What's the price to create and market an online course? |
You're ready to start sharing your knowledge and ideas to the world. How much will it cost to develop your online class? This is the subject we will discuss in this guide.
You've got a great idea for a course of your own, and you're looking forward to getting in on the action. One thing is holding you back: How much is this whole thing will cost you?
In this article will walk you through the gear, software, and other services required to create your first online course. We'll also discuss the cost of each item. Also, we'll explain how an online platform for your course can make a big improvement in the time you spend as well as money and stress.
To help keep things in order To keep things in order, we've separated expenses into two major elements of creating the course:
Producing content
Publishing and selling your course
Let's start with content creation.
Note: The pricing is current as of the date of publication However, this may be possible to change in the future.
What is the cost to make the online content for a course?
If you are creating your online course materials, there are a variety of content to choose from:
Video
Audio
PDFs
Worksheets
Quizzes
If making videos sounds daunting or costly, don't worry. There is no need for expensive gear or years of camera experience to make videos for your online course.
(Note Price information is accurate as of the time at the time of writing.)
Camera
This is a great news story to help you save money If you own smartphones, you may not even need to purchase an expensive video camera.
However, if you're using your computer to record it's best to choose a higher-resolution camera than your built-in webcam.
Below are a selection of our top external webcam picks:
Logitech HD Pro C920 ($73.49)
Logitech BRIO ($199)
Elgato Cam Link 4K ($129.99) This program will convert the HDMI signal coming from your DSLR camera into USB to ensure that your computer can recognize it as webcam.
Whatever camera you are using it is possible to buy a tripod.
Cameras can pick up more motion, making the image appear shaky. A tripod helps you stabilize your camera. The AmazonBasics Lightweight Mount Camera Stand ($16.67) can be an excellent budget-friendly choice .
Cost total: Free to $199
Microphone
The quality of the audio is an important component of your online class videos. TechSmith discovered that 75% of videos that viewers rated as "good" and "great" had clear voices.
To get the most clear audio possible, we recommend using an external microphone rather than your computer's built-in mic.
Here are a few of our top microphone recommendations:
Blue Snowball iCE ($49.99)
Blue Yeti USB microphone ($129.99)
Shure MV88 ($149)
Rode SmartLav+ ($59)
Total cost: $49.99 to $149
Lighting
We recommend having at least a basic lighting setup in order to be able to film without waiting for lighting to be the right.
Here are some lighting options at different price points:
Ubeesize Selfie Light ($33.99)
Neewer 18" Ring Light ($95.99)
Lume Cube Brightcast Lighting Set ($99.95)
Fovitec Softbox Professional Lighting Kit ($189.95)
The aspects of light in this article however we've done it in past articles. If you want to know more about gear suggestions and tips on lighting go through these helpful resources:
Total cost:$33.99 to $189.95
Course slides
You don't need to be (or employ) an expert graphic designer to make stunning slide deck presentations for your classes.
Microsoft PowerPoint as well as Google Slides allow it simple to design slide decks. Choose among Google Slides' free library of slides templates to build course slides that appear elegant and professional.
Creators across industries also are awestruck by Canva's simple drag-and-drop tool for design. Canva has templates that can be used for virtually every kind of visual material that you could imagine including graphics for social media to online class presentations.
After you have selected the template you want, you are able to alter the look of your graphic by adding your own images, logos, artwork, and branding components. It also comes with thousands of free icons or stickers as well as stock photos to add to your graphics.
Plans that are paid cost $119.99/year.
Step-by-step Canva tutorial, watch our instructional video about how to create free graphics with Canva in your online class .
Total cost:Free to $119.99/year
Software to record screen images
If the course requires you to demonstrate something such as programming or design, using a screen capture will make the tutorial simpler to follow.
As an example, Grace Brown of Pen to Publish utilizes screen recording in her class, Canva Tutorials for Authors .
