy.

 

Is Creating An Online Course Easy? Can I Do it And in How Much Time?

Creating an online course will be easier if you are passionate about what your course topic is about. It must be something that you LOVE.

How much duration does it take to create one?

The length of the course entirely depends on the details of the course, it can take anywhere between 25 – 500 hours to launch an online course. For a mini-course with just 4 or 5 videos, you could create in a couple of days.

 

What Are Some Of The Biggest Mistakes People Make While Creating Online Courses? How Can I Deal With it?

Now that you’re clear about creating and launching of the course let’s take a look at some of the common mistakes that people make while creating an online course-

  1. Giving less time to create content, people expect to see some useful content that has a deep subject matter. Give plenty of time to create valuable content.
  2. Creating content that is too broad and stretchy is very bad for future sales. People don’t want to pay for a course that offers deep insights not broad.
  3. Forgetting to pre-sell the course is the worst mistake ever because, as I’ve said earlier, it’s like a course teaser.
  4. Pricing too low.
  5. Failure to build an email list. Collect email addresses from students who are interested before you finalize your first course.
  6. Not heeding the feedback of users.

Avoid these common mistakes to give an incredible chance of success for your online course business.

 

How to Create and Launch an Online Course? Step by Step Easy Guide

Before thinking about launching this course, validate whether people want you to make this work? What makes your course different than thousands of others available online?

How to create an online course?

I’ll list out all the steps that can help you successfully launch your course, follow these, and you won’t know what hit you!

Let’s take a look at our perfect launch plan-

1. Set Your Price and Revenue goals

Most of the beginner course creators are under the illusion that if you price the course at an all-time low, subscribers will knock on your door to buy it. 

That’s not going to happen, ever.

My advice is always to go with premium pricing; the minimum should be at least $100. Don’t undervalue yourself.

So let’s say the perceived value of one course is $50, and another is $500. Which course do you think gets more customers? Not the $50 one. 

Even if the content is the same for both the values, students and professionals would still opt for a $500 course. 

2. Weed out people who aren’t your target audience

Premium pricing helps you weed out customers who aren’t the target audience, making you hit your income goals easily. 

It’ll be a lot easier to get five people to spend 200 dollars on your course than 20 people to spend $50 on your course. Even if the sales are less, you’re earning more income.

3. Work on Optimizing Your Sales Page

All the successful online course creators have one thing in common, and that is Powerful Headline. The headline basically says everything about your page so, make it as concise, clear, and convincing to the people as possible.

Then be more specific and write awesome descriptions about the course you’re offering rather than showing off about your credentials. There’s a space for it later.

Thirdly, work on the instructor’s bio, here’s the place where you can showcase your achievements and your expertise in the field. 

While the people actually feel confident that the course is offered by a great person who knows what he’s teaching. Make it warm and welcoming so that potential customers feel comfortable.

Nextly add an enrollment page, so when they see it, whether it signals them to decide to click on it or move on.

4. Course Curriculum

The course curriculum is more than just a collection of procedures, it is the first contact for the students to get an in-depth look into what they’re about to study.

Make sure you’re giving something that is worth reading, includes relevant information about the topic and course material, also the calenders.

5. FAQs

Frequently asked questions are major time savers. Once your course is ready to go online, the customers may fire you with a lot of questions.

Hence post some usual questions that repeatedly asked post on your page so that the people will not badger you with the same questions over and over again.

6. Optimize your Checkout

Building trust with your customers is the main thing for any business, the same goes for the online course too. So post some eye-catching testimonial on your page so they fully become entwined with your site.

Add a 30-day money-back guarantee or returning the full amount back if they didn’t find the course helpful also a very strategic thing to do.

Now let’s see the launching roadmap-

A lot of people will be intimidated for the first 30 days of launching their course, it’s a completely normal process. Let me make it more simple for you to launch and sell online courses successfully.

  • Be engaging-

On the first day of launching your course, you have to start to warm up to people. Hone in and keep sending emails. Your CTA for the first few weeks is continuously sending and reading emails.

  • Pre-Sales- 

Pre-sales is an important part of the equation here as it is like a course teaser. Start posting that “ Guys I’ve been working on this course for months, it’s almost over, a little finishing touches to do” Drum up the excitement!.

  • Answer Questions-  

Most definitely, you’ll get questions from the prospective enrollers about the course and its content. Don’t give away the content but just specify some of the benefits, transformation, or before and after the course what changes they may have in life.

  • FAQ- 

Since you do have to answer the same questions over and over again your task for day 4 is to keep creating FAQs.

  • Surprise Bonus- 

Now you have customers already rolling in, start sending emails to them that there is a bonus for them, just something a little extra.

  • Social Proof and Thank you Testimonial- 

Customers need a little more encouragement to reveal all the testimonials and review s about your course.

Also add your own thank you testimonial, something like “OMG, thank you for this guy, I’ve already sold to 40 students, thank you so much for making this happen” write what comes from the bottom of your heart.

  • Logical Appeal- 

Now, this is the time to use your tactic, send some emails that the course admission is going to close soon and maybe available till the next six months. That will make more skeptical customers buy the course rapidly.

Finally, send an email that the course is closed! That’s it, you’ve successfully launched your first online course.

 

Where Can I Host My Online Courses? What Platform is the Best To Create and Sell Online Courses?

sell online courses

To create and sell online courses is simply not easy. 

You’ll be surprised to know how many nuts and bolts it involves: domain name, website design, video hosting, content hosting, web hosting, quiz and survey tools, payment gateways, email popups a list will be climbing.

