how to create best-selling online course outlines

by Krystina Kuvalis 10 min read

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

Full Answer

How to create a best-selling online course?

Creating a best-selling online course requires time and effort, but not necessarily money. Above all else, researching your target audience and crafting a strong course outline will be your keys to success in the e-learning industry. When you create an online course for the first time, make sure that you follow this guide closely.

How do I create an outline for my online course?

Put simply, this is how to create an outline for your online course: 1 Identify the primary learning outcome 2 List the skills necessary for achieving the primary learning outcome 3 Use the skill checklist to create course modules 4 Set learning goals for your course modules

How to go offline and sell online courses?

Here are a few ways to go offline and sell online courses: You will find yourself in many situations with friends, family, and business contacts, where you can speak about your new courses or training. Your extended social circle can be interested in your new offering or introduce you to potential customers.

How to use email marketing to sell online courses?

And, to start using email marketing, the first thing you will need is an email list. Building an email list to sell online courses is easy. You can use all the tactics we have already mentioned, and especially lead magnets to build an emailing list and nurture those leads into happy customers!

How do I create an online best selling course?

In this article, you'll find an overview of the 10 major stages of online course creation:Pick 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...•

How do you create an online course outline?

How to Outline Your Online CourseIdentify Modules. ... Break Each Module Down into Core Steps. ... Brainstorm the Details. ... Building Your Outline. ... Add Worksheets and Bonuses. ... Validate Your Outline.

How do you write a sales page for an online course?

What to Include on your Online Course Sales PageA compelling headline (to capture attention)An opening story (to introduce the problem)Bullet-points (to highlight benefits of the solution)The solution/offer (introduce your course)Bonuses (to increase perceived value)Testimonials (for social proof)More items...•

How do you write a course outline example?

A course outline should include the following sections:Course Name, Number, Credits and Description.Prerequisites/Co-requisites.Instructors Name, Contact Info and Bio.Course Schedule.Learning Outcomes.Content Breakdown by Session.Instructional Methods Used.Course Evaluation Process, Policies and Grading Scale.More items...•

What should a course outline include?

THE COURSE OUTLINE:BASIC COURSE INFORMATION:COURSE DESIGNATION:COURSE DESCRIPTIONS:STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES. List one to three student learning outcomes for the course. ... SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES: ... COURSE CONTENT:REPRESENTATIVE METHODS OF INSTRUCTION: ... REPRESENTATIVE ASSIGNMENTS:

What is the best format for a online course?

1) A Step By Step Program This is probably the most common online course format and it works well in taking your students on a clear step by step journey from where they are now to where they want to be.

How do I create a course landing page?

What is a Landing Page?A main headline and supporting headline.A clear and unique selling proposition.The benefits of what you're offering.Images or videos of your course.Social proof.Reinforcement statement.Closing argument.Call-to-action (CTA)

How do I create a sale landing page?

7 Key Tips to Create High Converting Landing PagesChoose the Best Landing Page Builder. ... Go Above and Beyond With Your Value Proposition. ... Keep Things Extra Simple. ... Show People Social Proof. ... Use a Sales Pitch Video. ... Remove Navigation Elements. ... A/B Test Your Landing Page.

What is the difference between a landing page and a sales page?

In short, a sales page is a landing page but different from a homepage. A sales page and a landing page are both crafted specifically to encourage people to convert. While landing pages are virtually the same as short-form sales pages, long-form sales pages tend to be more detailed than a typical landing page.

How can I improve my course outline?

Include more rather than less material. A detailed syllabus is a valuable learning tool for students and lessens their initial anxieties about the course. ... Provide basic information. ... Describe the prerequisites to the course. ... Give an overview of the course's purpose. ... State the general learning goals or objectives.

How do you structure an eLearning course?

Decide what material to cover. ... Group subject matter into modules. ... Break down each module into sections. ... Links between sections for a self-directed learning approach. ... Create a roadmap for the course. ... Develop a theme that reflects course structure.

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 to make a successful online course?

The first step to creating a wildly successful online course is to pick the perfect course topic. It doesn’t matter how good your online course is. If no one cares about the topic, or if people aren’t willing to pay for it, you won’t make any money.

How to use email marketing to promote online courses?

In order to use email marketing to promote your online course, you will need access to an email marketing software. This is what you will use to manage your email lists, send your marketing emails, manage and track the performance of your marketing campaigns, and so on.

What is the third type of sales page?

The third type of sales page is the video sales letter, which only incorporates video content. This is basically a long form sales letter that has been done in video. This sales letter banks on the personal connection of video to increase the chances of converting lookers into buyers.

How much does email marketing return?

Email provides greater ROI than any other digital marketing channel. For every $1 you invest in email marketing, you get an average return of $32.

What is an online course marketplace?

Online marketplaces are platforms that are designed to bring together students and online course creators. You can think of them as the Amazon of online courses.

How often can you launch an online course?

With this model, you only launch your online course once , and then enrollment remains open from there onwards. You keep marketing your course throughout, and new students can sign up for the course at any time.

How to come up with a good topic for an online course?

One of the best ways of coming up with a good topic for your online course is to go directly to the audience you are targeting and ask them. This way, you will be certain that your audience is interested in whatever you want to teach.

