How To Create A Course: The Ultimate Guide

Why Create an Online Course as a Business Coach?

That's the million-dollar question, isn't it? 

If you’ve already set up a successful coaching business, have numerous clients, and a sparkling reputation, why rock the boat? If you’ve found yourself running out of time, drained of energy at the end of the day, or struggling to grow then it’s time for a change.

When you get caught on the treadmill of chasing clients, getting clients, coaching clients, and covering all the things in between it’s easy to lose sight of why you started coaching in the first place!

It's time to go easier on yourself and create an online course.

Selling an online course is one of the best ways coaches can scale their expertise and grow their business. There are dozens of benefits that come with creating and selling an online course, my favorites are:

Creating an online course is an excellent way to demonstrate your expertise and scale your business to new heights. Read on to learn more about how to create a course that will dazzle your students (and make sales)!

How is an Online Course Different From a Coaching Program?

Many coaches opt for a coaching program as a scalable way to offer coaching services and drive revenue. On the surface, a coaching program and a course sound pretty similar:

While coaching programs are more scalable than one:one coaching, nothing beats a course when it comes to reaching new students without sacrificing more of your time. Read on to learn more about how to create the course that will launch your business to new heights!

Tools You Will Need to Create Your Online Course

There is a wide range of tools and resources available that make creating an online course easier. Some of the most popular options include:

Depending on the type of course you create there are other tools you could consider, but these will give you most of what you need to create an engaging and professional-looking course that will wow your students.

How Much Does it Cost to Create an Online Course?

While online courses are fantastic ways to scale your business, they don’t grow on trees (you can purchase ready-to-sell PLR courses though!).

If you create a course from scratch, it will come with a cost. The cost of creating an online course depends on a few factors:

In general, you can expect to spend anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars on creating an online course.

Should YOU Create Your Course or Outsource it?

It can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to create an online course, depending on the length and complexity. 

It's important to factor in time for planning, creating course materials, recording and editing videos, and testing and refining the course. When it comes to cost, remember that your time is part of it too. After all, you don't coach clients for free!

If you don't have the time or expertise to create an online course on your own, you can always consider outsourcing some or all of the work. Outsourcing can help save months and ensure that your course is high quality, but it will also add to the overall cost of creating the course.

An even more time-efficient and affordable option is to use White Label courses, like the ones we offer here at Content Sparks. It's like having a team of professional course creators at a fraction of the cost of hiring your own or teaching yourself.

How Much Can You Make Selling Online Courses?

It's difficult to say exactly how much you can make selling online courses, as it will depend on factors like the topic and content of your course, the size of your audience, and your pricing and marketing strategies. However, many people can generate significant income from their courses, and it can be a profitable venture for coaches and other experts who have valuable knowledge and experiences to share.

There are 3 main formulas you need to calculate how much income you can make from your course:

How to calculate total revenue for your course

Your total revenue is based on how many course sales you make, which in turn is based on an estimate of how many people you can reach with your marketing and how many of those you can convert. Until you've done some marketing, this will be a rough guess based on whatever information you can gather:

How to calculate the total cost to create your course

When you calculate the cost of creating your online course, include your variable and fixed costs (such as an assistant, outsourced projects like graphics, and your course platform) plus your time at whatever hourly rate you would charge when actively coaching or consulting.

How to calculate the profit of your course

How much profit you ultimately make from your course comes down to a simple calculation:

However, your online course profits don't end with one launch of your course.

One of the key advantages of selling online courses is also the potential for passive income. While your course will generate sales during its launch, you will likely continue to generate sales well after launching. 

You can reach a potentially unlimited number of students with your course and generate income from each sale. This can be a powerful way to grow your income exponentially and expand your business - all without having to invest in additional resources.

If you want to ensure that you get rave reviews and that your sales accelerate over time, it's important to carefully plan your course. Once created, you need to launch your course using the most effective marketing and pricing strategies to maximize your earnings.

How to Create an Online Course: 10 Essential Steps

Creating an online course that delivers on your promises requires a structured approach. In the professional world of training and development, that process is called instructional design. 

Fortunately, you don't need to be a certified instructional designer to create an online course that gets results. 

You just need to follow these 10 steps:

While there are also sub-steps to each of these, don't overcomplicate the process. Follow these 10 steps and you’ll be well on your way to creating a stellar course!

Step 1. Select a Profitable Course Topic

Your first step is to select a profitable course topic that also excites you. This will ensure that your course is in demand, will appeal to your target audience, and will keep you motivated through all the work of delivering and selling your course. 

