Online course platforms: Which are the best to use?

Introduction: Online Course Platforms

There are so many options out there for creating online courses it’s often overwhelming and confusing to figure out which online course platforms are the best.

They range from low cost or a one off fee to hundreds of pounds a month so, it would not only depend on the features you need, but also your budget.

There are also different options regarding the visibility of your course. Do you put your online courses onto your website or use another platform?

With these considerations in mind, it can be difficult to define which online course platforms are the best! Read on to learn more.

Which Is Best?

With each  of the online course platforms varying in it’s features, price and ease of use it is difficult to decide which is the best. So, instead, let’s look at the different options available, it might help you decide which best suits your needs.

Online Course Platforms: Your Business Needs

Before you make any decision on which of the online course platforms is best for you, you need to know what you want from an online course.

What features do you need (now and in the future)? Who is your target audienc? What are yours (and your customers) level of expertise? Are there customisation options? Do you already have a website or not? Have you received any recommendations (but don’t take these as gospel as what works for one, may not work for you)? And, finally, of course, your budget.

Location, Location, Location!

The first decision that you need to make, before even choosing a platform, is where you want the course to be held.

If you don’t have a website yet, you may choose to use a system that doesn’t require one (an all in one system). Alternatively, if you already have a website you may want to drive traffic to that website and have everything all in one place (this also saves you learning a new platform or system).

There are a number of all in one online course platforms such as Kajabi, Kartra, Teachable, Easy Peasy Funnels, FEA Create etc. They have everything in one place. If you don’t have a website they are ideal because they have not just the ability to create online courses, but also sales pages and funnels, opt ins, email marketing and analytics.

However, some of these options are quite pricey, so they may not be ideal for someone just starting out. They also offer different features and pricing levels so research each one thoughrouly to see if it will meet your needs and budget (some are upwards of $100 a month)!

There is also the option to host the online course platform on your website. This does depend on which website platorm you use. The benefits of this option is that being on your website, once set up, creating the lessons is usually in a similar way to how you create pages (so you don’t need to learn anything new). Additionally, it is in keeping with your brand (as it’s usually totally customisable).

The number one reason I have my online courses on my website is for SEO purposes. Everytime a student logs on to take part in a course it’s driving traffic to my website. Likewise, if they are spending quite a while completing a lesson, Google can see that visitors are spending a lot of time on my website. This positively affects the search rankings, raising me higher up in the pecking order!

Online Course Platforms: What Now?

There are many articles out there that delve into the pros and cons of all the online course platforms I’ve listed above. Naturally, I’m happy to talk you through the differnt options on a free call, to make sure you are using the ‘best’ platform for you and your business. With so much choice out there it can be a minefield and the last thing you want to do is put all your time and money into a platform that’s not going to work for you in the future, or doesn’t target the needs of your clients. So, if you are still confused, reach out, it’s a FREE call remember!