Reach the Right Audience with the Right Platform: Choosing the Best Platform to Sell Courses Online

Team Zenler Author

Nov 12, 2024 |

The world is truly a global village thanks to the internet.

Online learning helps tutors bridge the gap by connecting them with the right audience at a fraction of the cost and effort. It is accessible at all times, freeing both tutor and student from the rigidity of physical classrooms. More importantly, e-learning supports learning of all kinds—it is not limited to academic courses or to a specific age group.

In fact, netizens are embracing online learning, with over 200 million learners signing up for at least one massive open online course (MOOC) in 2023, showcasing its growing popularity. This trend is set to grow tremendously, accelerated by the pandemic's normalization of virtual classes.

As an expert with a wealth of knowledge, the hardest part of selling an online course is choosing the right platform. Selling courses online is a great way to generate passive income and establish authority as a creator—but given the many challenges and hidden costs, it’s essential to choose a platform that offers comprehensive support.

Several online platforms, such as Zenler, Kajabi, Udemy, Teachable, and Thinkific, provide solutions for course creators. Selling shouldn’t feel burdensome—this is why choosing a flexible, supportive platform partner is crucial for building strong courses. While you focus on creating content, the right platform will help you thrive by providing easy-access tools and a simplified interface. Bonus points? Platforms like Zenler help you reach the right audience with their niche user base.

Now, hold on. Selling doesn’t simply begin by selecting a platform; that’s just the first step. Planning unfolds afterward. You’ll need to learn how to leverage the all-in-one platform, record videos, edit content, add voiceovers where necessary, market the course, include evaluations, and make it engaging—the list is endless!

The biggest challenge in choosing the right platform is navigating industry jargon and ensuring there are no hidden fees. Put simply, the cost of creating a course should not exceed its potential earnings. A seamless platform like Zenler, which supports streamlined course creation with intuitive builders, interactive design elements, and built-in marketing tools, is the ideal choice for new creators.

Read on to learn more about choosing the right platform, the features to seek, and how to get started.

The Cluttered Selling Zone and Its Challenges

A simple Google search for the "top online course platforms" yields hundreds of results. The market is highly cluttered, and often, creators end up choosing a platform without much research or thought. When selecting a platform, look for:

• Its reach and the potential audience – understand the demographics you want to serve and identify the types of profiles that would best suit your course. Define your priorities—whether you’re aiming for a higher number of sign-ups, more recurring students, or other specific goals.

• Scalability: Several free-to-create course platforms often misrepresent the scalability features. Ensure that your platform partner is rated to serve your audience size and carefully assess their technical tools that aid your growth

• Before signing up: Fully understand the limitations and support level in content creation, what happens in the event of web-hosting challenges and so on

• Revenue sharing transparency: Your ability to grow and generate revenue depends on cost transparency. Check for any additional charges and thoroughly vet your revenue sharing model

• Average retention rate: It’s crucial to note average audience retention rates across the platform. This is a key indicator of how students value courses on this platform and also helps tailor your course to maximize retention

Don’t focus solely on brand names. An established platform may not be the best fit for your course. For example, as a calligraphy artist, you might want to reach a specific age group or region, rather than promoting your course on a general platform.

Instead of being one of a hundred calligraphy tutors on a crowded platform, consider selecting one that values quality and personalized reach, allowing you to connect with students more effectively.

Like your course, create a structured outline to help you zero in on the ideal platform partner. Beyond the basic factors, there are seven major types of platforms to consider.

Don’t worry—we’re here to guide you through the process.

Types of Online Course Platforms

1. MOOCs: Massive Open Online Courses or MOOCs are large, free platforms for anyone. These courses are often designed to get students started on a topic/area of expertise. Often, these courses tend to be rushed as they cater to a batch with structured and fixed schedules. Owing to this rigidity, it’s difficult for learners across different paces of understanding.

2. Self-paced learning: As the name describes, these courses and platform emphasize more on user learning and are aimed at structuring personalized learning modules that one can learn at their pace. Pause, play and learn at a pace that best suits you. The pricing point varies depending on the flexibility of the courses – for instance, some self-paced courses have open ended evaluation models that allow users to attempt the evaluation more than once, at times.

3. Subscription-based models: For students who want to learn more than one course at a time and who would like for a variety of topics that they can explore, subscription-based models like LinkedIn’s learning platform serve a great purpose. For a monthly fee, these platforms provide access to several courses. While this is an advantage for students, its slightly restricting for tutors – considering it’s a flat fee as opposed course-wise fee structure.