Why do people invest in online courses?

Investing in education and lifelong learning is an emerging trend among both old and young, and online courses come to fill the gaps of knowledge. People tend to prefer the comfort and flexibility of their own homes, avoiding the complexities of commuting to physical classes.

What is needed to create a sales page?

A sales page requires two things, the copy and the design . To write the perfect copy, you will need to understand your audience, what they are looking for and how to convince them. We will be going through that below.

How to get your audience's opinion?

You can also: Get your audience’s opinion through email: if you have an email list, come up with an email advertising your course. Alternatively, send your list of ideas for online courses to your audience and encourage them to pick on a course subject through a survey.

Why is offering a free course important?

Offering a free course can work for your benefit as it can generate leads for expensive courses or a way to showcase your expertise. Don’t forget, it is the first point of contact to create rapport. We all love good communication, creating relationships and this sense of familiarity is what will help you sell more courses.

What does a good title mean for a course?

Ultimately, the title of your course reflects the name of your brand, your work or training, and can potentially describe you as the best-selling trainer in your field.

How much will the elearning market be in 2025?

The elearning market is expected to exceed $325Billion by 2025 (see above), with a yearly growth of 5% (Global Market Insights)! Becoming an online instructor means you could be earning from a few hundred dollars per year to a six-figure income.

What is the difference between learning goals and learning outcomes?

Whereas, ‘learning objectives’ or ‘learning outcomes’ tend to be more specific and more measurable in terms of what you expect your students to learn and be able to do once they complete the course.

Why is it important to outline your online course?

The topics you include in your online course, and the sequence or order in which you include this content, is very important to increase student engagement and results. Outlining your online course will also help you create your content quickly.

What is a successful course?

A successful course is one that gets real results for the student. This is the number one priority for you as an aspiring course creator. Depending on the content of your online course, the results you get for your student may differ. For example, maybe you’re teaching graphic designers how to build passive income.

What is a launch plan for an online course?

A launch plan for your online course helps you sequence out the events that lead up to and beyond your launch date (which is when your course is officially released and up for enrollment).

What is a course platform?

A course platform is where you will actually be hosting your course content. It’s basically the “platform” or medium that houses your course content. Your students will use the course hosting platform to actually access your online course material.

How to get results for your students?

In order to get results for your students, you need to actually have students! This means you need a solid marketing and sales plan that is sustainable. You’ll also need to create a launch plan to build momentum for your course, and create some buzz around your brand.

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.

Why is online education important?

Therefore, fostering a community of learners around your course will greatly improve their experience, contributing to the overall success of your course. An active online community can help users share their learning process with a group of peers.

What does competition mean in a course?

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. Once you have a clear target audience in mind, you are best equipped for later creating and marketing the course.

Do you need to run a test before starting an online course?

Creating an online course requires a lot of hard work and effort on your part, so running a test before you begin will allow you to validate this online business idea as one that will pay itself off down the line.

The A,D, and DIE Approach for Online Course Creation

After the past couple of years of people flocking to online learning, expectations in online course marketplaces are higher than ever. The days are gone when you can just talk over some slides or point a video camera at yourself and expect that to result in a high-selling, profitable online course.

A,D, and DIE with an Example

Now let’s look at these steps in more detail. As we do this, I’m going to reference an online course I am currently designing as an example. The course topic and working title for the course is “How to Select the Right Platform for Selling Your Online Courses.”

Platforms and Tools for Creating Online Courses

As suggested above, I am an advocate of keeping it simple when you pilot an online course. As you move beyond the pilot phase, however, you will like want to consider course production and delivery options beyond a webinar platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are multiple reasons. Beyond being a vehicle for imparting knowledge, they are a powerful way to showcase your subject matter expertise and build your brand.

Course Creation Final Thoughts

We live in a time when the opportunity for online course creators is huge. That doesn’t seem likely to change anytime soon. In fact, the opportunity is likely to grow significantly in the coming years.

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.

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 does it mean to get started teaching?

Which means you need to get your knowledge together.

What is the target audience of an online course?

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

Is it a waste of time to create an online course?

It’s crucial that you decide on a specific course subject in the beginning phase of creating your online course. Be as specific as possible.

Do online courses require money?

Contrary to popular belief, the process of creating online courses doesn’t require a large chunk of money. If you know what you are doing, you can develop profitable online courses at no cost whatsoever. Creating successful online courses is like building powerful magnets.

Do you have to create all the content for an online course?

That being said, you don’t need to create all of the content for your online course before you start selling it. It’s always better to start off with a smaller batch of content, as this will allow you to take in feedback from your students and make improvements accordingly.

Welcome to this online course creation guide - everything you need to know about making your course

You're thinking about creating an online course - this is an exciting opportunity which can be very rewarding. Online courses allow you to share your hard-earned knowledge with thousands of students, and have led to many authors earning a decent side-income or in some cases a full-time living.

1. Mindset - Are you ready to create an online course?

You may have a clear idea about what an online course is already, but it's worth pointing out that courses fall somewhere on a spectrum. You could consider that the most basic type of course is delivered via email - which requires no tech apart from an email service provider.

Deciding What To Teach

There are two key questions to consider when deciding what your online course should be about:

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