I bet when you first started brainstorming how to make more money, creating online courses wasn’t the first idea that popped in your mind. Creating online courses can make for a great side hustle or even a full time job!
I personally didn’t even know about the world of e-courses until about two years ago. After deciding that I wanted to work from home, I bought an online course to teach me how to start a freelancing career. This opened a whole new world of possibilities to make money from home including creating online courses (just like the one I had purchased).
If you are looking for a way to create money, maybe even a passive income stream, then keep writing and find out how YOU can make money creating online courses as well!
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How Do I Know if Creating an Online Course Is Right for Me?
Creating an online course can be right for anyone because we are all passionate and knowledgeable about something.
People have sold online courses on every topic you could ever imagine. Things like natural birth, jewelry making, how to get out of debt, meal planning, how to build a website, and more.
For example, my first course was “Essential Oils for Beginners”. I took something I was passionate and knowledgeable about, broke it down into a step-by-step procedure to help people learn how to use essential oils in their home.
Related: Essential oils are a perfect gift for any occasion! And what better way to save money than to DIY? Read about 35+ essential oil DIY gifts here!
Here are some questions to consider when deciding what to create your online course on:
- What do your friends come to you for? What are you an expert on in their eyes?
- What do you do for work? Have you gained skills there you could share?
- What do you LOVE to do? Meaning, what could you talk about endlessly and still be passionate about?
- If you draw a blank on the above questions, what would you want to learn to do? Learn it and then start creating an online course for it!
I’ll add that you don’t need to be a tech or software genius to create an online course because guess what, there are online courses to teach you how to do it. You could also invest in a freelancer to help you build it out.
So yes, creating online courses is right for you!
How Can I Create an Online Course for Free?
When it comes to creating online courses, you have a few different options.
Free Options
When you are starting out, you may not be ready to throw a lot of money into your online course and therefore be looking for a more affordable option. My two suggestions for free ways to create online course would be Facebook Groups or Membervault.
With a private Facebook group you could use the “units” function to create that step-by-step feel for your students to go through. This option is also fun because it provides a space for all your students to come together and ask questions or network together all in one place. It’s also one less platform they have to learn. Most people already know how to access and use Facebook so it makes it easy to get started.
Member Vault is a great option because it provides that professional platform feel, but for free up to 100 people! This means you’ll save money as you grow your online course and when you have over 100 students, you’ll simply step up to the next plan at $19/month which is still super affordable.
Options That Cost Money
When it comes to options that have a price tag, there are quite a few. Here are some of the most popular and loved platforms for creating online courses.
Teachable
This option is an extremely popular one because it is user friendly as a creator and a user. It has all the bells and whistles without being overly complicated. I pay $40 a month for unlimited courses, customer service, pay portal, email marketing, and more. They have options for all budgets and needs
Podia
Another great option that is very similar to Teachable. They do not have a free option, but their basic plan is very comparable at $40/ month as well.
Kajabi
This option is a little more expensive, but can literally keep all the tools you need in one space. This means your course, emails, sales portal, and everything will be together, cutting down on other things you might need to sign up for. It’s about $100/month, but again you aren’t paying for any other apps to manage things such as your cart or email.
Which platform is best for online courses?
I don’t think any one platform is “best.” The quality of your teaching will mean much more than the site you use, so focus more on creating well thought out content that’s easy to follow.
You can also consider your audience. Some groups of people don’t want to learn new platforms, in which case a Facebook group might be a better choice.
How Do You Create an Online Course and Sell It?
You can create and sell a course in 4 steps:
- Choose a course topic: Your course topic needs to solve one specific problem or teach one specific skill.
- Outline your course on paper: Brainstorm all the steps it take to solve the problem or learn the skill.
- Choose a platform to sell your course and start creating.
- Promote on social media or other marketing avenues.
Those four steps are really all it takes to start your own online course.
When I knew I wanted to create an online course, I bought a course to learn how to do it! Course by Number by Suzi Whitford is extremely easy to understand and follow. She provides a wealth of knowledge and details on how to cover those 4 steps above.
As you can see, creating an online course can be an easy way to share your passion AND make money. Tell us in the comments what you think you’d like to create an online course about!
And if you are interested in other ways to make money from home, check out my Work From Home Mom Series, a free online course to give you real options to make money from home on your own schedule!
Victoria Black is a registered nurse, mother, and a natural wellness advocate. She’s finds the most joy helping other moms create healthier spaces or listening to her kids giggle about something silly. Victoria works from home and uses her passions to create income for her family and does it all while hanging with her little ones.