When selecting an online training platform aka online course platform, keep a few key things in mind to make sure it fits what you need:

• Quick to set up: the ideal platform should be easy quick to set up, so you can launch your course fast and don't have to sweat the small stuff.
• Ease of use: it should be easy to use, with all the important course and business features. Also it should not have features that you won't use.
• Price: an affordable online course platform means you can spend more on making great content and getting more people to see your course.
• Global: it's super important that the platform allows you to sell globaly. It means, it follows global tax rules (not only US tax rules), including EU VAT, to avoid any legal troubles, especially if you're reaching out to folks all over the world.
• Relationship with learners: you'll also want a platform that feels like you're teaching in person, making it easier to connect with your students.
• Customer service: make sure that your platform answers your direct questions and listens to your needs

Keeping these points in mind will help you choose the right online course platform without getting bogged down in the details.

CreativeMindClass

We know how tough it can be for creators to start on online course platforms. CreativeMindClass is an affordable online course platform that's easy use and quick to set up without any coding needed. You can create a personal learning experience and connect with students. And don't sweat the tax stuff in the US and EU, so you can focus on running your global online business.

Simple to set up

Let's face it, most folks are here to create courses, not websites. CreativeMindClass has minimal steps required to get started. Insert your content and you're all set. This way, you can put all your energy into making your course and business even better.

You can create one course or have many courses. You can build a community around your course. All on one single website. Take a look at our live demo.

Easy to understand

CreativeMindClass is an easy to use tool even if you're not a tech whiz. It makes things simple by providing only the essential features for your course and business on an intuitive dashboard.

You can create a course and launch it on an SEO optimised website, view traffic metrics and course sales.

Affordable online course platform for cost-conscious creators

CreativeMindClass is an affordable online course platform; simple and  beginner-friendly. It's independently owned and developed and we don't do paid advertising therefore we can keep our prices affordable.

It feels like you're teaching in person

We're all about driving learning results and fostering connections with learners. CreativeMindClass seamlessly combines courses and community into one unified experience on a single website.

On our platform, you can roll out courses that include downloads and exercises, collect files from learners, provide feedback, and make posts, all in one place.

Global

One common reason creators sell their content online is to reach a global audience.

CreativeMindClass, has a build-in tax compliant tool that allows you to sell globally. By using CreativeMindClass platform, we automatically charge and collect taxes not only in US but also in EU.

Customer service

You don't want robots to send you automatic responses.

With CreativeMindClass you talk directly with real customer support people. You can reach us directly via email or messanger on our website; if you have any questions, want to provide feedback or give suggestions. This approach ensures that our platform, answers your questions and evolves in a direction that truly meets your needs.

If this sounds interesting, do register for a trial. You can get familiar with it in one minute so you can try and run alongside Kajabi. The platform is for free and no credit card is required either.

• Free plan: no
• Ease of use: very easy
• Global: yes
• Customer service: excellent

Kajabi

• Free plan: no
• Ease of use: 4.1
• Global: no, must use Quaderno
• Customer service: 4.1

Kajabi provides an all-in-one platform for online courses, marketing, and sales, offering powerful tools for creators to build, market, and sell their content efficiently.

Thinkific

• Free plan: yes
• Ease of use: 4.4
• Global: no, must use Quaderno
• Customer service: 4.3

Thinkific offers a platform that's evolved to allow customization for every aspect of course creation, aiming to be a top choice for monetizing your expertise.

Teachable

• Free plan: yes
• Ease of use: 4.3
• Global: yes
• Customer service: 3.9

Teachable is known for its advanced features supporting courses, coaching, and community engagement, all while being tax compliant.

Podia

• Free plan: yes
• Ease of use: 4.6
• Global: yes
• Customer service: 4.7

Podia stands out for its simplicity and excellent customer service, offering a straightforward platform for selling courses, memberships, and digital products.

LearnWorlds

• Free plan: no
• Ease of use: 4.5
• Global: yes
• Customer service: 4.7

LearnWorlds offers unique features for interactive video and testing, catering to those looking for a customizable and engaging learning experience.

Ruzuku

• Free plan: no
• Ease of use: 4.1
• Global: no, must use Quaderno
• Customer service: 4.1

Ruzuku focuses on providing advanced features for course creation and community building, though Ruzuku is not tax compliant.

Kartra

• Free plan: no
• Ease of use: 4.1
• Global: no, must use Quaderno
• Customer service: 4.1

Kartra includes a suite of marketing tools alongside its course hosting capabilities, ideal for those looking for an all-in-one solution.

Mighty Networks

• Free plan: no
• Ease of use: 4.3
• Global: no, must use Quaderno
• Customer service: 4.3

Mighty Networks combines course creation with community features, simplifying the need for multiple tools.

Gumroad

• Free plan: no
• Ease of use: 4.5
• Global: yes
• Customer service: 4.5

Gumroad focuses on digital sales with a minimalist design, making it easy to sell courses without complexity.

Conclusion

There are many online course platform options covering any possible niche and use case. I hope that this post has helped choose an online training platform best for you.

And if you’d like to give CreativeMindClass a chance, do register here. We’re  focused on creator-learner interaction, affordable, compliant with the different tax regulations, simple to use, and there’s no need to code either.

Online education growth is continuing—global online education sales were estimated at $29.87 billion in 2021, and are projected to reach $180 billion by 2030.

Whether you’re an established business owner or are looking to start a new path, you might want a slice of the online education pie—and any online course journey starts with the right online course platform. With many free (or almost free) options to choose from, there’s no need to break the bank.

What is an online course platform?

An online course platform, also known as an online course website builder, is a software application that allows you to create a website to sell your online courses online. Also known as LMS (Learning Management System), online course platforms are helpful to anyone looking to streamline their teaching process—from individuals and larger companies.

Click here to start selling online courses now with CreativeMindClass

Online course platforms are end-to-end applications, meaning they serve the creator and the learner. Creators can manage learning product inventory, sales, marketing, and customer service, while learners can discover, purchase and interact with courses.

Why use an online course platform?

Benefits of Using an Online Course Platform:

1. Ease of use. Online course builders make it easy for any creator to create a website and start selling courses online—you don’t need to be a tech-savvy programmer to figure them out. They allow content owners to create a professional-looking elearning site easily, and many platforms come with built-in elearing tools for you to manage and edit your online course.
2. Shopping cart and checkout. Most online course platforms include a shopping cart and checkout system that provide a straightforward way for customers to purchase items from your website. These systems also help protect your customers’ data and credit card information by encrypting and storing it securely.
3. SEO. Online course platforms typically come with built-in search engine optimization (SEO) features to help your course website appear prominently on search engine results pages. SEO can help attract more customers and increase traffic to your website.
4. Customer support. Many online course platforms offer customer support, which can be helpful if you have any questions or need assistance setting up your teaching space.

There are also some downsides of using an online course platform, including:

1. Platform Limitations and Control. When using an online course platform, you may encounter certain limitations in terms of customization and control. The platform's design templates and functionality may restrict your ability to create a unique user experience or incorporate specific features you desire. Additionally, you rely on the platform provider's policies and terms of service, which may affect how you can monetize your courses or interact with your students.
2. Revenue Sharing and Fees. Many online course platforms operate on a revenue-sharing model, where a percentage of your course sales is retained by the platform provider. It is essential to carefully evaluate the platform's fee structure and understand how it aligns with your financial goals.
3. Limited Branding and Marketing Opportunities. When using an online course platform, you may face limitations in terms of branding and marketing. While some platforms allow you to customize certain elements, your courses will still be presented within the platform's overall branding and user interface.
4. Reduced Personalized Interaction. Unlike in a traditional classroom setting, online course platforms may limit the amount of personalized interaction you can have with your students. When choosing an onilne course platform, look for communication tools such as discussion boards or messaging systems, providing individualized attention to each learner. Personalized feedback and direct one-on-one interactions may require additional features in a platform.

1. CreativeMindClass

CreativeMindClass is the best online course platform for building video courses. With templates, easy-to-use-tools and 24/7 customer support you will be fully equipped to launch your online course website. Create an online course for free and pay only only when you earn. CreativeMindClass plans are free untill you make your first sale. There is no monthly fees, no subscription and no set up costs.

2. Teachable

Teachable is an online course platform that allows creators to build their own online courses for free during 14-day free trail period. Teachable features include customizable landing pages, course creation tools, and student management.

3. Thinkific

Thinkific offers a free plan limited in features and a paid plan for $49 a minth. The online course platform enables creators to design, market, and sell their own online courses. It has a wide range of features like course hosting, quizzes, video hosting, and email integration.

4. Podia

Podia is n all-in-one platform online course platform that offers customizable templates for building websites, online courses, and digital downloads without coding. It provides an intuitive interface and a good user experience, although embedding custom codes is not possible. The platform offers a free plan, which is a significant advantage for beginners and the cheapest paid plan is $39 a month.

5. Kajabi

Kajabi is a platform that makes it easy for creators to build and sell their own online courses and membership sites. It allows users to create and sell digital or physical products, including online courses. Standard features include customizable checkout pages and an intuitive interface. Kajabi offers a free trail, however, reliance on the platform for various aspects of your business and relatively higher pricing compared to other options are some downsides to consider.

6. Gumoad

Gumroad is an e-commerce platform that allows creators, such as authors, musicians, and designers, to sell their products directly to customers. Similarly to CreativeMindClass, it allows users to easily sell digital goods with a 10% flat fee, therefore without any monthy fees.

7. Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks a platform that makes it easy for creators to build and sell their own online courses and membership sites. Mighty Networks offers 14-day free trial   with all features and paid plans starting at $39 a month.

Free online course platform FAQ

Do you need an online course platform to sell courses online?

You don’t need an online course platform to sell your courses online. You could manually add features and plug-ins to a regular website to set up teaching space and start selling. An online course platform makes the process considerably cheaper, less time-consuming, and more user-friendly. Online course platforms also often include marketing features and secure payment processing tools.

Is it free to sell on CreativeMindClass?

No, selling on CreativeMindClass isn’t free however, creating online courses is free. There are three plans: Basic, Pro and Empire—ranging from 8% to 16% sales fee. All three plans are untill you make your first sale.

What is the cheapest CreativeMindClass plan?

The cheapest CreativeMindClass plan is the CreativeMindClass Basic plan, which starts at 8% sales fee. This plan is a free untill you make your first sale, so you can try it before you sale something.

HOME → GUIDES → VIDEO LESSONS

How to Effectively Plan and Record Awesome Videos for an Online Course in 9 Easy Steps

At this point, you should have a course outline ready. Now, it's time to think about how to present each element of your course. Engaging, interactive, and fun content creates a great learning experience for online students. The best way to deliver learning outcomes is to mix different multimedia: videos, screen recordings, presentations, audio, hand-outs, and exercises.

In this guide, you'll learn the pragmatic approach to planning and recording videos, preparing bonus materials like downloadable files, and engaging students in active learning with exercises. Remember, content preparation is the heart of your course, so you might find yourself working on the steps for a while.

1. Choose the video content type

Look at your course outline. What method fits best to deliver the learning outcomes of each lesson?

The videos you bring into your lessons is what helps to create an engaging online course and give students a great learning experience. These videos can be made using the gear and shooting space right at home with the skills you already have at your fingertips.

