Tools You Need To Deliver Your Online Course

Summary

This video script addresses the pitfalls of relying on all-in-one cloud course platforms, which can leave educators without control during outages. It offers a comprehensive guide to setting up a self-managed online course platform, discussing essential tools for different stages, from beginner to professional. The script emphasizes the importance of owning your platform to maintain control, avoid high costs, and ensure scalability, recommending tools like WordPress, LMS, shopping carts, and community platforms for a robust, flexible business.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video discusses the importance of having control over one's own course platform, especially after a popular cloud course platform went down, causing significant disruption.
• 🔒 Relying on an all-in-one cloud platform means losing control during outages, with no ability to intervene or communicate with customers directly.
• 💡 The video suggests that while cloud platforms may seem appealing for their ease of setup and management, they can be costly and limit customization and scalability.
• 📈 The speaker argues that self-managed systems, such as those built on WordPress, can be more cost-effective and flexible in the long run.
• 🚀 For beginners, starting with social media, PayPal for payments, and secure video hosting like Vimeo can be a quick and low-friction way to launch an online course.
• 🌐 A domain and hosting are essential for a professional online presence, with WordPress being a recommended platform for its flexibility and ease of use.
• 📚 Investing in a Learning Management System (LMS) is crucial for structuring course content and tracking student progress.
• 🛒 A robust shopping cart solution like WooCommerce is recommended over built-in LMS payment gateways for long-term business security.
• 💌 Email marketing is vital for customer communication and lead generation, with the suggestion to start with a more advanced system to avoid future migrations.
• 📈 Advanced tools like landing page builders, sales funnel systems, and membership platforms can enhance course sales and student engagement.
• 🤝 An affiliate management system is essential for tracking partner sales and commissions, with AffiliateWP being highlighted as a reliable choice.
• 📱 Having a native mobile app can significantly improve student engagement and provide a professional touch to a course platform.

Q & A

What was the main issue with the popular all-in-one Cloud course platform mentioned in the script?

The platform went down for several hours, preventing users from accessing their courses and memberships, and those in the middle of a launch were locked out, resulting in lost sales and inability to communicate with students.

Why might a user consider running their own course platform instead of using a Cloud service?

Running their own platform gives users control over their content and sales, avoiding the risk of being locked out during a system failure, and it can be more cost-effective in the long run compared to Cloud services.

What are the potential downsides of relying on an all-in-one Cloud platform for course delivery?

Downsides include lack of control during outages, inability to intervene or enact redundancies, and the potential loss of sales and data if the company rolls back to solve issues.

What is the main advantage of using a learning management system (LMS) for course delivery?

An LMS allows for the organization of separate videos and resources into structured lessons and topics, creating an actual course and often including features for student management and progress tracking.

Why is it recommended to start with a robust shopping cart system like WooCommerce instead of using the basic payment gateways provided by some LMS systems?

Starting with a robust system ensures that payments stay with the business owner and can accommodate future upgrades without the need to migrate past payments to a new system.

What is the role of an email marketing system in the context of selling online courses?

An email marketing system is essential for communicating with customers, collecting leads, and promoting courses. It's better to start with a more robust system to avoid the need for migration as the business grows.

Why might a basic landing page builder not be necessary at the beginning of an online course business?

At the start, basic page building can be handled by platforms like WordPress with Gutenberg. A dedicated landing page builder becomes more important as the business grows and requires more specific pages for various purposes.

What is a sales funnel system and how does it benefit an online course business?

A sales funnel system allows for the creation of dynamic sales pages, order bumps, upsells, downsells, and cross-sells, maximizing profits from each buyer by offering additional products or services during the purchasing process.

What are the benefits of having a membership system in addition to an LMS at the professional level of course delivery?

A membership system can lock and unlock content based on student enrollment, manage access to exclusive resources or services, and can double as a payment and shopping cart system for subscriptions.

How can a native mobile app enhance the student experience and business growth for an online course creator?

A native mobile app provides a dedicated platform for course delivery, allows for offline viewing, push notifications, and can facilitate in-app purchases for frictionless payments and subscriptions, increasing student engagement and sales.

Why is an affiliate management system important for a growing online course business?

An affiliate management system is crucial for tracking partner sales, providing unique links, and paying out commissions, which is essential for expanding the business through partnerships and promoting sales.