How to create an online course in 5 easy steps

If you are currently sat on the nest, warming the idea of a course in your mind but no idea how to hatch and execute that plan, then this quick and easy guide might be just what you’re looking for!

Over the past few years I’ve helped many business owners bring their ideas to life, and courses online. For many, it had seemed too daunting a task to ever make the leap from idea to reality, but once it’s done, they are always surprised by how easy it was once they stopped overthinking it.  

Firstly though, tell me, how much money is the idea of the course bringing you in just now?

Hint - It’s far more profitable when you bring it to life! So if bringing your course to life is what’s keeping you stuck at the moment, check these FIVE easy steps out! 

1. WHAT HAVE THEY COME TO LEARN?

Start with what you want your students to achieve by completing this course. You have a brilliant idea for your course but what is THEIR end goal? They will buy your course to achieve a goal of their own, which is generally learning something they want to know how to do, that you know how to teach them! Figure out what it is they want to learn – then teach them with your expertise. Remember, YOU are the expert here – own it!

2. MAP IT OUT!

Get it all out of your brain in a way that works for you.  Whether you are a mind-mapper, a journaller, a list maker, a spread-it-all-out-on-the-table-er, start to work out how you’re going to break it down. Think about the journey you want to take your students on - how you’re going to start the course, and how you plan to finish it – then work out all the bits in between.

3. BREAK IT DOWN

Start looking more closely at your learning content. Decide on the theme or title, and learning outcome for each one – think about how they progress from the previous one to the next and how that builds the bigger picture and over all learning outcome on completion of your course. Consider how it all fits together to work towards that end learning goal for your students.

4. IT'S TIME TO CREATE!

One step at a time. Working module by module, or outcome by outcome, start recording your videos, creating your workbooks, your downloadables, your audios which will all pull together to create a smooth learning journey for your students. I’ll share a little tip here – bitesize works best. Don’t overwhelm your students with hour long videos and 30 page workbooks which they need to complete before they can move on to the next bit – you’ll lose them here. Keep each piece of content short and sweet, something they can pick up and run with when they get time. How many courses have you started in the past and are still yet to finish?! Easy to consume, bitesize content will be your secret weapon to a really successful completion rate!

5. PULL IT ALL TOGETHER

Build it. Test it. Sell it! Pull it all together on a platform that works for you and test it! (find out which platform I recommend HERE). Find a couple of willing guinea pigs to do a small test run with a specific group to make sure they learn what it is you set out to teach, get their feedback, tweak and then ROLL IT OUT and start earning!

My biggest piece of advice?

Your course is not helping anyone while it’s stuck in your head.  The world needs your expertise, so don’t overthink it. Break it down and get it out there! If you need support to get it up and running, don’t let that be your obstacle. If you’ve never outsourced before, this is an ideal place to start – let someone help you with the techy side, the document creation, the video editing, the branding, the online software you need to run it. It’s your course, but you don’t have to do it alone!