When you're done recording and editing your videos, you have multiple short, 16:9, high-quality video files to upload. Keep in mind the high quality of the video. The resolution must be 1080p.

There are several types of videos you can create for your lessons:

When you choose the video types to deliver your learning outcomes for each lesson, it's time for "Lights, camera, action!". You can read about recording videos here:

2. Record and edit your video

The videos you choose for your lessons create an engaging online course and give students a great learning experience. To make these videos, you can use the gear and shooting space right at home with the skills you already have.

When you're done working on your videos, you have multiple short, 16:9, high-quality video files to upload. Remember about the high quality of the video. The resolution should be 1080p.

3. Create a user experience that focuses on videos

A video course is an entirely different learning experience than reading, for example, text on a slide presentation. It needs certain features, navigation, and layout specific to video platforms. CreativeMindClass is an online course platform dedicated especially to video-based courses and focused on providing an enjoyable learning experience by using a video.

Usually, when a video is uploaded on a platform, it's a good practice to add a custom thumbnail. It looks great in the preview. However, it adds some extra work. We came up with something that looks cool without you doing the extra work. We pick the highlights when you upload your video and show a looped 3-8 seconds video. It's something you might know from Spotify videos shown while a song plays.

How to do it in CreativeMindClass

1. In LESSON, select VIDEO lesson type.
2. Drag a video file from your computer.
3. Go to Preview and enjoy the automatically generated lesson cover video.

4. Add a video to each lesson

Videos are the most engaging way to present your content. A successful online  course is 4 to 25 hours of video footage. It's hard to film yourself that long.

Remember, videos can have different forms, like presentations or screen recordings with audio, so it doesn't mean that you need to be in front of the camera all the time.

How to do it in CreativeMindClass

1. Create a new class for your video lessons.
2. Click LESSONS tab to open it.
3. Select VIDEO lesson type.
4. Drag a video file from your computer.
5. Add a video to each lesson.

5. Add a downloadable file

Downloadable files are an excellent addition to your lesson. You can create video lessons with additional files like printouts, worksheets, documents to fill in, editable native files, or extra video files.

They're not just an effective way to deliver your key learning outcomes. Also, they're a great method to engage your students in active learning. What's nice is that they might be seen by your students as cute little gifts that increase your course value.

When you upload an extra file to your lessons, your students can download it, print it out, fill it in, or edit it.

This downloadable file doesn't have to be printed out. It could be filled in digitally, for example, on an iPad, or your students can work inside a file on their desktops. After they've completed the work, they can give the file back and receive your feedback.

Downloadable files make your content fun and engaging and leave your mark on students' pulpits and desks. You can read more about downloadable files here:

6. Choose the downloadable files for your lessons

The downloadable materials you add to your lessons help to deliver your learning outcomes effectively. The downloadable files can be made using software like Pages/Word, Google Slides, Prezi, Photoshop, or Canva. Some of the software is free and may come with your computer others you'll need to buy.

You can reuse some learning materials from your videos (presentation slides, planners) as downloadable files. Export them as PDF files.

Also, you can use downloadables like worksheets or native files together with exercises. The combination enables students to upload their files to a lesson and get your feedback.

Once you've finished creating your downloadable files, you have high-quality image files or editable native files to upload.

How to do it in CreativeMindClass

1. Navigate to LESSON → Content tab
2. Click DOWNLOADABLE FILE to upload your file.

7. Add an exercise to a lesson

Exercises are a great way for your students to put theory into practice. They engage them in learning by doing. Such active learning typically consists of an actionable task and instructor feedback.

Think about a learning experience you could create to help achieve their goals. Look at your Lessons list. Which lessons could have an engaging and fun activity as a learning method? Which lessons could have homework assignments? What brainstorming exercises could you include? What is the final project in your course?

How to do it in CreativeMindClass

1. Navigate to LESSON → Content tab
2. Click EXERCISE to create an exercise for your students.

8. Ask students to share their projects and get your feedback

Some online courses ask for a class project. Your students can apply the skills they learn during your course to complete the project. You can ask them to upload their project to get feedback.

How to do it in CreativeMindClass

1. Navigate to LESSON → Content tab
2. Click EXERCISE to create an exercise.
3. Type TITLE.
4. Type DESCRIPTION.
5. When your student uploads the exercise, navigate to Students' works to you give your feedback.

9. Build an online community around your course

Sharing your feedback with students is the first step towards building a community around your online course. You can take your students learning experience to the next level growing your business and boosting your brand reach at the same time.

Online community drives traffic to your online course website, helps you retain customers, and increases your revenue. Activity Feed is a place where you communicate with your community using posts.

Add some motivational posts to your online course experience. You'll get yourself a great base for building a highly engaged community around your business and brand.

How could you keep your students interested? What do you usually post on social media? What tricks and practical tips could you share? A good idea to keep your students engaged and motivated to complete the course are daily posts with inspirations for the final project.

How to do it in CreativeMindClass

1. Click My Posts in main menu to open it.
2. Click ADD POST button to create a new post.

And you're done!

Now that your video lessons is ready, you have a powerful content for your online course. Hopefuly, you've added some bonus content to your videos to increase your course value. If you are starting a new online course right now, use the free template below to plan and record a new video lesson, or check out our full guide on how to create an online course.

Create your online course videos. Today.

Get started for FREE with CreativeMindClass's easy-to-use template.

→ Start making video courses

Sign up for free with no time limit

Read more

1. Choose an online course topic in minutes with CreativeMindClass
2. Create an Online Course Outline with CreativeMindClass (+Template & Examples)
3. Create a beautiful website for your online course with CreativeMindClass
4. How to Price an Online Course in 3 Simple Steps (+Calculator)
5. 90+ Online Course Ideas For Anyone Who Wants To Sell Online Courses. Templates & Examples
6. 5 Quick Steps to Create an Online Course: Guide
7. Website Builder for Online Courses & Course Website Maker by CreativeMindClass

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An online course (aka eLearning) is any course that takes place online: via a website or an app.

The benefits are obvious: teaching out of a classroom without leaving your own home and creating a source of passive income.

But what are the elements of the online course, and how a "good" online course looks like?

To answer that, we first need to understand how online course works.

How Online Courses Work?

In simple terms, online course is like a classroom of the digital age.

Instead of giving a class in front of people, you prepare the class and put it online. It involves things like video lessons, exercises, and file uploads.

The online course uses the help of a learning management system (LMS) such as online course platform. It simply means that a course creator uses it to create and sell their digital content.

A good online course platform provides digital features that allow creators to upload video courses with learning materials: files, exercises, homework, audio, etc.

That said, there are tons of other factors to consider before starting with online courses.

Learn more about this in our guide to how online courses work.

What makes a good online course?

It takes some time to research and find out information about a well-structured online course. So here are several examples of online course pages you can use as inspiration and to get a better understanding of its structure.

But first, an important point:

All elements included in your online course need to provide value to your students.

You can include in your online course its key element, which is a video lesson, and add multiple online course elements that will increase your online course value.

Types of online courses

Online courses can have different shapes and forms.

Before you consider developing elements of your online course, you first need to think about how your audience will view its content.

Creators use several ways to present content; videos, PDFs, or presentation slides. They also offer downloadable files and engage students with practical assignments.

Video Lessons

Nowadays, the go-to method of putting an online course out in the world is a video lesson. Consumers like it because it's easy to digest, entertaining and engaging. You know from your own experience how much more fun it's to watch something than to read.

To present a video to an audience, course creators can use a service called an online course platform.

Let's say that you already have a video lesson.

Now, you need to put it online.

That said, some additional things need to be prepared:

• Title: A good title sparkles the interest of an audience. Online courses with dull titles often won't get bought.
• Description: Briefly tell the audience about the course contents. If a product description is missing, people don't know what they are buying.
• Price: The price you charge has a direct impact on how much money you make. If it's set your price to low, it's a lost opportunity for a higher income.
• Bio: It's a short story about you, the course creator. If a bio is missing, an audience won't recognize the course landing page immediately.
• Cover: You can prepare an image or a short video trailer presenting the course. It's a course packaging and branding so it can't be missing

If you’re concerned about any of these issues for your online course, consider checking out our online course portal, a pre-built website template with video course elements like title, description, price, bio, and a cover image or trailer video.

Lessons with PDFs

If you want to teach with booklets, the easiest is to create a lesson with a PDF file.

Presentation slides

With slides, you can create engaging lessons. Limited in-text slides and including a few key points help students to digest the information easily. You can make your slides in Canva or using Google Slides.

Digital downloads

Digital download products are downloadable files that your customers can buy. These files won't be available for them to stream directly, they will just be available for download.

Assignments: Practical exercises, homework (aka Hands-on)

Assignments are an active form of learning. Studies have shown that hands-on learning is the most successful way of learning with students.

Given that information, it probably comes as no surprise that adding a hands-on exercise to an online course increases the value of such a course.

But here's even more critical argument about hands-on learning The Friends' Central School:

Incorporating hands-on learning into the classroom or into the home is an easy way for teachers to show their students exactly how what they are learning can be used in the real world.

In other words, most students will get out of it some practical and usable knowledge.

It's important because it helps them move from theory to practice. Online courses that don't have an active form of learning lead to dissatisfaction. And even if you win and sell the course, most people won't stick around to complete your online course.

You can check if your online course platform has a hands-on feature.

If it doesn't, consider checking out this feature on our portal (it's free).  

How can I learn Online Course Best Practices?

CreativeMindClass offers the best resources on the web for learning about Online Courses. If you're completely new to the world of online teaching, start at the very beginning and read the updated Beginner's Guide to Online Courses.

Provide learning materials

Providing additional files in your online course, regardless of its type, influences course satisfaction.

Why? Once again, an audience wants value from your online course. If you sell them a naked course it might lead to dissatisfaction.

File uploads give rich context to your lessons. They can include a lesson plan, hands-on exercises, sketches, inspirations, and cheat sheets.

Make sure that you can upload various file types: PDFs, Word, Excel, jpg, png, .etc.  You want to check if your online course portal allows you to include working documents like Adobe Photoshop PSDs or Illustrator AIs, as it's a very rare feature.

Alternatively, use the CreativeMindClasses file uploads. Just head to "Lesson" and look for "Attachments".

Lesson Plan

Creating a lesson plan for your online course is easy. Just add lessons and sections in an online course platform like CreativeMindClass, then sort your content with a drag and drop.

That said, many people fail to create a clear structure for their online course lessons.

To demonstrate a Lesson Plan that we like, let's look at an example.

Here is a Lesson Plan structure made by illustrator Riccardo Russomanno for his Combining illustration and photography course:

This is a great Lesson Plan in action. Clear structure with lessons and lesson sections.

Navigation

Well-organized structure easy online course navigation: moving between lesson sections (including the START SECTION button) and getting back to a lesson when they want.

For example, the START SECTION button changes to CONTINUE SECTION when a student already watched it.

If you are looking for a clear online course structure, you can use the CreativeMindClass Online Course Portal pre-build features to do so.