Here are our best budget-friendly options for screen recording software:
Apowersoft's Free Online Screen Recorder (Free)
ScreenFlow ($129 after a free trial)
Loom (Free to Loom Starter $ 8/month for Business plan)
If your screen recording software doesn't include voiceover recording, you'll want to add on one of these editing and recording tools as well:
Audacity (Free)
Adobe Audition ($20.99/month after free trial)
Logic Pro ($199.99 after free trial)
Cost total:Free to $328.99
Video editing
Video editing can be intimidating for beginners.
Keep in mind these phrases of wisdom: You get what you get for your money.
If you want to choose freelancers who have the lowest hourly rates, seek out those with portfolios and testimonials. This will help you to get the best work possible -while saving your time and money later.
HitFilm Express (Free)
Adobe Premiere Pro ($20.99/mo after free trial)
Final Cut Pro ($299.99 after trial period of free)
Cost:Free to $40+/hour
To sum it up to sum it up, here are the most significant cost of content creation and the course development process:
Camera:Free to $199
Microphones:$49.99 to $149
Light:$33.99 to $189.95
Slides from the course: Free from $119.99/year
Screen Recording:Free to $328.99
Video editing:Free to $40+/hour for high-end editing and editing services.
As you can see, you can find tools for every cost to create videos for your online courses. No matter if you've got the money to hire freelancers or are DIY-ing it all There are alternatives that can work with your financial budget and capabilities.
The second cost category is where things can get a little bit more complicated -- and also less affordable.
What's the price to make and sell an online class?
Now you're ready to publish and upload the online class. All you have to do is find a location to host it.
One of the most prolific hosting platforms around the globe, WordPress powers 42% of all websites as well as being a creator favorite for starting a blog or constructing a basic site.
WordPress provides thousands of free themes. It also has a vast collection of free and paid plugins. The options for personalizing your site are virtually limitless.
WordPress can be used for free however, you'll have to pay for hosting, custom domain name, themes and even plugins.
In the remainder of this chapter this section, we'll base our costs on the equipment, requirements, and tools on the use of WordPress to host and sell the online courses you offer.
Domain name, website hosting and domain name
To create a WordPress website up and running, you need two things:
A domain name
A Web Hosting Plan
Here are some reputable domain name registrars you can buy your domain at:
Bluehost : Bluehost gives domain registrations free in the initial year of any hosting plan.
GoDaddy GoDaddy is among of the oldest and most well-known domain name registry companies.
HostGator : HostGator offers domain name search as well as domain management and hosted websites that are shared.
The cost of domain name registrations varies based upon factors, such as whether the domain was previously owned (i.e. it was purchased it by a person) as well as the type of top-level domain (TLD) it's registered under.
The highest-level domain (TLD) is the ending of your URL. For example .com, .org, or .uk.
If possible, select .com as your TLD. It might cost more as compared to a lesser-known TLD However .com is one of the most trusted Domain name extension. Using .com makes your website look more legitimate to both potential students and search engines.
A free .com domain registered with a registration service costs around $10 to $20 in the initial year and after that, prices generally rise .
If you own the domain name and a website, it needs an address to reside. That's where website hosting is essential.
There's two kinds of WordPress website hosting shared hosting as well as managed hosting.
Numerous domain name registration companies also provide shared hosting for websites, however, these hosts can overcrowd servers. This may cause problems with performance, slowdowns and even crashes.
We strongly recommend using an managed hosting service. Managed hosting is typically designed and is supported by WordPress experts to keep your website operating as efficiently and as securely as it is.
Managed hosting can be more costly than shared hosting but the perks and customer support will be worth the cost. Plans offered by industry-leading Kinsta start at $30/month .
Total cost:
Domain name:$10 to 20 for the initial year
Hosting for websites: $30/month
WordPress plugins
A plugin is an application that allows you to add additional functionality to your WordPress site. The official WordPress plug-in directory has more than 59,000 plugins.
