Many people today work in a variety of areas and offer online courses or programs to get passive income. Offering online study programs is a fantastic method for anyone, whether they are experts in their field or just hobbyists, to supplement their other sources of income. Some virtual instructors even turn their first side endeavor into their primary source of revenue.

By sharing your knowledge and skills through an online course, you can establish yourself as an authority in your industry, build a network of like-minded people around your company, and reach a wider audience—all from the comfort of your own home.

You can create an online course by following the procedures outlined in this article. Here is all the information you need to create a website for your course and choose the ideal topic.

A structured learning program that is fully delivered online is called an online course. It usually includes of lectures, discussions, assignments, and exams, either live or recorded. Online courses are convenient and flexible because they let students access the course material from any location with an internet connection, at their own speed.

How to Create an Online Course and Make Passive Income

1. Choose the right topic

You are completely in control of the topic you select, and it can be anything from dog training videos to cosmetic advice. The success of an online course depends on choosing the correct topic matter, even if there are countless ways to build them.

Consider the following advice when choosing your topic:

• Define your target audience. Consider your target audience and conduct customer research to understand their preferences. Once you have a clear target audience in mind, you’ll be better equipped to create and promote your courses. You’ll have an easier time predicting the type of content that your audience wants to consume and their familiarity level with your topic-of-choice.

• Choose something you want to teach. The topic for your online course should be either a subject that you’re already knowledgeable about or are willing to invest in learning thoroughly. Either way, you need to be passionate about the subject. Try and think about what it is that you do best, and what people come to you for advice on. Those topics usually make for the most successful online courses. Alternatively, ask yourself what you’d like to know more about, and through learning it yourself, you’ll be able to become a great teacher on the subject.
• Choose something others want to learn. Before getting to work, measure the demand for the topic at hand. Ask a group of friends, as well as your existing audience, what they think of the subject you had in mind. Test it out by sharing polls or online forms for your audience to fill out. You can make a short tutorial first, and monitor its performance. Then, follow up on the tutorial on social media or via email, asking your audience if this type of material is something they’re interested in seeing more of.
• Get the lay of the land. Conduct some online research into your topic. Are there already a ton of courses published on your topic? Or, is the field ripe for new content? While it could be worth participating in tried-and-tested spaces, it could also help to find smaller niches to hone in on.

2. Validate your idea

A quick test before you “all in” will help you determine whether there is a strong market demand for your course, which will help you make sure that your online course will eventually pay for itself. Developing an online course takes a lot of time and effort on your behalf.

You must conduct research to ensure that there is not just a demand for your course but also a willingness to pay for it. Demanding a free course is one thing, but getting people to pay for one is quite another. You need to validate not just your idea and the demand for it, but also paid demand, in order to ensure that your course will be lucrative.

Read Also: Building a Mobile App for Passive Income

In order to test your idea, use a landing page builder to introduce your soon-to-come online course. Although you haven’t created the course just yet, you already know what it’s going to be about. Include a concise description of your course explaining what people can expect to learn, and add eye-catching imagery to further reflect the concept.

Promote your course landing page on various channels, like social media, newsletters and more. Sample the excitement around your course. Check that you have enough attendees and positive feedback to expand your class. Note: you’ll want to establish goals and KPIs ahead of time, so that you’ll know what results to look for at the end of the trial period. This ensures that your online course idea truly is a profitable one from the start.

3. Outline your content

Now is the time to develop the curriculum for your online course. Create a course outline that shows the structure and design for the entire course. On a piece of paper, write down a list of the different lessons you plan on teaching online. Within each lesson, break it down to the main topics you want to cover. Go in a logical order and try to make your ideas evolve naturally from one to the other, to ensure a smooth and frictionless learning process.

Remember that teaching is about guiding your audience through an idea, step by step. To make this clear in your course outline, define an objective for each of your lessons.

Continuing with the indoor plant care example from the previous section, you might want your students to be able to classify the plants they have at home in one lesson, and to be able to recognize signs of pests or disease in the next.

4. Select a platform for your online course

Once you’ve mapped out your course, you’ll want to start prepping your virtual stage. Look for a platform with features that suit your needs such as a variety of design options, built-in marketing tools and multiple content options.

Consider all the many elements of your website that require setup before launching a course. For example, in addition to a signup page, you could wish to set up a members’ section that is exclusively accessible by program participants (more on this later). Alternatively, you could want to use Wix Groups to create a community that encourages member participation. As you develop your course materials, consider the location and format of all of your events.

5. Create the course content

If you already have professional experience with your course topic, it’s likely that you’ve put together content about it in the past. Have you ever written a blog post or created a webinar about the subject? Maybe you’ve hosted a podcast or posted YouTube videos that discuss similar themes? If so, revisit these materials. Think of ways to repurpose existing content to enhance your online course.

Based on the materials you’ve gathered, as well as your outline and research from the previous steps, you can now create the actual content for your online course.

