How to sell online courses in competitive markets and crowded niches |
The competitive subject areas can be the ideal place for you to make money with online training courses. Learn how to assess the competition, and make yourself an expert in your field.
Being a consumer, having nearly unlimited choices is awesome.
However, as a creator it's daunting.
How do you stand a chance against those who are experts if you're not a seasoned expert, or don't have an impressive budget for marketing to back you up?
Today, we'll examine several ways to distinguish you and your content against the rest of your competitors.
First, let's talk about how to evaluate the competitive landscape within your field with the help of competition intelligence.
How to gauge the competitive landscape in your area
"Competitive intel" is simply a fancy term for sizing up your competitors.
With the goal of gaining competitive intelligence, you're attempting to find as much info as possible about the other creators and their web-based courses prior to launching your own. This lets you create the most valuable and distinctive course.
Competitor research can take on different forms, from measuring daily search volume of specific keywords, or comparing the use of a language in two websites that are similar.
If you're asking yourself if the concept of the value of competitive intelligence is worthwhile, think about this:
Small businesses have an average of 17 rivals while businesses in general have an average of rivals.
These numbers can be even more if you sell an online course that is popular in its area, and could rise in the months that follow.
What's more, 48% of firms claim their sector has become increasingly competitive during the past three years.
It's true that rivals are everywhere, and if your ideal customers don't choose your business, they'll be able to find plenty of other options to turn to.
Don't let this scare you. It's an opportunity.
The information on competitors helps you evaluate similar businesses, so you can find ways to stand out and impress customers.
In order to make the research of your competitors simpler and information-rich, we'll consider one of the easiest tools to use: Google.
Using Google for competitive intelligence research
With a myriad of specific instruments that you can use to conduct competitor research, a humble Google search is able to reveal many things about your field.
After all, Google holds a staggering 69.80% of market share for desktop searches and 93.96% for mobile searches. That's a lot of data which you could extract patterns and information from.
You don't even have go through the unforgiving depths of Google to discover amazing data also.
The initial page of Google tends to get the most clicks from users around the world, with the first result being averaging CTR (CTR) of 31.7 percentage .
Let's examine the lessons we can take by doing a quick Google inquiry.
Below is a screenshot of a search engine results page that includes the keyword "Ruby on Rails tutorials".
In this search, we're using "tutorials" in place of "tutorial" as R uby on Rails Tutorial is a specific educational tool. We're just looking for helpful posts and videos about how to program.
We're not particularly looking for the top three results, which are advertising.
We'll skip the organic results, that are mixed.
Beneath the ads We can see the organic results in Ruby on Rails video tutorials.
The first is about creating web applications in Rails, and the 3rd and 4th videos are regarding the creation of blogs with comments that use the language of coding. You can use the arrow on the third video for more video results, too.
In the case of text-based results The first link is for Ruby on Rails Tutorial, which we don't want.
The other results are fairly vague and general. The results don't provide readers with a taste of what they'll learn by clicking on each link.
What does it mean?
Two key aspects to take away from this particular example.
In the beginning, terms with a branded look such as "Ruby on Rails Tutorial" could be extremely hard to compete with. (This also reveals how seemingly generic search terms can reference certain things.)
Second, many companies don't make their content or their product's significance immediately evident to those scanning the page of results from a search engine (SERP).
What can you do about it: The best way to differentiate yourself from the crowd and gain more clicks is to be as precise and detailed as you can, especially on your header.
Consider, for instance, SERP results from "learn Spanish online," and you will see two results below.
Which would you rather pick -- the one that declares to be "the top way to study Spanish" instead of "Spanish classes online to self-study"?
I'd guess that you as well as many other people searching will click on the first search result. It makes a bold claim about its quality (being the top). This high-quality product can help you advance your Spanish study.
The result that follows is, however appears generic and sounds like it's trying to appease a search engine and not an individual user.
Beyond the blog's content Make sure you use precise and extensive specifics for your products pages, landing pages, descriptions of courses, and course content, as also. This helps reinforce your name's claim and boosts the credibility of your brand.