4. Specialized platforms: Niche platforms like Codeacademy or Playbolo, offer focused trainings on one large topic area such as coding or technology. It’s a great forum for subject matter experts to reach out to intermediate level learners or beginners and tailor the courses better. On the hindsight, with some readily available material competing with such paid courses, it is a challenge for tutors on such platforms to stand out.

5. Social media attached: A slightly gamified and more integrated community approach, platforms like Thinkific and Teachable offer integrated courses that can be pursued in social media apps. This helps organically boost the reach of the course and is a great way to get students hooked to a series of course.

6. Corporate learning modules (LMS): Imagine these as online classrooms built just for companies. Businesses use tools like Moodle and Blackboard to teach their workers’ new stuff. These classes are usually more organized and have clear goals

7. Bootcamp-based training: Platforms like Growth School have monetized cohort-based bootcamp style of tutoring, that push students to learn a specific topic in-depth within weeks. As they train with several students at one go, it is challenging to yield a personalized learning environment. It’s a great option for tutors to reach a mass audience in one cohort and for students to pick up a skill in a short-span of time.

Features to Consider while Choosing an Online Platform

Pause the video for a leisurely read.

Stella: I’m so glad you’ve decided to sell a course online and take your craft ahead to several folks. You are a great video editor and I’m sure everyone is eager to learn more about the in-trend editing skills. Have you decided which platform you’re going to put your course up?

John: Hey Stella! Thank you. Umm, honestly, it’s a bit overwhelming to decide. It’s one thing to teach people in person and it’s a different ball game altogether, when we teach someone online. And there’s so, so many factors consider that I’m not sure where to even get started.

Stella: Fret not, this is absolutely normal when we all start out as content creators. Can I interest you in checking out a few factors and suggest a platform that I rely on?

John: Definitely! I’d be delighted to know more

Stella: Great! I’d say look for four main factors such as:

1. Control over course (from creation, to scalability, ownership)

2. Tools and features (ease of access to built-in tools, engagement hacks, customization)

3. Pricing (Revenue model, integrated payments)

4. Networking and Marketing

John: This is fantastic. Helps me narrow down my factor-based decision. And which platform would you recommend?

Stella: Of course! While there are several out there like Kajabi, Thinkific, Udemy or Teachable, I find Zenler quite user friendly and beneficial to creators like us. Their ability to offer great course customization, optimal revenue sharing model and most importantly, a focused audience pool, ensure that we get the maximum as a creator.

John: Thank you, Stella. This is superb stuff. Let me get started soon!

Let Us Now Examine These Points

Let’s dive deep into the four factors that every creator should weigh in, like Stella suggested:

1. Course Control

Ease of course creation with accessible tools and intuitive suggestions and the ability to scale without restrictions is a must have for any content creator. How do these impact course creation?

• Accessibility: A platform has to be user-friendly, even if you're not a tech wizard. Accessibility ensures that features like uploading a video, adding sub-titles or banners are pretty much drag-and-drop to create your course. These help reduce the burden of having to worry about the smaller things and focusing on honing the course.
  
  Accessibility has two layers to it. As a creator, the platform must be user-friendly. As students, learners from all backgrounds must have equal access to content such as closed captions, accessible color schemes that comply with visual standards. This ensures that creators reach a diverse global audience. Accessibility for learners can impact course credibility and search-engine ranking and improve visibility as an inclusive course.

• Intuitive suggestions: As a busy creator, it’d be good to have automated suggestions such as creating mailing lists, linking social media profiles or pre-uploading assessments and so on. An intuitive platform already has these mapped out to ease course creation.
  
  For students, when a course is easy to navigate, with a logical structure and clear instructions, students are more likely to engage with and complete the course. Using intuitive suggestions—such as recommending the next lessons, suggesting relevant materials, or providing personalized feedback—enhances learning by guiding students seamlessly through the content. This minimizes frustration, improves retention, and makes it more likely that students will recommend the course to others.
  

• Scalability: It matters if you plan to widen the scope of your course over time or reach a larger audience. As you gain more students or add new modules, the platform should be able to handle increased traffic without compromising performance. A scalable course platform can support your growth, allowing you to add new content, features, or even create multiple courses without needing a complete overhaul.
  
  A course should be scalable, to ensure creators offer up-to-date information. For instance, a new addition to the video editing tool released needs to be included in John’s course. A rigid platform might require him to re-shoot and upload videos or assessments. However, scalable and smart platforms allow creators to be able to add a new chapter or segments to cater to their audience. And in case a course is well-received, it is also user friendly to add additional courses.

