How to Create an Online Course Website

The online course website is the secret sauce to creating passive income. Therefore, the popularity of online course websites is growing rapidly. However, some people consider that it is a very difficult and complicated procedure to create an online course website. In reality, it is super easy! All you need is the will to do so. So, let's understand what an online course website is and how you can build your own?

What is an Online Course Website?

It is different than the normal website! An online course website helps students to learn different skills and courses through the internet. This type of website has unique features like payment methods, restricted access to courses, and learning management systems. Anyone can launch an online course website. The only precondition is that you can teach something! So, if you have the ability, let’s tell you why you should create an online course website.

Why should you create an online course website?

Online course websites have countless benefits. It helps you to become an authority in a certain niche. On top of that, the following are the major reasons that you should create an online course website.   

Build Your Audience

The audience is the secret sauce in the recipe of the internet. The person, who manages to create his audience, can easily succeed in the internet world. Therefore, building an audience is a key to success. Course websites help you to build your audience. You can use this audience to promote your business and you can sell your course directly to this audience. This audience includes your students, your followers, and every person who consumes your content in any way. So, if you need an audience, you need to build a course website. 

Generate Profits

Online course websites help you to generate profits. You can earn direct profits by selling memberships and subscriptions of your courses. Furthermore, you can monetize the visiting audience by using advertisements through Google and other platforms. However, it is not all! You can earn more profits in your main business due to your course website. It happens due to two reasons. The first reason is that while teaching, you learn more and therefore earn more. However, the second reason is that you will be viewed as the authority in your niche and it means more business opportunities.    

Help You to Strengthen Online Presence

A constant and powerful online presence means more online opportunities. Online course websites help you to strengthen your online presence. Your every student is your footprint on the internet. These students are ambassadors of your brand and authority. Therefore, keep your focus on creating the best content and equip your students with the best tools to succeed. After all, they are the pillars of your online presence. Remember! A strong online presence will boost your main business manifold.   

Help You to Learn More

Teachers have to understand everything before teaching it to others. Therefore, teachers have more knowledge as compared to others. Furthermore, online teachers have to answer the questions of students. Hence, they explore more and view even the most negligible problems in the topics. In this way, teaching others help you to learn more. This learning does not go in the waste as you will be able to turn your learning into earning very easily.

Help You to build Network of Influencers

An online course website helps you to build a network of influencers. You can find these influencers in the forms of your students or the form of your contributors. These influencers can play a key role to enhance your brand recognition to a wider audience. Therefore, building a network of influencers can open new avenues of success. Hence, you must create an online course website to build a network of influencers. 

Boost Your Main Online Business

Your main online business can generate more profit with the help of your online course website. It happens because your course website compliments your main business by sending prospects and traffic. However, you must capture the leads and turn them into sales. Therefore, you have to build a complete mechanism that supports your main business while generating profit from the course.  

Easy to Manage

Lastly, you must create an online course website because it is super easy to start and manage. So, why must you leave the opportunity that demands less and gives more? Indeed, you must do it. All you have to do is launch your website once and create a complete course. After that, try to minimize your efforts to manage the course and start putting things on auto-pilot.

Till now, you must have understood that you must start an online course website. So, let’s understand what you need to start your website creation.    

What do you need?

Following are the three major prerequisites to start building your online course website.

Domain

A domain is the name and address of your course website. Therefore, you have to choose the best possible domain! You can directly register your domain with any domain name provider. Furthermore, you can get a domain while buying your server as most of the server providers offer one free domain name registration at the time of buying the server. However, always remember to ensure that the first domain is registered in your name or the name of service providers. It happens because some server providers register your first free domain on their name and later on charge you a heavy amount for domain transfer. So, don't get deceived! Moreover, consider the following while buying the perfect domain.

• It is best to get a .com domain
• Don’t choose the complex names, choose short and easy to remember
•  Your domain name must be brand-able
• Add the words of learning, course, or any other keyword related to the niche

Hosting

The second prerequisite to creating your course website is a server. A server is a machine or specific space on a machine that hosts your website on the internet. In reality, your website is stored on a machine and users will access your website by accessing the server. That's how the internet works! So, you have to buy a server to host a website. Various Web Hosting providing services offer servers. However, you must consider the following to choose the best server among all the options.

