Of course (no pun intended), this isn\u2019t just about basic K-12 education. Having your niche course about something you\u2019re knowledgeable about is key.<\/p>\n
For example, a lesson about building amazing WordPress plugins, or learning to jump rope like a pro – maybe a complete system to win a marathon.<\/p>\n
Chances are you know something about something and can teach it to others. And WordPress is an excellent platform on which to create an online course.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll be going through step-by-step how you start an online course on WordPress, from conception to implementation and sales.<\/p>\n
This article takes a look at: (Skip ahead at your preference)<\/p>\n
- \n
- Why You Should Launch an Online Course on WordPress<\/a><\/li>\n
- Essentials to Set Up an Online Course<\/a><\/li>\n
- LMS Themes and Plugins<\/a><\/li>\n
- How to Promote Your Online Course<\/a><\/li>\n
- Course Examples<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Class is now in session! We\u2019ll start with\u2026<\/p>\n
Why Launch an Online Course on WordPress?<\/h2>\n
![\"image](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/online-school-01.png\")
Get ready for launch!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n There are many reasons why launching a course is beneficial. For example, they:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Are a minimal investment to get started<\/li>\n
- Do not require much technical knowledge<\/li>\n
- Give you access to students worldwide<\/li>\n
- Provide supplemental income<\/li>\n
- Build a community<\/li>\n
- Are growing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Plus, virtual learning is becoming more the norm in this day and age. It\u2019s not uncommon like it used to be.<\/p>\n
That being said, why<\/em> WordPress?<\/strong><\/p>\n
There are several reasons why WordPress offers a great solution to hosting your online courses compared to other options. Some of these are touched on in the list above; however, here\u2019s a breakdown of some specific reasons why WordPress is the best.<\/p>\n
You Have Control: <\/strong>Launching a course on your own dedicated WordPress website lets you choose the pricing plans and membership levels and run your own business, unlike using a 3rd party online course creator (e.g. Udemy<\/a>).<\/p>\n
Plugins and Themes:<\/strong> As we\u2019ll be going over later in this article, there are plugins and themes to make the process of setting up your online courses simple and easy. Thanks to plugins and themes, it won\u2019t require coding or a lot of technical knowledge to be up and running in no time.<\/p>\n
Support: <\/strong>You\u2019ll find that you\u2019ll get support anytime you need it with premium course plugins. Plus, there is support from WordPress management services, such as WPMU DEV<\/a>, with 24\/7 support on any issues that you may run across when creating and running your online course.<\/p>\n
Cost-Effective:<\/strong> It doesn\u2019t take that much money to start a WordPress website and to use plugins and\/or a theme to run your courses on. You can begin online courses with very little expense, and the costs stay very moderate throughout the duration of time that you keep your classes live.<\/p>\n
Security: <\/strong>With security plugins like Defender <\/a>and a CDN, such as Cloudflare<\/a>, you\u2019ll be able to beef up your website\u2019s security. Plus, WordPress is constantly updated, and it\u2019s easy to stay in control of ensuring your website is up-to-date and secure.<\/p>\n
Simplicity: <\/strong>Assuming you\u2019re familiar with WordPress, setting up a course with it will be simple, and going about it will be familiar to you. Even if you\u2019re new to WordPress, WordPress makes it extremely easy to set up a website \u2013 whether it\u2019s a course site or something else.<\/p>\n
Design:<\/strong> Your design and courses are determined by you. There are many variations, course options, membership gateways, and more that you can customize to suit your design needs.<\/p>\n
As you can see, there are some pretty good advantages of using WordPress for your online courses. Considering WordPress is growing and constantly improving, you\u2019ll be in good hands with using WordPress as your platform.<\/p>\n
On another note \u2013 what about those 3rd party sites that enable you to create courses?<\/p>\n
<\/a>Pros and Cons of 3rd Party LMS Sites Compared to WordPress<\/h3>\n
3rd party sites, such as Udemy<\/a>, Skillshare<\/a>, and LinkedIn Learning<\/a>, make it easy and tempting to go with them instead of WordPress.<\/p>\n
This article isn\u2019t<\/strong> here to convince you to go with WordPress. You might prefer a 3rd party site to set up your course on. They make it extremely easy. Plus, there are other pros such as:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Effortless tracking<\/li>\n
- Software is all setup<\/li>\n
- No hosting worries<\/li>\n
- Payments and refunds are handled for you<\/li>\n
- Traffic is already there (e.g. over 50 million students on Udemy<\/a>)<\/li>\n
- Can be free to use<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
And, of course, there are some cons. For example:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Pricing can be extremely minimal<\/li>\n
- Limited stylistic control<\/li>\n
- You\u2019re huddled in with your competition<\/li>\n
- If they decide to delete your course, they can<\/li>\n
- Minimal control of just about everything<\/li>\n
