15 Platforms to Publish and Sell Online Courses (and Counting)

By 301 Comments

Looking to sell online courses, but confused by all of the platform choices? In this post I draw on my two decades of eLearning industry experience to highlight the top online course platforms and help you narrow your list.

While you are here, be sure to grab the free platform selection guide to help you make the right choice faster and smarter. (And, if you are ready to create online courses and other online education content, be sure to check out the free Learning Revolutionary's Toolbox!)

Sell online courses - Image of hand holding credit card, other typing on computer keyboard

To sell online courses, it used to be that you had to master an authoring tool, license a learning management system (LMS) – or come up with a workaround – figure out hosting and e-commerce, and then somehow deal with end user support. These days, you can get across the finish line with little more than the digital video camera in your phone, an Internet connection, and one of the platforms listed here.

Here’s a concise look at some of the best of what’s out there for helping you create, market, and sell online courses on the Web. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: , ,

Empowerment is Your Business Plan

By Leave a Comment

Photo of businessman as superhero

I was really struck by some data that came out of a Pew Internet Research report on lifelong learning a while back.

According to the report, 61 percent of U.S. adults have “little or no awareness” of the concept of distance learning.

And, while 74 percent said they had engaged in some sort of personal learning activity in the past year, only 16 percent had taken an online course. The numbers were actually worse for professional learning.

Maybe the percentages are better in some other countries, but I doubt they are enough better to escape the core lesson. Namely, there is a good chance a big part of your prospective audience is unlikely to participate in an online course.

It’a sobering thought, but I think it is actually an incredibly useful one for any knowledge end learning entrepreneur.

Why? Because you shouldn’t really be in the online course business. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Strategy

Why you probably already know how to market your online course

By Leave a Comment

Woman at flip chart pointing at viewer - marketing teaching similarities

There’s a great old song by the band America with a line that goes “Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man, that he didn’t already have.”

The Tin Man, you may remember, was the Wizard of Oz character who wanted a heart. He didn’t have one – or so he thought – because he was not a real man. The Wizard helps the Tin Man understand that he already has plenty of heart, he just needs to open his eyes a bit and appreciate his own best qualities.

The situation is similar for many edupreneurs. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Marketing

The Benefits of Risk Taking for Learning

By Leave a Comment

The idiot in the middle is me – making a fool of myself and learning a lot in front of several dozen people.

I was running around the stage spouting gibberish while another student translated what I said into normal English.

I am sure I looked and sounded like a compete idiot, no two ways about it.

Somewhere in the back of my mind was the uncomfortable realization that anyone in the audience could film this and post it to Facebook if they chose to.

It was, in short, one of the most valuable and impactful learning experiences I have had in at least a decade.

Why? Well, read on – I guarantee it is worth the few minutes of time is will take. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Learning Tagged With:

Are you offering enough exclusivity?

By Leave a Comment

Image of red carpet with spot lights

I’ve noted many times before that edupreneurs need to focus on delivering valuable, discernible outcomes and be as clear as possible about articulating those outcomes as part of the marketing process.

A big part of delivering value, of course, is the content you provide. But, in many ways, this is the easy part. It is the explicit part, and it is usually what is most easily copied by your competitors (no matter how much you are convinced you have some sort of “double secret” approach to your topic.) [Read more…]

Filed Under: Strategy Tagged With:

5 Keys to Picking the Best Online Course Platform for Your Business

By Leave a Comment

Hiker at fork in road

Let’s face it – deciding on a platform for hosting and delivering your online courses can seem daunting. Even with great platforms like Thinkific  available, it’s hard to get rid of that nagging question that dedicated course entrepreneurs always have in the back of their minds: “Is this really the best online course platform for me?”

I’ve spent the past 20 years building platforms, selling platforms, implementing platforms, and most recently, helping hundreds of individuals and organizations back the right platform for their course business. Here are five key lessons I’ve learned when it comes to making the right choice: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: ,
Next Page »