11 Best Course Builder1
11 Best Course Builder1
11 Best Course Builder1
There are many online course builders out there, so you need to know
what to look out for to pick the one best suited to your business needs.
Let’s delve deeper into how you can make money by teaching online.
1. What is an online course platform?
With an online course platform, you can create and sell online
courses using different tools such as webinars, downloadable documents,
gradable quizzes, and projects.
2.1. Systeme.io
systeme.io logo
Systeme.io is an all-in-one platform that allows you to create, as well as
market and sell, courses online.
With our course builder, you can add as many lectures and modules as
you feel necessary, without any restrictions.
If you feel a student needs to master one skill before moving to the next,
you can set up drip access.
Drip access allows you to decide when students will get access to the
next part of the course.
Systeme.io also gives you all the tools you need to run your course
successfully.
You can:
PayPal and Stripe integrations
Subscriptions
Memberships
Coupons
With so many options, the payment process has never been easier!
Now that you’ve created your online course, you need to sell it.
Create your own website and blog to show your students who you
are and to establish your credibility
Sell complementary digital and physical products
Get 24/7 email support
Create membership sites with unlimited members
Create webinars to add to your course or as an additional digital
resource
Run your own affiliate program, and get affiliates to help sell your
course online
2.1.2. Pricing
systeme.io’s pricing plans
When it comes to affordability, systeme.io is the best option to sell
online courses.
With every systeme.io plan, you get access to the following features:
Unlimited emails
Unlimited file storage space
Unlimited membership site members
No transaction fees
Affiliate programs
Online support
3 sales funnels
10 sales funnel steps
1 blog with unlimited blog posts
1 membership site/online course
1 automation rule
1 workflow
1 tag
1 email campaign
1 one-click upsell
1 order bump
1 A/B test
1 coupon code
Deadline funnels
Stripe and PayPal integrations
1 custom domain
With these features, you can easily create and sell your first course.
Once you’re ready to create more courses and grow your online business,
systeme.io has you covered with 3 paid plans (if you pay annually, you
get a 30% discount):
Cons
10% transaction fee on Free plan
The need for 3rd party integrations can bump up the cost
2.3. Udemy
Udemy logo
Udemy is possibly the largest online course platform and a popular
online learning platform for students.
If you’ve ever looked into creating an online course, odds are, you’ve
come across Udemy.
It’s not up to you to find students. You simply need to create engaging
courses to ensure that students flock to your content.
To create a course on Udemy, you first need to register and get approved
as a premier instructor — this ensures consistent quality, which is great
for students.
Udemy provides all the tools you need to create a successful course:
If you’re new to online teaching platforms, Udemy takes you through the
course creation process, making them a great online learning platform
for beginners.
2.3.2. Pricing
Creating an online course with Udemy is completely free.
You’ll get a share of 97% of the final revenue of your course if a student
finds your course through an instructor coupon or referral.
If the student finds your course with Udemy’s marketing, you’ll get only
37% of the final revenue.
2.3.3. Pros and cons
Pros
Cons
There’s stiff competition with fellow course creators and other
marketplace platforms
2.4. Thinkific
Thinkific logo
Thinkific is another popular all-in-one online course builder.
While it does have an impressive set of tools, you still need to pay for
3rd party integrations to access some ecommerce functions, like
a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool.
You can also deliver your course as a single course, bundles, or through
a membership site.
As for payment, you can choose between coupons, subscriptions, or
instalment plans.
To access any useful features, you’ll need the Basic plan. The Pro plan
is probably the best option, but that can get pricey for small businesses
with few students.
No transaction fees
Cons
Limited customization options
2.5. Podia
Podia logo
Podia is another all-in-one platform that offers a range of course tools
and marketing features to help you create and sell courses online.
With Podia, you can create online courses and sell other digital products,
such as eBooks, audio books, PDFs, and cheat sheets.
Digital products are a nice touch for extra sales and marketing purposes.
With Podia, you can create membership sites which allow a community
feature for students.
Cons
There are limited templates and customization options
No Free plan
2.6. Kajabi
Kajabi logo
We’ll be honest — this is a powerful all-in-one platform for running an
online course business.
An effective sales funnel can really boost course sales, so this is a nice
feature.
Kajabi also offers more sales functionality than most other platforms:
The Basic plan is on the same price tier as most other platforms’ mid to
high tiers and more expensive than systeme.io’s top tier!
2.6.3. Pros and cons
Pros
2.7. LearnDash
LearnDash logo
LearnDash is a WordPress LMS plugin.
While this may be good news for users who love WordPress, if you don’t
like WordPress, you’re out of luck.
You do get flexible payment options, meaning you can use a once-off
payment, subscriptions, or membership sites, and you can create course
bundles.
PayPal
Samcart
Slack
Mailchimp
Zapier
All these extra integrations will add up in the end, so this platform can
get pricey right quick!
2.7.2. Pricing
It’s one of the cheaper solutions, but it can become expensive once you
start adding all the additional integrations.
2.7.3. Pros and cons
Pros
Cons
It’s a WordPress plugin, so you need a WordPress site
You need a lot of 3rd party integrations which can hike up the price
2.8. Skillshare
Skillshare logo
Another well-known online course marketplace is Skillshare.
Skillshare also provides some resources to help you promote and sell
your course to your own online community.
Students can learn at their own pace which limits opportunities for
graded quizzes and teacher feedback
Only certain teachers are approved for live sessions, so you may
not have the option of running courses at specified times
You’ll need to check the online groups regularly to see if new
students joined and if they need help — This could get a little time
consuming
Skillshare also offers free courses which helps to draw more students to
their platform — this means more students who buy your course!
