how to create an online course platform

by Dr. Albertha Jerde DVM 6 min read

  • Establish a topic and niche.
  • Write your online course outline.
  • Figure out a pricing structure.
  • Use a camera you already have, like an iPhone or a camera you've paid for in the past.
  • Utilize free software such as OBS to capture your screen and run live streams, OpenShot for video editing, and Google Slides for presentations.
  • Design your course store and upload the content to a free marketplace like Udemy.
  • Utilize Udemy's automated marketing program and find other free marketing tactics, like on social media or through email marketing with the free Mailchimp plan.

Full Answer

How to build your own online course platform?

Step 3: Find a Profitable Topic for your Online Course

  • Create an outline for our online course. To create a course outline, you will need to divide the course curriculum into main topics and sub-topics.
  • Choose your learning method. Decide on a learning method or a blended approach you want to follow and stick with it. ...
  • Upload your first online course. ...
  • Adding the learning material. ...

How do I create and sell online courses?

With it, you can:

  • Use the platform’s drag and drop Course Builder to create a course quickly. ...
  • Edit, rearrange and update your course at any time.
  • Sell different versions of your course. ...
  • Sell your course as an “evergreen” course or open and close enrollment.
  • Release all of your course content at once or drip your content instead, and release it in increments.

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What is the best online course platform?

She fostered the company to become the top-of-mind brand for all interpreting ... That is why she started “the Boss Up and Rise” online platform. The online platform offers training and information that would greatly benefit entrepreneurs and interpreters.

How do I create an online training course?

Put simply, this is how to create an outline for your online course:

  • Identify the primary learning outcome
  • List the skills necessary for achieving the primary learning outcome
  • Use the skill checklist to create course modules
  • Set learning goals for your course modules

How do I create an online learning platform?

Steps to building an eLearning websiteValidate your idea. To properly validate your idea you have to look at the numbers. ... Define your niche. Think about the courses you will offer. ... Choose a business model. ... Implement must-have features. ... Choose the development approach. ... Engage good educators.

Which platform is best for online course?

The 7 Best Online Learning Platforms of 2022Best Overall: Coursera.Best for Niche Topics: Udemy.Best for Creative Fields: Skillshare.Best for Celebrity Lessons: MasterClass.Best for STEM: EdX.Best for Career Building: Udacity.Best for Data Learning: Pluralsight.

How can I create an online course for free?

How to create an online course for freeThinkific: Software to create an online course for free. ... Canva: Free and low-cost design tool. ... Beaver Builder: affordable WordPress page builder. ... Camtasia: Cheap software for editing online course videos, with a free trial. ... Vimeo: Free video hosting.More items...•

How do I create an online course quickly?

10 Steps To Creating A Wildly Successful Online CoursePick the perfect course topic.Ensure your course idea has high market demand.Create Magnetic and Compelling Learning Outcomes.Select and Gather your Course Content.Structure Your Modules and Course Plan.More items...•

Are online courses profitable?

Are Online Courses Profitable? Yes, they are. Online courses offer one of the best business models to digital entrepreneurs. The demand is rising and people are more than willing to pay for them, and they are one of the top ways to make money online.

How do I create a course content?

Four Steps to Create Course Content that FlowsConsider your goals in teaching this course. Decide what you would like your students to accomplish from taking this course. ... Develop topics and subtopics, then narrow down further. ... Structure the course with what you have finalized. ... Plan your content types.

How much does it cost to create an online course?

It can cost anywhere from $200 to $10,000 to create an online course. The main source of expenses is the labor involved, followed by the equipment and software. If you are creating the online course yourself and not paying someone else to do it, this means that other than your time there are very few expenses involved.

How much money do online courses make?

Your online course could earn anywhere from a $0 – $50k+ per month. Many course creators will earn $1 – 5k/month and there are numerous examples of online course teachers earning $10k – $50k per month.. There are lots of factors that will determine how much you can earn by selling online courses.

How long does it take to create an online course?

It can take anywhere between 3 days to 2 months to create an online course, assuming that you are working on it full time. A mini-course covering a very narrow topic can be produced in only 3 days or less, while a complete in-depth 20h masterclass covering all levels can take several months to produce.

What is teachable platform?

Teachable is an all-in-one platform that helps you create and sell courses online. Teachable handles everything from web hosting to payment processing. We want to give you more time so you can focus on what matters—creating an awesome online business.

Who can create online courses?