• Consider your budget and price packages of the server providers
• Consider the real uptime of the server
• Check for the reviews of other people regarding the service
• Evaluate the speed of server and load time of hosted websites
• Consider the storage space and bandwidth options
• Check the details of the refund policy of the server providers
• Consider the safety and security of your server and website

Course Material

The last prerequisite to creating a course website is your course material and idea. After all, that is the whole point of creating a course website. Therefore, you must create your course material to evaluate that you can do it and you want to do it! Sometimes, we think that we can create a course because we know things. However, knowing things and teaching things are entirely different. Therefore, while creating course material, you will be able to fully comprehend that you are ready for teaching or not. Don't worry about creating a course; here is how you can create your unique online course.   

How to create your unique online course?

Creating a unique online course is an art and science as well. You can do it by following the below-mentioned eight-step process.

Decide Your Course Niche

The first step is to decide your course niche. Deciding a niche depends upon your main online business. You must start creating a course that compliments your main business. In this way, you will be able to increase your profits manifold. So, decide your course niche wisely. You must consider the competition within the niche. If you are creating a course that provides less value at a bigger price tag then the whole idea can backfire. Therefore, analyze the market from every aspect and decide your course niche accordingly.   

Decide Learning Outcomes from Your Course

The second step is to decide the learning outcomes from your course. You have to decide the learning outcomes in advance so you will be able to craft the course content accordingly. Moreover, you have to provide learning outcomes of the course while marketing your online course. It is the basic ingredient that drives traffic to the course. Therefore, you have to decide and write learning outcomes from the perspective of students. These learning outcomes will tell students what they will be able to achieve after taking your course.  

Make Course Outline

The third step to creating your unique online course is to make a course outline. First, you have to make a rough course outline with your perspective. After it, consider yourself as a student who knows nothing about your niche and write the concepts that you need to learn. Now add these concepts and problems into your course outline. It means that you must not make your course outline in the one go. Write it, revise it, and improve it till it becomes perfect. Remember! The course outline is the basic structure or skeleton of the whole course and a fractured or weak structure will destroy your complete effort. So, spend some time creating a course outline. 

Decide the Required Learning Material Types

The fourth step to creating your perfect and unique online course is to decide the required learning material types. It means that you have to decide what other material you have to prepare along with online video lectures. These other materials can include PowerPoint presentations, images, graphs, and animations. Good courses include all the necessary learning material types to boost the learning environment. Remember! You have to provide value to your students and it can only be done by teaching them with every possible tool. So, don’t limit yourself to video lecture creation and explore other options as well.

Check the Required Market Demand of Your Course

The fifth step is to check the required market demand of your course. Remember! You do not have to check market demand only; you have to check the required market demand! It means that it is a possibility that there will be a lot of online courses in your niche. So, check what market demand these courses are not filling! If all these courses are theoretical then you must include practical steps. However, if other courses are going for practical steps then you must include personal support. Remember! You have to up your game from the competition. So, look out!

Build Your Online Course Content

The sixth step to create your unique online course is to build your online curse content. It is the basic and most effort-consuming task. It means that now you have to put all effort to create the best course content. Never compromise on quality at this stage. Create the best quality video, voice-over, imagery, and other options. Remember! This step is the face of your whole effort. Therefore, go all out to create the best possible course content for your students. Provide maximum value in the best possible way!

Launch and Test Your Course with a Test Group

The seventh step of course creation is related to launching and testing your course. You can do so by launching an experimental test group. The members of this group can be your regular audience and fans. Provide limited access to these people for free and try to take their feedback after the course. In this way, you will be able to get their feedback and testimonials as well for the main launch. Furthermore, you will be able to improve any deficiencies.  

Revise, improve and Reach out to Wider Target Audience

The final step is to revise and improve your content before reaching out to a wider audience. The feedback from the test group can be your guidance in revising the content of your course. In this step, you might have to create further course content. Don’t worry about it! Consider it as a bonus effort that will give you a bonus in profits and authority building of your brand!

Now, when your online course is ready and you have all the prerequisites, it is time to create your online course website. Here is how you can do it!

How to create an Online Course Website with WordPress

WordPress is the best tool to create simple websites. Do you know it? But do you know that it is the best tool to create an online course website as well? Yes, it is! Here is the eight-step simple process to create an online course website with WordPress.  