If you're looking to sell online courses, there's plenty of learning management system (LMS) plugins to choose from. Searching for "online course" will yield 30 pages of results, with apps like Learndash, LearnPress, and hundreds more.
The most popular ways to sell anything on WordPress is using the WooCommerce plug-in.
WooCommerce along with WordPress are both free However, if you're seeking all the essential tools to sell online courses it'll come at an additional price.
WooCommerce suggests using WooCommerce paid courses that cost $129 a year.
Design and theme for websites
When you've found your domain's name, host service, and online learning software then you're set to put up your WordPress site.
It involves installing WordPress on your website as well as deciding on and installing any additional plugins, and selecting and installing the ideal theme. WordPress offers a collection of more than 8000 themes for free However, not every theme has been designed to work with online learning.
A web developer can design an exclusive membership theme that includes customized features on your site for a cost. Prices vary based on the features you wish to include and on the developer's skills, but can be anywhere from $1500 to $600.
If you don't have enough money to purchase an individual design you can choose from a variety of ready-made WordPress themes designed for e-learning classes. On the Theme Forest marketplace , these designs range from $19 to $269.
Total cost: From $19 for an existing theme, up to $6,000+ for a design that is custom
Tools for marketing
You have all of the tools you need to build and host your course content. However, you're missing the most critical piece: your students.
Averaging around 40 cents for each dollar invested , email marketing is among our top options for those working with an income.
For email marketing to be effective, you need an email marketing system.
MailChimp provides a Free plan to businesses that are growing with up to 2000 contacts. Paid plans vary from $10/month for Essentials up to $299/month with Premium plans.
Drip is a different marketing automation tool that allows you to promote your online course and stay connected with your students. Plans begin at just $19 a month for basic features and up to 500 users.
Cost total: Free to $299/month for email marketing
To recap, here are the costs that we've discussed so far:
Domain Name:$10 to $20 for the first year.
Website hosting:$2.75 to $30/month ($33 to $360/year).
Online course plugins:$129 to $328/year.
WordPress theme:$19 or more.
Email marketing services:Free to $299/month ($3588/year).
These costs vary so much that it's hard to calculate a total. Hosting costs for a year or selling your own online course with WordPress will vary from $172 up to more than $5000, not including one-off expenses such as a premade or custom theme.
Using WordPress for your online class can cost you valuable time and money in the long run also.
So, what's the alternative?
A complete creator platform similar to .
Spend less time and more money by using an online platform that is all-inclusive.
Course creators such as John D Saunders are able to launch, host online courses and even sell the courses.
"While I'm in bed and sleeping, I'm earning money. When I'm at the park with my family I'm making money. You can earn a different source of income, not linked to your schedule."
includes all the tools it needs to host and sell online courses without any technical hassles or cost-savings of costs associated with a WordPress website. The power of five different tools for only the cost of one .
By using this, you are able to:
Get paid via Stripe or PayPal payment processors without extra charges for transactions on paid plans.
See it all for yourself -- sign up for a free account now.
You can create an online course without breaking the bank
Compiling the cost of creating an online education site can feel overwhelming.
First, you have your courses creation tools like your microphone, camera editing software, other tools.
There are also the publishing and hosting components that make up the whole. In the simplest case, you're going to need to plan for:
Content management systems such as WordPress can be used to create and manage your website
A domain name as well as a website hosting package
The plugins add a learning management system as well as transaction processing to your website
A theme for your website or a customized design
Marketing services to spread the information about your program
That's a lot to wrap your head around price, and the range of prices is in such a way that it's difficult to establish a precise budget.
Unless, of course you are using an all-in one platform such as .
The first time you take a course online can be a great learning experience however, it shouldn't cost you an arm and leg.
You get everything that you require to design your course, post it online, and then sell your course online and all this for a affordable monthly or annual fee. If you're looking to get started, we're here to help .