Online course platforms & websites

If you are looking for a place for your online courses, you will encounter different platforms with similar features but specializing in different areas. Here is the list of the best online course platforms ones to build and sell courses:

• CreativeMindClass

Best for Building Video Courses

• Teachable

Best Overall Online Course Platform

• Thinkific

Best for Low Fees

• Uscreen

Best for Beginners

• Podia

Best for Ease of Use

• Udemy

Best for New Course Businesses

• Skillshare

Best for New Course Creators

• Kajabi

Best Hosted Online Course Platform

Final thoughts

An online course (aka eLearning) is any course that takes place online and it can have different forms and shapes.

Knowing the types of online courses is crucial when trying to create a well-structured online course.

That said, your Lesson Plan is something you must create before creating your online course content.

Don't let yourself fall into the perfectionist trap, and go for the one and only perfect version of an online course. The course content: titles, descriptions, images, video lessons, PDFs, downloads, assignments, and additional file uploads will change, and that's OK.

Looking to learn more about online courses? Check out our The Best Way to Start with Online Courses article.

FAQ

How to know if your new business idea is any good?

It’s a harsh truth that some of the digital products put on the market likely will not make it. And the ones that do make it, that earn revenue come from the same place as any failed products: an idea.

So what are the best online courses? You need to come up with a creative course idea, and find a sweet spot of something that people will want and that will make your offer stand out.

We've put together 90+ examples of the top creative ideas for online courses in various areas; photography, illustration, painting, visual art, marketing, business animation, and graphic design. We include case studies, examples, and templates to help you get started.

Click here to start selling online courses now with CreativeMindClass

Online courses are a great way for creators to share their skills with others, as well as to learn new techniques and stay up-to-date with the latest trends.

Whether you're a creative or a business coach, you'll find plenty of inspiration and resources to help you choose online course topic. So let's get started with some of the best online course ideas for content creators.

What online courses are in high demand?

Hundreds of online course ideas available will have very different focus areas. However, some course categories are more popular and sell better than others.

Here is our list of the most popular online course ideas with examples based on CreativeMindClass sales data:

1. Photography Courses
2. Illustration Courses
3. Painting Courses
4. Visual Art Courses
5. Marketing Courses
6. Business Courses
7. Animation Courses
8. Graphic Design Courses

Examples of creative online courses

Ideas  for Courses on Photography

Ideas for Photography Courses

Include topics such as camera techniques, lighting and composition, portrait photography, landscape photography, documentary photography, photojournalism, digital editing, and post-processing. Other potential focus areas might include black and white photography, color theory, fine art photography, photo history and theory, and portfolio development.

USE TEMPLATE

Example 1. Capture your vision through photography

Guide your learners in using photography to express their unique creative vision and tell their stories. Teach this course to all levels. It helps to improve their skills and create visually striking images. This course could cover composition, lighting, post-processing, and storytelling.

Get Capture your vision through a photography template.

Example 2. Lighting Techniques for Photography

The Lighting Techniques for Photography course is the perfect opportunity to teach how to master the art of lighting and create stunning visual effects in images. This is our favorite course topic, as the customization options are endless. Don't miss this chance to enhance your photography skills and bring knowledge about lighting techniques to your learners.

Get the template for lighting techniques for photography course.

Example 3. Street Photography: Capturing Candid Moments

Get outside to the bustling streets and share with your learners how to capture the essence of urban life with the Street Photography course. Capture stunning images of people, architecture, and cityscapes. Teach how to tell a story through photographs and teach how to create striking compositions that convey the energy and character of the city.

Get the template for the street photography course.

Example 4. Food Photography: Creating Mouth-Watering Images

Are you passionate about food and photography? Teaching how to make a Food Photography course is the perfect blend of both. Teach the skills and techniques needed to create mouth-watering images of food. Start creating the course and delicious food images that will leave your learners hungry for more.

Get the template for the food photography course.

Example 5. Nature Photography: Capturing the Beauty of the Outdoors

Is there anything better than combining work with nature? We don't think so, particularly if it's capturing breathtaking images of the great outdoors and taking your learners' photography skills to the next level. It's a perfect course for beginners as well as experienced photographers. The course will equip them with knowledge and techniques to capture stunning images of landscapes, wildlife, and more.

Get the template for the nature photography course.

Example 6. Black and White Photography: The Art of Simplicity

If you love the simplicity of black and white photographies, then this idea is for you. It packs all timeless art form that has captivated people for over a century. It embraces simplicity, stripping away the distractions of color to reveal the raw beauty of light and shadow. So why wait? Dive into creating the online course where you share your unique skills.

Get the template for the black and white photography course.

Example 7. Travel Photography: Capturing the Essence of a Place

You can pair your love for traveling and photography with creating an online course that's out-of-this-world amazing. Travels (and photos) never get boring, so you can create such a course over (and over!) again.

Get the template for the travel photography course.

Example 8. Action and Sports Photography: Freezing the Moment

We love some action, but photographing it can be a lot of work. So if you have some experience with capturing those adrenaline-fueled moments, share the knowledge in your next online course. Teach how to take great shots, and provide insights into the business of sports photography, including how to market work and sell images.

Get the template for the action and sports photography course.

Example 9. Post-processing and editing in Lightroom and Photoshop

If you are a fan of going the extra mile to get that perfectly edited, well-balanced photos, then you might consider teaching this skill. Without the need to leave your room, this course can be created in several days. Turn on your microphone, screen recorder, or camera.    

Get the template for the post-processing photography course.

Ideas  for Courses on Illustration

Ideas for Illustration Courses

Include topics such as drawing techniques, digital illustration, character design and development, editorial illustration, book illustration, graphic novels and comics, concept art, and surface design. Other potential areas of focus might include traditional illustration methods, art history, illustration theory and criticism, and portfolio development.

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Example 1. How to create imaginative, dreamlike illustrations

It's an idea of an online illustration course that could teach aspiring and professional illustrators how to create captivating, otherworldly images. The course could be designed to help students develop their own unique style and explore the creative possibilities of illustration.

Get the How to create imaginative, dreamlike illustrations template.

Example 2. Surrealistic illustration with narrative intention

If you ever had to make an illustration of a narrative, this one is for you. Teach how to create visually stunning, thought-provoking illustrations that tell a story through surrealism. Guide your learners through the process of developing their own surrealistic style and using it to craft compelling narratives.

Get the template for surrealistic illustration with narrative intention course.

Example 3. Watercolor and mixed media for magical illustrations

Want an awesome idea for an online course but don't want to spend your entire year recording video lessons and talking? Watercolor and mixed media is the perfect course to create. It's an easy topic that doesn't require much face recording, and it's always a winner.

Get the template for the watercolor and mixed media course.

Example 4. Illustrating Children's Books

Craving illustration course but trying to narrow down the topics or have a sure bet? This Illustrating Children's Books course is going to inspire you. The template comes with real kid's book illustrations!

Get the template for illustrating children's books course.

Example 5. Digital Painting Techniques

Teach how to create stunning digital paintings that look like traditional oil, watercolor, or acrylic paintings. Guide your learners through the process of using digital painting software to create realistic textures, brushstrokes, and color blends.

Get the template for the digital painting course.

Example 6. Vector Illustration

Vector illustrations course teach how to create professional-grade line using vector graphics software. Guide your learners through the process of creating clean, precise lines and shapes that are easily scalable for use in a variety of applications.

Get the template for the vector illustration course.

Example 7. Watercolor Illustration: Techniques and Applications

Recording the process of making watercolor illustration is a great way to make and online course. On to of being a super-quick course to make, you won't need to prepare much theory or content. All the techniques can be explained while painting. So turn your camera on for the perfect watercolor illustration course.  

Get the template for the watercolor illustration course.

Example 8. Science Illustration: Creating Accurate and Engaging Images

Get the template for the science illustration course.

Example 9. Illustrating for Advertising and Marketing

Get the template for illustrating for advertising course.

Example 10. Sketching and Drawing for Illustration

Get the template for sketching for illustration course.

Example 11. Creating Storyboards and Comics

Get the template for storyboards and comics course.

Ideas  for Courses on Painting

Ideas for Painting Courses

Include topics such as color theory and composition, brushwork and techniques, painting from observation, still life painting, portraiture, landscape painting, abstract painting, and mixed media painting. Other potential areas of focus might include art history, contemporary painting practices, and portfolio development.

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Example 1. Learn how to transfer emotions to portraits

Provide individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to create emotionally powerful and expressive portraits using traditional mediums such as oils, watercolors, acrylics, and pastels. The course is suitable for learners with some experience in painting and is designed for both hobbyists and professionals looking to improve their skills in portrait painting.

Get the Learn how to transfer emotions to portraits template.

Example 2. Introspective portraits

Get the template for the introspective portraits course.

Example 3. Portrait: Being true to your nature

Get the template for the portrait course.

Example 4. Glowing the lights of self-awareness

Get the template for the glowing the lights of self-awareness course.

Example 5. Portrait Painting in Pastels

Get the template for pastels painting course.

Example 6. Still Life Painting in Oils

Get the template for oil painting course.

Example 7. Abstract Painting Techniques

Get the template for abstract painting course.

Example 8. Landscape Painting in Watercolors

Get the template for landscape painting course.

Example 9. Exploring Color Theory in Painting

Get the template for color theory course.

Example 10. Creating Texture in Acrylic Paintings

Get the template for texture painting course.

Example 11. Mastering Composition in Oil Painting

Get the template for composition in oil painting course.

Ideas for Courses on Visual Art

Ideas for Visual Art Courses

Include topics such as drawing and painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, digital art, mixed media, and art history. Other potential areas of focus might include color theory and composition, portraiture, landscape art, abstract art, and contemporary art movements.

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Example 1. Connect your creativity and deep dive into your artistic soul

This visual art course idea could teach aspiring and professional artists how to unlock their creative potential and discover new ways to express themselves through art. The course could be designed to help students embark on a journey of self-discovery and explore the depths of their creative souls.

Get the Connect your creativity and deep dive into your artistic soul template.

Example 2. Combining illustration and photography

Combining illustration and photography is essentially an illustration course with many of the topics like color, composition or contrast. It's a fun way to start with online courses and can be created as a mini course. This versionis fun, bold and vibrant but you can match the style to your own.

Get the template for the combining illustration and photography course.

Example 3. Discover inner symbols and use them to create your visual universe

Get the template for the discover inner symbols and create your visual universe course.

Example 4. Drawing Guided Meditation Path

Missing soulsearching time? Create a drawing guided meditation path course with gong and nature sounts, then top them with warm up exercises for a healty drawing session you can enjoy.

Get the template for the drawing guided meditation path course.

Example 5. Introduction to Visual Art: Techniques and Concepts

An easy beginning, the introduction to visual art course. It's designed to help learners to make the first step in the art world. Go for color theory, composition, fun warm-up exercises, or line drawing.

Get the template for introduction to visual art course.

Example 6. Drawing and Sketching: Techniques and Materials

Get the template for drawing and sketching course.

Example 7. Photography: Techniques and Equipment

Get the template for photography: techinques and equipment course.

Example 8. Printmaking: Techniques and Methods

Get the template for printmaking course.

Example 9. Mixed Media: Combining Different Techniques and Materials

Get the template for mixed media course.

Example 10. Illustration: Techniques and Styles

Get the template for illustration course.

