how to sell course

by Karelle Satterfield 9 min read

As a review, here is how to sell courses online:

  • Choose a course topic
  • Validate your idea
  • Pick a course platform
  • Create your course
  • Pick a pricing structure
  • Build your sales page
  • Optimize your sales funnels
  • Promote your course
  • Sell your courses via e-learning platforms
  • Upsell other courses or services

Creating Content
  1. Create valuable course content. Identify your audience. Get as detailed a vision as you can of who your target customers are. ...
  2. Differentiate your offer. Do one thing and do it well. Focus on a niche and aim to build a brand in it. ...
  3. Write compelling content. Make it clear why they need to learn this.
Jan 27, 2016

Full Answer

How to create an online course that sells?

The key to a successful course is simply to focus, roll up your sleeves, and do the work to:

  • identify your major positive outcome
  • identify the elements that are truly necessary to support it
  • ruthlessly prune away everything else
  • align appropriate media and activities to your course elements

How to create and sell profitable courses?

  • Establish your social media presence to actively and effectively engage with your audience. ...
  • Blog. ...
  • Create shareable, highly useful videos. ...
  • Offer Webinars to not only raise your visibility as an expert, but also use them to build your e-mail list, and eventually as a source of income.

What are the best selling online courses?

What Are the Best Online Learning Platforms?

  1. Udemy. Udemy is one of the best online course platform marketplaces with over 24 million students, 35,000 instructors, and unbelievable 80,000+ courses.
  2. Shaw Academy. Shaw Academy is a platform that gives its students access to professional, accredited online courses.
  3. Skillshare. ...
  4. LinkedIn Learning. ...
  5. Treehouse. ...
  6. Coursera. ...

How to start selling online courses?

What Do You Need to Create / Sell an Online Course?

  • A course idea where you can help others learn new skills.
  • A domain name. This will be your website’s address (Example, wpbeginner.com).
  • A WordPress hosting account. This is where your website’s files are stored.
  • An eLearning management add-on (also known as LMS plugin) to create and manage courses.
  • Your undivided attention for the next 45 minutes.

How much can you make selling a course?

It varies widely. 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 do I make a best selling course?

Share this articlePick 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.Determine the most engaging and effective delivery methods for each lesson.More items...•

Is selling a course profitable?

Are online courses profitable? Yes. They're actually one of the best business models you can adopt as a digital business because they're in demand and more and more people are willing to pay top dollar for them.

How do you get sales for a course?

Here are some things you can do after your course is created to help increase your sales:Promote your course on your blog. ... Start a YouTube channel. ... Publish a course promotion video on YouTube. ... Add student testimonials to your course sales page. ... Include a link to your course in your email signature.More items...•

Do online courses make money?

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 you launch a course?

Online course launch checklistChoose a “first steps” course idea.Create the course outline and the first module.Make your sales page.Set up a post-purchase thank you page.Devise your sales emails.Create a landing page for your live challenge.Set up a thank you page for your live challenge.More items...•

Can I resell udemy courses?

Can I resell Udemy courses? No. Not unless you're an official Udemy reseller. Whether free or paid courses, content creators own the proprietory rights to their content on Udemy.

What online courses are in demand?

Top Trending Online CoursesData Science. ... Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. ... Big Data. ... Business Intelligence. ... Cloud Computing. ... Project Management. ... Software Development. ... Full-stack development.More items...

How profitable is udemy?

“I make between $1,500 and $3,000 per month with Udemy,” Brody said in 2018. “I use that extra money for things like travel or big purchases.” With Udemy, your earning potential is unlimited. You decide how much to charge for your course.

How do you attract people to your course?

In this article, we'll walk through five methods you can use to attract students to your course....Offer Discounts to Your First Students. ... Pay Students for Referrals. ... Use Social Media Advertisements. ... Feature Guest Instructors With Strong Social Media Followings.

How can I promote my e learning course?