Here are some steps you can take to select a profitable course topic:

Understand your audience

Before selecting a course topic, take the time to understand your target audience. This will help you choose a topic that is relevant and interesting to your potential students. You can gather this information through market research, surveys, and by talking to potential students or existing clients.

Test your idea for market demand

Once you have a general idea for your course topic, test the market demand. Will people want to buy your course? This can help you determine if there is a need for your course and whether or not it is likely to be profitable. You can test the demand for your course by creating a landing page or sales page and promoting it to your audience. You can also consider pre-selling your course to gauge interest and gather feedback from potential students. 

Step 2. Validate Your Course Idea

Now that you have a course topic in mind, let’s validate it before spending any more time (or money) on creating an entire course for it. 

Why should you validate your course before creating it? Here are a few reasons:

Pre-selling your course is a great way to validate your idea and identify the need for your course. This can help you determine if there is enough interest in your course to make it profitable. You can pre-sell your course by offering a discounted price to a limited number of students who are willing to purchase your course before it is completed.

Pre-selling can help you gather feedback, make improvements to your course, and build buzz and anticipation for its release. If no one is willing to put down a deposit, there's a high risk that they won't want to buy the topic you've picked. By asking for feedback, you may hit on an even better idea!

Step 3. Choose Your Course Format

Once you have selected a profitable course topic, the next step is to pick the type of online course that's both right for you as a coach and that meets your goals. There are several formats to choose from, each with its benefits and drawbacks. Here are some common types of online courses:

Mini-courses

Mini-courses are short and targeted on a specific topic or skill. These courses are quick to create and can be a great way to get started with online teaching. Mini-courses are typically focused on helping students achieve small goals, such as learning a new skill or improving their performance in a particular area.

Deep-dive courses

Deep-dive courses are more comprehensive ones that cover a single topic in depth. These courses are designed to provide students with everything they need to achieve a specified outcome. Deep-dive courses can be a great way to provide value to your students and help them achieve their larger goals.

Certification courses 

Certification courses are more advanced and are designed to help students master a specific skill or topic, with proof of that mastery at the end. They involve a series of lessons and assignments, as well as a final exam or assessment. Certification courses require students to meet set standards or criteria to pass the course and earn a certification.

Membership courses

Membership courses are ones that students pay for on an ongoing basis to maintain access to a specific course or set of resources. Courses on membership sites are typically focused on providing students with ongoing support, guidance, and access to a community of like-minded learners.

Overall, the type of online course you choose will depend on your goals, your preferences, and the needs of your audience. By considering the different types of online courses available, you can choose the one that is right for you as a coach and that will provide the most value to your students.

Step 4. Identify Your Course Goals and Actionable Learning Objectives

Before you can figure out exactly what content to put into your course and how to structure it, there are two things you need to determine:

Aside from your course topic and market demand, these are what will make or break the ultimate success of your online course. They drive your decisions around content, the flow of the content, student learning activities, and any other resources you need to provide.

Identify Your Goals

To set your course goals, answer the following questions:

Develop Actionable Learning Objectives

While your course goal paints the big picture of what students will achieve by the end of your course, the course learning objectives give the details that make that result a reality. 

This is where you break your goal down into the flow of what you'll be teaching and the actions your students will have to take along the way. Your learning objectives should be measurable or observable.

The key is to think in terms of what your students will be able to DO. And that means your learning objectives must use "action verbs". Examples of action verbs for learning objectives:

Examples of verbs to avoid in learning objectives (not actionable):

To make it easier, just complete the sentence, "By the end of this course, you will be able to....". For example, by the end of the video marketing course, you will be able to…

As you can see, each learning objective would need some teaching content and student resources for people to be able to achieve them. They also need to be organized into a logical flow, so that students can see the progression of their development and what comes next.

And that's where your course structure comes into existence in the next step.

Step 5. How to Structure Your Online Course

If you've done a thorough job writing your course goals and learning objectives, you know exactly what you want your students to be able to do by the end. But how will you get them there? What does their online course journey look like?

This is another place where coaches tend to get stuck when creating a course. You have all that knowledge and experience you want to share, but you're not sure where to start.

To ensure your students have an engaging and effective learning experience, organize your learning objectives into themes, specify the learning activities, and decide what your students need to complete those activities. That's your course structure. It's also your blueprint for when it comes time to create your course content.