Example 11. Art History: Understanding and Appreciating Different Art Movements and Styles

Get the template for art history course.

Ideas  for Courses on Marketing

Ideas for Marketing Courses

Include topics such as market research, branding and positioning, digital marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, advertising, and public relations. Other potential areas of focus might include consumer behavior, marketing analytics, email marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and mobile marketing.

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Example 1. Social Media Marketing Tips & Tricks

This idea could cover tips for a good training course for strategies for promoting business or brand on social media platforms. Guide your learners through wide range of topics to help create a strong social media presence and reach their target audience.

Get the Social Media Marketing Tips & Tricks template.

Example 2. Grow your Instagram followers

Get the template for the grow your Instagram followers course.

Example 3. Social media content creation

Get the template for the social media content creation course.

Example 4. Basics of social media for beginners

Get the template for the basics of social media for beginners course.

Example 5. Advertising on social media

Get the template for advertising on social media course.

Example 6. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Techniques

Get the template for SEO course.

Example 7. Social Media Marketing Strategies

Get the template for social media marketing course.

Example 8. Content Marketing Fundamentals

Get the template for content marketing course.

Example 9. Email Marketing Best Practices

Get the template for email marketing course.

Example 10. Google Analytics for Marketers

Get the template for Google Analytis course.

Example 11. Influencer Marketing: Strategies and Tactics

Get the template for influencer marketing course.

Example 12. Paid Advertising on Google and Social Media

Get the template for paid advertising course.

Example 13. Measuring Marketing ROI and Analytics

Get the template for measuring marketing ROI course.

Example 14. Brand Management and Marketing Communications

Get the template for brand management course.

Ideas  for Courses on Business

Ideas for Business Courses

Include topics such as marketing and advertising, finance and accounting, entrepreneurship, leadership and management, human resources, data analysis and decision-making, and project management. Other potential areas of focus might include business strategy and planning, communication and negotiation, and ethics and social responsibility in business.

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Case study. Transform your business

Business and entrepreneurship online courses are popular and profitable, covering a wide range of topics from starting a business, to sales, financial management, and leadership.

These courses are designed for those interested in starting their own business or for business owners looking to improve their skills and transform their businesses.

Such courses are usually taught by successful entrepreneurs and industry experts, providing valuable insights and strategies for success.

Many business and entrepreneurship courses also offer networking opportunities and resources, such as access to venture capital firms and incubators to help students start or grow a business.

Business course topic idea: "Transform your business."

"Transform Your Business" is an example you could use to create an online business course that aims to help individuals and business owners improve their skills and knowledge in various areas of business management. It is designed for people who want to start a business or for those who are already running a business and want to take it to the next level.

The course could be designed to be interactive and engaging, with a combination of video lessons, downloadable files, and assignments. The course could also include hands-on activities, such as creating a business plan, and a final project where students apply what they have learned to their own business. The course might offer resources like access to a business mentor, a community of like-minded entrepreneurs, and networking opportunities.

Overall, "Transform Your Business" could be an ideal course for anyone looking to start or grow their business, providing them with the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in today's competitive business environment.

Classes you could create for this course:

01. Introduction to Business Transformation: Learn the key concepts and principles of business transformation and why it's important for business growth and survival.

02. Identifying Opportunities: Learn how to identify new opportunities for growth and innovation in your industry.

03. Developing a Strategic Plan: Learn how to develop a strategic plan that aligns your business goals with your market opportunities.

If you are starting a new online business course, use the template below to get set up in minutes. The template is the ultimate time-saver when creating an online course. It's designed to convert (sell your course), and it's got all the essential elements—it's just waiting for your finishing touch. Slap on your photos, update the copy and visuals, and bam! You've just created an effective business course. It's really that easy.

10 more online business course topic ideas:

Example 1. Starting a Small Business: From Idea to Launch

Get the template for starting a small business course.

Example 2. Making the most use of Excel

Get the template for excel course.

Example 3. Digital Marketing for Small Businesses

Get the template for digital marketing course.

Example 4. Basics of Google Analytics

Get the template for google analytics course.

Example 5. Leadership and Management for Entrepreneurs

Get the template for leadership and management course.

Example 6. E-commerce and Online Business Strategies

Get the template for e-commerce course.

Example 7. Business Planning and Strategy Development

Get the template for business planning and strategy course.

Example 8. Innovation and Creativity in Business

Get the template for innovation in business course.

Example 9. Human Resources Management for Small Businesses

Get the template for human resources course.

Example 10. Business Growth and Scaling Strategies

Get the template for business growth course.

Ideas  for Courses on Animation

Ideas for Animation Courses

Include topics such as character design and development, storyboarding and scriptwriting, 2D and 3D animation techniques, sound design, visual effects, and motion graphics. Other potential areas of focus might include animation software proficiency, animation history and theory, and portfolio development.

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Case study. Basics of Animation in Blender

Animation online courses provide individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to create animated content using software such as Adobe After Effects, Blender, or other animation software.

These courses cover a wide range of topics such as keyframe animation, character animation, rigging, special effects, compositing, and rendering. They are designed to be flexible and self-paced, allowing students to learn at their own convenience.

Animation online courses offer a combination of video lessons, downloadable assets, demonstrations, and hands-on exercises that equip students with a solid understanding of animation principles and techniques, allowing them to apply them in their own projects. These courses are geared towards individuals with little to no experience in animation, as well as professionals.

Animation course topic idea: "Basics of Animation in Blender"

"Basics of Animation in Blender" is an online animation course idea that could provide an introduction to the principles and techniques of animation using the popular open-source software Blender. The course could be designed for individuals with little to no experience in animation and is suitable for both hobbyists and professionals looking to expand their skills.

You could provide access to step-by-step tutorials, sample files, native files, to help learners practice and reinforce the concepts covered. The course could be designed to be self-paced, so you can complete it at your own convenience.

By the end of the course, learners would have the knowledge and skills to create basic animations in Blender and have the foundation to create more complex animations in the future.

Classes you could create for this course:

01. Introduction to Blender: Learn the basics of the Blender interface and navigation, as well as how to set up a project for animation.

02. Keyframe Animation: Learn the fundamental principles of animation, such as timing, spacing, and easing, and how to create smooth animations using keyframe animation in Blender.

03. Character Animation: Learn how to create believable and expressive character animations, including walk cycles, lip sync, and body mechanics.

If you are starting a new online animation course, use the template below to get set up in minutes. The template is the ultimate time-saver when creating an online course. It's designed to convert (sell your course), and it's got all the essential elements—it's just waiting for your finishing touch. Slap on your photos, update the copy and visuals, and bam! You've just created an effective animation course. It's really that easy.

10 more online animation course topic ideas:

Example 1. 2D Animation

The techniques and tools used in traditional 2D animation, such as hand-drawn animation, cel animation, and digital 2D animation.

Get the template for 2D animation course.

Example 2. 3D Animation

The techniques and tools used in 3D animation, such as modeling, texturing, lighting, and rigging.

Get the template for 3D animation course.

Example 3. Stop-motion Animation

The techniques and production methods used in stop-motion animation, such as clay animation, puppet animation, and object animation.

Get the template for stop-motion animation course.

Example 4. Animation for Video Games

The techniques and tools used in creating animations for video games, including character animation, physics-based animation, and motion capture.

Get the template for animation for video games course.

Example 5. Motion Graphics and Visual Effects

The techniques used in creating motion graphics and visual effects for film, television, and advertising.

Get the template for motion graphics course.

Example 6. Character Animation

The techniques used in animating characters, including walk cycles, lip-sync, and facial expressions.

Get the template for character animation course.

Example 7. Rigging and Character Setup

The techniques used in setting up characters for animation, including rigging, weighting, and skinning.

Get the template for rigging and character setup course.

Example 8. Animation for Advertising and Marketing

The techniques used in creating animation for advertising and marketing, including explainer videos, product demos, and commercials.

Get the template for animation for advertising course.

Example 9. Compositing and Post-production

The techniques used in compositing and post-production for animation, including color correction, compositing, and sound design.

Get the template for compositng and post-production course.

Example 10. Storytelling and Scriptwriting

The techniques used in writing and visual storytelling for animation, including character development, plot structure, and scriptwriting.

Get the template for storytelling course.

Ideas  for Courses on Graphic Design

Ideas for Graphic Design Courses

Include topics such as typography, color theory, branding and logo design, layout and composition, illustration, user interface design, and motion graphics. Other potential areas of focus might include design software proficiency, design history and theory, and portfolio development.

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Case Study: Getting started with Adobe Photoshop

Graphic design online courses provide individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to create visually appealing designs using software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

These courses cover a wide range of topics such as layout, typography, color theory, and branding. They are designed to be flexible and self-paced, allowing students to learn at their own convenience.

Through a combination of video lessons, downloadable files, native files, case studies, and hands-on exercises, students will gain a solid understanding of graphic design principles and techniques and be able to apply them in their own projects.

Graphic design course topic idea: "Getting started with Adobe Photoshop"

"Getting started with Adobe Photoshop" is an idea for online graphic design course that could privide a comprehensive introduction to the popular image editing software, Adobe Photoshop. The course could be designed for individuals with little to no experience using the software and is suitable for both hobbyists and professionals looking to expand their skills.

Classes you could create for this course:

01. Introduction to Adobe Photoshop: Learn the basics of the Photoshop interface and navigation, as well as how to set up a project for editing.

02. Basic Image Editing: Learn how to make basic adjustments to an image such as cropping, resizing, and color correction.

03. Layers and Masking: Learn how to use layers and masks to edit and composite images.

If you are starting a new online graphic design course, use the template below to get set up in minutes. The template is the ultimate time-saver when creating an online course. It's designed to convert (sell your course), and it's got all the essential elements—it's just waiting for your finishing touch. Slap on your photos, update the copy and visuals, and bam! You've just created an effective graphic design course. It's really that easy.

10 more online graphic design course topic ideas:

Example 1. Graphic Design Fundamentals

Typography, Color Theory, and Layout. It covers the basics of design, including principles of design, layout, and composition. It also covers the principles of typography, including typeface selection, type hierarchy, and readability. Also, the basics of color, including color theory, color matching, and color correction.

Get the template for graphic design fundamentals course.

Example 2. Branding and Identity Design

Covers the principles of branding and identity design, including logo design, typography, and color schemes.

Get the template for branding and ideantity design course.

Example 3. Illustration and Vector Graphics

This category covers the techniques used in creating illustrations and vector graphics.

Get the template for illustration and vector graphics course.

Example 4. Digital Design

It's about the digital tools and software used in graphic design, including Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

Get the template for digital design course.

Example 5. Advertising Design and Conceptual Thinking

This category covers the techniques used in creating advertising and marketing materials, including visual storytelling, conceptual thinking, and design research.

Get the template for advertising design course.

Example 6. Web Design and User Interface (UI) Design

Get the template for web design and UI course.

Example 7. Introduction to Graphic Design: Tools and Techniques

Get the template for introduction to graphic desing course.

Example 8. Photography for Graphic Designers

Get the template for photography for designers course.

Example 9. After effects for beginners

Get the template for motion design course.