- Percentage of sales is taken<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
In a nutshell, having an online course on a 3rd party site is a money-saving option to get started. Just be ready to give up control over price, design, and vital information (e.g. email addresses).<\/p>\n
The biggest negative is that you won\u2019t have too much ownership as a course creator.<\/p>\n
If you feel like WordPress is the way to go, let\u2019s check out the\u2026<\/p>\n
Essentials to Set Up an Online Course<\/h2>\n
![\"Image](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/online-school-02.png\")
Like most things, there are some essentials you’ll need.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n There are some essentials needed to set up and operate an online course.<\/p>\n
The main essentials are:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Picking a Course Idea (that sells)<\/li>\n
- Having a Domain Name<\/li>\n
- Setting Up a WordPress Hosting Account<\/li>\n
- Including an eLearning Add-On<\/li>\n
- Getting Good Equipment<\/li>\n
- Marketing Your Course<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
We\u2019ll go through them and point out why you need to have this sorted out before you start.<\/p>\n
1. <\/a>Picking a Course Idea (that sells)<\/h3>\n
This can vary, depending on whether you WANT your course to sell. There might be a situation where you have a specific course that you need to implement for your employees or a small group of people, and you plan on offering it for free. Or, maybe it\u2019s included in your membership (e.g., integrated video tutorials on WordPress<\/a>).<\/p>\n
But, let\u2019s go with the notion that you want to sell your courses online.<\/p>\n
The most common reason small businesses (like an online course) fail<\/a> is that there\u2019s no market for their product or service. There is no amount of marketing or even technology that can solve that issue.<\/p>\n
That means there\u2019s going to be a fine line between what you\u2019re knowledgeable about and what there\u2019s a market for.<\/p>\n
The good news is that there are several ways to pick a good course idea.<\/p>\n
First of all, a few of the top reasons people want a course is:<\/p>\n
- \n
- To gain knowledge<\/li>\n
- They want to boost career opportunities<\/li>\n
- To learn a new skill<\/li>\n
- As academic prep<\/li>\n
- To earn income<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Some of the highest-selling courses are often about taking something to the next level. That\u2019s why some popular courses are:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Tech and computer-related<\/li>\n
- Entrepreneurship<\/li>\n
- Arts<\/li>\n
- Health and fitness<\/li>\n
- Lifestyle changes<\/li>\n
- Education<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Realize that these are vast topics. It\u2019s essential to find your niche and narrow down a specific course for a category.<\/p>\n
A good example would be this: Let\u2019s take Health and Fitness. You have a way of toning your abs in 4 weeks. So, you create a course titled \u201cThe Four Week Ab Toning Method.\u201d<\/p>\n
What if you\u2019re not sure that your course is something of value and has a market?<\/p>\n
A good indicator is to ask. There are websites, such as Survey Monkey<\/a>, where you can ask questions like, \u201cHow interested are you in a course on\u2026?\u201d and get answers.<\/p>\n
Also, if you have an audience built-up already by social media, email, or possibly even a newsletter, ask if this would be something they\u2019d be interested in. If it seems like something your audience would want, it\u2019s a good way to start promoting your course \u2013 even before it\u2019s put together.<\/p>\n
Plus, if there are no other courses for you to teach, that might indicate there\u2019s no market for it. The more courses that are out there about a subject means the more people that are interested.<\/p>\n
2. <\/a>Having a Domain Name<\/h3>\n
This one seems obvious, but yes, it\u2019s part of the essentials to launching a course.<\/p>\n
Choose a good domain name that’s relevant to what you\u2019re teaching and one you’re not going to regret 6 months down the track. Short and to the point is usually your best bet.<\/p>\n
You’ll soon be able to purchase domains from within WPMU DEV as part of an automated hosting setup. Keep an eye on our product roadmap<\/a> for updates on this.<\/p>\n
For now, you have the standard options like GoDaddy, Namecheap<\/strong>, and other localized registrars.<\/p>\n
After a domain name is figured out, you\u2019ll need to\u2026<\/p>\n
3. <\/a>Set Up a WordPress Hosting Account<\/h3>\n
Considering this will be an online course, you\u2019ll want managed WordPress hosting<\/a> that\u2019s reliable, safe, and can handle an ample amount of visitors. It\u2019s not recommended to use shared hosting<\/a> or anything that might affect your security or speed.<\/p>\n
4. <\/a>Including an eLearning Add On<\/h3>\n
We\u2019ll be going over this more with detailed information on themes and plugins you can use for your courses. There are many good options when it comes to how your courses look visually, how your courses function, and much more.<\/p>\n
Including the essential add ons will bring your course to life and create a good experience for your students.<\/p>\n
5. <\/a>Get Good Equipment<\/h3>\n
You\u2019ll need a good computer to set up a course for WordPress. That\u2019s a given. However, when creating the courses themselves, bring the quality of your classes up a few notches with some good equipment.<\/p>\n