Marketing Tips To Promote Your eLearning CoursesIdentify your target audience. ... Tell them how your eLearning course meets their learning needs. ... Show them how your eLearning course is time and cost effective. ... Give them a sneak peek. ... Ask satisfied current learners to endorse your eLearning course.More items...•

How do you promote?

The best ways to promote a new product or serviceOffer loyal customers an exclusive preview. ... Use a special introductory offer. ... Make use of Google My Business. ... Run a social media contest. ... Spread the word via email. ... Write a blog post. ... Host an event. ... Offer a complimentary upgrade.More items...•

What's the best way to sell your online course?

Truth is, there is no single best way to sell your online course, but there are some tactics that seem to work pretty well universally. First and f...

How important is social media to sell courses online?

It depends on a number of factors. First, do you have a target audience that is really active on one or more social media channels - e.g., Facebook...

How do courses on personal development do?

Personal development courses can sell very well. As I note in this post on e-learning statistics, the data we have on top online courses "suggests...

How effective is offering free content as a lead magnet?

In most cases, offering free content is essential - that's why we talk a lot about content marketing here on Learning Revolution. Publishing conten...

What's the best way to determine who your target customers are?

As an expert in whatever topic you plan to teach, you probably already have a good intuitive sense of the people who are likely to be interested in...

What's the best way to drive traffic to your online courses?

The best way to generate traffic to your online courses is to get a highly relevant value proposition in front of the right people. Of course, that...

Video is an important area for success. What are the best video hosting platforms I can use?

Video is important as a part of delivering an educational experience your learners will find engaging. It's also a critical part of selling your on...

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.

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.

Why is pricing important?

Pricing an online course is incredibly important and for a good reason. It communicates your value, it affects the profitability of your course, your customers and the quality of your work. Pricing it too high may result in people not buying from you. Pricing it too low and you won’t be making a profit.

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.

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.

How to help prospects appreciate your course?

Identifying benefits derived from learning outcomes will help prospects quickly appreciate the value of your course. Use bullets with benefits for each part of your course. Also, include images of your course content to give prospects an idea of what they are getting.

How to generate the best results?

To generate the best possible results, you’ll need to track your success. Most online course platforms include analytics tools that help identify where your traffic comes from, how much traffic you get, and how much of it converts into sales . While these are valuable insights, add a layer of data to what your platform offers.

Why is email important for sales?

Traffic sources can vary, and email is one you should leverage. It’s a powerful tool for communication and can be used to drive warm traffic to your sales page. It also works as a great nurturing tool for people who is a sign-up for a lead magnet but never committed to the sale.

What is sales page?

Sales pages are meant to be highly effective tools for converting visitors into paying customers. To generate sales, your sales page has to be able to sell ideas, do away with fear, uncertainty, and doubt, and have a call to action that closes the sale.

What is funnel in marketing?

A funnel is a mechanism for attracting, educating, and converting strangers into customers. Funnels include various components such as traffic sources, sales or landing pages, order-taking tools (payment gateways), and communication devices (email for nurturing).

Is it hard to set up an affiliate program?

Affiliate programs aren't difficult to set up either. If your course is on a platform like Udemy, Teachable, or Kajabi, you have automatic access to an affiliate suite of tools These tools may include an affiliate dashboard for tracking sales, traffic, and payouts.

Are online courses profitable?

If you are still reading, then you have probably decided that to sell courses online is worth it for your business, but you may still be wondering “Are online courses profitable?”

How do you create a successful online course?

Now, let’s continue on from looking at profitability to considering what it takes to create a successful online course. After all, when the aim is to sell courses online, a profitable course implies a successful course and vice versa.

Where can I sell my courses online?

Okay, so you have decided selling online courses is worth it and that you’re ready to start selling. You’ve done the homework to identify your unique selling point and to map a path to profitability. Essentially, you’re clear on how to create an online course.

How can I convert prospects into customers?