Download and Install WordPress on your Domain

By now, you have completed your prerequisites like acquiring the domain, getting a server, and preparing course material as explained above. So, now, you have to download any WordPress theme that you love and upload it to your domain via server. However, if your Web Hosting provider is offering free themes then simply go to Dashboard and click on the Install button of the required theme. It will take some minutes to install. Choose all of the default options, if you are confused.  

Install MemberPress LMS Plugin on Your Website

The second step in the process is to search the MemberPress LMS plugin. This plugin is a Learning Management System add-on that helps you to create, manage, and sell online courses. So, search MemberPress from the plugin option in the Dashboard and click on the install button. It will be installed within a few minutes. Just go with the default options while installing. You can change everything later on. Don't worry about anything at this stage! 

Setup Payment System to receive Payments

Once installed, the first step is to set up your payment system so you can be able to receive payments from your students, members, and subscribers. To do so, click on the MemberPress on the navigation bar at the left of Dashboard. Now click on the setting options and look for the "Payments" tab in the fifth place. Select the payment gateways from the drop-down list and check the boxes of "Show Payment Label", "Show Payment Icon", and "Show Payment Description". Congratulations, it's done!

Create Course Memberships and Subscription Options

Once your payment system is in place, now is the time to create course memberships and decide on subscriptions options. Don’t worry, it is super simple! Click on the MemberPress from the left navigation bar. Now, click on the Memberships tab below the MemberPress tab. A new form shall pop up in front of you. Add the title of membership like basic or pro, and provide the details in the description tab. Now add the selling price in the price column and choose a billing type like monthly or one-time. After it, choose the access type like a lifetime and click on Publish. Congratulations! Your Membership type is created. Repeat this process to create multiple memberships.    

Create Your Course Basics

Now, the basic functionality of the course website is in place. So, you can freely create your course basics. To do so, simply click on the “Courses” tab below the MemberPress tab in the left navigation bar. Now, look at the bottom for the button that says “Install and activate MemberPress Courses Add-on”. Click on it, and it will install the courses add-on to your MemberPress and will redirect you to the course creation page. Click on the "Add New" and create your course. Now, add the status and visibility, course categories, and tags. The basics of course are completed at this stage! 

Restrict Course Access according to Course Memberships

The sixth step is to restrict course access according to course memberships. It will ensure that only the people with paid memberships and subscriptions will have access to your courses. To do this, click on the “Rules” tab below the MemberPress tab on the left navigation bar. Now, click on the "Add New" button in the "Rules" tab. You will reach out to the protected content option. Choose the course name and set the access conditions according to your earlier decided membership options. Once set, click on the "Save Rule" and you are good to go!

Add Sections and Lessons to Your Course

Once the course access is restricted according to course memberships, now is the time to add sections and lessons to your course. To do so, click on the "Courses" in the left navigation bar and select the "Curriculum" tab. Now, click on the "Add Section" button to add the title of the section and click "Add Lesson". After it, click on the edit icon in front of the lesson and include your lesson. Repeat this process to add multiple lessons in the sections and completely upload your course.

Create Signup link and Registration Page

Now your course is set up and you are ready to welcome students to your online course website. Therefore, you have to create a signup link that can help users to sign up for your classes. To do so, click on the "Memberships" tab and select "Edit Membership". You will see a link below the title of the membership. Copy this link and replace your domain name with the word "example". Create a signup link for each "membership" and you can place these signup links at any place on your website or social media. Everyone, who will click on these links, will automatically reach a registration page of your courses along with payment options.   

Now your online course website is ready. So, you must promote it to fully take benefit of this effort. Here are the best tips to do so!

Tips to Promote your Online Course Website?

Following are the best time-tested tips to promote your online course website.

Create Quality Courses and Include Real Value

The first tip is to create quality courses. It will build your reputation and there is no big advertising other than word of mouth. Therefore, focus on creating quality courses instead of creating another me-too product. Furthermore, you must focus on creating real value for the students. It means you must try to provide the best tools that can help your students to get success.  

Offer Free Entry in Start

The launch of the course is one of the most crucial times. It is the time when a good influx of students is required. This huge influx will help you to reach out to a wider audience. Therefore, you can offer free entry to the courses at the start. It will help you to enroll a good amount of students who will be free publicity for your course.