Example 10. Product Packaging & Labels Design in Illustrator & Photoshop

Teach the art of designing visually stunning and impactful packaging. Through real-world projects and practical exercises, create a hands-on experience for your learners. In this course you can cover how to create beautiful Photoshop mockups and gain the versatility to design for any industry. Plus, you could teach how to kickstart a freelancing career on popular platforms like Fiverr and Upwork. Encourage your learner to showcase their skills and shape the future of product packaging and label design.

Get the template for packaging design course.

How to come up with a creative online course idea

The world of e-learning has developed rapidly. Since the advent of the web, it’s been possible to create online courses with far fewer restrictions than had previously been possible with traditional courses.

Even so, this area still remains niche, with many people struggling to understand the nature of online education and the type of courses that would actually be interesting for people.

Create a course you would like to take.

Creating an interesting online course involves five main steps:

1. Online Course Plan Set up a place to create your online course

2. Course topic Figure out what and who you'll teach

3. Course outline  Plan each lesson you need

4. Content delivery Prepare videos, downloadable files, and exercises

5. Course website Persuade your audience to buy with text and visuals

These steps are the main focus of our beginner's guide on how to create an online course.

Where to host an online course

The best option for setting up an e-course is to take advantage of the existing business offerings from multiple vendors. Some of the leading software and tech companies offer integrated online learning platforms or website builders. These platforms are free to use for a limited duration, and then provide a subscription fee for customized content and training.

Where to find templates for any online course

An online course needs a great website to sell it. Whether you're a designer, marketer, photographer, coach, or visual artist, this collection of creative online course templates will help you get started and create a successful website for any online course.

7 inspiring templates to create a stunning online course

An online course needs a great website to sell it. Whether you’re a designer, marketer, or coach, these online course templates will help you start.

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Final thoughts

Online courses offer a wide range of opportunities for creators to learn new skills and improve their craft. From graphic design and painting to animation and digital marketing, there is a course for everyone.

The topics discussed in this article, such as "Basics of Animation in Blender", "Getting started with Adobe Photoshop" and "Learn how to transfer emotions to portraits" are just a few examples of the many available options.

With the right course and the right approach, creators can take their skills to the next level, and open new doors for their careers. In addition, having access to examples and templates will make the learning process more accessible and provide a foundation to start creating your own material.

Whether you’re a startup or an industry vet, it’s important to come up with digital product ideas based on your target market. Excellent ideas will make creating an online course easier, keep you ahead of the competition, delight your customers, and earn more sales.

Now you’re equipped with resources to help you come up with a great list of winning online course ideas to start. Get out there and start exploring!

Online course ideas FAQs

If you're just at the beginning of the online course business, a mini course might be the way to go. If you want to create an online course today, without much risk, it's the best method to test the waters. Also, it's the fastest way to launch an online course if you don't have much time and want to expand your online course business in the future.

Here is how to create a mini course to ensure that you are on the right track with your online course business.

Click here to start selling online courses now with CreativeMindClass

3 Mini Course Examples

To give you some inspiration here are some examples of mini courses:

Example #1: Take part in a creative challenge and record the process

In this mini course, you'll teach the joy of participating in a creative challenge while documenting your artistic journey. Whether it's a painting, sketch, or digital artwork, you can share how to capture the entire process from start to finish. Explore techniques for showcasing your progress through behind-the-scenes (BTS) footage, sharing insights and tips along the way.

Example #2: Indroductionary course about you and your passion

Are you eager to share your unique story and passion with others? In this mini course, you'll showcase you audience with your expertise. From identifying your core passions to articulating your journey, create a compelling narrative that resonates with your target audience.

Example #3: Make a video that shows your workspace

In this  mini course, you can shows your learners your unique workspace. From organizing your tools to setting up the perfect lighting, you can give expert tips and techniques for capturing the essence of your creative environment.

An excellent example of a mini course is the teaching demo sample with a video produced by a Visual storyteller, and children books illustrator, Jennifer Gast. Jennifer added her mini course to the How to create imaginative, dreamlike illustrations. You can create and lunch a similar illustration course here on CreativeMindClass.

Mini course Pros and Cons

Starting with a mini course is a wonderful marketing option for those who are busy with their side hustles and don't have time to devote endless hours to building online courses.

If you are still wondering if you should sell your courses with a subscription model or a single purchase model, mini courses go perfectly with the latter because it takes off the pressure of creating content on a regular basis.

What is more, starting up with a mini course allows you to test the waters and validate the online course ideas with your audience. Compared to the full-length course, it takes the pressure off investing lots of time in something that you are not certain about.

Mini course Pros

A mini course is a short online course and there are a number of benefits for creating one.

• You don't need any previous experience
• Easy to set up
• No huge investments of time or money
• You have the opportunity to provide a high-quality course quickly
• You can develop it in your own time
• You are more flexible to create at a moment's notice

You can launch your own mini course on CreativeMindClass.

Larger online courses may have particular things you want to say about an issue or to cover a particular subject. Minicourses are usually quick and easy and are ideal for giving something of interest to your audience.

With mini courses, you can work in your own time and create it at your own pace. You won't have to dedicate months or even years of your life to create a full-length course when you're unsure of how to reach your goals.

Additionally, you can create a mini course with the mindset of developing it as much as you can in the shortest amount of time possible. What is more, it enables you to get feedback from the online audience, iterate and improve it with time.

Mini course Cons

From the perspective of an online course creator, some cons of mini-courses may include:

1. Since mini-courses are shorter in length and scope, they may not bring in as much revenue as a full-length course.
2. With limited time, it can be challenging to keep students engaged and motivated throughout the course.
3. Mini-courses have a limited scope and focus, which can limit their appeal to a wider audience.

Building an Online Course Platform was never that easy. Want to turn followers into learners with your own course platform? Everything you need to sell courses, digital downloads and online community. Start for free!

How to Create an Mini Course. Step-by-step guide.

You are here because you want to create an online course, and you want to do it fast. An online course needs a great website to sell it. Whether you're a designer, marketer, photographer, coach, or visual artist, this collection of online course templates will help you get started and create a successful website for any online course.

Developing an online course used to require immense skills in different fields, including coding (if someone wanted to create a course using creators like Wordpress) and designing. But today, with the introduction of online course platforms, you can create an online course from scratch, in minutes. If you choose the right online course platform, it all comes down to the content, not a website or a sales page anymoer.

If you don’t know where to start, or you’re worried that creating the course will be time-consuming, then this paragraph is for you.

First, choose the online course topic, then do some research about it. Next, plan the course outline and test the idea in the real world. If you've done that, you can  create your content. If you are starting a new online course right now, you can check out our full guide on how to create an online course.

After that, it's time to set the price and put your course online. Finally, launch and promote your course among your audience and build a community of returning students.

We recommend starting from a mini course and then scaling up to a regular size course.

Online Course Content

Creating a mini course content is similar to creating a regular online course (but faster). Below you can find the step-by-step guide on How to set up an online course (or a mini course).

1. Choose the perfect online course topic
2. Research your course topic
3. Plan and Outline the Course Content
4. Test the course topic idea
5. Set the Course Goals
6. Create your course content

Whatever you do as a content creator, a great way to make a mini course and earn some extra money is to show people the process of your creation. Low-hanging fruit is to simply turn your camera on and record how you make the work done. You can make a short video while doing your work and sell it as an online course on a course platform to feed your audience with some special BTS content.

Do you need more details on how to create an online course content? Here is a full guide on how to get started on CreativeMindClass

What makes a successful online course?

The most effective online courses are planned carefully; they're not created on the spur of the moment. Defining course goals and learning objectives during the course design process results in a well-thought-out and interesting online course.

Step 1. Choosing the perfect online course topic

Choosing the course topic is an essential step in creating the right course for the right people. You have your passion; knowledge, skills, and experience that your audience is willing to pay for. It's time to look at it closer and put it in words.

Defining a course topic shouldn't be a difficult task. Look at your everyday life. Most likely, people already ask you for advice on certain topics or consider you an expert in some area.

Check out the guide on how to choose a course topic, you'll learn the pragmatic approach to choosing a topic for a course that you'll love to create and your audience will love to buy.

Step 2.Researching your course topic

Online research for course topic ideas is an important parts online course creation. Well-conducted research will help you get inspiration for your course topic. It can be an extensive Google search, checking on competition, social media dive, as well as going through related books on Amazon.

Step 3. Planning and Outlining the Course Content

It's time for the building blocks of your online course, a blueprint. After the research, you will have many ideas for your online course content. Planning the entire online course can be overwhelming. Sorting through piles of content creates a risk of confusion about what should be included in the course.

A clearly defined course outline will make sure outlining is manageable. A course outline is a simple but incredibly useful way of planning your online course lessons. Check out our guide on how to create a course outline.

Don't stress out about making your course outline; it's a blueprint, a draft. Most of it will remain, but as much as 20% of it will be changed or removed.

Step 4. Testing the course topic idea

Now that you have your ideas on the table, it's time for evaluation. Run through your topic ideas again. Do online research if it is in demand. Are there any competitors offering similar courses? Can you find any books on the topic on Amazon? If you are into SEO, check the ranking potential, and if the keywords you want to use have some traffic.

How To Choose An Online Course Topic: Step-By-Step Guide

A course topic is a crucial element in creating a successful online course. Brainstorm ideas, name your course, craft an offer, and test ideas.

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You can also ask people if they like it and explain why. Be prepared to welcome suggestions and make improvements. As you work on the offer, it's important to find someone motivated enough to pay money to learn about it.

Step 5. Setting the Course Goals

To create a great course, it's good to define what you want your students to learn.

Defining the learning milestones will help you communicate to your students about what they can achieve with your online course. It's a part of the planning phase, and it can be done on a high level. Write it down in your notes.

Step 6. Creating your course content

Engaging, interactive, and fun content creates a great learning experience for online students. The best way to deliver learning outcomes is to mix different multimedia: videos, screen recordings, presentations, audio, hand-outs, and exercises. Learn the pragmatic approach to planning and recording video lessons, preparing bonus materials like downloadable files, and engaging students in active learning with exercises in how to plan and record video lessons for an online course.

The process of your course creation will go smoothly if you divide it into smaller chunks and plan it in your calendar. The time you'll spend on an online course creation depends on the value you want to provide to your audience.

and there is more...

Step 7. Recording the videos

We are all familiar with recording fun videos on our phones.

But how to record professional videos for an online course? Start by assembling your gear:

• Camera
• Microphone
• Lightning
• Editing Software

To record your content, you need a camera, microphone, and editing software. It would be great to get some additional lighting, like LEDs (if you are recording indoors), and put them on tripods.

Related article:

How To Record Online Course Videos: Complete Guide

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Various shots make your video more engaging

An important aspect of setting up your recording space is deciding how many different scenes you want to create for your video. There are two main types of scenes for video courses: face shots and work shots.

• Face shot

For the course introduction, you can show your workspace, and your favorite places in the neighborhood to let students get to know you better. If you want to keep it short simply start by saying "Hi" in your classroom or your own room and get straight to the topic of your course.

• Work shot

The work shot can be done by screen recording if you create a course where the main action is taken on a computer, a phone, or an iPad.

