Are you an expert with knowledge to share? Or an entrepreneur looking to generate passive income? Creating an online course could be your perfect opportunity.
The e-learning market is booming, expected to be worth $325 billion by 2025, growing 5% each year. Online courses give you a way to package your expertise into a product you can sell over and over. And with WordPress, you have a powerful, flexible platform to build your course business quickly and affordably.
In this step-by-step guide, I‘ll show you exactly how to create and launch your first online course with WordPress. No tech skills required. Just follow along and you‘ll be on your way to becoming a successful online instructor!
Why Use WordPress to Create an Online Course?
When it comes to building an online course, you have a few different platform options:
| Platform | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Udemy | Large existing audience | High competition, revenue sharing |
| Teachable | Easy course builder | Ongoing fees, limited control |
| Kajabi | All-in-one features | Expensive, overkill for beginners |
| WordPress | Affordable, flexible, expandable | Requires some setup |
While hosted platforms like Udemy and Teachable are simpler to get started with, they come with significant drawbacks. You‘ll pay more in fees and have less control over pricing, policies, and student data.
WordPress, on the other hand, gives you complete ownership of your course at a lower cost. With the right LMS plugin, you can easily structure lessons, accept payments, and deliver a great learning experience. Plus, you have total design freedom and room to grow with additional plugins.
That‘s why WordPress is my go-to recommendation for online course platforms. Throughout the rest of this guide, I‘ll show you step-by-step how to turn WordPress into the ultimate course creation tool.
The 6 Key Steps to Creating Your Online Course with WordPress
Creating an online course involves several moving pieces. But don‘t worry – I‘ll walk you through each step and share my expert tips along the way. Here‘s the basic roadmap we‘ll follow:
- Choose a profitable course topic
- Set up your WordPress site
- Install an LMS plugin
- Create your course content
- Configure pricing and payments
- Promote your course
If you can follow instructions and take action, you can build a successful online course. Ready to get started? Let‘s dive in!
Step 1: Choose a Profitable Course Topic
Every great course starts with a topic. But not just any topic – one that is in-demand, valuable to your audience, and plays to your strengths. Doing your research upfront will increase your odds of creating a course people actually want to buy.
Here are some questions to help find your perfect course idea:
- What topics do you have expertise/experience in?
- What problems or challenges does your audience face?
- Is there an existing demand for education on this topic?
- Has your audience asked for specific help in this area?
It‘s important to find the overlap between what you‘re passionate about teaching and what your audience is eager to learn. Look at your blog posts, videos, and products to see what has resonated most with your audience.
Also consider the learning outcomes someone could achieve by taking your course. Will you be helping them master a new skill? Solve a problem? Get a specific result? The most successful courses are focused on clear, compelling learning objectives.
Some popular profitable course topics include:
- Digital marketing
- Personal finance and investing
- Health and fitness
- Business and entrepreneurship
- Technology and programming
- Creative arts and hobbies
Don‘t be afraid to do some competitor research to validate demand too. If you find other courses covering the same topic, that‘s a good sign there‘s a market for it. Just look for ways to differentiate yours and deliver unique value.
Once you‘ve settled on an in-demand course idea, it‘s time to start building your WordPress site to host it!
Step 2: Set Up Your WordPress Site
Every online course needs a home on the web. WordPress makes it easy to create a website for your course business, even if you‘ve never built a site before. Here‘s a bird‘s-eye view of the setup process:
- Get a domain name (youronlinecourse.com)
- Sign up for WordPress hosting
- Install the WordPress software
- Choose and customize your theme
Domain names typically cost $10-15 per year, and WordPress hosting plans start around $10/month. I recommend going with a reputable host like Bluehost or SiteGround that offers one-click WordPress installation to keep things simple.
After WordPress is installed on your hosting account, log into your WordPress dashboard and visit Appearance > Themes to find a design for your site. You can choose from thousands of free and paid WordPress themes.
For an online course site, I recommend choosing a theme that is:
- Mobile responsive
- Designed for education/e-learning
- Compatible with LMS plugins
- Highly rated and regularly updated
Customizing your theme will help you match the design to your course branding. Most themes will let you easily change colors, fonts, layouts, and imagery via the WordPress Customizer.
Now that you have a live WordPress site, it‘s time to add online course functionality with an LMS plugin.
Step 3: Install an LMS Plugin
An LMS, or Learning Management System, is a type of software that powers the delivery of online courses. The best WordPress LMS plugins let you easily create lessons, accept payments, track student progress, and protect your intellectual property.
