Many of the people I see today in the digital marketing space (Frank Kern, Brendon Burchard... etc.) have created a great system online where I opt in, receive a gift, and be marketed towards an online program, that leads me to a main product (coaching, workshop, speaking... etc.). I'd love to do the exact same thing. I've got my content, nich, and target market. What do I do? What tools and/or steps must I utilize?
I've set up a number of online courses, and also supported other business owners in their online course creation and hosting.
This is a huge topic with a number of variables. You may decide to host your course on your own Wordpress platform, in which case you'll need:
- a website (if you don't already have one)
- a member plugin
- e-commerce plugin or means to accept payment
There are lots of options within each of these, so a lot of decision-making to do!
What's often considered simpler and easier is to use an online training platform. Again, there is a huge range of options and the choice will partly depend on your budget and the features you're after.
There are a number of online articles that compare and contrast the features, but I've found the reviewer usually recommends the product they're affiliated with - or the one that suits them best. That doesn't mean their preference is best for you, it depends on your needs and resources.
One product that seems very popular at the moment is Teachable. Prices range from a free plan to $39-$299 a month depending on the volume and features.
Teachable has a stunning builder, a huge range of features and powerful marketing and analytics. It also integrates with MailChimp, Ontraport and a range of others. You'll need either a Stripe or a Paypal account to accept payments.
If you want to give me a call I'd be happy to discuss your specific requirements further so you can have a clearer idea of the best course of action for you.
I hope that helps. :-)
Search Devin Slavin in Google. He just held an excellent symposium on online course creation.
There are number of different platforms that are designed to help you with what you are after that provide a varying degree of functionality. Some focus just on the LMS side of things, some focus more on marketing, some like our platform LearningCart (www.LearningCart.com) try to provide everything you need (website, LMS, ecommerce, reporting, etc).
One thing many people don't know when they get started with elearning is there is actually a standard for developing web based training (SCORM). Although it sounds great to use a tool like teachable, those sorts of tools are using a proprietary format that locks you into their service - If you ever want to use another system you must rebuild ALL your content.
If you develop your training using SCORM you can take your content and easily load it into the 1000's of LMSs that are SCORM compliant. Long term it gives you options and it also lets you much more easily license your content because most large corporations (and schools) are already running a SCORM compliant LMS internally. Some of the popular SCORM compliant course authoring tools right now are captivate (by Adobe), articulate, and ispring. These are desktop applications that are way more powerful than the web based authoring tools and have a long track record of support and feature expansion. Again if you develop your content using one of those authoring tools in the long run you have will a lot more control and options.
Hope this information helps, happy to answer any follow up questions you might have or setup a call to honestly assess your needs and recommend what platforms might be a good fit.
Creating, marketing, and selling an online course requires a combination of tools that cater to course creation, marketing, sales, and management. Here’s a breakdown of the essential tools you’ll need for each stage:
### **1. Course Creation Tools**
- **Content Creation Tools:**
- **Video Recording & Editing:**
- **Camtasia, OBS Studio, ScreenFlow:** For recording and editing video lessons.
- **Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro:** For more advanced video editing.
- **Presentation Tools:**
- **Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, Canva:** For creating slide presentations and visual content.
- **Graphic Design:**
- **Canva, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator:** For designing course graphics, infographics, and marketing materials.
- **Audio Recording & Editing:**
- **Audacity, Adobe Audition:** For recording and editing high-quality audio for your course.
- **Learning Management System (LMS) / Course Platform:**
- **Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi:** All-in-one platforms that allow you to create, host, and sell your courses.
- **Udemy, Coursera:** Online course marketplaces where you can create and sell your course to a large audience.
- **Moodle, LearnDash:** For more advanced users who want to integrate an LMS with their own website.
### **2. Marketing Tools**
- **Email Marketing:**
- **Mailchimp, ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign:** For building an email list, sending newsletters, and running automated email campaigns.
- **Social Media Management:**
- **Hootsuite, Buffer, Later:** For scheduling and managing your social media posts across different platforms.
