How to sell online courses in 2022 [Ultimate Guide] --
Selling online courses on is highly cost-effective and easy. The content you publish is up to you - we're only here to assist you in making it as easy as possible.
In that same spirit, here is the complete guide that will help you along your way. There is also information on free tools that you can use to design and market a profitable online course.
Quick find links of things we'll cover:
- Pick a course topic
- Research Market Demand
- Outline Course The Content and the Learning Outcomes
- Define the Formats of the Course
- Write Script, Film and Edit
- Choose A Platform to Sell On
- upload Your Course Online on
- Set Pricing
- Launch and Promote
- Receive feedback, refine and Improve
How to create Online Courses
The majority of people think that production values are synonymous with quality and expertise. So it's worth investing into a few tools to ensure that your online courses appear professional. Before we get into the various tools that could be needed to build your online course, remember to prioritize quality of content over video production quality of your course online.
With that, here are some things that we believe will help you create a successful online class.
1. Camera
Many smartphones can now record extremely high-quality videos. It is possible to improve the quality of your videos by making sure that your smartphone is firmly seated on a foundation such as an upright tripod, or perhaps books! It's also an excellent to get a good lighting kit or at least make your video in a location with a lot of consistent natural light.
If you're planning to make an investment that will be worthwhile as a course creator, we recommend buying DSLR cameras, as well as a top-quality lighting system.
2. Green Screen
Consider buying an green screen you can use to project different backgrounds onto your videos. This makes your videos look more professional. In addition, you may decide to film your online class over many days. Therefore, a green screen can ensure your background is consistent across your videos.
3. Microphone
Make sure that your students can hear you clearly. Start with an audio clip or lapel mic that usually costs about $25. There are a variety of excellent podcasting USB microphones on the market that won't cost the bank.
4. Video Editing Software
Editing software is likely you'll be looking at on the shopping checklist. If you're not looking for something too complex You can make use of free video-editing software such as iMovie (for Mac users) as well as OpenShot, VSDC, and ShotCut (for Windows users).
5. Screen Recording Software
If you are required to show slide shows or perform the tasks you perform on your computer, you may need the software to record your screen. There are free software as well as online tools that could perform the task, such as QuickTime as well as Loom. Make sure to know that some of these software are able to record only 720p instead of 1080p or higher.
How to create and market Profitable Online Courses
1. Choose a Topic for a Course
Your course topic needs to overlap between your passion and knowledge, as well as your prospective customers' needs and demands.
No matter what your field of expertise, fine-tuning your online course content to the needs of an audience in particular can pay off. Think about the reasons why someone would seek out courses on the internet that are related to your field of expertise: are you looking to make a change within their lives, master something new, resolve an issue or enhance the chances of their job?
Be specific about your course idea. Topics like "How to Photograph wedding Photos for Beginners is likely to have an established market and have a higher likelihood of winning new customers over 'How to Improve Your Photography'.
2. Demand for Research Markets
Your students are excited about the course subject and are ready to start filming. But wait! Make sure that you fully understand your target market before you start writing screenplays and shooting for your online course. Who wants to put in hours creating an online course discover that the course isn't being sought-after by the audience you intend to target? Nobody - that's who!
The importance of making data-driven choices in the development of your online business. There are several options to do your market study:
- Review interest volume. Using Google Trends, you can input the search terms for your course topic and gauge the level of interest globally and by specific countries, or timeframe.
- Discover what your target people are asking questions concerning. Using Answer The Public, you can discover the various questions users are asking on specific topics.
- Join communities on Reddit and Qora. Identify various questions as well as issues people face within your field. Answer your own questions and inspire others to post their questions on your thread. This might even provide you with extra content that can be added to your topic of instruction.
- Talk to your target audience. There's nothing better than hearing from the people you want to serve firsthand. Call them up and arrange 1:1 calls to understand the needs of your customers and their pain points. Be sure to schedule sufficient calls so that your findings aren't biased.
- Study your competition. Determine who your rivals are, and what they're offering. Do not be concerned if you find others that have written about subjects in your field, this proves that there is a revenue stream that you're interested in. Think about how you can create a distinctive benefit to your students in your course. Think about:
- Does anyone know a more efficient way of explaining the matter to the audience?
- Can I cater the topic so that it appeals to a different target group?
3. Outline Course Content and Learning Outcomes
Based on your findings Determine the learning objectives for your online course. You and your students can clearly know what is expected from the course. Making assumptions that are unclear or untrue could not just make your students unhappy and frustrated, but they will create a course that is very frustrating for both of you.
It is a good idea to add this line: "By the end of this course you will be able to _____"
Here are some of the examples of the learning outcomes that can be derived:
- By the end of this class, you'll know how to shoot wedding photographs inside in a setting
- At the conclusion of this course, you will be able to learn how to cook tasty recipes using leftovers
- At the conclusion of this program, you'll be able to learn how to prepare vegan meals with no refined ingredients
Coming up with succinct learning outcomes will also aid you to promote your online course to a specific target segment in the future.
Once you've laid down the learning objectives, begin making a collage of all your information into smaller sections within each section. Separate your online course into clear sections so that students will be able to progress between sections to move on into the next section.
