“How much does it cost to create an online course?”
Well… how long is a piece of string.
You can invest 10’s of thousands creating an online course (and I know plenty of people who have)
But you can also completely bootstrap your first course, and start with zero (or almost zero) investment
No matter how much you are investing in your course to start with, courses are always a work in progress.
After beta testing, you may want to re-record your videos, or change the structure based on feedback.
Keep that in mind if you are on a budget, you may need a little cash kept aside to make changes before you launch (or before your next launch).
Here are 5 things you can do to create your content and course on a tight budget.
Create your graphics in Canva.
If you’ve got the budget, you can hire a graphic designer, or use expensive software like Photoshop… but until then, use a free program like Canva to create great graphics for your course.
Create your videos on your phone
… or using other options you may already have.
You don’t need a fancy video set up anymore to get great videos. Most phones and web cameras record good quality video. Clear sound and lighting makes all the difference though.
Use a microphone (even the one in your headphones) to get clearer sound. And make sure you have good light on both sides of your face (you can use a lamp if your natural light isn’t good enough).
Host your videos on YouTube.
If you want to get your course up and running for zero investment, then you can upload your videos to YouTube, and set them as “unlisted”. This setting means that people can’t just stumble across them, or find them in the search function, but can only view them with a direct link. You can them embed the video in your website if you like.
If you want something a little more secure, then you can start with the base level of Vimeo which is just $9 a month.
Or better still, find a course platform that hosts your videos for you.
Create your worksheets and handouts in Word
Once you’ve finished creating your file, you can “save as” a PDF, which makes a great option for downloadable content.
If you don’t think they are pretty enough in word, you can type out your content in your favourite word processing software, and then use Canva to create an A4 PDF.
Use a course platform which has a free or a low cost option.
My preference is normally to self host your course on your website. This gives you the most control and flexibility… but it can also take time to set up and comes with it’s own expenses.
So if you want to get started faster and on a budget you could
– Try the free level of Thinkific. You have to give access to all of your content upfront (you can’t drip feed it over a number of weeks) but it is free to get started.
– Or, try Membervault. It’s free for the first 50 students you put on it, and you get full features with their free level, they don’t hold anything back.
Are you looking to create your own course? Grab the free Course Creation Toolkit.
Inside you get:
- Brain Dump Template
I show you the method I use, to easily get all of the ideas out of my head and into a workable format, and you can do it to - Course Creation Template
A step by step guide, showing you how to break down and outline your content. Simply fill in the gaps and follow the outline provided. - Recommendations list
My favourite plugins and platforms for getting your course online, and the pros and cons of each.
