Hey there, friend.

I know that some of you are struggling right now. People aren’t spending money as they normally do and everyone wants a bargain. That’s why it’s important to have a ladder of offers for people to buy; and a course or online resource is a great way to do that. That means having a range of ways to help your customer that sit at different price points.

Today, I want to share some valuable insights from a recent conversation I had with a client. They will inform you about things that most people don’t even think about, whilst helping to streamline your thoughts about the operations framework you want to use for any online courses you decide you want to build.

In layman’s terms that means making sure that you have the systems in place to collect customer emails, and market, sell and run your courses or products.

There’s nothing worse than to have a course ready and no way to sell or distribute it!

Insights:

1. Choose a course platform that has the functionality you want, such as timed content release, independent sign-in, and strong data protection. Platforms like Kajabi, Kartra, Teachable, and WebinarJam are great options to explore.
2. For smaller projects, such as sending tips to clients or single webinar events, you could use a video hosting platform like Vimeo to organize your course content into playlists or modules that can be easily embedded on your website. This is cheaper that a full-blown teaching platform but doesn’t have the inbuilt customer management option (to allow you to send information your customers and capture their emails), which can be restrictive long-term. There are more expensive versions of Vimeo which have greater functionality, but you do need to be a bit tech (and marketing) savvy to feel at home.
3. Leverage an email marketing tool like Kit (previously ConvertKit) or Kajabi to build your mailing list, create landing pages, and automate your customer communications. There are many options available, so do look around, but be sure they are data compliant with your country’s privacy regulations and have a strong track-record. When you put customer information on any site, your customer relies on you to keep that information safe. That’s why it’s your responsibility, as a data controller, to check the security of any data processors you use.
4. Develop a simple, consistent website or landing page to showcase your course offerings and make it easy for customers to navigate their way to your products.
5. Depending on which platform you use, you may need a checkout service. This doesn’t always come to mind when first building a course, but you do need to have a way to sell your products to your customers. They need somewhere safe to input their payment details, to pay for your course. And if you don’t have it already, you will also need to create an account with an online banking system such as PayPal or Stripe to ensure the money gets from A to B. Another layer you may me to consider(depending on the functionality of the system you buy) is a third-party checkout system, such as ThriveCart, to create checkout links or landing pages for your site or sales page, so you can sell super easy online. This may sound confusing but as soon as you start creating the customer journey you will know what I mean, and I’m here for questions if you have them.
6. Create a systematic marketing campaign using social media, email, and landing pages to promote and sell your courses. We have to remember that social media is today’s high street, so if you have a course you want to sell online it’s a great way to share the news! The key is to be systematic and consistent. To create a campaign that delivers value, whilst also explaining why your course is the answer to your customer’s prayers and confirming that they will know how to use it.
7. Leverage QR codes. QR codes can be used to drive traffic to your sign-up forms and landing pages or as digital business cards at networking events. If you don’t know anything about them, search “How to create a QR Code” and plenty of options will appear. If you use Canva Pro, you can build them in there or you can use QR code creators such as QR Code Creator. Either way, they’re worth a consideration to streamline the way you share your business with other people.
8. Focus on providing a smooth, easy customer experience from sign-up to course completion. No one wants to buy (or watch) a clunky, unpolished webinar that’s hard to buy and watch. That’s why one of the things I work on with clients is delivery. Both from a personal perspective (teaching them how to deliver good lectures) and a tech point of view, to ensure they run smoothly. Get comfortable with the content, and your tech well before you go live, and don’t wing it—your people WILL notice!
9. Breakdown your project into smaller, manageable tasks and dedicate focused time to learning and implementing each piece. Shape a lecture or series of webinars so that they follow a natural processes. This will make it much easier for the client to contextualise what you’re teaching. Making so much more user-friendly.
10. When you create an enjoyable online experience, people will keep coming back. That’s why it’s worth getting it right.

Implementing these strategies can help you create a streamlined, professional online presence and customer journey for your course business. 

Connect with me on Facebook if you have any questions.

Have the best day!

Dustie 

*Please note, I do not endorse any of the products I mention here. It is up to you to research and buy what suits you. My suggestions are merely advisory.