Whilst many think of online training as a new phenomenon it’s roots in CBT (Computer Based Training) can be traced back as far the 1960’s. However it’s the power of the internet that has catapulted this industry into the mainstream.
In fact online courses are expected to become a $375 billion industry by the time we reach 2026 (for comparison the sports industry is a $500 billion industry)!
An astonishing number, but not unexpected as the convenience of learning at your own pace, in your own home, at your leisure is a perfect product delivery mechanism. And our crave for knowledge and personal growth continues to grow.
A new generation of entrepreneurs is currently growing as they share their minds with the world. And if you think that you need to be a professional educator to create online courses, you could not be more mistaken.
Online courses are such a success not only by the value that they can offer as a training program but also because online courses are incredibly personal. They have a piece of the course creator imprinted in them, and that alone enhances the value of online learning.
People want to learn, but for someone to spend their money with something you created, they need to trust you, and that’s why online courses offer a chance not only to teach but also to connect with your audience.
For many it’s this connection with their audience, clients, and prospects that is as valuable if not more than the commercial returns that it brings.
If you are incredibly passionate about a specific topic and feel like you can make a difference in someone’s life or teach something new, you already have what it takes to create a digital online course.
“Don’t worry about being successful but work toward being significant and the success will naturally follow.”
Oprah Winfrey
Who should sell courses online?
Anyone that has anything to teach can and should create online courses.
If you have anything to share with the world that brings value to someone else’s life, then you should consider making a digital course and share it on an online learning platform or even on your website.
Platforms like Udemy, Coursera, Lynda, Skillshare, Udacity and our very own Expert-Velocity.net can host your training course.
Note some of these platforms will take a commission, and may have other fees such as monthly hosting costs so we recommend you consider the costs of any platform you use over the long term (5-10 years) rather than take a short-sighted view. You can read more about platform costs and how to choose your platform here.
If you have your website and an audience, you can also sell courses online directly from your website, giving you more freedom.
An online course is an extraordinary opportunity to potentially grow your income online and expand your abilities and credibility. No matter your career path, if you have an audience and people already watch or read your content, there will be for sure people who want to buy an online course from you. But why is a digital course a good idea? Here I’m sharing ten reasons why you should sell courses online.
“Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.”
Sara Blakely
Why should you start a digital training course?
People usually go online chasing for knowledge and entertainment, and it is known that people tend to want to learn from someone they admire and respect.
If you have experience or expertise in any area that others would find of value then creating a training course might be a great decision for you.
If you sell your expertise in any capacity as a consultant, business coach, educator, teacher or author then it will be in your interest to create a training course that can be easily sold and distributed globally.
If you have a voice online in any channel such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube etc. then you already have a go-to audience to sell your course to. And if you do not, then it is never too late to start building your brand, and creating a training course is a great way to achieve this.
So why should you create an online course?
1. Share your passions with others
One of the reasons why you should start a digital training online course is the opportunity that your online course will grant you to share your vision and voice with the world. No matter what you are teaching, if you do it with passion, it will have value. Your knowledge or way to do or see things will bring value to someone else.
Everyone has someone to teach, whether it’s a passion for writing or painting. A skill such as teaching how to play a musical instrument or take photographs. Or even merely great life skills tips, such as parenting or relationships. Everyone holds something unique and special about them, and your experience can be considered a valuable training program that will offer value to your clients/audience.
2. It will help you to expand your business
If you already have a business, then an online course will possibly help to grow your business. Whether you sell products or services, online courses help build authority in a specific niche, and of course, this will boost your business.
People trust and value those who teach, so an online course can, without a doubt, boost your other businesses. While your online course makes you money, it also expands your other business sectors or even any other products that you intend to deliver in the future.
3. Online courses require little or no start-up cost
Contrary to most start-up businesses where you need to invest a relatively generous amount of money, building an online course does not necessarily require much upfront investment.
You can begin your online course with a very slim start-up cost and gradually expand it into something more complex and perhaps more profitable.
Another way to make a course more profitable without significant investment on your part is to find sponsors that can support you with the initial cost. Some course creators have sponsors that can aid with the course’s promotional stages and offer financial support, although your ideas need to stand out and offer something different for someone to invest in your course.
