5 Reasons Why online courses don't work (and strategies to avoid becoming among them) (PDF)
The following article is a guest post written by Michael Eisenwasser.
The ELearning sector states that the world eLearning Market is expected to grow to $107 billion in 2015.
That's HUGE.
In case you've ever thought to create your own online class, then the best time to launch is right now.
Here's the issue. It's true that each online course fails to create an interest. Quite a lot of them are unsuccessful.
And when online courses fail they usually do so due to the following 5 reasons.
The primary reason is because you have failed to Validate the Need of the Course
When you design your online course, either of these two scenarios take place:
- You may also design something that you are sure your future students will be struggling to master
- You can also research and find out which students are struggling with, and then base your course on it.
The key is in the research.
The course built on assumptions might lead to the course not even getting off the ground.
Now: while researching it, you may find that the field you're interested in isn't very well-known. There could be online courses providing the information you're hoping to give. This may be difficult for you however this is a great indicator of whether you've picked the correct area.
Since your online course has been generating revenue for you It is a good idea to put it through the test of a couple of validated techniques for businesses? Like the technique of mailing pre-sales sales messages, that AppSumo Chief Noah Kagan discusses here.
Another approach to verify the idea of an online course is to create an eBook based on your contents and observing the responses to it, then using it as a basis for the method you'd like to employ for creating your online course.
3 steps needed to accomplish this:
- Create valuable posts
- Combine them in an eBook
- Begin an online class based on the response (or abandon the idea)
Second reason: Failure to develop a distinctive feature
The procedure of testing that an idea's worth isn't very lengthy as quality indicators are straightforward to recognize.
But, it is often the case that the people rush to plan and create their plans.
For the time being the focus is on the course's distinctive feature (or USP (Unique selling Point).
Let's take an example. As an example, imagine you had to create an online course in web design and development on Udemy. What if you were to create it and go ahead and launch the course? If you did this, what would be your odds of beating the huges (like classes that are populated by thousands of students)?
Bleak.
It's an excellent idea to figure out if there's an part of web design that's not addressed. There may be an area that your program could fill.
If you consider these same issues and you'll find some courses appear a little outdated (like from the 2000s) or you may be able to offer more modern strategies.
You could perhaps take a course on how to utilize Photoshop CS7 or focus on Twitter Bootstrap flexible designs that follow the best practices.
The curriculum of the course already in place won't take the students far.
WordStream provides a simple method to build an USP. Make one for your class today!
Third Cause: Inability to select the right platform
What platform you select for your class is a matter of personal preference. However, if you're not thinking of the next decade, you'll be able to give up in a flash because switching platforms or taking your course on a site hosting courses on your own site as well as vice versa, is difficult and requires quite a long time.
The fun part is that you can hack an enormous crowd.
The only thing that makes it fun is the high commission the platform for publishing receives and its binding contracts.
The best (and more difficult) route to take is to start your online class on your own site. More efforts but higher returns.
Additionally, you can revise your course, its rules and regulations, without third party involvement.
Another motive to use your website could be to build prospects for your company by offering free classes to visitors. Sites hosting courses don't support this. Be sure to select carefully.
4. Inability to encourage
There's a good chance that you'll feel content when you've validated your thoughts, devised an innovative approach or commenced your journey. This is also an effective method of failing.
Instructors who don't promote their programs don't realize their potential. There is a chance that they could benefit from an extraordinary word-of-mouth advertising.
Keep in mind that the slope begins when the course has been started. So reach out. Let the world know about your incredible plan.
Some things you can try:
- Guest blogs
- Advertisements
- Giveaways
- Podcasts
- E-mail blasts
- Social-media broadcasts
- Forum posting
- Blog commenting
- Inquiring about your niche bigwigs and seeking feedback
5 Reasons: Failure to establish the correct price
Even the best course could not succeed if public thinks it is costly or doesn't fit into their budgets.
When you are the creator of your product, you can expect various opinions regarding the pricing of your product. However, looking at your product from a buyer's view could help to understand what they think of your product.
Remember that potential customers can choose between a range of products. It's a fact that they'll compare your products to those offered by other companies offer. Make sure that you justify the price you're offering.
A founder with no job Brian Clark asks you to consider your intended group when deciding on your cost.
In his podcast, he also suggests experimenting with pricing strategies to find out what's most effective particularly when targeting financially distressed customers.
We do everything to ensure that our courses and products aren't a failure However, mistakes do happen. They can teach us valuable business insights. Have you ever made one of these errors when launching your own online course? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts in a post comment.
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