Anyone with knowledge in a particular area can create online courses. You don’t need a formal qualification or a degree to teach an online course....

How much money can you make selling online courses?

While some course creators make $50k+ month, most successful ones make between $1k-$10k per month. However, your actual course revenue depends on v...

How long does it take to create an online course?

As you might expect, there is no set-in-stone amount of time to create an online course. Generally speaking, it can take anywhere between 20 and 50...

What is the cost of creating an online course?

Generally speaking, it can cost you anywhere between $140 and $10,770 to create your own online course. But, of course, it could even be more, as m...

Can I create an online course for free?

Yes, it is possible to create an online course for free, but for that, you’ll need to do all the work yourself. Plus, you should use your smartphon...

How long should an online course be?

An online course should be as long or short as it needs to deliver value to your target audience and cover the information thoroughly. Overall, it...

What technical skills do I need to create an online course?

In most cases, you don’t need any technical skills. You’ll have to learn about a few things, such as video creation and setting up your course webs...

Where can I host my online course?

There are several options for hosting your online course, but the two best platforms are Thinkific and Kajabi. These platforms allow you to build y...

How much should you charge for your online course?

There is no definite answer to this, and you need to evaluate your competition, the value your course provides to students, and the niche you’re in...

How to develop a curriculum for online classes?

Now is the time to develop the curriculum for your online course. On a piece of paper, write down a list of the different lessons you plan on teaching online. Within each lesson, break it down to the main topics you want to cover. Go in a logical order and try to make your ideas evolve naturally from one to the other , to ensure a smooth and frictionless learning process.

What should the topic of an online course be?

The topic for your online course should be either a subject that you’re already knowledgeable about or are willing to invest in learning thoroughly. Either way, you need to be passionate about the subject.

What does competition mean in online courses?

Having competition means that people find the topic relevant and helpful for them. It’s also a good idea to create content that can comfortably fit into an existing, tried-and-tested space.

What to do if you already have professional experience with your course topic?

If you already have professional experience with your course topic, it’s likely that you’ve put together content about it in the past. Have you ever written a blog post or created a webinar about the subject? Maybe you host a podcast or run a YouTube channel for your business in which you’ve discussed similar themes? If so, go back to these materials. Repurposing existing content into your online course will help get you started and save a lot of valuable time.

How to get your audience to work on a topic?

Ask a group of friends, as well as your existing audience, what they think of the subject you had in mind. Test it out by sharing polls or online forms for your audience to fill out. You can make a short tutorial first, and monitor its performance. Then, follow up on the tutorial on social media or via email marketing campaigns, asking your audience if this type of material is something they’re interested in seeing more of.

How to test your idea?

In order to test your idea, use a landing page builder to create a page for your upcoming online course. Although you haven’t created the course just yet, you already know what it’s going to be about. Include a concise description of the course explaining what people can expect to learn and add eye-catching imagery to further reflect the concept. Check out these fully customizable landing page templates to use as a starting point.

How to determine competitor price?

Competitor prices: Start by doing a quick audit to determine the average course price on your topic. While the prices can fluctuate depending on how much of an expert the course instructor is, try to get a sense of what the going market rate is for reference.

How to make an online course more engaging?

An easy way to make online courses more engaging is to stimulate the student visually. This means pictures and videos. The simplest method of using picture and videos in an online course would be constructing your online class more like a PowerPoint presentation:

What is the most important part of creating an online course?

One of the most important components of creating an online course is setting a learning goal for the course . However, there’s more to it. Every online course consists of various sections, and each individual section also needs to have a clear learning goal.

What is the gender of MOOCs?

Gender. On average, the gender make-up for MOOCs is 53% female and 47% male. However, in some subjects such as engineering courses, the ratio can shift heavily, with up to 85% of students being male. Level of education. The majority of online course students are highly educated with a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

What does it mean to get started teaching?

Which means you need to get your knowledge together.

How to keep students engaged in a course?

One way to keep your students engaged is to provide an early return on their investment. If a student feels they’ve learned something just from the first module alone, they’re a lot more likely to stick around. Nothing gets someone down faster than them feeling stupid or unproductive, which is very easy to do in a learning environment. Give them feedback, and an ongoing sense of accomplishment, and they’ll stick around.

What is the target audience of an online course?

The target audience is the group of people to whom you are writing your course.

What do you need to teach a class?

Ideally, you should have demonstrable expertise on the subject you are teaching. That could be either by education or practical knowledge on the subject. Having real qualifications to show to your students makes a big difference in establishing trustworthiness for yourself.

