6 Steps to Creating An Online Course

Creating a course requires careful planning, structuring, and a dash of creativity! 🪄

Here are my 6 simple steps to making a profitable online course:

1. Define Your Goals and Objectives 🎯

Before beginning the course creation process, ask yourself:

• What do you want the students to learn?
• Who is your target audience?

Having a clear answer to these two (2) questions will help you gain clarity in developing an online course that sells. 

2. Outline the Format and Course Content 📝

Break down the information into modules and lessons and decide what course material will be covered in each lesson.

For example, the outline should resemble something like this.

• 123s and ABCs:
  • 123s represent the topics or modules (approximately 4-6) 
  • ABCs represent the subtopics or your lessons (4-10 lessons).  There can be many lessons under one module. Just make them short (no more than 3 slides each).

The number of modules and lessons are recommendations but do not need to be exact. 

Here's an example outline using telehealth as the course's main topic;

1. Telehealth platforms (software) 
   • a. Zoom
   • b. Google Meet 
2. Telehealth assessment tools 
   • a. PEDI-CAT 
   • b. Another assessment tool
3. Telehealth interventions 
   • a. Adult
   • b. Pediatrics
4. Telehealth technology (hardware) 
   • a. Headsets
   • b. Webcam

3. Create Captivating Content 📽️

Develop your coursework based on the outline. Create a presentation for each lesson (three slides max). There are several software systems to choose from such as PowerPoint, Google Slides, and Canva (if screen sharing is used to create the course, you do not need a presentation).

To ensure that the course material is engaging, make sure that it appeals to a variety of learners, and use bullet points when explaining the content. Refrain from writing out the script on the slide.  

Bonus: Record yourself speaking through each lesson.  

Research shows that our attention span is decreasing so each lesson should be no more than 15 minutes long. It is important to stay within the 15-minute timeframe because, when calculated, 4-6 modules x 10 lessons could easily become a 15-hour course. 😅

Your goal is to keep the attention of the learner so that the course will be completed. So be mindful of your time. 

4. Create additional resources 📌

When creating resources, think about the variety of learning styles. Provide the learner with additional resources that will make your course suitable to the learner’s needs.  For example, worksheets that go with each lesson, a guidebook that gives the outline of each course, a checklist of things to do if you are creating videos about a specific process, or an audio version of the course. 

5. Upload the course to a course platform. ✅

Here are a few of my top course platform recommendations:  

• Thinkific. This is a good choice if you are on a budget. The first course is free. 
• Kajabi (premium option). This is an all-in-one platform that does email marketing and provides a website, podcast, coaching appointments, and course creation features.

6. Sell your course!!! 🏷️(FYI – the hard part of course creation). 

There is no guarantee of wealth by creating an online course, but with the right strategies, your course will be on the right track for success.

Pro tip: Remember to set scheduled times to reevaluate and update your course material based on student feedback and industry trends to keep it fresh and relevant.

P.S.  If you want more individualized support in creating an online course using the steps above, book a call today: https://calendly.com/d/dkj-mtf-psy  

References

Course Creation. (2023). How to Create a Course Outline for Your Online Training. Coursemethod. 

Geyser, W. (2023). How to Sell Online Courses: The Ultimate Guide for 2023. Influencer marketing hub.

Sumrack, J. (2023). How to create an online course that sells in 2023. foundr.