How to Sell Online Courses (And Be Succesful)

Selling online courses is a powerful way to share knowledge, grow a brand, and generate income. With the right approach—from choosing a niche to creating engaging content and using effective marketing—you can build a successful course business that reaches learners worldwide.

In this article, NextSky will show you the essential steps for turning your expertise into a profitable online course.

Is Selling Online Courses Profitable?

Yes, selling online courses can be highly profitable. The global e-learning market is projected to reach $336.98 billion by 2026, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.1% from 2018. 

This growth is driven by the increasing demand for flexible and accessible learning options.

Many educators and professionals have successfully monetized their expertise through online courses, generating significant income. The profitability of selling online courses depends on several factors:

• Quality of Content: Providing valuable and well-structured content that meets learners' needs is crucial.
• Marketing Strategies: Effective promotion and reaching the right audience are essential for attracting students
• Pricing Models: Setting appropriate pricing that reflects the course's value while remaining competitive in the market is important.
• Platform Selection: Choosing the right platform to host and sell your course can impact your reach and revenue.

By focusing on these aspects, many have turned their knowledge into a profitable online course business.

How to Create an Online Course That Sells

1. Find a pain point

In order to create an online course that actually sells for a long time, you need to find a topic that really helps people.

How can you find it? It all starts with your target audiences.

You need to be knowledgeable about who you are selling to and ask yourself “What are they looking for?”

Customer pain points are specific problems or challenges that individuals encounter in their personal or professional lives. These can be categorized into several types:

• Productivity Pain Points: Issues that hinder efficiency or effectiveness in tasks.
• Financial Pain Points: Concerns related to cost, value, or financial constraints.
• Process Pain Points: Problems arising from inefficient or cumbersome processes.
• Support Pain Points: Difficulties in obtaining adequate help or guidance.

>>>> Read more: How to Find Products to Sell on Shopify: 11 Most Effective Methods

2. Provide a timeless solution

Now in order to provide a solution that actually lasts, you need to be an expert in the matter. 

Providing timeless solutions in your online course is crucial for ensuring its long-term relevance and value. Timeless content addresses fundamental concepts and skills that remain applicable over time, regardless of changing trends or technologies.

How to create timeless content

• Focus on Core Principles: Emphasize foundational theories and concepts that form the basis of your subject matter. For example, in a marketing course, concentrate on fundamental strategies rather than fleeting tactics.
• Avoid Trend-Dependent Material: Steer clear of content heavily reliant on current trends or specific technologies that may become obsolete. Instead, teach adaptable skills that can be applied across various contexts.
• Use Universal Examples: Incorporate case studies and examples that illustrate enduring lessons, ensuring they remain relevant regardless of future changes.
• Encourage Critical Thinking: Design activities that promote analytical skills and problem-solving, enabling learners to apply their knowledge in diverse situations over time.
• Regularly Review and Update: Periodically assess your course content to ensure it remains applicable, making necessary adjustments to maintain its timelessness.

By implementing these strategies, you can develop an online course that offers lasting value to learners, establishing a solid foundation for their continued growth and success.

3. Host and sell your online course

When it comes to hosting and selling your online course, you have 2 options: Online Course Platform and Self-hosted Online Course Website. 

Online Course Platforms

These are third-party services designed to help you create, host, and sell courses without the need for extensive technical knowledge.

Advantages:

• Ease of Use: Platforms like Teachable, Thinkific, and Kajabi offer user-friendly interfaces with drag-and-drop functionalities, simplifying course creation and management.
• Integrated Features: They provide built-in tools for payment processing, marketing, and analytics, streamlining the sales process.
• Technical Support: Dedicated support teams handle technical issues, allowing you to focus on content creation.

Considerations:

• Limited Customization: While customizable, you're often confined to the platform's templates and design options.
• Revenue Sharing or Fees: Some platforms charge transaction fees or take a percentage of your sales, which can impact profitability.

Self-Hosted Online Course Website

This approach involves building and managing your course on your own website, giving you full control over its design and functionality. You can host your own website on Shopify or WordPress with ease. 

Advantages:

• Complete Control: You have full authority over branding, design, and user experience, allowing for a unique and tailored course environment.
• No Revenue Sharing: All profits from course sales go directly to you, without platform fees or commissions.
• Scalability: You can expand and modify your site as needed, adding new features or courses without platform limitations.

Considerations:

• Technical Expertise Required: Setting up and maintaining a self-hosted site requires knowledge of web development or the resources to hire professionals.
• Higher Initial Costs: Expenses for domain registration, hosting services, and potential developer fees can be significant upfront investments.

4. Set a reasonable price

I know you are trying to sell your immeasurable knowledge and experience through your course, but people will not likely buy it if it costs $1000 instead of $100.

It is really hard to build a reputation that is good enough for people to be willing to pay $1000 for your course. 

The way to go is to make your online course affordable to most people while giving as much value as possible. 

Determining the optimal price for your online course is crucial for balancing profitability and accessibility. 

Research competitor pricing to understand market standards and consider the demand for your topic; high-demand subjects may allow for premium pricing. Understand your target audience's financial capacity and ensure the price aligns with the benefits your course provides. 

Choose a pricing model that suits your content—one-time payments for standalone courses, subscriptions for ongoing content, or tiered pricing to cater to different budgets.

5. Market and sell your online course

To market and sell your online course, start by identifying your target audience and understanding their needs.

Use social media, email marketing, and content marketing to build interest, and consider offering free previews or mini-courses to attract potential students.

Collaborate with influencers, run ads, and use testimonials to build credibility. A strong, clear call to action on your sales page can drive conversions and turn interested visitors into paying students.

6. Try to upsell and offer extra products

Now you have an incredible online course that solves users’ problems. Your users purchased and completed your online course and now are very happy because you solved their problems.

However, you need to understand that users will never run out of problems. And as you have built trust with them through the course, they are now very likely to buy again from you if you have something to offer.

For example, after students complete your initial course, present them with opportunities to enroll in advanced modules or related subjects that deepen their knowledge. This not only adds value to their learning journey but also increases your revenue.

7. Improve your course from feedback

Enhancing your online course feedback forms is essential for gathering meaningful insights that drive continuous improvement. To achieve this, design clear and concise questions focusing on key areas such as course content, instructor effectiveness, and learning outcomes.

Incorporate a mix of question types, including Likert scales for gauging satisfaction levels and open-ended questions to capture detailed student perspectives. 

By actively engaging with student feedback, you can create a more effective and engaging learning experience.

How to Sell Online Courses on Shopify

Shopify allows you to sell digital products in your store. Here is how you can list a course as a digital product on Shopify:

• Set Up Your Shopify Store: If you haven't already, create a Shopify account and set up your online store. 
• Install a Digital Product App: Shopify doesn't natively support digital product sales, so you'll need to install an app like Courses Plus or Sky Pilot to manage and deliver your course content. 
• Create a New Product: In your Shopify admin, go to Products > Add product. Enter the course title, description, and pricing.
• Upload Course Content: Using the installed app, upload your course materials, such as videos, PDFs, and quizzes.
• Set Product as Digital: In the product settings, uncheck the This is a physical product option to indicate it's a digital item.
• Configure Delivery Settings: Ensure the app is set to automatically deliver the course content to customers upon purchase.
• Publish and Promote: Once everything is set up, publish your course and use Shopify's marketing tools to promote it to your audience.

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