Create Testimonials of Successful Students

Once you have a huge influx of students from the free enrolment, help them to get success. After it, stay in touch with your students and ask for their feedback. Moreover, you can create testimonials of your successful students. These testimonials will be the driving force for the new enrollments. All you have to do is record testimonials and publicize them as much as possible.   

Offer Need-Based Scholarship

Once the publicity is done, you will notice that there are potential students who can fully or partially afford your course but they need it. Offer need-based scholarships to them! This will help you to be socially responsible. Furthermore, the success of these students can do wonders for your brands because these students usually create rags to riches stories.

Do online Advertising to Wider Audience

By this time, your course will start attracting a stable enrollment. However, it is not the time to stop. You are just starting! This is the time to up your game by doing online advertising to reach out to a wider audience. Remember! You will be able to tap this audience because by now, your course is in the market for a good period and there is a lot of information in the market to trust you.

Take Advantage of Social Media

You don’t have to stop at online advertising. Therefore, you must tap the option of social media. Social Media allows you to reach a new audience without spending a dime. All you have to do is promote your social media accounts to your students in the course and ask them to connect with you on social media. Once connected, the possibilities are countless. You can promote further courses or you can launch the advanced level of your previous courses.  

Collaborate with Influencers in the Niche

Once you have a good following on social media, you will be considered as the influencer in the niche. Now is the time to start a collaboration with other influencers in your niche. These collaborations will be mutually beneficial for both the influencers. Therefore, you will face a lot of interesting influencers who will be ready to collaborate! So, be confident and go for it!

Build Your Reputation in the Niche

The last and biggest tip to promote your online course website is to keep building your reputation in your niche. Never compromise on your reputation! You can witness a lot of examples on the internet where people managed to launch a successful course but lost their reputation in their main business. It badly impacted their courses and they lost all of their hard work. So, keep building your reputation and never compromise on it!  

If you are still confused about creating your online course website, here are the pros and cons of creating an online course website to help you decide!   

Pros and Cons of Creating an Online Course Website

Every business has its pros and cons. However, creating an online course website has more pros than cons. Let's dive straight into it and analyze its pros and cons. 

Pros of Creating an Online Course Website

Following are the pros of creating an online course website:-

Learn More about Your Niche

You will learn more about your niche while teaching. It happens because you will have to prepare answers for the questions of your students. In this way, you will review the information that you usually ignore.

Online Courses will generate more Income

The second pro of creating an online course website is that it will generate more income for you. Who does not like more income? Especially if it is passive income! Remember! Passive income is the one where you do not actively put effort on a daily basis.

Low startup costs

The third pro of creating an online course website is its low start-up costs. Furthermore, there is very little management cost for your online course website. Therefore, it is all profits, once the course starts to become popular in the niche.

No Constant Content Creation

The fourth pro of creating an online course website is that there is no need for constant content creation. Therefore, you will be able to reap the benefits of the auto-pilot business.

Help You to Generate Leads for the main business

The fifth biggest benefit of creating an online course website is that it helps you to generate leads for your main business. In this way, you increase your income manifold. It works like free advertising!

Build Authority in the Niche

The last and biggest pro of creating an online course website is that it helps you to build your authority in the niche. Imagine, you have only one thousand students in the niche and only ten of them get huge success! You will be considered the teacher of these successful students. It will build your authority and will attract more business.

Cons of Creating an Online Course Website

Following are the two major cons of creating an online course website:-

You have to Invest Time and Effort

Remember! You have to invest time and lots of effort to be successful. The creation of an online course website will not be done without challenges. You will face a lot of difficulties to create and market your online course. So, be prepared! However, do not worry. You can do it!

Quality Course Creation is a Real Challenge

The biggest challenge for you will be to create a course of top quality. You will have to ensure quality at every step of the course creation. It means you have to invest in production costs and costs of content creation. Remember! Only the quality is the assurance of your success. So, never compromise on quality!

Conclusion

In conclusion, creating an online course website will be one of the best decisions of your life. You will earn a lot of passive income and it will increase your authority in the niche. Furthermore, it will turn you into a brand and influencer. Therefore, do not miss the opportunity of creating your online course website.