1. Udemy

Udemy is reviewed to be one of the best market places for launching your first course. It made teaching online accessible and over 24 million students enrolled and an instructor base of 35000.

It offers infinite support for creating and marketing a course. You can also submit a video of your course for a sample if you’re not sure.

2. Skillshare

Skillshare is a great place to sell if you’re an entrepreneur, writer, photographer, designer, or blogger seeking to impart your skills online. 

Skillshare premium pays instructors $10 for premium membership referrals and royalties for watching premium class each month by minutes.

3. Teachable

Teachable offers many tools to customize the feel of your course. If you are tech-savvy you can tinker with Power Editor to change the codes. 

The email marketing tool is very effective in message students when they enroll, redeem the coupon, etc.

4. Podia

It’s the best online course creation software for putting up digital tools. It lets you build an online store for your content. As a part of the digital storefront, you can create online courses, digital downloads for a monthly subscription of $39 in Podia.

5. Thinkific

If you want to build your online course from scratch then Thinkific is the best website for you. This website builder is one of the easiest to use.

 

What Does it Take To Successfully Market An Online Course? Are There Any Special Techniques? According To The Latest Internet Trend And Research.

To get an acceptable ROI you need to successfully market your online course. To get it done follow these steps-

1. Define Your Audience

create online courses

Defining your target audience is very critical if you’re trying to sell your online course. Create audience personas and draw up a detailed profile of your ideal customer.

2. Differentiate From Competition

It’s significant to stand out from the crowd, find different techniques and test them rigorously. Make your course increasingly mobile-friendly.

3. Price it Right

Never undervalue your course and under short it nor deter your customers. Weigh the option like how your customers are offering the course and why they’re pricing it for that much.

4. Meet The Needs of Students

Your main goal must be to encourage students to learn something new effectively and interestingly. Don’t just lecture something or dictate notes.

Online marketing is essential for you to succeed in selling the courses and have a dedicated website solely for selling it.

 

How Do You Price an Online Course? Is There Any Pricing Strategy?

Choosing a price for the course is a difficult question to ponder. It may not come naturally to you but the price of your course has a huge impact on virtually every aspect of your online course.

First and foremost, resist the temptation to charge low for your customers, it can be hard but you have to. Plenty of people are ready to pay a high price for it.

Also, the higher price attracts more qualified and committed students. If you sell it short you can’t afford advertising expenses anyway.

 

How Can I Sell My Online Course Better? Learn The Best Strategies To Sell Your Course in The Market

Here are a few strategies to get the word of your online course out-

You plan to start a course on a particular niche and you’ll be having a website already so why not use your existing followers to announce your brilliant idea. Use your existing followers as leverage. 

create and sell online courses

If you don’t have an email list start building your email list sooner. As a bonus to get people to trust you, offer free mini-courses to subscribers, just the tip of the iceberg. Or better yet you can offer your course for free to a selected small group.

Your chosen niche might have strong rivalries already and the chances of getting on the first page of a search engine are low, so constantly post blog posts. Start affiliate programs to earn extra income. It can be networking for people who hate networking.

 

These Are The People Who Made Millions of Money By Selling Online Courses And How You Can Also Be One of Them | According to Internet Research, Interviews, And Case Studies. 

1. Victor Bastos

create and sell online courses

Victor Bastos is a passionate web developer and an online instructor at Udemy. His course “Become a Web Developer from Scratch” still sticks out as one of the top-sellers of all time.

2. Brennan Dunn

create online courses

He is the founder of Double your Freelancing that helps freelancers and consultants on how to make money and get better clients. He sold $40,000 in course enrollment.

3. Sophie Lizard

sell online courses

Sophie Lizard sells online courses that are Get Started for Freelance Blogging Success and The Freelance Bloggers Client Hunting Masterclass.

She designed it specifically for freelance bloggers and launching it was one of her biggest decision that made a difference to her business.

4. Kristen Larsen

networking for people who hate networking

Kristen is a creator of Believe In A Budget, and the course is a Pinterest presence. She created it because her readers wanted it.

5. Bryan Richards

how to create an online course

Bryan Richards launched the course, 15 steps to Sponsored Blog Travel in beta version. During the beta sale, the course netted him $1000.

 

Bottom Line

Many online course creators may be great at creating valuable content but not skilled in marketing them. If you want the course to be a success, build brand awareness and try to connect with your customers.

The education industry is getting more and more competitive with the students demanding more from both their learning institutions and online courses.

Start gaining a competitive advantage and offer knowledge and expertise in your field for the students to make their life better, and someday you’d have your own course that has earned in millions too.

 

FAQs

1. How long does it take to create an online course?

The length of creating your online course depends on your particular niche. It may take anywhere between 25- 500 hours and mini-course may be completed within 4- 5 business days.

2. How much does online training cost?

An average trainer may charge around $70 to $100 for an hour but if you buy a 6 or 10-week online program, you have to pay $100 to $200 depending on the coach.

3. Is it cheaper to take online courses?

Yes, Universities that offer online degree programs will be much cheaper than traditional degree programs.

4. Are online courses worth it?

Yes of course, since the cost is much cheaper than traditional colleges and practically this is no travel costs. 

5. Is an online course difficult to create?

Yes, creating an online course can be difficult. Even a 12-minute video needs a whole day of researching topics and information. But if you are already prepared with everything it’s easy peasy.

Have you already started creating an online course? Please let us know the challenges that you have faced in your journey!

Ishwar Deep
Ishwar Deephttp://ishwardeep.com
Head of Content @ Whitedust (or, in plain English), I'm the guy responsible for ensuring that every blog post we publish is EPIC.
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