Theoretically, creating an online course sounds easy enough! Right?
Rather than selling your time, consider selling your knowledge via an online course can help you reach hundreds, even thousands of people, and make more money doing it.
But...if you’ve never created a course before, it might feel overwhelming. And stressful. And you’re definitely going to question whether or not you’re doing it right.
Today, we’re tackling 5 questions about online courses that frequently come up.
Hopefully, by the time you finish reading these, you’re ready. Because there is no theoretical about it. Knowledge products are the absolute best way to break free from the hamster wheel and build the business you deserve.
Obviously, it’s going to be a learning process. But fortunately, this is the type of activity where you can learn as you grow.
So let’s dig into those questions.
How Much Content Do I Need to Start Selling?
One video. One single video.
It could be a recorded webinar or seminar. Or a simple training video done from your home office. It doesn’t matter. If you have one piece of content that provides valuable information and helps your customers achieve a result, let the selling begin.
One piece of advice though...make sure the training actionable. You see, the difference between blog posts & articles (stuff you can get for free online) and your online course is packaging and value in achieving a result. By the time your student finishes your course, they should be able to accomplish something that will give them a quick, tangible result.
Whatever you want your students to achieve, make sure your content gives them a clear pathway do it. Otherwise the value won’t be enough to sustain your business.
At What Point Do I Need to Buy Course Software (like CustomerHub)?
It depends. On your product. On your target market. On your budget. And more.
But luckily for you, you can start with CustomerHub for free and pay for it after you know it will work for you. And since CustomerHub can be used standalone or with a variety of other tools, it will work for virtually any type of business or technology stack. There isn't much risk it giving it a whirl. And it will definitely be easier for you down the road if you start with a system that can scale with you as you grow.
The one thing I will caution against is making a significant financial commitment--to a software, consultant, or otherwise--before you have tested your model with actual prospects and customers to confirm it will work.
How Much Time Do I Need to Dedicate To My Offering?
Again, it depends on the offering.
Courses are pretty easy to maintain. You only have to create the content once and then you’re done. However, to provide the best experience for your students, you should consider going with some proven models for course organization and content delivery. CustomerHub and several other platforms have these models built right in to make it easy for you, however if you decide to go it alone then I'd recommend being a student in a few online courses and learning from how they are doing things first.
What Format Should My Course Be In?
This one is specific to you and your community.
First, determine what’s easiest for you to produce. If you’re a great writer but horrible on camera, then you’ll likely have more of a written or downloadable course. If you hate writing, podcasts might become your best friend. The easier it is for you to create, the faster you can get it on your site.
Second, determine who your students are. Do they want to read, listen, or watch? Different industries are going to produce different types of learners. Analytical people will likely benefit from written words. Visual people, well, they’re going to need to see you and/or a lot of pictures. And if you sell to a mainstream crowd, then a mix of everything is probably your best bet.
Third, fit the format to the content. If you’re teaching someone how to write great headlines, then it’s a no-brainer. Write more than you record. But make it fit.
Now, having said that, here are some tips to make your content more effective:
- Make things aesthetically pleasing - it increases the perceived value of your offering
- All content needs images - even readers need lots of white space and images to break up the chunks of content
- If you’re creating recordings or videos, make sure the quality is solid
- Even specific types of learners like to switch things up - try creating diverse content
- If you’re creating videos, keep them short - you can include hours of content but break it into manageable chunks
The nice thing about content is that you can always try different formats. Keep the communication channels open with your students and they’ll help you create the content that works best for them. Again, CustomerHub and many other course platforms have templates built right in that you can use to ensure your content is effectively organized and looks great on any device.
How Much Should I Charge for My Course or Site?
Well that’s the question of the day, isn’t it? And the answer is going to depend 100% on factors that are unique to you.
I’ve seen some courses that are free, some that cost $50, and some that cost $10,000 or more. So there is a wide, wide range.
The main factor to consider is this: how valuable is the outcome of your course to your students? If your course help someone achieve $10,000 in value, then you should consider charging at least that much. The more valuable the outcome, the more it’s worth. Some other things to consider are:
- What your competitors charge. We never shy away from charging more. If your course or membership site is solid, charge more for it. But if there are competitors in your space, you’ll get a quick idea what people are willing to pay for your knowledge.
- How much content is included. If you interact with your members on a regular basis and/or include a lot of content, you may be able to charge more for it. Like it or not, customers often equate quantity with value so this may impact what you can charge for it.
- How much you want to make. While that might sound crazy, why would you create a course or membership site unless it was worth your while? Determine how many students you’ll likely attract each month and then divide your desired revenue by the number of students. Simple thinking sometimes works best.
Are there other factors to take into consideration? Sure. But again, the great thing about an online course is the flexibility. You can always charge more. Or less.
Now...Get Started!
Every question you have about courses can be answered...as you go.
Very few people regret selling their courses before they were fully prepared. But there’s a lot of people who wonder why they waited so long.
There isn’t a perfect model. If you’re like most business owners, you’ll always be adjusting and tweaking. And that’s totally okay. You can still be making money in the meantime. So get that content together and get going.
Most failures happen because people FAIL TO START.
Once you have your content created, you can have it online and published in less than 30 minutes with CustomerHub. Boom!
Get started here when you're ready.
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