The question of “which platform is best?” is a common one, but a better approach is to consider your marketing strategy and audience. Here’s a breakdown of the two main categories…
2 Main Categories Of Platforms:
From a strategic standpoint, when you are starting off and have little to no followers, your absolute best bet is to start off with the free options.
Be warned, you will receive some bad advice where people tell you that losing some of your course sale profits is a bad idea, but let me flip that lens for you.
Which option would you prefer:
(A) A marketing company working around the clock to bring you in students that you otherwise would likely not have been able to reach, that will work for you for free – ads and all? OR
(B) Spend hours of your own time and hundreds or thousands of dollars of your own money in ads to make course sales?
If you went the route of option “B”, you would come out more profitable in the end IF you made lots of sales, but I can tell you as a marketer, marketing an unknown course from an unknown course creator to an audience that doesn’t know you, is one of the most difficult things to do! No matter what anyone says, your conversion rates will likely be very low to start. Yes, you can use different strategies and offers, build out funnels and email sequences, and spend loads of time and money to get it all done… or to get started now, you can choose option “A”.
When you use business platforms other people own (affectionately coined as “marketplaces” in the online course world) not only do you not need to commit any time or money upfront, you also have a very low risk way of testing out your course, gauging interest, monitoring student questions, and more. It gets your feet wet, without being thrown into the unknown depths of the sea. It’s your choice, but I’m more of a one toe in the water at a time type of person myself, especially when it comes to money:)
Free Platforms = Marketplace Platforms
Let’s look deeper at marketplace platforms for hosting your online courses. They include places like Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, Skillshare, Coursera, and so on. You essentially upload your course, profile, and other information. Users may see your course as an option for their chosen topic, and choose to enroll or not.
The platform handles all the marketing, sales, hosting fees, etc. plus add in things that will help you including ways students can post questions, ability to add your own promotions, ways you can email or message your students and more. There is no getting lost in technology with these!
You can start with one platform, and then add in as many more as you want. I don’t see a problem with this strategy, other than the time commitment that comes with uploading your already created course, but I do see a whole list of benefits including more monthly revenue, more exposure and more possibilities with the more platforms you have your courses on.
Marketplace platforms will also give you a much wider reach than you could likely get on your own. This doesn’t include just students! I’ve been found and invited to speak on online conferences, to write articles, to test out new products and more, through my online course discovery. I’ve also gained clients from all over the world through my marketplace course exposure, including getting discovered by a very niche Amazon online course provider, where I made an additional $2K USD per month for a few months, for doing nothing other than sharing my course.
Udemy is the king of the online course world and you will very likely get the most students from it so everyone should start here. I get trickles of students from other places I am listed, but Udemy takes the cake in terms of students. This may or may not be true for you, and I do have a basic Udemy marketing strategy that works every time for me (ask about my upcoming course on that;) but there may be more specialized marketplaces you should consider based on your topic. Technical trainers for example, could make a lot of money on Udemy + on specialized online course platforms such as Udacity, with a very niche technical audience that pay well for the information.
Platforms You Control = Learning Management Systems (LMS)
With platforms you control, you pay a fee for the privilege of hosting your course on the platform. Besides being able to upload all your videos and lessons, you receive features such as a website builder with templates, ability to send out emails or messages to your students, ability to create coupons, and more. These are called *Learning Management Systems or LMS platforms, and include popular options such as Thinkific, Teachable, Kajabi, Podia and so on. The prices vary, but so do the options you receive. (* for ease of this article, I am calling the platforms you pay for to host your courses, LMS’: it’s the loose term in the industry, but it technically applies more to school settings).
As a special note, you can also host your courses on your WordPress website through special plugins, such as LearnDash. I would highly suggest you first speak with your hosting provider though to ensure the extra resource and space drain on your WordPress site won’t come at an additional cost. I’m not familiar enough with LearnDash to know how the storage space issue is handled.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I use multiple course platforms?
Yes, you can list your course on multiple marketplaces and even have your own branded course website using an LMS.
What features should I look for in a course platform?
Consider the features important to you, such as ease of use, marketing tools, student engagement features (gamification, quizzes), and pricing options.
Is it better to start with a free or paid platform?
Free marketplaces are a good starting point for beginners, while paid LMS platforms offer more control and features for established instructors.
Best Online Course Platforms: Verdict On Which To Choose
Marketing your courses: If you use a marketplace option, you are not off the hook with marketing, it’s just that your marketing steps could be a lot faster, cheaper (or free) and simpler. You also don’t have to worry about things like security, backups, hosting charges, payment system setups, student messaging systems and so on.
Marketing add ons: Whatever platforms you choose; to get into bigger course sales and profits, check if the following are included:
An LMS option that I am loving the look of, is Kajabi. Instead of going outside your chosen LMS for things such as your funnel system, Kajabi integrates everything seamlessly within the Kajabi platform. This could definitely be an ideal option if you are new to marketing or technology confuses you. Trust me though, even as an experienced marketer, things can often go wrong when linking multiple outside pieces together – and fixing and testing can easily eat up hours or days of your time.
Your Following: If you have a large following, you can safely start with an LMS as, when done properly, you will make course sales. If you are just getting started, however, you definitely want to start with marketplaces.
Advice: If you want to take the advice of a top marketer, start off with a short course on a marketplace (or a few marketplaces!), take a few weeks to monitor and answer questions and refine your course and prove demand for it, then go ahead and build everything on your own LMS as well, to get both worlds working for you. The LMS should have your new improved course (from what you’ve learned through the marketplace), plus be sure to add more substance and bonuses to it to warrant the higher fee than they could find on your marketplace version.
To do further course validation and begin faster with your own thing, you could then offer live training through your LMS. From there you would put all the pieces you’ve discovered together, and create the ultimate online course that you can charge premium dollars for. This would be your signature program.
How to Choose A Marketplace Platform:
As a special note, Udemy is very likely the platform that will also get you the most students.The platform attracts millions of students – and that’s a lot of potential eyeballs on what you have to offer!
How to Choose a LMS:
Conclusion
Choosing the right platform can significantly impact your online course success. By considering these factors and researching your options, you’ll find the perfect platform to host, market, and sell your valuable course content.
P.S. This article is based on my experience as a course creator, not on affiliate links. My goal is to empower you to make informed decisions for your online course journey.
About The Author:
Tricia is an Internet marketing specialist with over 20 years of marketing, senior management and business development experience. Her passion is helping motivated business owners become authority sites online. Her specialties include online course development, search engine optimization (SEO), Facebook advertising, content creation, funnels, and more. Her contest winning online courses have reached over 28,000 students across 145 countries and have all been listed on the first page of Udemy, one of the world’s largest online course platforms.