Good production quality will make you look professional. You need to look the part. This is assuming you\u2019ll be teaching on-screen with videos.<\/p>\n
A few things to consider include:<\/p>\n
Lighting: <\/strong>Think of your own professional studio setup with quality lighting. A studio doesn\u2019t have to cost a lot of money. Relatively cheap studio lighting kits can be as cheap as $100 on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.<\/p>\n
Editing Software: <\/strong>Here again, this doesn\u2019t have to cost much (in fact, you may already have access to editing software, like Apple iMovie or Premiere Pro). A decent video editor is worth having so you can trim, add images\/sounds, titles, and more.<\/p>\n
HD Camera:<\/strong> Today\u2019s phone cameras can capture video in HD. Or, if you want to upgrade, you can opt for a professional HD camera. Even the video recorders on most computers record in HD. Just ensure that whatever you\u2019re recording with, it\u2019s in HD for the best quality production.<\/p>\n
Script:<\/strong> It\u2019s a good idea to map out your course videos with a script. It will help you stay organized and sound professional. There are some excellent teleprompter apps available for iPad that can help.<\/p>\n
Good equipment can be a small investment but provide terrific value.<\/p>\n
6. Marketing Your Course<\/h3>\n
Marketing is the final ingredient to ensuring your course success. We\u2019ll get into this a lot more later in this article. Marketing is essential to getting your course out to the right audience.<\/p>\n
However, keep in mind that you can start marketing your course before it\u2019s completed! Get the word out, test your audience, build an email list, start generating a buzz, etc. Be proactive in gearing up for your launch.<\/p>\n
Again, we\u2019ll get more into this later on.<\/p>\n
LMS Themes and Plugins<\/h2>\n
![\"Image](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/online-school-03.png\")
There are some great LMS plugins and themes out there.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Now that you have the foundation for your course figured out, you need to start considering the best theme and plugins to use to begin building it.<\/p>\n
There are tons to choose from.<\/p>\n
Here are a few choices to consider. They all have a solid rating, good reputation, and other websites recommend them. None of these are affiliated with us (we don\u2019t do affiliate links \u2013 ever!). We consider these potential options.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Divi<\/h3>\n
![\"Divi](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/divi.png\")
Divi is very well known and can help you create an awesome online course.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Divi<\/a> is the most popular WordPress theme builder, and you can create an awesome LMS using<\/a> their Learning Management Layout Pack.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll simply build your course from a pre-made layout. The layout includes links to specific course pages that you go in and edit to make them pertain to whatever you\u2019re teaching. There are various subscription options, payment gateways, email marketing integrations, and more.<\/p>\n
A great thing about Divi is its lifetime membership, so you won\u2019t have to worry about annual\/or monthly costs. Plus, you know you\u2019re in good hands. Divi has a solid reputation, 24-7 support, and is always up-to-date to ensure that your courses get an A+.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Skillate<\/h3>\n
![\"Post](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/skillate.png\")
Skillate can help get your courses up to par and launched.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Skillate<\/a> is a great modern LMS that focuses heavily on mobile devices, which gives it more of an app look and feel. It features a multi-instructor portal, teacher profiles, course reviews & ratings, plus more.<\/p>\n
Additionally, it has some unique features, such as a deals countdown so that potential students can take advantage of discounts and special offers. You can also keep tabs on your LMS business with stats & reports.<\/p>\n
The prices range, and currently, there is no offer for a lifetime membership. That being said, there is a free version \u2013 however, it may be a bit limited to what you\u2019ll need. But even the free version comes with support, ensuring you can get set up and run your course in no time.<\/p>\n
<\/a>eLumine<\/h3>\n
![\"eLumine](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/elumine.png\")
eLumine is a theme worth checking out for your LMS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n With the help of eLumine<\/a>, you can create your courses off of premade LMS layouts and have them ready for students quickly and easily. The layouts are compatible with WooCommerce, bbPress, LearnDash, Elementor, and other popular WordPress platforms.<\/p>\n
Their layouts have designs catered to specific educational courses (e.g. music, culinary, etc.). You can also add multiple instructors, have a student-instructor messaging system, and quizzes.<\/p>\n
eLumine also offers a lifetime purchase option, along with a subscription. They all provide various levels of customization.<\/p>\n
![\"Eduma](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/eduma.png\")
