How To Launch An Online Course in 2024? [Complete Guide]

his is an exciting time to enter the world of online education, with more opportunities than ever to create and launch your first online course.

Launching online courses can seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be! With a bit of planning, clear goals, and some creativity, you can launch an online course that is engaging and informative and that will help your students reach their learning goals.

In this blog post, we share a guide on how to launch an online course successfully, starting from selecting the right course topic to creating and launching your program. Not to mention a helpful course launch checklist. 

So let's get into it!

Why Should You Launch an Online Course?

If you’re passionate about educating others, starting an online course business, or becoming a course creator, launching an online course is a great starting point!. Here are some stats that show that the elearning market is booming:

According to Statista, the global e-learning market is expected to surpass $239.6 billion by 2027, marking a $73 billion increase from its 2023 valuation. That’s great news for successful online course creators like you.

5 reasons to launch your online course now

#1. Increased demand 

There has been a growing demand creating online courses and offering learning programs in recent years. This is partly due to the flexibility and convenience online education offers learners. Since the beginning of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for eLearning has increased by 400%, according to the statistics.‍

#2. Improved technology

Advancements in technology for developing and delivering online courses have significantly enhanced the ease of creating top-notch, high-quality courses. With innovative tools and platforms readily available, instructors can now seamlessly integrate multimedia, interactive content, and personalized learning experiences, fostering greater engagement among students.

The technological evolution not only simplifies the creation of online courses but also ensures a more enriching and effective learning environment for your audience.

#3. Greater accessibility

Online courses are now more accessible than ever, thanks to the proliferation of mobile devices and high-speed internet access.‍ With content optimized for various devices and internet speeds, learners can conveniently access materials anytime, anywhere, fostering a flexible and inclusive learning experience. 

With fewer barriers to education, you can launch an online course that will find an audience both in the U.S. and Europe. For your online course business, it means that a broader audience will engage and benefit from your course

#4. Increased visibility 

With the rise of social media and online marketing, online courses are now more visible than ever.‍ Leveraging social media platforms and targeted online marketing strategies allows courses to reach a wider audience, tapping into niche markets and engaging potential learners globally. 

💡Note. Today, some online course platforms offer tools to sell online courses, including a course sales page, email marketing, and even funnels.

With greater opportunities for visibility, you can amplify course exposure and have a chance to connect with diverse communities, increasing the potential for course enrollment and engagement.

#5. Greater credibility 

Lastly, online courses have gained greater credibility in recent years as more institutions and organizations offer them. The accreditation and endorsements received by these courses from reputable institutions contribute significantly to their credibility. 

💡For instance, bootcamp academies use this approach to help launch online courses and encourage learners to participate in their programs. 

Read more: How Bootcamps Improve Certification Credibility?

The recognition of online learning's effectiveness by employers and professionals further bolsters the credibility of these courses, making them a trusted and valuable resource for skill development and career advancement.

The growing legitimacy not only validates the quality of online courses but also increases learners' confidence in their educational value.

3 Main Reasons Course Creators Fail

If you are considering online course creation for the first time, this section is probably the most important for you. Why? It will help you avoid mistakes. 

Here is a brief overview of the best practices for launching online programs, especially if you are a beginner:

• 1) Get very specific about whom you're creating the course for.
• 2) Start promoting your course as soon as you have the idea.
• 3) Carry out in-depth research to find the LMS platform that best meets your needs

Course creators face a lot of challenges when it comes to building and launching successful online courses. And the tips we offered derive from the top three reasons why many course creators fail. What are they?

‍​​Mistake#1. Not determining the target audience

This is probably the biggest reason course creators fail. You shouldn’t start an online course business if you are not clear about the group of people the course is going to serve. Learning providers may create an awesome online course and get leads but never hear from them again.

This is because they try to make the course for too many people at the same time. The reality is you need to take the time to figure out whom you're trying to reach and then create the course for that specific audience.

One of the steps of the course creation process is brainstorming course ideas and narrowing them down until you settle on a topic.

Yet, you can't just say that you want to reach "people who want to start a business". That's not specific enough. Thus, it’s a great idea to niche down to know who these people are, what they're looking for, and what their biggest pain points are.

💡Highlight: If you don't take the time to figure out whom you're making the course for, you're going to create your own course that appeals to no one. And that's a huge mistake.

Mistake#2. Not promoting the first online course early enough

Another big mistake that course creators make is that they try to develop the entire course before they even start promoting it. They create all of the content, they create an online course sales page, and they wait until they have everything perfect before they begin to drive traffic to it.