It is possible to use broad product and subject names in order to reach everyone feasible, this strategy puts your content in directly competition with websites that have higher rankings on Google and also have the marketing budget to solidify their standing.
It also makes it harder for potential students to grasp the reasons why they should pick your program or business instead of one.
You can't go wrong with specificity.
Check out Minessa Konecky's Social Strategy Squad's product page to get an idea of.
While many other business coaching product pages go on for days, filled with buzzwords. Minessa's page is concise, value-packed and clearly explains the benefits of joining her membership.
We'll quickly go back the Ruby on Rails instance to learn how another successful entrepreneur uses clear language to make a statement.
The creator Chris Oliver offers a tutorial on how to integrate Stripe payments using Ruby on Rails .
The title of the course suggests that Chris' course is targeted at developers who wish to learn how to integrate online payment using Stripe into an online shopping system It's also not for just anyone developer who wants to know the basics of Rails.
Additionally, Chris' course title clearly explains the students exactly what they'll be learning from the course, increasing chances of finding the perfect person to enroll in the course.
It's easy to see that choosing the right topic may limit Chris's reach. But, by having such a focused course this increases Chris the likelihood of turning the hesitant prospect into the client.
Chris solves a unique problem for a unique audience. It is likely that very only a handful of instructors can help the developers to solve this particular issue.
Beyond his name, the instructional library makes use of descriptive words including "Testing Stripe with VCR and Webmock" as well as "Testing Stripe JS with System Tests" in order to make clear what the students can expect to learn.
The ability to break down the complex subject into small, manageable courses makes the subject more manageable, and less daunting -which reduces friction for people considering purchasing the course.
There are also a number of reviews from Rails developers who've taken the course in order to establish and strengthen their trust.
These details -- an easy title, clear the names of lessons, a digestible lesson as well as testimonials and other information -- make Chris' course infinitely more valuable and distinct than courses offering vague promises that teach developers to use Rails.
We've now made the case that using competitive intelligence can help you to find ways to make your classes more appealing to your audience and distinct from competitors.
In addition, competitive intelligence using Google will also help you find subjects you need to cover in your blog content or course lessons. Also, it will help you identify keywords you should target to rank higher in the SERP.
And ranking higher on SERP can be a huge issue considering 90.63 percent of websites pages (a.k.a. those ones that aren't able to appear well on SERP) do not receive organic web traffic through Google.
With simple keyword research, but you will be able to increase your SERP ranking and potentially the number of customers you serve.
So, to recap:
Google will help you find your competition and create an engaging course that will help you stick out and attract more customers. Plus, you can get an update on blogs and topics for courses that you could utilize to reach out to the people in the market you are in.
However, while content that is great could bring you higher revenue, you'll need be aware of how you can position your online course to increase the number of leads you convert.
How to position your online course for success
If you want to set your course to be successful, you must ensure your online classes as well as the language you employ to discuss it -- deliver the value your potential customers are looking for.
Sales professionals who are new to the field are frequently instructed on how to speak "five magical words" to remember during sales calls: "What's in it for me?"
It reminds us that we do not buy just for the sake of shopping, however, they buy to solve certain issues.
Being a creator, it's your responsibility to need your product pages and product descriptions, as well as marketing material, and much more to answer the question about what's the purpose for your audience and that they can solve their issues.
If you're wondering about the importance of the description of a product and its messaging is, mull over this: 87% of customers stated that descriptions of their products were extremely important to the decision-making process.
And another 98% claim they never bought something due to the description of it was not accurate either incomplete or in error.
This means there's a lot to be determined by the position you choose for your course.
As a crucial element in doing it right, you should look at the seventy-nine percent of customers who only think of doing business with those who can demonstrate they care about them.
How can you best understand and care about your potential customers as well as your current audience?
Listen.
Listening to your customers can endear them to them more quickly than a slick sales pitch ever could.
On top of that the products and sales pages must clearly lay out each feature of your course and the outcome the students will achieve.
Use the success of entrepreneur and creator, Nicole Saidy, and her training course to become a designer for UI/UX for an instance.
This is an ideal instance of a course which has been tailor-made with outcomes to be considered. The proof is in the name.