If you want to include yourself in the work shot before you hit record need to set up good lighting, check the focus of the camera lens, and choose the angle to record your work (without accidentally covering it with your body or a coffee mug).

Bonus: How to sell your first course

The decisions you make when creating an online course, from choosing the subject to pricing the course, when done right, will help you make money. An important factor in selling an online course is also choosing the right online course platform for the size of your audience.

When starting out with no audience, placing your online course on a grouping platform can help boost your sales.

But, if you have an audience already you can sell to, it's best to use a course-building platform for an individual creator like CreativeMindClass that allows you to sell one or multiple online courses from your own website and scale your business globally.

1. Put your course online
2. Determine your course price
3. Launch, promote, and build a community
4. Sell an online course

1. Put your course online

Online course websites and templates

A clear, benefit-oriented website will sell the course for you. That's why choosing a website builder is an important part of this task. It all comes down to answering this simple question: Why should someone choose your coure over another? Present the promise to your customer, so they know what to expect. Check out our guide on how to create an online course website.

How To Create An Online Course Website: Step-By-Step Guide

A clear, benefit-oriented website is an essential tool every creator needs to sell an online course. It includes attention-grabbing copy and visuals.

The CreativeMindClass BlogCreativeMindClass

It would be great to have a ready-made course template, wouldn't it? A ready-to-go template makes it much easier to build your online course website and lets you focus on its content and structure.

An online course needs a great website to sell it. Whether you're a designer, marketer, photographer, coach, or visual artist, this collection of online course templates will help you get started and create a successful website for any online course.

A good online course website template offers:

• A course outline with sections
• A course website layout
• A course website design
• Your bio section or an author page
• A course landing page with the course trailer, time duration, description and other multimedia
• Headers, paragraphs, and image placeholders
• Buy buttons
• A checkout page

From a preset outline to a checkout page, a good course template helps in creating and selling your course, keeping the best conversion practices in mind.

6 inspiring templates to create a stunning online course

An online course needs a great website to sell it. Whether you’re a designer, marketer, or coach, these online course templates will help you start.

The CreativeMindClass BlogCreativeMindClass

We have good news for you. On CreativeMindClass, there is a ready-use template for your online course. All you need to do is to fill it in with your content, no designing, no coding, no struggle, really!

2. Determine your course price

Pricing is a crucial factor in the success of beginning your online course. After spending time making content, pricing is the next thing to do. The decision of what price to charge is a crucial element of any business and may cause a little bit of anxiety. However, putting a price on your abilities doesn't have to be a daunting task.

Frankly, it's simple. When you develop or offer online classes, the best price is one that brings about the feeling of fairness and satisfaction for you and your customers.

3. Launch, promote, and build a community

Launching your online course is an exciting moment. Don't feel shy about promoting your own course. Be proud of what you make and share it with the world.

A good and consistent promotion pays back in new students.

It's best to promote your course (high convertions) on your own blog and with an email newsletter. If you have a well-performing social media it might become your significantly converting channel.

When you convince people to buy your course, it's important to find a way to make them stick around. A community is the best way of doing that. Students can share their experiences on the Activity Feed; they can talk about courses and help each other learn. And when you perhaps launch a new course they will be the first ones to find out about that.

How much should you charge for a mini course?

Mini course can be marketed as an early access courses with a discount.

A short video course is a great way to engage your audience in the process of creating your art and getting paid for that. Creators usually set the price of short video courses from $10 to $50. However, how much you’ll earn depends on how you price your online course and its value to people. If you put your heart into creating the video and promoting it on social media, you can make an additional passive income on each of your artworks by showing people how you made it.

If you're looking struggling to decide if a mini course is for you, here's our top recommendation. Just do it! It's the less risky way to start your online platform. Start from a mini course, and charge $10-50 for it. Then, find ways to enhance its value to $100. Finally, opt for a premium price of $250.

A mini course and its price are based on value-based pricing and on the belief that the lower the cost of your course, the less time you'll devote to developing an online course. This means you can offer multiple mini courses at $10-$50.

The rule of thumb in how to price your online course is that the lower the cost of the course then you must convince more people to purchase it, which means you have to need to be more aggressive in promoting it. With the higher cost of the course, you will need to convince fewer people, meaning you spend less time on promotion.

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Online course prices generally go from $10 for a mini course to a premium price of $350. But how to know what price is best for you? We lay it all out.

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The low cost of courses comes with their own challenges; generally being said they're not the best long-term option for an entrepreneur. The sooner you can increase the cost of your courses and the higher the general viability of your online business.

How long should a mini course be

When creating a mini course you might wonder about how many hours students should spend on your course and how many lessons it should have.

The ideal online course length allows your students to learn the information in the shortest possible time. And its structure: lessons, chapters, or modules need to help in that.

On average a mini course is a short video. Usually, the time duration is from 30 to 90 minutes.

The full-length course is 120-180 minutes and a premium course is similar in time duration to the full-length course but additionally includes printables, attachments, and exercises.

AI-made images have made tremendous changes in the field of image creation.

AI image generators use machine learning algorithms to create new images from scratch or modify existing ones. These AI image generators have become increasingly popular for their ability to create visually stunning and unique images.

Although AI image generators have revolutionized the field of image creation, some creators may feel uncomfortable with their use. Nether the less, creating images with AI generators was a big step into the future that can't be undone.

This article will explore some of the best AI image generators available today.

The best AI image generators

• Artssy - easy-of-use AI generator
• ArtBreeder - AI-based animated image generator blending multiple images together
• DALL-E 2 -  best for a wide range of images (objects, animals, scenes, and abstract concepts)
• Midjourney - blends real-world elements with surreal and dreamlike aesthetics
• DreamStudio - amazing details of AI images

So how exactly AI generates images?

AI image generation uses algorithms to learn patterns from a set of example images and then use these patterns to generate new images that share similar characteristics to the training input.

Artssy: easy-of-use AI generator

Artssy is an impressive platform that combines AI technology with intuitive tools to enable users to easily create unique and customizable digital art and graphics.

The platform offers a vast library of assets, including images, textures, and fonts, that can be mixed and matched to create various styles and designs. AI-powered features such as background removal, colorization, and style transfer offer new and innovative ways of enhancing images and graphics.

The user-friendly and intuitive user interface allows users of all skill levels to create stunning and professional-looking designs. Artssy is an excellent tool for artists, designers, and anyone looking to create high-quality and customizable digital art quickly and easily.

Artssy pricing: the pricing plans differ mostly in the number of image credits. With the $49 a month, Starter plan, you get 2000 AI image credits.

ArtBreeder: AI-based animated image generator blending multiple images together

ArtBreeder is an online ai-image generator that allows users to make a simple collage from shapes and images.

One of its standout features is its community-driven approach to image generation. Users can browse and remix creations from other artists, providing endless creative possibilities. Moreover, it enables users to collaborate on projects and even form teams to work on large-scale projects.

ArtBreeder pricing: free for 10 credits. From $8.99 a month for 100 credits.

DALL-E 2:  best for a wide range of images (objects, animals, scenes, and abstract concepts)

DALL-E 2 is one of the biggest names on the market as it's an OpenAI product, the same as ChatGPT. It's a popular AI image generator that artists widely use. Its popularity stems from its impressive capabilities as the first widely available image generator that could create amazing images.

The platform's simplicity is one of its greatest advantages, with users only needing to input a prompt to generate image variations within seconds. The platform's image editor also offers advanced features like out-painting and in-painting.

DALL-E 2 pricing: offers 50 free credits upon sign-up, with an additional 15 free credits given to users each month. The platform is also reasonably priced, with packs of 115 credits available for just $15, making it an affordable option for those interested in exploring AI-generated art.

Midjourney: blends real-world elements with surreal and dreamlike aesthetics

One of the significant advantages of Midjourney is the community-oriented approach. Creators can join the Midjourney community on Discord or the Web to collaborate and create new worlds, characters, and unique imagery from short text descriptions.

Midjourney pricing: It's in beta, so pricing is unclear.

DreamStudio: amazing details of AI images

DreamStudio is an open source designed to enable anyone to access this creative tool without software installation or coding knowledge. It gives users a powerful, user-friendly tool for generating high-quality AI images with customization options.

DreamStudio provides extensive control over the different aspects of generating an AI image. As you input your prompt, sliders are available that enable you to adjust the final image size, similarity to the prompt, number of diffusion model steps, and quantity of generated images.

The tool can generate images quickly, with great details, which is useful for time-sensitive projects.

DreamStudio pricing: Currently, the only option is to pay per image by purchasing credits. However, it's a beta, and the pricing model is not set in stone yet.

Who owns the rights to AI-generated images?

The basic nature of AI-generated images is that they are a mix, a blend, or a recreation of existing images.

So who's are the AI-generated images?

The ownership of AI-generated images is a complex and evolving legal issue yet to be fully resolved. In most cases, the creator of the AI algorithm that generates the images would hold the intellectual property rights to the algorithm itself, but not necessarily the images it produces.

However, if the images are generated using copyrighted material or data or if the AI algorithm was trained on copyrighted material, the legal ownership of the resulting images could be contested.

Additionally, using AI-generated images may raise ethical questions regarding the authenticity of the work and the value of human creativity in the art world. As AI-generated art becomes more prevalent, the legal and ethical considerations surrounding ownership will likely become more defined.

How is AI-generated image art?

AI-generated images might be considered art because of their expressive qualities and their uniqueness. As an art form, they can evoke emotional responses and inspire creative thinking.

Additionally, the process of creating AI-generated images involves creativity and decision-making on the part of the algorithm and the human users, which can be seen as a form of collaboration between man and machine.

What's the future of AI image generation?

As AI image generation advances, it can potentially bring about big changes across industries such as art, design, advertising, and entertainment.

With improvements in the quality of generated images and their accessibility, they will become more widespread and integrated with other technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality.

However, the impact of AI image generation raises important concerns such as privacy, authenticity, and fairness. To ensure that these technologies are used responsibly, appropriate regulations must be put in place while also recognizing the potential for innovation AI image generation can offer.

When creating an online course, sooner or later, you need to answer the question: How much should I charge for my product?

Pricing an online course is one of the most important decisions you'll make as a  business owner. The pricing model you choose impacts practically every part of your business.

It also affects your customers. People are more likely to consume a product when aware of its cost.

Choosing the right pricing strategy brings discomfort when launching a business, especially online courses.

Click here to start selling online courses now with CreativeMindClass

Putting the price tag on your skills can be intimidating. When you create and sell online courses, a good price is the one that creates a sense of fairness and satisfaction between you and your audience. So we looked at the three most common price strategies for online courses to help you choose the one that suits you best. At the end of this article, you'll be able to decide on the price of your course that enables you to sell your courses and launch the online course confidently.

In this guide, you'll learn:

Need an effective pricing strategy for your online course? First, you’ll need to figure out your potential audience and how many courses you will have. Use CreativeMindClass's profit calculator to find a profitable selling price for your online course.

What is online course pricing?

Online course pricing refers to determining the monetary worth of an online course, taking into account internal and external factors. The pricing strategy significantly influences a business's overall success, impacting aspects such as cash flow, profit margins, and customer demand. The choice of pricing strategy is influenced by factors such as the industry, the target audience, and the cost of creating a course. In the online course platform industry, subscription-based and one-time models are the way to go.