Check out all of the positive reviews of this LMS theme.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Eduma<\/a> is an LMS WordPress theme with a solid 5-star review and is highly ranked. It\u2019s compatible with Elementor, WPBakery, Zoom Meeting, and more. Plus, it features over 20 demos for numerous course options.<\/p>\n
This theme works well with LearnPress, a popular LMS plugin for WordPress (which we\u2019ll be covering later in this article). It makes it easy to update, create, and sell courses.<\/p>\n
The theme is highly customizable. It\u2019s a premium theme, so it does come at a cost. However, for the creation of an amazing LMS, it is worth it.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Course Maker Pro<\/h3>\n
![\"CourseMaker](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Coursemaker-pro.png\")
Coursemaker Pro is professional for a reason.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n As the name states, Course Maker Pro<\/a> can help you create professional online courses. This theme is highly customizable and includes a one-click theme setup, eCommerce, and more.<\/p>\n
It works in conjunction with LifterLMS (another plugin we\u2019ll get into soon). This theme’s benefits are a one-click setup for plugins (e.g. Social Proof Slider, WP Video LIghtbox, etc.), a featured article slider, and separate navigation menus for logged-in users compared to logged-out.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a relatively cheap theme that offers a significant visual aspect to any online course that you have to offer.<\/p>\n
<\/a>MemberPress<\/h3>\n
![\"MemberPress](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/MemberPress.png\")
MemberPress is a solid solution for your membership levels.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n MemberPress<\/a> is no stranger to WordPress \u2013 especially when it comes to membership plugins. It\u2019s an extremely popular all-in-one membership plugin that allows you to accept payments, sell courses, and monitor who sees your content. Plus, the ease of use doesn\u2019t hurt either.<\/p>\n
It also integrates with MailChimp, Stripe, PayPal, and more. This helps tremendously when building an email list, communicating with students, and taking payments.<\/p>\n
Numerous WordPress companies highly recommend MemberPress as a solid, reputable, and terrific membership option. It\u2019s affordable, comes with support, and can keep control of who sees and doesn\u2019t see your online course content.<\/p>\n
<\/a>LearnDash<\/h3>\n
![\"LearnDash](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/learndash.png\")
LearnDash has a ton of resources to ensure the success of your online course.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n LearnDash<\/a> is another extremely popular LMS plugin. It has a drip-feed content feature that automatically delivers content by way of a schedule when students should receive it.<\/p>\n
On top of that, it\u2019s easy to connect numerous popular 3rd party applications, such as MailChimp, WooCommerce, Slack, and more. It\u2019s effortless to integrate necessary features.<\/p>\n
There is no lack of documentation and support for getting your courses set up with LearnDash. They offer video tutorials, live webinars, guides, and more. That being said, it\u2019s simple to implement their features \u2013 even without all of the available help.<\/p>\n
For a regularly updated, fair-priced LMS plugin, you can\u2019t go wrong with LearnDash. They\u2019re constantly innovating and ensuring the latest and greatest is available for online courses.<\/p>\n
<\/a>LifterLMS<\/h3>\n
![\"LifterLMS](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/LifterLMS.png\")
LifterLMS will help your online courses takeoff.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n LifterLMS<\/a> is a highly customizable and affordable WordPress LMS that is also very popular. With their drag and drop course builder, you can create beautiful online courses, quizzes, and more.<\/p>\n
You\u2019re able to create membership sites and limit what students see. What\u2019s nice about LifterLMS is how organized it is. You\u2019ll stay on top of everything with its streamlined lesson plans, content integration (with numerous 3rd party applications), and course creation.<\/p>\n
Plus, there is helpful support and plenty of tutorials if you get into a rough spot where you need some help.<\/p>\n
LifterLMS is billed annually (no option for a lifetime membership), but it\u2019s worth looking into, as it\u2019s a solid course creator.<\/p>\n
<\/a>LearnPress<\/h3>\n
![\"LearnPress](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/LearnPress.png\")
LearnPress is available directly from wordpress.org.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n With over 100K active installations and a 4.5-star review, LearnPress<\/a> was created to quickly and easily set up courses on WordPress. You\u2019re able to develop a course curriculum \u2013 for free.<\/p>\n
The fact that it\u2019s free and offers such value is a big highlight. It works well with a premium theme (like Eduma \u2013 which we covered earlier), so keep that in mind. The plugin is free, but a premium theme might be helpful.<\/p>\n
With LearnPress, you can manage your courses, sell courses, and work with BuddyPress to easily communicate with your students.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s constantly updated and comes with many add-ons \u2013 if needed.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Sensei<\/h3>\n
![\"Sensei](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/sensei.png\")