It's just not all that Nicole's course does right.
Everything about Nicole's course page starting from the introduction copy to the general structure of the lesson, is designed to appeal to the prospective students' desired outcomes.
In the landing page copy, Nicole acknowledges her audience's problem and recognizes that the transition to a user-friendly design may be stressful.
Then she explains how the course works specifically and backs up her claims by providing testimonials from clients.
The entire course of Nicole is designed to be a welcoming as well as reassuring and inspiring. All that position the course as a reliable and trustworthy student resource when they are looking for a fix.
The gist of it:
In order to position your course for successful outcomes, the courses' online and marketing content should speak to your customers' desires and outcomes, which you can pinpoint by asking questions and listening your students.
Another step to making yourself stand out from the crowd, and it involves things that most people aren't at ease with: acknowledgement of your value.
You can establish yourself as a reputable expert
It is essential to make yourself known as an professional and use your knowledge to sell your services for you to stand out from the rest of the pack.
A way to present yourself as an expert by highlighting your professional experiences.
Just like Sally Ann Miller's class, Author Success Blueprint is an instance.
In her website for classes, Sally Ann mentions several achievements and accomplishments which make her an experienced instructor for becoming a successful author. As an example, Sally mentions that she:
Author of best-selling books.
Over 100 hours investigating self-publishing
She has tried a variety of methods for her book launch
Was able to publish her first non-fiction book within 60 days (despite not having huge amounts of free time)
The author has published eight books and sold over 25,000 copies
On top of that also, even though Sally is a top-selling, nonfiction author on the Amazon marketplace, she doesn't depend on her achievements only to prove her worthiness.
Additionally, she uses her storytelling skills to make her copy comfortable, warm and relatable.
Sally admits to having concerns about her ability to write a book and outlines the challenges she faced when writing for young children.
She also mentions her experiences of how on certain days she was able to sit down for 30 minutes while caring for her kids, which will give you a much more vivid picture of her previous struggles.
This is what makes Sally much more relatable as both a person and as an educator. Sally's authenticity increases her trustworthiness and also reminds students that they, too, can overcame obstacles along the way to achievement.
In Sally's instance the story of her perseverance in the face of adversity and accomplishing a huge objective establishes her as an author that can offer advice to help you succeed as an author.
In addition to focusing upon your success, there's another important point to think about when presenting yourself as an expert. Learning by yourself isn't a negative thing.
Many ways, it can make you seem even more relatable and inspirational to your students.
Besides, presenting yourself as personable and relatable will build trust and confidence in your business that is crucial to selling.
Actually, 67% of customers agree that though an excellent reputation may convince consumers to test a product however, if they aren't confident in the business behind the product then they'll stop purchasing it.
When it comes to trust, another option to increase trust in your audience is to feature reviews from satisfied customers.
In the end, many customers have found customer reviews to be somewhat or mostly trustworthy when shopping online.
Furthermore, ninety-seven percent of shoppers check product reviews when making purchase decisions. 59% read between one and 10 reviews before purchasing the item.
The key takeaway is to position yourself as a respected instructor and expert by being empathetic and relatable to the audience's wants and pain points.
If it means you share your experiences and challenges and struggles, then do it.
When you talk about your business or academic achievements, make sure each achievement is relevant to your audience. Sure, degrees and awards are nice to have, but if they don't translate into tangible outcomes for the people who read them it's not much of a benefit to them.
The most important thing is the outcome that matter, specifically your results that you'll deliver and your competitors won't.
It's the way to compete in a competitive marketplace.
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You can gain an edge on the competition
A little bit of competition is beneficial to everyone, selling online courses in an area of high competition isn't easy.
There are proven ways to stay in the lead.
In a nutshell:
Make use of Google to conduct competitor intelligence study, so that you are able to create a product that is more superior to and distinctive from competitors.
Position your course for success by using it to solve the problem of the right audience.
Make use of your experience and expertise to be able to relate to your customers and earn their confidence. It will make you appear as an authority and will lead to increased the sale.
If you follow these guidelines and a little tenacity, you'll be able to stand out even in one of the busiest industries.