If you’re creating new course content, consider these tips:

• Filming: As a home-based business idea, creating an online course can be done with relatively simple equipment, and you don’t have to be a video production pro in order to create a high-quality course. After all, the level of education you provide is what matters most, and you can create quality content even if you’re working from home. You can film yourself speaking to the camera, record your screen while you talk in the background, or both. While your videos don’t have to be pixel perfect, we do recommend reading up on video tips for creating professional-looking content, as well as choosing the right type of camera and microphone for your needs.
• Editing: After you’ve filmed your content, invest some time editing your raw footage. There are many free video editing software available, from iMovie to Lightworks, and the Wix Video Maker. Try to craft a nice rhythm to your video by breaking it up into digestible bites. Leave out unnecessary pauses and cut longer takes up into a series of shorter, dynamic clips. Add titles (which should include your course and lesson name) and video captions to make your course accessible and easier to follow. You can also include background music to your video and relevant slides if applicable.
• Class assignments: Consider adding assignments and activities as part of your course curriculum to help the newly gained knowledge sink in. These can be in the form of downloadable PDF files that students can print or view on their computers. Other options include surveys or online quizzes, which you can create using Wix’s built-in features. It’s recommended to start each lesson with a theoretical discussion, then give some examples and follow up with an assignment at the very end.
• Course certificates: Incentivize participants even more with professional certificates and/or badges. Offer a badge for accomplishments, or design custom certificates that are automatically emailed to participants once they’ve completed your entire program.

6. Set goals and pricing

As with any business venture, it’s important to decide on pricing and sales goals for your online course. This will help guide your marketing efforts and ensure that you’re staying on track. Decide how many participants you want to enroll in your course, how much revenue you aim to generate and what success looks like for this particular project. You can also pre-sell your course to raise funds and gain early sign-ups.

When setting prices for your course, consider the following factors:

• Course production costs: These may include any expenses related to filming, editing, creating assignments or quizzes, as well as designing certificates and badges (if applicable).

• Target audience: Consider how much your target audience is willing to pay for this type of course.

• Competition: Research similar courses in the market and compare pricing options. You don’t want to overprice your course compared to others with similar content.

• Value provided: Think about the value that your course offers and price it accordingly. If you’re providing in-depth knowledge and valuable resources, you can justify a higher price.

• Sales goals: Determine how much revenue you want to generate from this course and use that to set your pricing strategy.

7. Sell your online course

There are four different options for selling your online course and monetizing your website, depending on your needs:

• Individual lessons for rent or purchase: Allow users to rent or purchase your online course on a video-by-video basis. When purchasing a video, users will enjoy unlimited streaming of the lesson they’ve purchased, so that they can go back and rewatch the content at all times. Choose if you want to allow viewers to download the video or watch it directly on your site.
• Channel subscription: By paying a monthly fee, users will be able to access all of the paid videos within a channel. Selling subscriptions creates a pay-wall, separating the content of your website into public and premium.
• Paid plans: Set up different payment options, offering your students to pay all at once or with a recurring payment plan. You can control everything from the type of plan, to what is included, how long it will last and more. Display plan options on your site for clients to choose from and purchase. Paid Plans act as a pay-wall, allowing users to access the content only after they pay and log into the members area within your site.
• One-on-one real-time lessons: In addition to the course, you may teach live lessons to students in a personalized one-on-one setting. This format allows students to ask you questions and learn in a tailored approach that meets their specific learning level. Course takers can easily book an available spot with you through online scheduling software. Choose if you want to offer this option at an extra fee or have a predetermined number of private sessions included in the fixed course price.

Alongside your paid lessons, be sure to also offer a small preview of your course entirely for free. Getting a sneak peek of what they can expect to see will encourage students to sign up for the paid classes. Your free content can be either in the form of a short trailer for each lesson, or you can offer the whole first lesson for free, while the rest are paid.

Another idea for a freebee is to create a live Q&A session at the beginning of the course, inviting users to participate free of charge while generating interest. To do this, set up a live stream video, helping you connect with fans in real time. Whichever giveaway option you choose, the free version of your course will come in handy in promoting your online course.

8. Market your content

You’ve spent a lot of creative energy and valuable time to create a profitable online course and now it’s time to promote it and get those course registrations. To market your online course, you can use both free promotions and paid types of marketing. You can even create a logo to help your course look extra professional and stand out as you promote it.

Take a look at some of the most popular and effective ways to advertise your course:

• Email marketing: Send email marketing campaigns, including early-bird promotions and discounts.
• Social media marketing: Promote your course on social media and in relevant groups (tip: LinkedIn can be a great start since people are in a professional mindset already).
• Emails: Reach out to existing contacts with a good ol’ email campaign (tip: utilize Wix’s built-in email features to send targeted communications).
• Paid ads: Run paid advertising such as Google Search Ads and Banner Ads.
• YouTube and promo videos: Start a YouTube channel and launch video promotions for your course.
• Referrals and reviews: Get referrals, reviews and positive testimonials from past students.
• Website pop-up: Add a lightbox pop-up to promote your course on your own website.
• Other websites: Collaborate with third-party course websites and continuous studies organizations.
• Blog posts: Create a free blog and write about the course and course topic to boost your SEO and showcase your knowledge.

First, a lot of time and work go into designing the course. However, if you automate marketing and customer support procedures, it can continue to produce income after it has been built and released with no ongoing effort. To keep the content current and appealing to students, you might need to update it on a regular basis.