My top WordPress LMS plugin recommendation is LearnDash. It‘s a premium plugin that is both powerful and user-friendly, trusted by Fortune 500 companies and solo edupreneurs alike.
Here are some of the key features that make LearnDash my go-to choice:
- Drag-and-drop course builder
- Advanced quizzing and assignments
- Content dripping and course bundles
- Zapier integrations to connect other tools
- Detailed reporting and assignment management
- Certificates and badges
- Shopping cart and 1-click checkout
LearnDash has everything you need to build a high-quality, profitable online course, backed by an expert support team to help you along the way. It‘s the plugin I‘ve personally used to create dozens of successful courses over the past decade.
Other solid WordPress LMS plugin options include:
- LifterLMS
- Tutor LMS
- AccessAlly
- Sensei
All of these plugins let you get up and running with WordPress courses quickly. So find the one that fits your specific needs and budget. You can always switch later as your course business grows.
Once you‘ve chosen and installed your LMS plugin, the real fun begins: creating your course content!
Step 4: Create Your Course Content
Now it‘s time to flesh out all the lessons, module, quizzes, and other materials that will make up your online course. This is where you‘ll draw on your subject matter expertise to craft an exceptional learning experience for your students.
How you structure your course content will vary based on your topic and audience. But in general, an effective online course will include:
- An intro video welcoming students and outlining what they‘ll learn
- Multiple modules/units grouping similar lessons together
- Bite-sized video lessons (5-20 minutes each)
- Supplementary resources like worksheets, checklists, templates, etc.
- Quizzes to reinforce key concepts
- Assignments to practice new skills
- A conclusion video recapping takeaways and next steps
Your LMS plugin will provide a framework for organizing all of these lesson components. Start by mapping out a course outline with each module and lesson. Aim to create a logical flow that builds on concepts sequentially.
When it comes to recording video lessons, don‘t overcomplicate it. You can create high-quality videos with basic equipment like:
- A decent microphone (I use the Blue Yeti)
- A webcam or smartphone camera
- Screen recording software like Loom or Camtasia
The keys to engaging videos are solid lighting, clear audio, and enthusiastic delivery. Provide valuable content that helps your student achieve a quick win, and they‘ll keep coming back for more.
Remember, you don‘t need to create all your course content before you start selling. Having your first few modules ready to go can be enough to validate your idea and bring in those crucial first sales. You can always continue to add more lessons over time.
By the end of your content creation process, you should have an organized, value-packed online course ready to be devoured by eager students!
Step 5: Configure Pricing and Payments
Okay, you‘ve put in the hard work to create an amazing course. Now let‘s make sure you get paid for it! Your LMS plugin will integrate with payment processors to accept orders and enroll students automatically.
LearnDash supports popular payment gateways including:
- Stripe
- PayPal
- 2Checkout
- Authorize.net
To start accepting payments, you‘ll need to create an account with your chosen gateway and connect it to WordPress. Your LMS plugin documentation will walk you through this process step-by-step.
In terms of pricing, online courses typically fall into three buckets:
- Free (lead magnets to build your email list)
- Low-priced mini courses ($10-100)
- Premium signature courses ($100-2000+)
There‘s no perfect price point. It depends on your audience, topic, course length, and competitors. In general, don‘t be afraid to charge premium rates if you‘re delivering transformation worth 10x the price.
Consider your goals too. Are you more interested in serving as many people as possible, or generating maximum revenue? Your pricing should align with your aims.
Some tips for landing on the right price:
- Survey your audience to assess their budget
- Research competitor pricing for similar courses
- Calculate your course development time and target income
- Experiment with different price points and track conversions
You can always iterate and improve your pricing as you gather data. Many creators also offer time-sensitive discounts to spur fast action and sales.
I recommend setting up a secure checkout page with a trusted payment processor, clear cancellation and refund policy, and an SSL certificate. This will build trust with potential students.
With your payment engine set up, you‘re ready to start welcoming students and accepting money for your course. How exciting!
Step 6: Promote Your Course
If you want your online course to thrive, you‘ll need to put some effort into marketing it. Don‘t expect students to find you by chance. It‘s on you to spread the word and drive traffic to your sales page.
Luckily, there are many ways to attract the right students to your course. Some strategies I‘ve used successfully:
- Email marketing: Announce your course to your subscribers with a launch sequence
- Social media: Share free content and run ads on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.