Start with your high-level outline, where you group your learning objectives. For example, it could look like this:

Welcome and Introduction

Module 1: Theme

• Lesson 1: Topic
  • Learning Objective
• Lesson 2: Topic
  • Learning Objective
• Lesson 3: Topic
  • Learning Objective

Module 2: Theme

• Lesson 1: Topic
  • Learning Objectives
• Lesson 2: Topic
  • Learning Objective

When the grouping of learning objectives feels logical, add more detail about what actions students will take at the end, your mode of delivering any content, and any resources you feel students will need.

Here's what a partial template for your more detailed course structure might look like for just one section:

Module 1: Theme

• Lesson 1: Topic
  • Learning Objective:
  • Learning Activity (Action Step):
  • Mode of Delivery:
  • Content Needed: (to be added in the next step)

Unless you're creating a course outline for a large organization, don't make it any more complicated than that. You'll add the specific content to include in Step 5: How to Create Your Online Course Content.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when structuring your online course:

When planning your lessons, it's also important to consider the following criteria:

It may seem like a lot of work right now, but planning out a detailed course structure will save you an inordinate amount of time in the long run. If you dive right into gathering and creating content, you can quickly lose track of where you are or start dumping all your knowledge into the course!

Step 6. Create Your Online Course Content

Now that you have a detailed structure for your online course, the next step is to gather and create the course content. 

To decide what content you need, answer these questions for each module and lesson:

Write down your answers and you'll be able to identify exactly what content you already have and what you need to create.

Here are some steps you can take to create your online course content:

You've now completed the hardest part of creating and selling a successful online course! Determining learning objectives, course structure, and course content are all steps that most course creators and coaches approach in a haphazard, disorganized way. That's a guarantee for failure. It's also why many coaches hire an expert in course creation or purchase white-label courses instead. You can see how time-consuming it can be to create your course from scratch!

Step 7. Set Up Your Course on an Online Course Platform

You have your course all created, but where should it go? How will your students access it?  Once you have all your content and videos ready, the next step is to set up your course on an online course platform. There are three major ways to upload and sell your online courses:

Online Course Marketplaces

Online course marketplaces are websites that offer a platform for teachers to sell their courses. Examples of popular online course marketplaces include Udemy, Skillshare, and Coursera. These platforms offer a range of tools and features for creating, selling, and delivering your online course. But they typically take a percentage of your course sales as a fee.

Learning Management Systems

Learning management systems (LMS) are software platforms that enable teachers to create, deliver, and manage online courses. These systems typically offer a range of features and tools for creating, organizing, and delivering your course content, as well as tracking student progress and engagement. Some also take a percentage of course fees, depending on your level of paid subscription plan.

Plugins or Software on Your Website

Another option for selling your online courses is to use a plugin or software on your own website, such as Thrive Apprentice. This can allow you to have full control over the design, branding, and functionality of your course platform, but it may require more technical expertise and resources to set up and manage.

Some of the best recommended online course platforms include Teachable and Zenler. These both offer a range of tools and features for creating, selling, and delivering your online course. They also have a good reputation among teachers and students.

So how can you choose the best online course platform for you? Take a look at the features of different popular platforms and consider whether they have what you want, can grow with your business, and will fit your technical abilities (or lack thereof). Then test out ones that have a free option as much as possible so you can get a feel for what you like. Don't forget to check for their customer service availability too!

How to Make Your Online Courses More Engaging

You have your online course all completed and set up on an online course platform by this point. Now the key to success is to ensure it meets  your students' expectations for a learning experience that delivers results. Here are some tips for how to teach an online course and make it more engaging for your students so that they get the results you promised:

By making your online course more engaging, you'll be able to stand out from other courses in your market, deliver exceptional results as promised, and earn the testimonials and loyalty of your successful students.

Step 7. Record Your Online Course Videos

Once you have your detailed online course structure outline, you'll probably have a big component of video in your list of content to create. However, that's also a challenge for a lot of coaches. But even if you're not comfortable with video now, you'll quickly become an expert with practice.

Here are some steps you can take to record your online course videos:

Recording your online course videos doesn't have to be a massive and terrifying task. The key is to stick to a tool that's easy for you right now, take it one step at a time, and practice. Before you know it, you'll be recording an entire course in a day.

Step 8. Set Your Course Price

Course creators and coaches tend to agonize over what to charge for their online courses. 

You're afraid to set too high a price and scare off potential students. But you know that if the price is too low, the course won't earn enough to make it worthwhile. These are both legitimate concerns, but there are some steps you can take to price your online course for maximum profitability.

While the price of your course is an important decision during your launch, remember that it can always be changed through offering different options, adding or taking away content, or changing your launch model. Just don't worry too much at the start about how many sales you'll make. If you can sell 1 spot in your course, you can sell 100!