The idea of creating an online course that will actually sell has been the goal from the beginning. And at this point, you should have all the major pieces of the puzzle, only now you just need to know how to position them to create the picture that will turn prospective learners into paying customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions about how to sell online courses? Here are answers to some of the ones we get asked most frequently.

So, Ready to Sell Courses Online?

By this point, you should have a solid idea of what it takes to create and sell online courses and build an online business. As is true for any other type of business, building a profitable online course business is about more than creating a product, publishing a sales page, and waiting for customers to magically show up.

What is preselling a course?

Preselling is a great way to validate that your course idea is on the right track. You can also implement their suggestions as you go. Another option is where you're not preselling your course, but you spent the last month or two creating it. Now you want to give it a try with your first batch of clients.

How to get your sales letter and email sequences right?

Spending time putting yourself in someone else's shoes helps you get your sales letter and email sequences right. You can definitely ask your prospects about their pain points, but also just thinking about them helps.

What is a sales page?

A sales page (also called a landing page) serves a few purposes. For one, it usually has a link to the checkout page, which is where the prospect enters in their credit card information and pays for and enrolls in your course. You definitely need that!

How to grow an audience?

Once you figure that out, and start growing an audience, you need to focus on building trust. Build a relationship and present yourself as an authority. It's not that hard; it just involves providing your audience with the information they need. It helps to have a practical, user-friendly presentation.

Do I need a domain name for my course?

For most, you will only need your domain name, maybe a hosting account, and an email marketing solution to connect to it. You need to review the key features of each and choose the best platform for your needs. Once you have your course uploaded, you should begin going through the sales process.

Can you offer a course for sale year round?

You might offer a sale around New Year's or Black Friday or some other special day, and then that's it. Or you never offer your course for a sale price, and that's fine too. But you do continuously offer your course for sale year-round.

Can you put a checkout page on a sales page?

Sometimes the checkout page can be embedded right into the sales page, and that's fine too. If it's a separate checkout page, it's great if you can add in a couple of your best testimonials or success stories. Also include the money-back guarantee, as well as the list of the materials they get.

The Most Profitable Way For You To Sell Courses Online

We’ve seen a major shift in how people sell courses online. One that has made courses more profitable, easier to run, and retain more students long term.

How To Sell Courses Online In 2022

You’re going to start by taking a “zoomed out” look at your online business and define the niche you’re going to create tutorials for. As our founder, PJ, always says:

How Your Book of Memories Transformed Her Business By Moving To Uscreen

Your Book of Memories (YBM) is a business that teaches people how to build DIY memory albums through high-quality instructional tutorials.

Feeling Inspired?

Sell courses online. Reach the people you want to reach. Spread the messages you want to spread. Make the money you want to make.

Reasons to sell courses online

You’re probably asking yourself right now, “why would I sell an online course?”

7 steps to sell an online course

Don’t create a course on a subject no one cares about! That’s the number one rule. Know what you’re selling and make sure there’s a market for it.

Pros and cons of selling an online course

Selling an online course has its pros and cons, just like any other business opportunity you take advantage of. Here’s the good and bad about selling an online course.

Pros

Flexibility: You can create your course when you have time, and it can take as little or as much time as you want to make it. No one gives you deadlines or tells you how to create an online course to sell. You do what you want and what works for you.

Cons

A lot of competition: Today, millions of people have learned how to sell an online course, so the landscape is crowded, but there’s always room for more. Just don’t settle with a broad topic or copy someone else. Instead, find your niche to stick out.

Tips on how to sell an online course like a pro

If you want your online course to stand out among the competition, here’s what you must do.

Final thoughts

Anyone can sell an online course like a pro. It starts with figuring out your niche, finding your target audience, and pricing it right.

How Much Money Can You Make Selling Online Courses?

Do online courses make money? Yes, they can. How much you can make depends on a few factors.

10 Steps to Make Money From Online Courses

The first step to making money selling online courses is to determine what topic you want to cover.

Key Learnings

If you have expertise in a popular topic area, selling online courses is a great way to make money.

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