What influences an online course price

Not all courses are equal. Prices of online courses vary widely. Some courses are free, while others can cost hundreds of dollars (or euros).

Before trying to price your online course, you need to know what factors influence the price.

So let's explore the six main things that impact Online Course Pricing.

1. The average price for online courses Research the competition
2. Level of the course Offer courses with multiple levels
3. Market demand Choose a topic in demand
4. Course format and length Create a comprehensive course outline
5. Course value Develop high-quality content
6. Course packaging Create a beautiful website

1. Average price for online courses

Many courses are priced in the $10-$350 range, with many courses priced at $70 or less.

When deciding on a high or low price point to sell your online course, the first thing you would want to do is match your price to the average price of online courses.

How to know the rates for similar courses?

Research the competition. In other words, check how much other online courses cost. Look at other online courses in your field and see how they are priced. This will give you an idea of the going rate for similar courses.

For example, the average price for online photography courses is $20-$100.

The interesting point is that the course placement can influence the price, so pay attention to where the course is offered (the platform).

• Online course placement (the platform) and its influence on the price

But before we get into the price ranges, we should first mention one of the essential differences in online course platforms so you don't compare apples with oranges.

When comparing your competitor's prices on the market, the most common mistake is not to look at the online course placement. So, it begs the basic question.

What online course platform does the creator use to sell an online course on a stand-alone or shared platform?

If you sell your online course on a stand-alone platform, your prices should be much higher than the prices you see on the platforms grouping thousands of creators.

The average course price on a stand-alone platform varies widely as the instructor sets course prices. Some courses may be free, while others may cost hundreds of dollars.

For simplification, let's omit in the analysis the courses priced at $0 and the ones that are more expensive than $350.

There is no chance that setting the price at the same level as shared platforms is a good practice for your business, as it's doubtful that you'll get the volume of sales compared to those platforms.

Here is what Hermann Simon said about pricing in his book about pricing strategy:

Never run a business in which you have no influence on the prices you charge. – Hermann Simon

So, if you decide to set your price higher than other online course creators, you need to stay competitive. It means that you need to make sure that your business offers something unique which is valuable to your customers.

As mentioned above, the online course pricing varies from $10 to $350. But how does it help to know it? While this information might look unclear now, there is a perfectly logical explanation for why creators go for such different prices, which we'll investigate later.

The gist of the explanation is that most creators use a value-based pricing strategy to set the price of their online courses. This includes the course level, topic demand, format, length (mentioned above), and "course packaging."

• Prices for photography and video courses

We've checked the average price for this category on Udemy.

In the case of 0-1 hour courses, the vast majority are priced at €16.99. The price varies between €16.99 and 54.99, with an average price of € 18.50.

For longer courses, 1-3 hours, which are the most often created, the average price is € 24, with most courses priced at €16.99.

The most expensive courses are 3-6 hours, €30 on average.

Surprisingly, even longer courses (6-17 hours) on Udemy are cheaper than 3-6 hour courses. The platform offers them significantly discounted, priced on average €28.

You can create your photography course on CreativeMindClass and decide for yourself how much you charge for it. Use our photography course guide and a template for an easy start.

2. Level of the course

Prices may vary based on the experience of the instructor. Some things to consider include your expertise level and the level of the course (beginners, intermediate, advanced).

How can you charge a 'higher rate'?

First, if you are experienced, and the course is for advanced students, you may be able to charge a higher rate than if you were a beginner teaching a course for beginners.

Second, offering multiple courses for audiences with different levels can have a positive effect on the price of an online course. Not so much because you can set the higher rate but rather because it allows the course creator to serve a wider audience, set different price points, and spread the cost of creating and marketing the course over a larger number of students.

Here's a quick way to offer multiple levels of courses in CreativeMindClass

1. Get a free CreativeMindClass account
2. Click My Classes in main menu to open it.
3. Click ADD CLASS button to create a new course.
4. Add 2-3 classes with multiple levels (beginners, intermediate, advanced).

3. Market demand

Market demand is a major factor that can influence the topic of an online course. If there is high demand for a particular topic, then course creators may be more likely to create a course on that topic in order to meet the needs of their audience.

On the other hand, if there is little demand for a particular topic, then course creators may be less likely to create a course on that topic because there may not be as much interest or potential for revenue.

There are a few ways that market demand for a particular topic can be determined. One way is through the use of market research, which involves collecting and analyzing data about the needs and preferences of potential course students. This can include surveys, focus groups, and other methods of gathering feedback from potential students.

Another way that market demand can be determined is through the use of analytics tools, such as Ahrefs, which can help course creators to track the traffic on websites. This can give them an idea of which topics are most popular and in demand among their audience.

Overall, the topic of an online course selection will often be influenced by market demand, as course creators strive to create courses that meet the needs and interests of their audience.

That said, if there is a high demand for a particular course topic, the price of the course may be higher because students are willing to pay more for the course.

How do you choose an online course topic?

Online course topic involves four main steps:

• Brainstorm what you want to teach
• Name your course
• Craft an offer
• Evaluate your ideas

These steps are the main focus of our guide on how to choose an online course topic.

4. Course format and length

The course outline can influence the price of an online course in several ways.

First, the length and depth of the course content will affect the price. If the course covers a large amount of material and is divided into multiple modules or units, it is likely to be more expensive than a shorter course with less content. Similarly, if the course includes interactive elements such as assignments, or downloadable files, it may be more expensive than a course that simply consists of pre-recorded lectures.

Second, the level of expertise or experience of the instructor can influence the price. If the instructor is a highly qualified expert in their field, they may charge a higher price for their course. On the other hand, if the instructor is less experienced or has a less specialized area of expertise, they may charge a lower price.

Finally, the demand for the course may affect the price. If a course is in high demand and has a limited number of seats available, the instructor may charge a higher price to reflect the demand. Conversely, if the course is not as popular, the instructor may lower the price in an effort to attract more students.

• Consider your time and effort

Creating an online course requires a significant investment of time and effort. Be sure to factor this in when setting the price.

For example, take a look at the average online course prices based on the course length:

The online course price range generally goes from a low price tag of $10 to a premium price tag of $350.

But what else influences the price?

The value of an online course can influence its price in several ways. For example, if an online course is perceived as having a high value by potential students, the course creator may be able to charge a higher price for it.

On the other hand, if an online course is perceived as having a lower value, the course creator may need to lower the price in order to attract students.

5. Course value

The value of an online course is often determined by the quality and relevance of the content. This includes the depth and breadth of the subject matter covered, the organization and clarity of the content, and the use of interactive and engaging features.

Here is how to determine the value of your course:

• Consider the benefits your course will provide to students: New skills, knowledge, or career advancement.
• Don't undervalue your course: While it's important to be competitive, be careful not to undervalue your course. If you price your course too low, it may be perceived as low quality, even if it's not.

There is no easy way to calculate the price of knowledge and skills. The price depends on the course value, and you can charge between $10 and $350.

The price a customer is willing to pay, (...) is always a reflection of the perceived value of the product or service in the customer’s eyes. – Hermann Simon

Here are some proven ways of increasing online course sales by increasing an online course value:

• Add a video to each lesson
• Choose the video lesson type
• Record videos for your online course
• Create a learning experience that primarily focuses on videos
• Add a downloadable file
• Choose the downloadable files for your lessons
• Add an exercise to a lesson
• Ask students to share their projects and get your feedback
• Build an online community around your course

These steps are the main focus of our guide on how to plan and record video lessons (with bonuses) for an online course .

6. Course packaging

A beautiful website can help an online course business sell better in a few different ways.

First, a visually appealing website can create a positive impression of the instructor and the course, which can increase trust and credibility. This can make potential customers more likely to consider making a purchase.

Second, a well-designed website can make it easier for users to find what they are looking for and complete the purchasing process, leading to higher sells overall. As this can increase the likelihood that a user will complete a purchase.

Finally, a beautiful website can differentiate a company or product from its competitors, helping it to stand out in a crowded market. This can make potential customers more likely to choose the company or product over others.

Overall, a beautiful website can contribute to increased sales by creating a positive impression of the company or product, providing a good user experience, and helping the company or product stand out from the competition.

Here's a quick way to create a beautiful website in CreativeMindClass

1. Use a free CreativeMindClass website template
2. Click Website in main menu to open it.
3. Type your copy.
4. Add your visuals.

Ultimately, the best price for your online course will depend on the value it provides to students and the demand for the topic. It may take some trial and error to find the right price, but by considering these factors and continuously analyzing your sales data, you can find a price that works for you and your students.

Online courses offer one of the best business models to digital business owners.

Launch an online course that brings you a stream of passive income and lots of fun. Knowledge is power, and establishing yourself as an expert in your niche is a smart move in the current knowledge society.

Figure out how to sell online courses as a side-hustle and open the door to making a living. Come up with the price that works well for you. It all makes sense as long as it's profitable for you and brings value to your target audience.

We are big on profitable online courses here at CreativeMindClass - it's why we make it so easy for creators to launch their online courses that would bring solid income.

Setting a fair price for your work is a challenge that many creators face, particularly when it comes to online courses. Creating an online course requires work, and it's essential to ensure that you are compensated appropriately for it.

It's important to factor in the time and effort that went into creating the course, as this will help determine a fair price.

When pricing an online course, it's also important to consider the lifetime value of the course. Unlike other projects, online courses have a longer lifespan and can continue to generate revenue for years to come. As such, it's important to aim for a price point that will cover the time and effort invested in the course over its lifetime.

There are several strategies that creators can use to calculate a fair price for their online course. One common approach is to calculate the total time spent creating the course and then multiply it by an hourly rate. Another strategy is to factor in the expected number of sales and revenue goals and then set a price point that will achieve those targets.

Ultimately, the key to pricing an online course is to strike a balance between fair compensation for your work and making the course accessible to your target audience. While it's important to charge a price that reflects the time and effort invested, it's also crucial to consider what your audience is willing and able to pay.

In conclusion, considering factors such as time invested, lifetime value, and target audience, creators can determine a fair and reasonable price point for their course. With the right pricing strategy in place, creators  ensure that their hard work is appropriately compensated and their course is accessible to those who need it.

So walking the talk: How do you put a price on your work? Do you usually get paid by the hour or by the delivered project? In the case of an online course, the time you spend on content creation needs to be paid back in the lifetime of the course. That's the minimum that you should aim for. And then we can talk about the profits.

Here are three straightforward strategies for calculating a price for your online course:

Step 1. Mini course pricing: Launch it for a low price

If you are new to online courses, you might feel most comfortable at a low price point and a mini course is a great way to kick start your online courses. It's safe to start low and build up your price with time.

Launching a mini course in a nutshell:

• Mini courses prices: $10-$50
• Time duration: 30 minutes
• Preparation effort: Low
• Perfect for: Beginners and side-hustle creators
• Additional assets: No

Create a mini course

A mini course is often a short, 30min video course that you can sell for a low price. More specifically, a mini course can be described as shorter in duration than the full-length course, and often it doesn't offer additional assets like printables, so generally, it requires less time to prepare. In other words, you can consider it as one of the types of discounted courses.