Step 9. Set Up Your Course on an Online Course Platform

You have your course all created, but where should it go? How will your students access it?  Once you have all your content and videos ready, the next step is to set up your course on an online course platform. 

There are three major ways to upload and sell your online courses:

Online Course Marketplaces

Online course marketplaces are websites that offer a platform for teachers to sell their courses. Examples of popular online course marketplaces include Udemy, Skillshare, and Coursera. These platforms offer a range of tools and features for creating, selling, and delivering your online course. But they typically take a percentage of your course sales as a fee.

Learning Management Systems

Learning management systems (LMS) are software platforms that enable teachers to create, deliver, and manage online courses. These systems typically offer a range of features and tools for creating, organizing, and delivering your course content, as well as tracking student progress and engagement. Some also take a percentage of course fees, depending on your level of paid subscription plan.

Plugins or Software on Your Website

Another option for selling your online courses is to use a plugin or software on your own website, such as Thrive Apprentice. This can allow you to have full control over the design, branding, and functionality of your course platform, but it may require more technical expertise and resources to set up and manage.

Some of the best recommended online course platforms include Teachable and Zenler. These both offer a range of tools and features for creating, selling, and delivering your online course. They also have a good reputation among teachers and students.

So how can you choose the best online course platform for you? Take a look at the features of different popular platforms and consider whether they have what you want, can grow with your business, and will fit your technical abilities (or lack thereof). Then test out ones that have a free option as much as possible so you can get a feel for what you like. Don't forget to check for their customer service availability too!

Step 10. Gather Feedback

They say that feedback is the breakfast of champions, and that is certainly the case when creating and selling an online course. 

Feedback is invaluable for two reasons:

Here are my favorite ways to ask for feedback for an online course:

And there you have it! 10 foolproof steps for creating an online course that will launch your coaching business to the next level. Read on for my course launching tips!

5 Ways To Make Your Online Courses More Engaging

You have your online course all completed and set up on an online course platform by this point. Now the key to success is to ensure it meets your students' expectations for a learning experience that delivers results. Here are some tips for how to teach an online course and make it more engaging for your students so that they get the results you promised:

By making your online course more engaging, you'll be able to stand out from other courses in your market, deliver exceptional results as promised, and earn the testimonials and loyalty of your successful students.

5 Mistakes First-Time Course Creators Make

It's a sad fact that most online courses never make the impact their creators dreamed of. 

Why? 

Because people who are experts in their field tend to dump all their knowledge into a course, making the mistake of assuming more is better. The result is overwhelmed students who have no idea what to do next. Watch out for the following mistakes and pitfalls that first-time course creators run into:

Avoid these missteps and your course will be set up for success!

How to Build a 6-Figure Online Course Business

Building a 6-figure online course business requires a combination of creating a curriculum of high-quality courses, marketing those courses effectively, and providing excellent customer service to your students.

Here are some steps you can take to build a successful online course business:

It's essential to have more than one online course for a 6-figure course business because it provides multiple streams of income and allows you to reach a wider audience. Universities and colleges don't just teach one course. By offering a variety of courses on different topics, you can appeal to a broader range of potential students and increase your revenue potential.

Having a library of courses on different topics also allows you to diversify your business and reduce your risk. If one of your courses doesn't perform as well as you had hoped, you will still have other courses generating income for your business. This can provide stability and help you weather any challenges that may arise.

Additionally, having multiple courses can help you build a loyal customer base. If a student enjoys and benefits from one of your courses, they may be more likely to purchase additional courses from you in the future. This can help you build a community of engaged and loyal students who are more likely to support your business over the long term.

It is possible to build a 6-figure business with just one online course, but it will require a high-quality course that addresses a specific need or problem for a large target audience. Additionally, you will need to market your course effectively and provide excellent customer service to your students.’

Here are a few examples of people who have built 6-figure businesses with just one online course:

You'll notice all of these famous course creators started with one course, but now launch several courses over a 12-month period. 

Is it realistic to build a 6-figure business with just one online course? Yes, but it will require not just a high-quality course, but also dedicated marketing, repeat launches, and excellent customer service. 

Most coaches find three or four courses is the perfect base for their online coaching and course academy. You can add new courses a few times a year to grow your library of courses. Especially if you leverage the power of white-label courses like the ones here at Content Sparks, so you don't have to go through all the steps of creating a course from scratch!

And then you have the ability to focus your marketing budget on your full range of course options, rather than just one.  

That's when you start to not only grow a 6-figure online course business but also scale your coaching business to 7-figures and beyond!