- **Content Marketing:**
- **WordPress, Medium:** For blogging and content marketing to drive traffic to your course.
- **BuzzSumo, Ahrefs:** For content research and SEO optimization.
- **Webinars & Live Sessions:**
- **Zoom, WebinarJam, GoToWebinar:** For hosting live webinars, Q&A sessions, or course previews to engage with potential students.
- **SEO & Analytics:**
- **Google Analytics:** For tracking website traffic and conversions.
- **Ahrefs, SEMrush:** For keyword research, SEO tracking, and competitive analysis.
### **3. Sales Tools**
- **Sales Funnels & Landing Pages:**
- **ClickFunnels, Leadpages:** For creating sales funnels and high-converting landing pages.
- **Unbounce:** For A/B testing and optimizing landing pages.
- **Payment Gateways:**
- **PayPal, Stripe:** For accepting payments from students.
- **WooCommerce:** If you’re selling courses through a WordPress site.
- **Affiliate Marketing:**
- **ShareASale, Refersion:** For managing and tracking affiliate marketing programs.
- **ThriveCart:** For setting up affiliate programs and handling payments.
### **4. Course Management & Customer Support Tools**
- **Customer Relationship Management (CRM):**
- **HubSpot CRM, Salesforce:** For managing interactions with current and potential students.
- **Community & Engagement:**
- **Facebook Groups, Discord, Slack:** For building a community around your course where students can interact and ask questions.
- **Circle, Mighty Networks:** Dedicated platforms for creating private communities with your students.
- **Customer Support:**
- **Zendesk, Freshdesk:** For providing customer support and managing student inquiries.
- **Intercom:** For live chat and automated customer support.
### **5. Hosting & Website Management**
- **Website Builder:**
- **WordPress with LMS plugins, Wix, Squarespace:** For creating a professional-looking website where you can host your course.
- **Video Hosting:**
- **Vimeo, Wistia:** For securely hosting your course videos with advanced privacy settings.
- **YouTube (Unlisted):** For free video hosting with some privacy.
### **6. Legal & Financial Tools**
- **Legal Documents:**
- **TermsFeed, LegalZoom:** For creating terms of service, privacy policies, and other legal documents.
- **Accounting & Invoicing:**
- **QuickBooks, FreshBooks:** For managing finances, invoicing, and tax preparation.
### **Key Considerations:**
- **Integration:** Choose tools that integrate well with each other to streamline your workflow.
- **Scalability:** Consider how easy it is to scale with the tools as your course grows.
- **User Experience:** Focus on providing a seamless experience for both you and your students, from content consumption to payment.
By combining these tools, you'll be well-equipped to create, market, and sell your online course effectively.
To create and sell an online course, you'll need the following tools:
Course Creation Tools:
1. Screen recording software (e.g., OBS Studio, Camtasia, ScreenFlow)
2. Video editing software (e.g., Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve)
3. Presentation software (e.g., PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote)
4. Audio editing software (e.g., Audacity, Adobe Audition)
5. E-learning authoring tools (e.g., Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate)
Learning Management System (LMS):
1. Platforms like Thinkific, Teachable, Kajabi, or Udemy for course hosting and delivery
2. Self-hosted options like WordPress with LMS plugins (e.g., LearnDash, LifterLMS)
Marketing and Sales Tools:
1. Website or landing page builder (e.g., WordPress, Wix, ClickFunnels)
2. Email marketing software (e.g., Mailchimp, ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign)
3. Payment gateway (e.g., Stripe, PayPal, (link unavailable))
4. Affiliate marketing software (e.g., ShareASale, Refersion)
5. Social media management tools (e.g., Hootsuite, Buffer)
Analytics and Tracking Tools:
1. Google Analytics for website tracking
2. Course analytics tools (e.g., Thinkific, Teachable) for course performance tracking
Other Essentials Like:
1. High-quality microphone and webcam for recording
2. Reliable/Stable internet connection
3. Computer or mobile device for course creation and management
Remember, the specific tools you need may vary depending on your course type, target audience, and marketing strategy.
I hope this helps.
