How To Create An Online Course: A Step-by-Step Guide

In today’s digital world, online courses have become a powerful way to share knowledge, establish your authority as an expert, and generate income. Whether you’re an expert in a specific field or simply passionate about teaching, creating an online course can help you reach a global audience and it’s never been easier. This guide will walk you through the entire process of creating and launching a successful online course, from idea to execution and beyond. So read on to find out how to create an online course.

 This article contains affiliate links.

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1. Choose your course topic

The first step in creating an online course is selecting the right topic. Here’s how:

• Identify your expertise and passion: Choose a subject where you have experience and also something that you enjoy teaching otherwise it will be a struggle and a chore.
• Research market demand: Use tools like Google Trends, Udemy, and keyword research to assess how much interest or demand there is for your topic.
• Validate your idea: Conduct surveys, create a free mini-course, or engage in social media discussions to gauge interest.

 

2. Define your target audience

Understanding who your ideal students are will help you create a more effective course because you will be able to tailor it to them.

• Identify what they need and why: Work out what they want to learn and any outcome expectations they have, such as a qualification or a CPD endorsement.
• Identify potential pain points: What challenges will they face? This could be financial, workload, or technical issues.
• Define learning objectives: What should they achieve by the end of your course?
• Create a student persona: Outline demographics, skill level, and motivations. This may only be a general guide because everyone is different, or you may have different groups with different needs. Whatever you identify, it will be useful to understand your students better.

 

3. Outline your course content

It is crucial to plan your course well and to have a structured approach. This will include an overview of the whole course, including the topics and the order in which you will teach them. In some circumstances, it doesn’t matter what order things are learned. For example, in GCSE Maths, you can learn Pythagoras’ Theorem before or after learning Probability. However, you need to understand triangles and measures, before attempting to explain Pythagoras.

A well-structured course also helps keep students engaged and you can track progress more easily to ensure that your learning outcomes are met. Here are some steps to take when planning courses:

• Break down your topic into modules/topics and then lessons: It may take your students more than one lesson to cover a whole topic, and there may be several topics in a module. As the expert, you will know the best way to break these down into manageable chunks and students will want to know that they are making steady progress one step at a time.
• Follow a logical progression: As mentioned, start with foundational concepts before moving to advanced topics. You may even want to split some things into different courses and offer different levels such as beginner, intermediate or advanced, depending on the subject.
• Use a mix of content formats: Nowadays, most students will expect your content to be delivered in a variety of formats including videos, PDFs, images, interactive quizzes, and assignments.

4. Choose the right platform to host your course

Selecting the right platform is crucial for course delivery and there are a number that you can choose from to do the job. Some you can use for free, and others will charge you, so it’s important to do your research and find a platform that will best fit your student’s needs, your technical requirements and your budget.

• Self-hosted platforms: These are platforms where you can build and host your course such as WordPress + LearnDash, Kajabi, and Thinkific.
• Course marketplaces: A course marketplace is more like a supermarket for courses, where people can come and browse the range of courses on offer. These are platforms such as Udemy, Coursera, and Skillshare.

When deciding between a self-hosted site and a course marketplace, there are several key differences to consider. These include:

Self-hosted platforms

Pros:

• Control: You have full control over your content, branding, and pricing.
• Customisation: You can design your site to match your brand and create a unique user experience.
• Revenue: All profits go directly to you, without sharing a percentage with a platform although you may need to join or subscribe to add content.
• Flexibility: You can add features like custom certifications, live video conferencing, and more.

Cons:

• Setup and maintenance: Usually requires more technical knowledge to set up and maintain.
• Marketing: You are responsible for driving traffic to your site and marketing your courses.
• Cost: Initial setup and ongoing maintenance can be more expensive.

 

Course marketplaces

Pros:

• Built-in audience: Platforms like Udemy and Coursera have large, established user bases, making it easier to gain visibility.
• Ease of use: These platforms provide user-friendly interfaces and tools to create and publish courses.
• Marketing support: Marketplaces often have their own marketing strategies to promote your courses.
• Trust factor: Students may feel more comfortable purchasing from a well-known marketplace.