Still, even without sponsors, you can create a phenomenally successful and profitable course. You may have to start small but soon expand your online course into bigger and better things.
4. Gives the flexibility to do things your way
Building and selling online courses can empower you to experience a very flexible lifestyle. You will choose when to work and how many hours a day or week you will be spending working. It is your choice. If you want to invest 80 hours a week and reach for success faster, you can. You can also take a more slow-paced approach and work only a few hours a day or a few days a week.
The choice is yours. An online course will offer you the freedom to make your own decisions. It will give you the chance to have more freedom to what you love while providing a source of income.
5. An online course is a valuable asset
An online course is an evergreen digital product that will not decrease its price fast. An online course tends to stay valuable for a minimum of five years. Because an online course is a digital course, it’s something that can be sold over and over again.
Because an online course is a digital product, there is no further cost of creating a new course model. Online courses retain extended longevity; you can sell the same courses online for years and years. You may need to revise and update its content now and again, but the profits of one single course can be generated for many years.
And the profitable outcomes of online courses are relatively high. Of course, this will depend entirely on the quality of the content and how you promote it.
6. You will be able to reach a worldwide audience
Online courses will allow you to reach more people at the same time. As well as provide you with a global audience. Because it is a digital and product, you do not need to be physical with your clients while you teach them whatever you are trying to teach so that you can expand your course towards a larger group of people.
There are not many barriers in the digital world, which is why online courses are becoming so popular. People do not have much time to attend college or an in-person training program, so having an online learning platform available to them allows them to learn at their own pace in their own homes.
7. Low cost for clients
Online courses offer a cheaper option for learning and are usually self-paced and thus can easily fit into anyone’s timetable.
An online course can provide the same value as one-to-one sessions with a coach but costs relatively less. And an online course can complement your other services or products. Apart from being an affordable option to give people some of the knowledge they want, an online course can also lead them to come back to you and use your other services.
There are also other ways to boost your profits even if your online course doesn’t provide you with a considerable profit margin. You can use your course to offer additional services and even implement affiliate marketing that will also help you to boost your other sources of income.
8. Additional passive income
When it comes to making more money, online courses can be an excellent way to achieve that. Yet, creating an online course does not necessarily mean that you will be breaking the bank straight away. Online courses can take some time to generate a fair amount of money. This is why it’s a good idea to look at online courses with the potential of growing over time instead of a quick-rich scheme.
Even if you already run a successful business, an online course can take a little time to achieve its full potential. Still, they are also an excellent way to generate passive income. Online courses are a great way to diversify your income and to expand and grow your business.
9. You learn better when you are teaching
We know better when we teach. Have you ever noticed that when you want to explain something to someone else clearly and accurately, you dive into the subject more deeply to explain it thoroughly? Have you ever noticed how this enables you to learn it better as well? By trying to help someone else to understand a specific topic, we unconsciously absorbed it better.
This will mean that we will learn it more profoundly and even become an expert on the matter. Online courses will not only teach your audience something new. It will teach you a lot as well. And as your own learning grows, the value of your content grows also.
10. Online courses can be more profitable than a book
An online course is more effective than learning from a book, but it also offers a higher margin for profit. Books are filled with knowledge, and we can take so much from them, yet online courses open the door for a different type of learning.
When created well they include various interactions that enhance the learning experience for the user, and keep them engaged throughout. Online courses merge learning with a personal touch from the course creator.
When you create your course, you will become a part of someone else’s journey, a feeling that not even books can achieve. Online courses are completely changing the way people learn. They also take less time to create and offer a more significant potential to make passive income.
“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.”
Steve Jobs
Online training conclusion
Creating an online course is a great decision for anyone working in the knowledge economy. They add credibility and awareness of your skills and talents, whilst distributing your insight and expertise through a highly engaging product that can distributed globally.
Unlike a book that is often sold for just $30 or less, a well created training course can be sold in $100s, or $1000’s. Thus providing a valuable direct income source in a way that a book cannot achieve.
If you are interested in joining the many people who have already created online courses, there is no better time than right now to start building your online course.
There aren’t any limits when it comes to online learning. Can you really afford to sit back and miss this fantastic opportunity (your competitors won’t)?