2.9. LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds logo
LearnWorlds positions itself as a one-stop solution for creating an
online school.
It’s an all-in-one platform, so you can create, market, and sell your online
courses in one place.
It’s also an all-in-one platform, which means that you have a lot of
marketing options available when it comes to selling courses.
With LearnWorlds, you would need the Pro plan for this.
2.9.3. Pros and cons
Pros
Cons
Aimed at the US and Europe, so it’s not the best option if you’re in
another part of the world
When it comes to running your course, you can run live events or on-
demand classes.
On the course creation side, you have the option to fully customize your
site and course — this is an important feature for large companies
running employee or customer training!
While these tools are great, this platform is expensive, so it’s aimed at
big businesses and entrepreneurs looking to work with big companies.
2.10.2. Pricing
Academy of Mine pricing plans
If you’re looking to start your own online academy or your focus is
professional training and development for companies, this solution is
worth looking into.
All-in-one platform
Cons
Very expensive pricing plans
OpenSesame logo
OpenSesame is an online marketplace and LMS catering for medium to
large business’ in-house training needs.
With OpenSesame, you can also reach customers, but it’s not ideal for
smaller, more casual, course creators.
2.11.1. Features
OpenSesame is an LMS that curates and connects courses with
prospective students.
If you’re an expert in your field, and you want to target businesses,
OpenSesame isn’t a bad option.
For the most part, this platform is very vague when it comes to
information regarding what tools they use or how the creation process
and payment actually work.
Ideally, you want an online course platform that’s easy to use, has at
least some marketing options, and is easy for students to use as well.
It’s simple, if your students are struggling with your site, they’ll go
somewhere else!
Let’s take a look at the different types of platforms and how to choose
the best one for your online course business.
3.1. Different types of platforms
The 5 main course creation platforms available are:
1. Standalone course platforms
Who doesn’t like a coffee mug that reminds them that they are the
world’s best student?
3. Learning Management Systems
Of course, you aren’t limited to only these functions, but LMS are set up
with those features in mind.
The nice thing about this is that there are big marketplaces available
already, and most marketplaces provide marketing support.
5. Video course platforms
Most online course platforms will allow you to create videos, but the
student is still limited to watching the course wherever they get internet
access — so mostly PC screens and mobile devices.
This is going to cost you more, but it does work well for topics that
require a more practical touch, like art classes, health and fitness, or
cooking classes.
3.2. What to look at to find the best fit for your
business
Now that you know what types of online course platforms there are and
which are the best, how do you go about choosing the best platform
for your business?
Here are some criteria you should keep in mind when deciding on an
online learning platform:
Cost — If you’re just starting out with online courses, you’ll need
a tool that’s easy to use and affordable.
Customizable templates — Building a course using templates is
the easiest option. Make sure that the templates look professional
and allow enough customization to make your course stand out
from the crowd.
The topic you want to teach — This will determine the type of
platform you need. Do you want to create a practical course on
painting with watercolors or a course on investing in property?
Existing market — Do you want an existing market, or are you
willing to put in the work to create your own?
Well-known platform — If you’re opting for a marketplace,
choose a marketplace that’s known and has a good reputation, like
Udemy or Skillshare.
Marketing options — If you’ve decided to build your own
market, find a platform, like systeme.io, that’ll give you options in
terms of sales funnels, marketing automation, and email
marketing to build a student base.
Control — Are you willing to work within a set guideline, or do
you want more freedom with how you present your courses?
Would you like to drip content or provide full access in one go?
Technical support — This is a big one, especially if you have
limited technical experience. Will there be someone to help you if
your course goes offline?
3.3. The difference between a membership site
and an online course
With a membership site, your members pay a monthly fee to access the
content behind the paywall.
This means that you need to constantly update content, add new
content, and ensure that your members are getting value.
If your members feel they’re not getting enough value, they’ll stop
paying their membership and take their business elsewhere.
Students pay to get access to the course and work through it with a
specific goal in mind. When they finish, they’ve learned a specific skill
or they get a completion certificate.
Pro-tip: Keep this space up-to-date with industry news if you have the
time.
So, you need to ask yourself — do you have the time to update content
and provide new content constantly, or do you want to make a once-off
product that you can keep selling for years to come?
3.4. What about Youtube?
Source: YouTube.com
On the sidebar, there is a list of other videos that might lure your student
away, not to mention the ads.
If your student is using YouTube for free, you have no control where the
ads pop up meaning your course can be disrupted at a critical moment.
2. YouTube doesn’t provide the tools you need to create an in-depth
course
Pop a link in the description box guiding students to your site, and watch
your student base grow.
4. How to create your online course
The most important thing to remember when creating an online course is
that you don’t need to be an expert.
As long as you know more than your audience, you can add value to
their lives.
A course on starting your own business might look something like this:
And there you go — you have your first course. Take a look at this 8-
step guide on how to create a course easily with systeme.io!
5. How to sell an online course
Once you’ve created your online courses, it’s time to sell them.
This may sound tricky, but once you’ve generated some traffic, you can
build a sales funnel with systeme.io quickly and easily that’ll provide:
Once you’ve generated traffic and built your sales funnel, link your
funnel to your online course, and you’re done!
With so many online course platforms to choose from, it’s worth taking
the time to research what exactly you need and then decide which
platform will work best for your business.
Join the systeme.io family, and start building your first course
today, absolutely free!
All of our posts about online course platforms:
- Thinkific vs Teachable: Which is the best?
- Thinkific Pricing 2022: Is Thinkific Worth it?
- Teachable Pricing Review: Is it Worth it?
- LearnDash Review: Is it the Perfect Solution?
- How to Create a Sales Funnel to Sell Online Courses