Cons:

• Revenue sharing: Marketplaces take a percentage of your sales, which can reduce your profits.
• Limited control: You have less control over your course content, pricing, and student experience.
• Branding limitations: Your course is presented alongside many others, making it harder for your unique identity to stand out.

Ultimately, the best choice depends on your goals and circumstances. If you value control and customisation, a self-hosted site might be the way to go. If you prefer ease of use and access to a built-in audience, a course marketplace could be a better fit for that particular course. You can always use different hosts for different courses if that is the best option.

 

5. Apps and software for course creation

Several apps and software solutions can help you create an online course efficiently too. Here are some top options, but as with hosting choices, do your research, read reviews and work out what will be the best one for you. Check out the technology they support, what reports and analytics you get, and how much student feedback you can give, for example. :

• Teachable (Cost: Starts at $39/month)
  • Pros: User-friendly, built-in sales tools, good analytics.
  • Cons: Transaction fees on lower plans, limited design customisation.
• Thinkific (Cost: Free plan available, paid plans start at $49/month)
  • Pros: No transaction fees, flexible course builder, good student engagement features.
  • Cons: Marketing tools are basic, with limited integrations on lower plans.
• Kajabi (Cost: Starts at $149/month)
  • Pros: All-in-one platform (website, email marketing, automation), highly customisable.
  • Cons: Expensive for beginners, steep learning curve.
• Podia (Cost: Starts at $39/month)
  • Pros: No transaction fees, easy to use, including membership and digital downloads.
  • Cons: Limited design options, fewer integrations.
• Udemy (Cost: Free to create, Udemy takes a revenue share)
  • Pros: Large audience, no upfront costs, marketing support.
  • Cons: Revenue split with Udemy, limited pricing control, high competition.
• LearnWorlds (Cost: Starts at $24/month)
  • Pros: Great interactive features, strong assessment tools, no transaction fees.
  • Cons: Higher-tier plans needed for advanced customisation, can be complex for beginners.

 

Selecting the right platform is crucial for course delivery. Here is a comparison table of some of the best providers. Things change regularly, however, as each provider competes for your business, so please check with the provider to see the most up-to-date information.

Choosing the right tool depends on your budget, technical skills, and marketing strategy.

 

6. Create high-quality course content

This is one of the most important steps if you want people to come back for more, give you a good review or refer others to your course.  

Your content should be engaging and easy to understand for an online audience. Remember, that they will be working mostly independently, so the layout and the content should be well-structured and clear. You should also make sure that it is tailored to your audience.  This means that the content, the tone, the vocabulary and the style need to match the expectations of your potential students.

To ensure high-quality content:

• Invest in good equipment: Camera, microphone, and lighting if using video elements.
• Brand your resources using high-quality, graphics and presentations.
• Use screen recordings and slides effectively: Check all links and clips to make sure they work on the platforms you have specified.
• Make presentations clear and consistent – check for formatting, spelling and grammar.
• Ensure good audio quality: Poor sound is a major turn-off for learners.
• Test and retest: Check for bugs, errors and missing parts BEFORE releasing the course to your audience.

 

7. Set the right price for your course

The price you set and the pricing strategies you use will have an impact on your course’s success. There will never be a ‘one-size fits all’ perfect solution but nowadays, people often like the ability to pay in instalments. When you are doing your initial research, you can see what your competitors are charging and how your strategies compare to theirs. Think too about whether you want to charge additional fees for examination fees or for printing certificates. Some options you have include:

• One-time fee vs. subscription model.
• Competitor research: Analyse similar courses and compare like for like and prices.
• Consider offering tiered pricing or payment plans.
• Consider early-bird discounts or time-limited prices: These are discounts for booking early, usually by a deadline you set and advertise.
• Consider offering a guarantee: People like to know that they will get a refund if they are not satisfied with some aspect of the course. Think about how you want to work this and publish it in advance. For most people, this is a benefit which can be used in your marketing.

