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Online Platforms For Your Course
There are different ways you can launch your course depending on your level of technical expertise and how much (or little) you want to market your course.
- The Udemy platform is a popular starting point with a revenue sharing model where the instructor and Udemy share the revenue. The sharing structure is either 50/50 or 97/3 depending on who is doing the marketing of the course. The average course instructor generates an income of approx. $300/month as the course average sale is in the $20 range. All your courses would reside on the Udemy platform.
- Teachable is a platform for people who are interested in developing multiple courses with a robust support system, attractive course layouts, drip course content, and integrated email marketing etc. There are 3 plans to choose from depending on the number of admin users, starting at $29/month to a top tier of $399/month for businesses with 100 admin level users.
- Thinkific is similar to Teachable with four plans, a basic free plan to test drive the product with the addition of paid plans starting at $49/month to a top end premier plan at $499/month. The top end premium Thinkific plan allows for 50 course admins.
- LearnDash Is the most trusted WordPress LMS (Learning Management System) plugin than can be used with any WordPress theme. It is a paid plugin starting at $159/year to a pro package at $329/year. You can use LearnDash with a simple PayPal button or WooCommerce shopping carts. You cannot use LearnDash with a hosted WordPress.com site. You would need to purchase your own domain and host it with a provider such as GoDaddy, SiteGround, BlueHost, HostPapa or HostGator. These fees would average approximately $5/month + an annual domain fee.
How To Choose The Right Platform For Your Online Course
There is no one ‘right’ model. It depends on your technical and marketing expertise. For businesses that already have a WordPress site and understand the back end of their website, they would probably find the LearnDash plugin the simplest choice. If your courses are part of your business brand, you could always host them on a sub-domain of your main website to showcase both your expertise and take your brand awareness to the next level. Alternatively you can start with a brand new domain for your teaching academy.
If you are thinking of just developing one course, then Udemy might be your best plan. For multiple courses with lots of support, then Thinkific or Teachable might be the best option. It’s all up to you!
Why not get started by outlining and developing your course first and then deciding which is the right platform choice. You can always host a private facebook group for students in your course to help support them and give them the real classroom feel where their questions are answered by the course instructor.
We love designing in WordPress, so if you want to launch online courses for an additional revenue stream, we can help by designing your first course from start to finish. Contact Us for a FREE half hour exploratory call to see how we can help you get launched quickly.