How much do online courses make?

According to data from Teachable, instructors that make an income with them earn an average of $5,000 selling their courses.

What is an alternative to an online marketplace?

The alternative to an online marketplace is investing in an online course building SaaS. These services typically provide a full set of tools for building and customizing your online school and sales funnel. Usually, you can host your e-course on their servers, while using your own domain name. Plus, many providers also offer marketing tools to boot!

What is digital learning?

Digital courses offer a convenient learning experience that students of all walks of life desire. Similarly, instructors can create content from the comfort of their own homes, sell it, and enjoy a passive stream of income – freeing up their time to do more.

Can you create a course on Udemy for free?

This is true for Udemy . Put simply, you can create a course for free, and the marketplace will take a cut of your profits. If you’re worried about financial losses, this is a safe method for testing the waters. They're easier to use: Marketplaces usually take care of your web hosting and domain name.

Can you make passive income from online courses?

As we've already said, yes, online courses are excellent for generating passive income for years to come, but this only works if your course remains valid and up-to-date. Things in your field may change, the pain points of your audience may evolve, or your students might outgrow your course.

Is learning a personal experience?

While learning is a personal experience, it still benefits students to offer a social element. By this, we mean providing your audience with somewhere they can ask questions, bounce ideas off one another, and discuss your course content.

Do you need a certificate to complete a course?

Depending on your field of instruction, you may wish to offer students a certificate for completing your course. This often goes hand in hand with ‘compliance standards,' i.e., any prerequisites students need to demonstrate before or during your course.

What is cloud based?

Cloud-based - as mentioned above, this is about being collaborative, sharing resource and saving time in order to get the best results.

What is cloud based software?

Online and cloud-based software allows you to spread the cost of a software or platform across the year instead of paying for a license per year per user. If you’ll only be authoring a small amount of content at a time, it’s possible to share a single login to cloud authoring tools, which isn’t possible when software is downloaded onto a single machine.

What is Gomo Learning Suite?

The newly released gomo learning suite allows users to build multi-device content before delivering it by direct link, gomo’s cloud-based learner portal, an LMS or embedding it within a website, providing a flexible foundation for businesses to begin building an online learning platform. Sound good? See it in action at our next webinar or begin a trial of gomo authoring tool toda y.

What is learning and development support?

Traditionally, learning and development support comes in the form of an Learning and Development team or lone Learning and Development manager creating courses in an e-learning authoring tool before uploading them to a learning management system.

Why is it important to know what kind of content you want to produce?

It’s extremely important that you know exactly what kind of content you want to produce and that you’re happy that your authoring tool can deliver it. For example, you may be looking to convert power points, annotate videos or focus on multi-device output - each of these would require a completely different tool, so it’s important to map out which features are a ‘must have’ for your organization before you even begin looking.

Is there a free LMS for small businesses?

There are some cheap or even free LMS’ ideal for small businesses, although it’s good to check that an increase in the number of users doesn’ t mean that the price doesn’ t skyrocket. Intranets or password protected subdomains may be a simple, no frills approach to give your learning a home - there really are a load of ways and means of hosting and storing e-learning content, it’s more important that you have a clear set of requirements so that everything you would like to achieve can be met.

Can you write software from a web browser?

It’s easy to take online software for granted; today, you can write, build, review and analyze basically anything from within a web browser. It makes us and our workforce more nimble, in contact and collaborative than ever before, and your learning content and infrastructure should take advantage of it.

What is eLearning website?

e-Learning website development allows you to get the most out of your content. Once recorded or created, it can be accessed by new students again and again. It means that you can expect a higher return on investment compared to offline lessons.

How many courses does Coursera have?

Just think of the fact that Coursera has more than 2,400 online classes. It would be almost impossible to find what you need without searching & filtering functionality. If you offer your customers lots of content, these features should be on your must-have list, too.

What is an app for?

While websites are just the ticket for massive tasks, apps are a real catch for easier and more dynamic tasks. Quizzes, “Fill in the gap”, translation tasks — all of it is about mobile apps. For example, it relates to language learning, math skills practicing, brain training, and other similar types of quick tasks.

What does it mean when you offer a bunch of courses?

In case you offer a bunch of different courses, your user will be able to see the whole list of your courses and services. It helps users to navigate through the list of courses and get the initial idea of what course is about.

What is learning management system?