 

8. Build a sales funnel and pre-launch strategy

You will need to think about how you want to market your course, well before you launch it to your audience. It may be that you want to create a mini version of the course, or offer the first chapter free to people as a way of gaining their interest. These things need to be decided before you start to properly market your course, as you may want to create a lead magnet, or a sales funnel page or special social media pages to drive business to the course. You can:

• Create a lead magnet: Free mini-course, eBook, or webinar.
• Build an email list: Engage potential students early. This will be a useful source of potential students.
• Use landing pages and sales pages effectively. This means thinking about your strategy and the path you want your potential clients to take.
• Simplify enrolment:  Don’t have too many ways that people can sign up. It would be better to have one sales page that all your social media and other content points to. This way, you can track things more easily and there is less likelihood of there being duplicate pages selling slightly different things.
• Consider the best payment system: Do you take cards, PayPal or cash? Think about what is the most convenient and cost-effective for you.
• Do you want to use upsells? Some people hate upsells as they want a clear and transparent process and to see the full range of options upfront. Others think that upsells are important, but you will have to decide what you want your core offer to be, and then price in any options on top.

 

9. Market and sell your course

Once you have your course ready to promote, use as many avenues as possible to tell people about your amazing course. Good promotion is key to driving enrolments. Think about:

• Leveraging social media: Share insights on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
• Content marketing: Blog posts, YouTube videos, and podcasts.
• Paid advertising: Facebook Ads, Google Ads or other social media paid platforms.
• Collaborate with influencers: Get influencers on board to talk about your product in a favourable way.
• Traditional advertising: Don’t forget traditional advertising methods such as print advertising, leaflets, radio, TV or word-of-mouth.
• Set up an affiliate program: Leverage other people’s contacts to drive traffic to your course by offering a commission to suitable affiliates.

 

10. Engage and support your students

Once you have gained a sale and have people enrolled on your course, make sure you offer excellent customer service and don’t leave your students high and dry! Maintaining engagement boosts course completion rates, which is what you want. You want happy students and for them to achieve their aims. Therefore, ensure that they have easy ways to contact you and communicate with them often to check on their progress and keep them motivated. You could:

• Create a community: Allow students to leverage the power of a student group, for example through a Facebook group, Discord, or other social forum.
• Offer student support: Live Q&A sessions, email support, and regular feedback.
• Encourage interaction: This could be through joint assignments, peer reviews, or discussion boards, for example.

 

11. Scale your business

Once your course is running successfully, you can scale it, which means following the steps you have already completed to set up and sell another, similar course. For example, you could:

• Upsell and cross-sell other courses: Sell courses that are at a higher level than your original course or ones which complement it. For example, if your original course was about SEND issues in education, you could offer either a higher level or a more focused course, say on autism.
• Offer coaching, memberships, or masterclasses: These are ways to engage further with your audience to offer additional information or coaching specifically to them.
• Automate and outsource tasks: Think about using virtual assistants, automated quizzes and marking systems, and make use of automated email programs. All these things take time to set up initially so they are not without work on your part, but they will do the ‘heavy lifting’ for you once set up.

 

12. Common mistakes to avoid

Everyone makes mistakes! It’s part of the learning process and that goes your you as a new course provider as much as it does for your potential students. However, like everything, if you do your research properly and take advice from people who have already successfully set up courses, you can avoid some of the most common pitfalls such as:

• Overloading content: Keep it clear and concise. If you find your content is too verbose, split it up into different topics, sections or even courses.
• Ignoring student feedback: Seek and listen to feedback from your students. They are the ones working through the program. Use this feedback to continuously improve your output based on their input.
• Neglecting marketing: Promotion is just as important as course creation so allocate enough time to effective and high-quality marketing to match your high-quality course.

 

Final thoughts and next steps

In true ‘teacher’ fashion, I am ending this post with some final thoughts and next steps. This is one of the fundamental aspects of teaching – to offer good feedback and guide your students to their next level. So, here goes…

Creating an online course is a rewarding journey. By following this guide, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge to plan, create, and sell your course successfully.

Next steps: Now, take action. Go back to the top and follow the steps in order to start outlining your course today!

Please also come back and leave us a comment to let me know if this article was useful to you and how you got on with creating your course.

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