- Webinars: Host free live training and pitch your course at the end
- Affiliate marketing: Partner with other creators in your niche to promote your course
- SEO: Optimize your course pages to rank for relevant keywords
- YouTube: Create video content that educates and invites viewers to learn more
- Guest posting: Write for popular blogs and websites in your industry
- Podcasts: Land interviews on shows your target audience listens to
- Paid ads: Experiment with PPC ads on Google, social media, YouTube, etc.
The key is to focus on attracting your ideal students – those who are the perfect fit for your course topic and teaching style. Speak directly to their pain points, goals, and objections. Share social proof and transformation stories to build trust and desire.
Create a compelling sales page that clearly communicates:
- What the course covers
- Who it‘s for (and not for)
- What outcomes to expect
- How long it takes to complete
- Why it‘s different from other options
- Your credibility as an instructor
For an extra conversion boost, create urgency with a limited time bonus, discount, or enrollment window. This will spur prospective students to take action now rather than later.
Marketing an online course does take ongoing work. But it can also be a lot of fun to spread your message and attract those dream students you can‘t wait to teach. Stay consistent, focus on serving your audience, and you will see results.
Online Course Creation FAQ
I get questions about online courses all the time. So I‘ve compiled some of the most common ones here, along with my answers.
How long should my online course be?
There‘s no one right length for an online course. But in general, I recommend aiming for 2-5 hours of video content for a typical signature course. This is enough to deliver serious value without overwhelming students.
Some mini courses may only have 1 hour of content, while more comprehensive programs could span 10+ hours. The key is to focus on the outcomes and transformation your course provides, not just the length.
How many students can I expect to enroll in my course?
Enrollment numbers vary widely based on your niche, audience size, price point, and marketing efforts. Don‘t be discouraged if you only get a few students in your first launch. This is totally normal.
Aim to get around 10 students in your first cohort, then gather their feedback and testimonials. Use this social proof to improve your course and marketing for future launches. I‘ve seen courses go from 10 students to 100, then 1000+ over time.
How much money can I make with an online course?
Your course revenue potential depends on your price point and enrollment numbers. Let‘s say you have a $500 course. If you get 10 students, that‘s $5000 in sales. 50 students would bring in $25,000.
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Many course creators are able to quit their 9-5 jobs and earn a full-time income from their courses within 1-2 years. Some scale to 7- or even 8-figures! But it all starts with that first sale. Focus on serving your students exceptionally, and the revenue will follow.
Do I need to be on camera in my course videos?
It‘s totally up to you whether you want to be on camera, do voice over slides, or screencast tutorials. I do recommend showing your face in at least some videos to build rapport with students. But not every lesson needs to be a talking head.
Do what makes you feel comfortable and fits your teaching style best. The most important thing is that you communicate the material clearly and engagingly. Experiment with different formats and get feedback from your students to improve over time.
How do I prevent people from stealing my course content?
Your course content is your intellectual property. Unfortunately, piracy and content theft are risks in any digital business. But there are steps you can take to protect your hard work:
- Have clear terms and conditions prohibiting content sharing
- Use a membership plugin like MemberPress to restrict access
- Add watermarks and/or intro bumpers to your videos
- Disable video downloading and make links harder to share
- Offer some free content to show value while keeping premium material gated
Ultimately, you can‘t stop all bad actors. But you can deter casual sharing and make it harder for your content to be ripped off. Focus on the 99% of students who will respect your policies and appreciate your work.
How often should I update my course content?
It‘s a good idea to periodically review and refresh your course content to ensure it stays accurate and relevant. Set aside time each quarter or year to update lessons, add new resources, and incorporate student feedback.
Some evergreen topics may not need frequent updates. But if you teach about a fast-moving industry, you‘ll want to stay on top of new developments. Regularly updating your course also shows students that you‘re committed to providing the best possible experience.
Ready to Create Your Online Course with WordPress?
Phew, we covered a TON in this guide. I hope you feel inspired to take action and finally create that online course you‘ve been dreaming of. The world needs what you have to teach!
By following the steps outlined here and staying focused on serving your students, I know you can build a thriving course business with WordPress. You have all the tools and knowledge you need to get started.
Yes, putting yourself and your work out there can feel vulnerable. But remember, there are students out there who need you as their guide and mentor. You have the power to help them transform their lives through your course.
So what are you waiting for? Choose your topic, set up WordPress with an LMS plugin, and start creating those first few lessons. Keep putting one foot in front of the other, and your course will come to life before you know it.
If you have any other questions along the way, feel free to leave a comment below. I‘m here to help you become a successful online course creator.
Now go make your mark on the world!