Sensei is from the makers of WordPress.com.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Sensei<\/a> was created by the same folks who made WooCommerce and Jetpack \u2013 and WordPress.com. They offer a sleek and straightforward course management solution that is definitely designed for WordPress.<\/p>\n
Like some of our previous plugins, Sensei offers a drip schedule for students, certificates, and the ability to include media (and attachments). You can offer free or paid courses and monitor each student’s progress (e.g., the progression bar).<\/p>\n
They have a very simple and clean interface. There are plenty of options for free and paid extensions to work with Sensei, so you may have to juggle a few various 3rd party inclusions (e.g. WooCommerce), but at the end of the day, it may be worth it.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Course Catalog<\/h3>\n
![\"Course](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/course-catalog.png\")
The Course Catalog plugin might be all you need to create awesome courses.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Course Catalog<\/a> is a premium LMS plugin that offers various features, such as several templates to choose from, detailed course descriptions, and multiple catalogs.<\/p>\n
You can easily add courses, sort by categories & tags, and control access. It has a clean interface and is highly configurable and customizable.<\/p>\n
The cost is a one-time charge that comes with 365 days of support and updates. This makes it an attractive solution for any budget-conscious person wanting to launch a course.<\/p>\n
<\/a>There\u2019s More, of Course\u2026<\/h3>\n
What is mentioned in this article in terms of themes and plugins are merely suggestions to look into. There are many other quality LMS systems available, and more appear regularly.<\/p>\n
The important thing is you find the best solution for what you\u2019re offering. And once you have that figured out, you can launch your course and learn\u2026<\/p>\n
How to Promote Your Online Course<\/h2>\n
![\"Image](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/online-school-04.png\")
As you’ll see, there are a lot of ways to promote your online course.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Promoting a course sounds like a daunting task to many. After all, you\u2019re an educator, not a marketer, right? It\u2019s not as complex and tedious as you might think. By simply implementing a few key things, you can be off promoting your course in no time.<\/p>\n
And the good news? Most promotions you can do for free or at a very minimal expense compared to purchasing ads.<\/p>\n
Here are some critical steps you can take to promote your course successfully.<\/p>\n
1. Create a Landing Page: <\/strong>Creating a landing page is a way to turn visitors into students. Plus, it\u2019s your chance to promote your course with a quick glimpse of what it has to offer.<\/p>\n
Some of the course themes that I\u2019ll be covering have a landing page option, which can be set up quickly.<\/p>\n
Provide the URL to the landing page everywhere imaginable \u2013 social media, LinkedIn, websites, etc. This is the gateway to getting students and explaining what you have to offer. Your landing page can even offer a free mini-course, which we\u2019re discussing next.<\/p>\n
2. Build an Email List by Offering Free Mini-Course:<\/strong> Giving away a free course gives users a chance to further their education with a paid course. Plus, you can collect their email, so you can continue marketing out to that person.<\/p>\n
Use a good lead-generating plugin like Hustle<\/a> with an email service like MailChimp<\/a>. Add an opt-in spot on your course website and landing page.<\/p>\n
The free course doesn\u2019t need to be elaborate. Just something simple. Or, you can also give away a free PDF, weekly email newsletter, or something else of value.<\/p>\n
Just keep in mind that putting a face with a name is never a bad thing. If you can be on video and potential students get a chance to see you virtually, it can help attract them to your courses.<\/p>\n
3. Setup Social Accounts: <\/strong>Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest. Set them up and post regularly. Don\u2019t go overboard with promoting your course, but relevant content. Adding an Instagram story a day with a useful tip is an example of being proactive on social media.<\/p>\n
Social media is your opportunity to connect with students, share success stories, and engage.<\/p>\n
4. Launch Email Campaign: <\/strong>Once you have roughly 1000 emails, that\u2019s a good time to start an email campaign about your course. It\u2019s a solid number of emails, and it\u2019s a way of letting interested parties know that you are about to launch a course \u2013 or you have one already.<\/p>\n
A good way of creating an effective email campaign<\/a> is to offer a discount that will end at some point so that subscribers act on it.<\/p>\n
5. Interview Experts: <\/strong>Want a good way to draw students into your course? Interview an expert in the niche you\u2019re teaching. Not only will you provide awesome content, but there\u2019s also a good chance that experts will link to your course as well.<\/p>\n
6. Regularly Engage with Students and Potential Students: <\/strong>It\u2019s incredible how far a personal interaction can go. It means you\u2019re a REAL person \u2013 not just a bot trying to get students. Engage with your students and potential students regularly. By doing so, even if they don\u2019t personally sign up, they\u2019ll appreciate your course and recommend them to others. Personal engagement goes a long way.<\/p>\n