The problem with this is that they end up spending months or even years creating content that no one cares about. And by the time they're ready to launch, they're so exhausted from the course creation process that they have no energy left over to promote it.

You can create a landing page, start driving traffic to it, and start collecting email addresses as soon as you’re creating an online course. Then, when you're ready to launch, you already have an audience that's interested in what you're offering. 

💡Highlight: Early promotion must be a part of your course launch strategy, but you can learn more from the next section.

​​Mistake#3. Choosing the wrong course platform to launch online courses 

This often happens for one of two reasons. Firstly, the course creator may not have done their research to find the right platform for their course. Secondly, even if they did their research, they may have chosen an online course platform that didn't meet their needs. Both of these reasons can lead to a course that fails to meet the expectations of the course creator or the students.

To avoid this, it is essential to do your research and make sure that you select the right platform for your course. Once you have chosen a platform, ensure it meets your needs and those of your students in line with recent course trends.

Read more: Best Course Creation Software

How to Launch an Online Course?

After you have come up with a great course idea, you need to do some quality thinking and put a good effort into creating an online course and launching it. Here’s the step-by-step course launch tutorial you should follow to increase your chances of having a successful course.

Step#1. Choose the Right Topic for Your Course

The right topic for your online course is dependent on your audience, your niche, and your goals. Finding a topic that you are passionate about will help you stay motivated and invested in creating and teaching your course. You can research online course ideas to draw some inspiration.

Researching your audience is essential to getting your topic right. Your research must provide answers to these questions:

• What are my audience’s needs and wants?
• What are their pain points?
• What kind of topics would they be interested in?

💡Importantly. After researching your audience, you must ensure whatever topic you settle for aligns with your goals.

• What do you want to accomplish with your online course?
• Do you want to generate leads, build your brand, or generate revenue?

Once you consider the above factors, go ahead to choose a topic that will help you meet your goals.

Step#2. Develop an Online Course

You have to break down your course idea into smaller topics that you will cover in the course. Each of these topics will become a lesson in the course. It will alow you to make the course outline. 

When you have the lessons planned out, you carefully create the content for each lesson. Take your time to create content that your students will appreciate. Remember, content is king, so ensure the content is organized, engaging, and high-quality. 

Now you’ve created the course content. That’s great! The next step is to put it all together in a format that can be published online.

Step#3. Choose the Right Format & Course Platform

The course content can be in the form of text, audio, videos, infographics, or slide presentations. You need to put on your thinking cap to pick the format that is best suited for your course. Consider what would be the most effective format for your specific audience and the subject matter you're teaching.

• Video format is the most popular means of delivering online courses because most people love watching video lessons. It is also the most interactive. 
• Audio courses are ideal for individuals who are constantly on the go and may not have the chance to watch videos. 
• Text-based courses are perfect for an audience who have a preference for reading or wish to watch or listen to video/audio at a later time.

The good news is you don’t necessarily have to stick to only one format. You can spice things up by combining two or more formats to deliver your course.

Publishing your course is the next step, and you need an LMS platform to do that. Around 74 million people utilize LMS globally. There are many factors to consider when choosing an LMS for your online course. Some of the most important factors include the following:

• Ease of use: You want an LMS that is easy to use and navigate
• Functionality: You want an LMS with all the features and functions you need to deliver your course effectively.
• Scalability: You want an LMS that can accommodate the number of students you expect to enroll in your course.
• Cost: You want an LMS that is affordable and fits within your budget. 

The best format and platform for your online course will ultimately depend on your specific goals and needs.

💡Consider the type of content you will be teaching, the delivery method, and the financial costs when making your decision. EducateMe ticks all boxes for the factors to consider when picking an LMS.

Step#4. Set Pricing Strategy for Your Online Course

When launching your course, you should set a competitive yet profitable price. Sure, you can charge whatever price you want and have multiple offers in your pricing strategy. However, you'll likely have more success if pricing your online course will be based on its value and what similar courses cost. 

To determine the value of your course, consider how much time and effort you put into creating it, as well as how much it can help your students. You should also research how much other online courses in your niche cost.

Once you have an idea of how much your course is worth and what others are charging, you can set a pricing strategy you feel confident about. Keep in mind that you can always adjust your course's price in the future if you need to.

💡Tip. Offer early-bird discounts or tiered pricing to attract students. In particular, you might offer a basic version at a lower cost and a premium version with additional features or one-on-one coaching..