Examples:
Course Topic: How to Take Wedding Pictures for Beginners
- Section 1: Introduction to equipment for wedding photography
- What is the equipment you need to buy to make
- How do you adjust the settings of your camera like professionals do
- Section 2: Learning how to model your models
- How to frame your models for outdoor use
- How to frame your models indoors
When you've got a crystal clear outline of your course, you will have a clear direction to begin building your course content, each lesson by itself. Each lesson should have its own detailed guide and a variety of exercises for students to work through. In each lesson, try to establish clear goals for learning that students will walk away with.
4. Decide on the Course Format
The majority of online course creators concentrate on videos, however in the case of online course creators, you are able to design different types of lessons, including:
- Video
- Text
- Quiz
- Assignment
- Survey
- Downloadable
- Embed
Take advantage of a variety of lesson types to make your online course more enjoyable. Remember that every student learns differently. Some students learn better with the use of visuals, while others do better when they have the opportunity involved in the process through quizzes and assignments.
5. Write Script, Film and edit
You should now have a clear idea of your course plan. You're now ready to organize your material and start creating your lessons!
When teaching video, begin by writing a script. Careful scripting makes sure that your lesson is logically organized, simple to comprehend, and clear. You can use a teleprompter software to display your text in a tablet display that is attached to the camera. This is superior to trying to learn the entire script!
If you're truly lucky, you'll be able to get the perfect shot at the first go. It's rare to be this lucky and not even Hollywood. Course creators typically require multiple sessions. Practice your script, and anticipate it to take at least three attempts to create the course's content in a way that you'll love.
Remember to edit your videos to increase the quality of your video production. Fix your sound, as well as add pop-ups, text and other pop-ups wherever it's needed.
6. Select a Platform to Sell On
Here are the best features at :
- In contrast to other platforms for online learning available, it is completely free! And yes, it's not just a free trial, it's free forever. It is possible to use every function without having to pay a dime. charges an amount of 5% when you make a sale. This is a great option especially if you're starting your business with your business and don't have large amount of customers yet.
- has a variety of features that online course creators can use, including the ability to host videos in-house, custom branding, drip courses, and a variety of engaging lessons, including video, text and quizzes, downloads, assessments, surveys and embedded.
- is an eCommerce platform, therefore you are able to create an entirely customizable landing page. Additionally, you can build an entire website using 's robust store builder. You'll be in control of the course you sell via your own website.
- It is possible to set a variety of price options, such as one-time fees as well as subscriptions and installment plans.
- Access to your marketing tools and store's data to conduct successful campaigns.
7. Upload Your Online Course to
If you have an account with Payhip, head there to click the Products tab and then click the 'Add new product' button. After that, choose "Course" You'll be directed to the page in which you'll be able to include your online course products details.
Be sure to keep:
- Personalize the sales pages of your website. This is where you will provide a comprehensive explanation of the online course will be about to prospective clients. What you include on your sales page can greatly impact the traffic coming from the search engines and the process of turning your website visitors to paying customers. You can customize your customers' checkout pages and thank-you pages as well.
- You can create a certificate for the completion. At you can easily issue a completion certificate to prove that the student successfully finished your online course. The certificates provide a sense achievement for students plus they may be enticed by them to brag about their accomplishments on social networks and, in turn, serve as a promotional opportunity for your business!
- Create the drip program (if necessary). You can provide certain content to students over a length of period of.
8. Set Pricing
It's a challenge when you're trying to sell online-based courses for the very first time. It is possible to research the average rate for similar content but it's likely that you'll need test the market, and be prepared for a bit of trial and trial and. The first step is likely to be at a lower price in order to gain a foothold and generate some positive reviews prior to charging a more expensive rate later on.
There are different pricing options on the platform. These include a an annual fee for each course, payment plans as well as subscriptions.
Bonus content such as downloadable guides, live group classes and even coaching are excellent strategies to generate additional possibilities for sales.
9. Start and promote
Once you've created the content for your course, it's time to launch it and start driving customers to your website!
Participate in relevant Facebook Groups and engage with the community by providing your expert advice for free. Growing your social media followers is an effective strategy to expand your audience.
Afterwards, use the email marketing method to market your online course to your email list subscribers. Marketing via email is more effective when you have established a baseline of trust and confidence with potential clients.
Create a blog to increase your list of email subscribers. Create blog posts and social media posts on what the students you are preparing to teach are hoping to achieve and provide a glimpse of possible answers in your classes.
Testimonials are gold dust. Try everything to obtain them, and then do all you can to use them. If someone has had a positive encounter with any of your online classes, they're likely to be happy to talk about the experience, but they will usually need to ask. Don't be afraid to ask. Testimonials are the best marketing you can get.
10. Get Feedback, Refine and Improve
The most well-known topics, making online courses can be a very market that is competitive. Feedback from students will aid in improving the quality of your material. Ask for specific comments on things that people think are the most useful and less helpful elements of the program as well as how they believe it could be improved.
This isn't always comfortable even after you've invested lots of energy into course creation. But this is no time to be slack in your skin. Be open to feedback , and then use feedback to improve your course further improved.
These tips should help you plan how to make money selling online courses. The steps to follow through are, as ever, straightforward. There's always someone to assist you should you're stuck.
Best of luck!