7. Collect Testimonials:<\/strong> The best ad you can have for your course is testimonials. They show that real people took your class, liked it, and it has value. Collect testimonials and display them prominently on landing pages and your website.<\/p>\n
Taking these vital steps will be an excellent way to get your course out to the world. It takes commitment and dedication, but the payoff and fulfillment from teaching can pay off.<\/p>\n
Course Examples<\/h2>\n
![\"Course](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/online-school-05.png\")
Here are three good examples.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n To give you an idea of what completed LMS courses look like for WordPress, we\u2019ve pulled a few examples from the list we just went over. Each one has a link that will take you to the live demo, so you can play around and explore for yourself.<\/p>\n
Hopefully, you\u2019ll get some good ideas for your course by seeing these in action.<\/p>\n
First up, we have a very cool demo site from Skillate.<\/strong><\/p>\n
![\"Skillate](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/skillate-example.png\")
There are lots of categories to choose from.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n A real nice thing about this demo is they include a TON of what you can do. It\u2019s great to have all the options for various courses, where you can see how they\u2019re priced, what they look like, ratings, and much more.<\/p>\n
You can check out this demo here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
LearnPress is another company with some great demos.<\/strong><\/p>\n
![\"LearnPress](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/learnpress-demo.png\")
LearnPress has a great demo to give a trial run with.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n They have several topics to choose from. Each demonstration gives you an inside look at what your site can look like using the LearnPress plugin. You can also see what the checkout and registration process looks like.<\/p>\n
View their demos here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Finally, Course Maker Pro also has a sample course to give a test run. <\/strong><\/p>\n
There aren\u2019t many different variations in this demo, but it will provide you with a nice idea of what their LMS is like.<\/p>\n
![\"CourseMaker](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/coursemaker-example.png\")
Their demo is simple \u2013 yet will give you a nice glimpse of what they offer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Go to the sample course here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
There are plenty more sample courses out there. You can even google a specific subject that you might be considering creating a course for, and chances are there\u2019s one out there.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s worth seeing what others are doing so that when you are building your course, you can gather some ideas of what to include.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Class Dismissed<\/h2>\n
Creating an online course with WordPress is easier than ever with all the tools at your disposal. It just takes dedication, a niche, implementation of an LMS theme or plugin, and some good marketing. WordPress creates a solid foundation for any course creator.<\/p>\n
Considering the growing popularity of remote learning, online courses are becoming an even bigger market. New updates and innovations are created regularly to help online educators make the best experience possible for their students.<\/p>\n
Hopefully, this article helps in providing you with the tools, insights, and knowledge to launch your course with WordPress and make it a success.<\/p>\n
And with that, class dismissed!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Learn to create online courses in WordPress quickly and easily with the help of some fantastic LMS (Learning Management Systems) plugins, as well as how to sell your courses, course examples, and more. Now is a good time if you\u2019ve ever considered launching an online course. E-Learning is going from strength to strength (A billion […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":811449,"featured_media":204071,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"blog_reading_time":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_tutorials_categories":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[263],"tags":[],"tutorials_categories":[],"class_list":["post-204047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tutorials"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/811449"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=204047"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204047\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":210604,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204047\/revisions\/210604"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/204071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=204047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=204047"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=204047"},{"taxonomy":"tutorials_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tutorials_categories?post=204047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Can be free to use<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Essentials to Set Up an Online Course<\/a><\/li>\n