You can make your customers happy with a mini course at a low price range of $10-$50. It also is a fantastic marketing solution for busy side-hustle creators who don't want to spend long hours preparing an online course.

But if you spend time on multiple video recording sessions, perfect the editing, and spend hours preparing homework and printables, we encourage you to set the price of your course at around $100, even if it's your first course.

Value-based price requires considering the amount of work you put into the online course, so if you worked hard, we recommend reflecting it in your pricing.

Step 2. Price $100 for a full-scale course. Never lower!

To launch a full-scale (aka full-length) online course, we recommend setting your baseline price at $100-$200. No matter if you are a first-time creator or you already have experience with online courses.

Launching a full-length course in a nutshell:

• Full-length courses prices: $100-$200
• Time duration: 120-180 minutes
• Preparation effort: Medium
• Perfect for: Beginners, experienced creators
• Additional assets: Includes printables

The time you spend recording, editing, and preparing printables needs to pay back, so if you want to sell a full-length course below $100, ask yourself a question - why? It might be that you don't have a good answer.

Charging high prices, so let's say $100 and more, might feel intimidating.

So, specifically for creators who want to charge a higher price, it's essential to understand the profitability of online course pricing and course value.

Related article:

Sell Online Courses: Best Strategies to Boost Your Sales

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Step 3. Increase the value of your course: Charge $350 for a premium course.

If you feel like spending more time on course creation and preparing additional assets, you should consider launching a premium, high-value online course at high prices.

Launching a premium course in a nutshell:

• High-value courses prices: $200-$350
• Time duration: 120-180 minutes
• Preparation effort: High
• Perfect for: Creators who bring unique value
• Additional assets: Includes printables, attachments, and exercises.

Here is how to increase your online course value even further:

• Create upgrade content. Provide additional learning materials as an upgrade.
• Give Feedback. In other words - care if your students actually learn. Become an active part of their learning process.
• Create a community. Getting involved in your student's learning process and connecting with them will make you an industry leader.
• Improve the production quality. There is always a place for improvement in your videos, better lighting and sound is crucial to improving the overall quality, and it pays off!
• Become a mentor. Teach by sharing your personal experience with your students.

Here at CreativeMindClass, we offer a wide range of features that help you increase the value of your online course big time and make it possible to offer premium prices.

Using an Online Course Pricing Calculator

To make life easier, use an online pricing calculator to find a profitable selling price for your online course. CreativeMindClass's profit calculator is a great way to figure this out. It uses a cost-plus pricing strategy that takes the audience that you have, then you set the number of your courses to determine the potential profit.

How much can you make selling online courses

The amount of money you can make selling online courses varies widely depending on several factors, including the topic of your course, your target audience, your pricing strategy, and your marketing efforts. However, to provide some actual money information, here are some examples of how much creators have earned from selling online courses:

• In 2020, one of Udemy's top instructor, earned over $2 million in revenue from his online courses.
• The popular online course platform Teachable reported that its creators earned over $338 million in revenue in 2020.
• Online course creator, Sarah Cordiner, reportedly earned over $1 million in revenue from her courses in 2019.
• Another online course creator, Kari Samules, earned over $150,000 in revenue in just one week from her course on psychic development.

Of course, these are just a few examples, and the amount of money you can make from selling online courses will depend on various factors, as mentioned earlier.

It's also worth noting that creating and selling online courses is not a get-rich-quick scheme, and it takes time, effort, and dedication to succeed in this field. However, choosing an independent online course platform like CreativeMindClass and with the right approach and strategy, selling online courses can be a profitable and rewarding business venture.

How much do online courses cost?

Online courses on course platforms can vary in cost, depending on the subject matter and the instructor.

On CreativeMindClass, courses can range from free to hundreds of dollars, with many courses falling in the $20 to $200 range. On some platforms, like Domestika, courses tend to be slightly more expensive, with some courses costing upwards of $200.

One benefit of online course platforms is that they often offer discounts and promotions, allowing learners to enroll in courses at a reduced cost. Udemy, for example, frequently offers courses at discounted rates of up to 90% off the regular price.

It's worth noting that the quality of the courses can vary widely, so it's important to read reviews and research the instructor before enrolling in any course.

How many courses do creators usually offer?

The value-based pricing model assumes that the lower the price of your course, the less time you spend on creating it. So you can offer multiple mini courses for $20 or one high-value course for $350. But how much do you need to work to earn 1k from your online course?

The general rule is that the cheaper the course is, you need to convince more people to buy it, so you work harder on promotion, and the higher the price of your course is you need to convince fewer people, so you work less on the promotion.

Low course prices are coming with their challenges, and, generally speaking, they're not a long-term business solution for a creator. The sooner you increase your course prices, the better the general sustainability of your online business.

Make the first sale as soon as possible

An online course needs a great website to sell it. Whether you're a designer, marketer, photographer, coach, or visual artist, this collection of online course templates will help you get started and create a successful website for any online course.

If you ever tried to sell anything, you already know that hearing "no" is quite common, and well, it hurts in the beginning. But you might also know that a business owner becomes immune to hearing "no" fairly quickly. After a while, the "yeses" and the sales start coming, making everything sweet and worthy.

You should hear the first "yes" and make your first sale two to four weeks after the course launch with the intentional and regular promotion. To make your first sale as soon as possible, you can pre-sell your online course.

Pre-sell: How to sell your first online course fast.

• Pre-sell your online course. In principle, pre-selling allows you to start promoting your online course before you create it.
• Offer a huge discount. You're offering your audience an idea, a prototype of your online course, in exchange for an exclusive discount.
• Get in touch with customers early on. When you pre-sell your online course, you not only get paid upfront but also get in touch with your customers creating valuable leads for the future.

Pre-selling an online course is something that course creators do to ensure the success of a full-length online course. The earned money could be reinvested in, for example, the gear needed to produce your course.

Later on, you'll sell the course at full price, so it's a tempting offer for early students to jump on.

You can presell your course on CreativeMindClass.

Building an Online Course Platform was never that easy. Want to turn followers into students with your own video course platform? Everything you need to launch engaging video courses and to build an online community. Start for free!

Validate the course value with your audience

When you decide on the price of your course, the best way to validate the perceived value of online course topic is to talk to your audience or try to sell it.

Talking to your audience on social media about your online course can do wonders.

You can get valuable feedback about your online course ideas course curriculum to improve its quality. You get lots of information and have a chance to keep it exciting for your customers with your updates leading to your online course launch.

Is premium pricing for everyone?

The truth is:

Setting your online course price at a premium level is something everyone wants to do, but only a few dare. It would help if you felt comfortable with the price of your masterclasses because, after all, you are the one who is going to promote them.

Regular promotion can increase sales. But premium pricing might lower it.

When the perceived value of an online course and the price match, you've got the sweet spot. The good news is that they are both in your power zone.

Choose the price that works for you and reflects the value of your course.

How to change prices to attrack customers?

If you are already selling online coures you might want to change your pricing to attract more custormers. But should you go cheaper or more expensive?

Studies show that when consumers see that the price today is lower than it had been in the past, they are more likely to buy now, because the current price seems like a good deal.

But in order to decide, you need to have your full price strategy in mind. Price strategy can help support your buiness growth goals to gain a bigger market share. You should ensure that your pricing strategy works well with your busness model, one-time payment or subscription.

Resell online courses

Reselling is a widly used practice in the ecommerce world. Buying a product and selling it at a higher price seems like an easy way to make some extra money. Before you start your online course platform you might want to take a test ride and sell someone else course. Find a creator that fits your business and which courses are suitable to resell with a profit.

If you only take away one thing...

Deciding on your price is easier than you think.

If you want to take only one thing away about pricing an online course, here is our quick recommendation.

Create a full-length course and price it at $100. Later on, get creative in the ways you increase the value of your online course and go for premium pricing of $250. If you don't feel ready to launch a full-length course, don't worry, you can launch a mini course and price it at $20.

You can launch your mini course, a full-length course, or a high-value course at CreativeMindClass. As you can see, increasing the value of your online course serves as a base for increasing the price big time, so it's worth spending time on.

If you are starting a new online course right now, check out our full guide on how to create an online course.

The five essential steps to creating an online course

Follow this step-by-step guide to learn the process of creating an online course in CreativeMindClass, a free tool used by top creators.

The CreativeMindClass BlogCreativeMindClass

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Building an Online Course Platform was never that easy. Want to turn followers into students with your own video course platform? Everything you need to launch engaging video courses and to build an online community. Start for free!

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Read more

1. How to Price an Online Course in 3 Simple Steps (+Calculator)
2. 90+ Online Course Ideas For Anyone Who Wants To Sell Online Courses. Templates & Examples
3. 5 Quick Steps to Create an Online Course: Guide
4. How to Choose an Online Course Topic
5. Website Builder for Online Courses & Course Website Maker by CreativeMindClass

Additional resources

Shopify: 14 Types of Product Pricing Strategies for Retail

Harvard Business Review: Pricing and the Psychology of Consumption

Harvard Business Review: How Price Changes Influence Consumers’ Buying Decisions

Patriot: Strategies and Formulas for Pricing Services at Your Small Business

Online Course Pricing FAQ

What is online course pricing?

Online course pricing determines the amount customers are willing to pay for the value they get. The price you charge has a direct impact on the overall success of your business. Setting your online course price right will maximize your profits and bring a feeling of satisfaction but also create a sustainable business in the long run.

Prices determine how much money you make. – Hermann Simon

What is value-based course pricing?

Value pricing is customer-focused pricing, meaning creators can base the pricing on how much the customer believes a product is worth.

To give you an idea, if you know that you offer a unique, high-value online course, you can and should charge more than your competitors.

You are probably thinking: "But there are so many courses out there, so how is my online course unique?"

While this is not a strict rule, if you are a course creator and share what you learned, your skills, and things you experienced on your own during your life, that makes it already genuinely unique. As they say, "Be yourself. There is no competition in being you."

How can I find out how to price an online course?

It's easy to determine the cost of the online course with a price calculator. If you want to calculate the price manually, add up your variable cost and fixed expenses. After that, you can apply the profit margin to calculate an estimated market price.

What key factors should be considered when pricing an online course?

Two main factors in pricing an online course:

• Prices of other online courses on the market
• Value of your online course
  

How much can you make selling online courses?

Here is the earnings breakdown for a $100 online course:

• VAT for Germany -> 19%
• Stripe payment processing fee -> 4%
• Student invoicing fee for digital services -> 6%
• CreativeMindClass Basic Package fee -> 8%
• Earnings -> $63 for each course sold, hassle-free.

How can I increase the value of my online course?

To increase the value of your online course, you need to think about what matters to your audience. Thankfully, it's easy to do as humans universally want a good quality product. To buy it, they need to be seen what they buy and want to have the sweet feeling of after-purchase satisfaction.

Do you need more details on how to create an online course? Here is a guide on how to create an online course with CreativeMindClass.

Have customers who won't pay $100 upfront for your online course?

Try this:

1. Offer your course at a discounted price of $90
2. Split it into 4 smaller modules, and charge a little more than the price of the full course. 4x $27 = $108). https://t.co/E5B15LSGYT

— CreativeMindClass (@cmc_platform) February 12, 2024

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