If you have ever thought of creating your own online course and don’t know how to start, we’ve got you covered. This is an article giving you the best steps to take if you want to create an online course.
Step 1: Choose a topic and research about the market
The first step is to choose a topic for your course. It should be something that you are passionate about and knowledgeable in. You should also consider the demand for the topic. If there is a lot of demand for the topic, you will be more likely to attract students, along with more competition. If you have a niche subject, there is also a good chance that you will meet less competition and can get a larger market share. Once you have chosen a topic, you need to do your research. This includes researching the market, your target audience, and the competition. You need to understand what other courses are available on the market, what your target audience is looking for, and how your course can be different from the competition. When you narrow those down, finding out answers for the following could potentially help you more:
- What are they trying to learn/achieve? Be as specific as possible.
- What are the common challenges people face when learning your topic?
- How long do people typically spend to finish the course? How many hours in total? How many hours per week?
- Are there any tools that will be needed for your course?
- How do others usually deliver content to their target market? If you can’t do the same, can you still efficiently deliver your content to this specific target market? etc.
If you can gather enough information from your research, you can make better decisions and save a lot of time further down the process.
Step 2: Choose a platform and register a teacher account with it
There are many different platforms that you can use to sell your online course. You should choose the right platform for yourself before jumping into creating a course, since they all have different rules and requirements. Some popular platforms include Coursera, Udemy, and Turion. Each platform has its own pros and cons, in addition to its terms and conditions. If you want to read more about which platform to create and sell your online course, we have made an in-depth comparison for you.
Step 3: Plan for your course
Once you have done your research, you need to create a curriculum for your course. This includes creating a list of lessons, topics, and assessments. You need to make sure that your curriculum is comprehensive and covers all of the important aspects of the topic. Remember to consider how much time a person needs to spend on your course, not too long until it’s exhausting, or too little that people can’t fully understand the topic’s scope. The sequence of the topics should also make sense for the audience, help them to learn effectively and stay engaged.
Step 4: Prepare the tools and create your course content
After you have created a curriculum, you need to prepare the filming tools and create the content for your course. Some people have great webcams that they can directly record from their computers; Some may use a good quality camera; Some people will use their phones to record, since most phones nowadays already have great filming capabilities. If you’re using your phone or camera, be sure to set it to the appropriate camera settings to make your videos look better. When you have all the tools you need, you can start creating your course’s content and materials, based on what you planned in the previous step. If you are curious to learn about how to film a great course, Turion has the guide for you once you’ve successfully joined the platform.
Step 5: Launch your course and monitor
Once your course is ready, it is time to launch it. This includes setting a price, making your course available for purchase, and providing continuous support. On top of that, monitoring your courses’ performance is also important to your success. We have a guide for key performance indicators (KPIs) that you should look out for and what they mean for you.
These are just the basic steps involved in creating and selling an online course. There are many other factors that you need to consider, such as pricing, marketing, and customer support. However, if you follow these steps, you will be well on your way to creating and selling an online course.
Here are some additional tips for creating and selling an online course:
- Make sure your course is high-quality: Your course should be well-organized, engaging, and informative. It should also be in good video quality. The quality of your course will be a major factor in determining its success.
- Promote your course effectively: You need to get the word out about your course if you want people to buy it. Promote your course on social media, your website, and any other online channels that you may have. Some of the platforms, such as Udemy and Turion offer teachers some marketing tools to do so effectively.
- Provide excellent customer support: Students will have questions about your course, so it’s important to be available to answer them. Turion offer teachers some features to connect with the students and provide them with continuous support for the course. Unfortunately, Coursera and Udemy do not have the means to directly connect with other users on the platform.
If you follow these tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating and selling a successful online course.