A learning management system is a software application for the creating, tracking, automation, administration, reporting, documentation, and delivery of educational courses, training, or learning and development programs.

How to learn and memorize something?

According to scientific research, the most effective way to learn and memorize something is by applying the testing effect to user experience.

Is it reasonable to create an online learning platform?

Finally, it’s reasonable to create an online learning platform since you can fully customize it according to your business needs. Let’s take a look at a few cases!

What is an online course platform?

Online course platforms streamline the process. These platforms offer all the tools you need to develop, launch, teach, and manage an online course— so you can focus on your content.

What is the process of creating an online course?

While the concept and reasoning behind building an online course is simple, the process often isn't. It's more than just uploading a video: it requires you to build out a course curriculum, develop assignments (if you want), design the course pages, promote the course, and more.

How long is a Skillshare class?

Free or premium, Skillshare classes have three major moving parts: video lessons, a project, and community discussion. Each class includes 20-60 minutes of video, broken down into 2-5-minute lessons. The practical project then ensures hands-on experience. For instance, a social media class project might require students to promote their Instagram account, or a writing class might require students to draft a pitch. Finally, the community portion of a class allows students to post their work.

Why launch your first course on Udemy?

Why launch your first course on Udemy? Because the platform offers loads of support for creating and marketing a course. For example, if you're not sure if your video lessons are up to snuff, you can submit a sample for review and get feedback on video and audio, along with suggestions for equipment. And for tutorials on planning a course, filming your first video, and related topics, Udemy offers the Teach Hub with tips and tricks.

How to create a course on Thinkific?

There are two parts to creating a course on Thinkific: course material and landing page. To get started, choose from the following templates: pre-sell, mini-course, flagship course, membership resource library, and webinar replay. Unlike other course builders, where you start with a blank slate, Thinkific templates provide helpful cues and tips to build a valuable course. Apart from video lessons, the templates are pre-populated with sample quizzes, downloads, surveys, and instructor messages, at regular intervals throughout the course. Add or remove content as you see fit, or follow the template as is.

What is a course marketplace?

In a marketplace, your course is a part of a catalog, and you have the option to customize your course landing page but not much else aside from the course content. Most marketplaces let you publish a course for free but take a share of course sales.

What is LMS software?

While the terms are often used interchangeably, LMS software is generally used either in a school setting or to help companies train their customers and employees. The platforms covered below, on the other hand, are designed for businesses and individual creators to earn money by selling their courses.

What is co development?

Co-development: We empower you to get much-needed learning solutions out to your workforce by having our staff work as an extension of your team, providing the skills or extra set of hands you need to complete projects faster

What to do before moving into development steps?

Before moving into development steps, ensure your SMEs or other company stakeholders have approved the content.

Is DIYing your own eLearning course worth it?

For some, DIYing your own eLearning course won’t be worth the time or effort. Or, you may want an expert to jump on board to help you create a large-scale strategy or pick up certain development tasks. At EdgePoint Learning, we know that creating effective and remarkable eLearning programs takes work. We offer a variety of options to help you with your development tasks, including:

Create and Sell Online Courses that Help Students Learn

Monetize your knowledge building online courses, creating membership communities, and selling digital products. Unleash your creativity and create unlimited courses, digital products, bundles, message boards, and projects on any pricing plan, with no restrictions!

Create By Your Own Rules

The ultimate course creation platform with all the tools you need to create beautiful online courses that help your students learn. Build unlimited courses, modules, and lessons, and organize them with the Climb Outline feature, helping you visualize the structure of your course as you are building it.

Online Courses that Inspire Learning Like No Other

Students are incentivized to keep learning with the tools you need to promote engagement in your online course.

Fully Customizable Branding

All of this is built in a fully customizable platform that reflects your brand image and colors. Heights Platform allows you to change your program's interface, upload your logo, attach your custom domain, customize colors, fonts, and more for your site.

Build Brilliant Membership Sites

Set a monthly subscription amount for learners to access your program and keep all your revenue. We do not take a commission from your earnings and do not charge any transaction fees!

Create a Thriving Online Community

The sky's the limit with Heights Platform! Create an online community and engage with students through a membership site. Our discussion board feature allows you to connect with your students, answer their questions and provide feedback.

Sell Digital Products Directly on Your Platform

Maximize your income potential by selling digital products directly within your program. Offer downloadable digital products like eBooks, videos, worksheets, or project files as supplements to your online course or membership site. Sell coaching, services, live event access, and more.

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