Step#5. Start Promoting your Course

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There are several things you can do to promote your course. It's not just about having a solid course launch strategy; you also need a strong marketing plan in place. A well-crafted marketing strategy could be the key missing element that propels your course to success. 

💡Note. Create detailed buyer personas and reflect their learning needs when developing marketing strategies effectively. Surveys, social listening and research of professional or niche forums are great ways gather insights. 

Consider these promotional activities to draw students to your online course:

Use social media to promote your course

Utilize social media to promote your online course effectively. Share information about your course on your personal profile and within relevant groups. The wider the audience exposed to your course posts, the greater the potential for attracting students.

Create a landing page

A landing page is a great way to promote your online course. You can use a landing page to give potential students more information about your course and why they should enroll. It allows you to collect email addresses to follow up with potential students.

Use email marketing

After collecting email addresses through your landing page, send email messages to potential students about your course and why they should enroll. You can also use email to follow up and answer any questions they may have. 

💡Note. Using a third email marketing software and integrating with the LMS can be an effective strategy.

Use paid advertising

You can use paid ads to target potential students and get your course in front of them. Paid ads can also help to drive a ton of traffic to your landing page. It could be an expensive way of promotion, but if you have a budget for it, you should go for it.

Write a blog post and make a video

You should consider writing a blog post and making a video about your online course. They help give potential students an overview of your course and driving traffic to your landing page. Remember to include a link to your landing page or the course directly.

Give away a free course

Giving away a free course is an effective promotional strategy. Use the free course to give potential students a taste of what your course is like. The free course is also a powerful tool for building your email list. 

However, ensure the free course you are giaving is of a high value and not some easily available content. 67% of successful online course creators make use of ‘free courses’ to drive sales.

Step#6. Set up a System for Enrolling and Managing your Students

There's nothing quite like that feeling when your first paying students enroll in your online course. All of your planning, prepping, and marketing has finally paid off, and people are excited to learn from you!

But once the excitement wears off, it's time to get down to business.

The first thing you'll need to do is set up a system for enrolling and managing your students. This includes creating a way to demonstrate content, distribute assignments, track their progress, communicate with them, and keep track of their payments.

There are a few different ways to do this, but the most popular option is using a learning management system (LMS).

Read more: Best LMS Examples

Step#7. Onboard Your Students

Once your students are enrolled, it's time to onboard them. This is the process of ensuring they have everything they need to be successful in your course. This includes providing them with access to the course materials, setting up their account, and sending them a welcome email.

With these tips in mind, you're ready to enroll your first students and launch online course!

Step#8. Collect Feedback From Your Students

Lastly, getting feedback from your first cohort of learners may be invaluable for further development of your course. At the end of the course, you goal is to encourage students to provide honest feedback on the content, delivery, and overall experience. In this regard, use surveys and questionnaires to gather insights. 

💡Note. EducateMe provides excellent built-in tools for collecting and analyzing student feedback. It will allow you to make data-driven improvements.

Online Course Launch Checklist

This checklist is designed to guide you on everything you should do to ensure a successful launch of your online course.

Pre-Launch Checklist

• Determine your target audience
• Gather materials for creating the course
• Create your course outline and modules
• Choose the delivery format(s)
• Decide on a course hosting platform
• Price your course
• Publish your course
• Create a sales page and promote your course

Launch Day Checklist

• Offer special discounts
• Dispatch launch notifications
• Share across social platforms
• Host a live webinar or workshop premiere
• Trigger ad campaigns
• Track early registrations
• Commemorate the course debut

Post-Launch Checklist

• Gather student insights
• Encourage student testimonials
• Foster a collaborative learning environment
• Review sales funnel metrics
• Innovate copywriting techniques
• Enhance student experience
• Discover your next course subject

💡Note. You can also have a few component activities under each item on the checklist to advance your plan. Whether you are a first-time online course creator or an experienced one, an online course launch checklist is essential.

Conclusion

Now that you know the nitty-gritty about how to launch an online course, it's time to start working towards launching an online course you’ve had in mind. Use the info and checklist in this post to plan and launch an engaging, informative course that will help your students reach their learning goals.

Launching your course on the right LMS platform is a vital aspect of your plan. Picking the wrong LMS can ruin all your efforts and preparations.

EducateMe is a leading LMS that makes your course more interactive and helps you create a collaborative learning experience for your students. Try 14-days free trial and enjoy your success!