2. Tools and Features (Ease of access to Built-In Tools, Engagement Hacks, Customization)

As a creator, having access to built-in tools, great student engagement features, and customization options is critical. These not only enhance the course experience for students but also streamline the creation and management process for the instructor.

• Built-in tools: A comprehensive teaching or course creation platform often includes content hosting cloud servers, video streaming and optimization, analytics and other bundled options such as closed captions, embedded videos for references, certifications. These ensure that creators do not have to rely on third party apps.

Analytics tools, for example, offer insights into student performance and engagement, showing creators where students may be struggling or excelling. This data helps instructors refine course materials and identify areas for improvement. Moreover, tools for automating tasks like email marketing, announcements, and student follow-ups are equally valuable. Automation can save creators significant time by handling repetitive tasks and ensuring consistent communication, making students feel more connected and supported throughout their learning journey.

• Engagement features and hacks: A Research Gate study found that MOOC’s online course completion rates are about a measly 3% to 6%! This unfortunate number is largely due to a lack of structured and non-engaging courses. As a creator, one of the biggest challenges includes keeping students engaged.

Platforms offering engagement hacks—features that encourage active participation and interaction—are highly beneficial. Discussion forums, live chat, progress tracking, and interactive quizzes are some of the tools that make courses more engaging and interactive.

For example, a live chat feature for student support or discussion boards in cohort-based learning programmes, ensure peer-to-peer learning and also fosters a sense of community. When those who learn can ask questions and discuss with fellow students, it helps improve collaborative learning and ensures they’re back to track progress. This leads to another feature to motivate users to complete their course.

• Customization options and features: Being able to customize the course layout, structure or the flow is critical for creators to have a free hand in designing it as they see fit. It also helps creators offer a unique style or personalize their brand identity. Customizable features include the ability to personalize landing pages, set specific pricing, or create branded certificates. As a creator, having control over visual elements helps maintain the brand identity. Factors such as logo placement, fonts and images offer a cohesive look that enables the course to appear nice and premium.
  
  Additionally, customization offers the leverage to extend the structure of the course in itself. Some platforms allow a mix and match style of teaching, like audio-visual lessons or downloadable material and so on. This ability to tailor the chapters helps creators cater to the audience’s requirements.

These engagement and customization factors improve audience attraction and retention. A well-rounded course with automated apps like landing page or email list makes it easier for creators to reach new audiences and grow their enrolment. Similarly, when learners feel engaged with, they’re more motivated to study. Simply put, selecting a platform with built-in tools, engagement features, and customization options allows creators to provide a more tailored, immersive, and effective learning experience.

3. Pricing (Revenue model, integrated payments)

Right pricing and revenue model affects a creator’s earnings, but also influences student decisions such as how they perceive and engage with the course.

• Revenue models: Each platform has its own overview on revenue sharing. Some platforms take a flat fee, some charge a subscription fee, and others take a fixed percentage based on the course sales. These charges are how a platform earns. Some platforms offer great student discounts initially to attract audiences. And some others like Teachable or Thinkific, allow creators to set their own prices, run sales, or even create membership tiers. This flexibility is great if you want to offer premium courses, package deals, or bundle courses at your discretion. This critical factor helps us understand whether creators focus on high revenue goals or maximum sales.

• Integrated payments option: One of the biggest motivators to sell a course online is the ability to access funds directly in our accounts. Ensuring that this is hassle-free saves a ton of paperwork. Handling payments can be a big headache, especially if your students are international or prefer different payment methods. A platform with integrated payments takes care of processing, currency conversions, and security, so you don’t have to. Plus, it gives students the option to pay in their preferred currency or via different payment methods like credit cards, PayPal, or even local bank transfers. This ease of payment can reduce friction at checkout, boosting your conversion rate and making it easier for students to enroll.

Let’s consider this scenario with John’s example. As a creator based in London, he wants to sell a course via Zenler. As a platform that allows full control over pricing, John can choose to price it at £99 to appeal to professionals and hobbyists interested in high-quality training. Since John’s target audience may be global, a platform which offers currency conversions or an integrated payments third party app like PayPal, will allow international students to pay in their local currency. This setup maximizes the creator's revenue by enabling global reach, simplified checkout, and better control over earnings, making the course more accessible and profitable.

4. Marketing and Networking

Marketing plays a crucial role in improving course visibility and credibility. These are essential to attract the right audience. Creators must seek to work with holistic marketing solutions providers who will share access to integrated marketing tools and also create a networking opportunity with a robust plan of action to reach potential students.

A well-known platform does not automatically mean more leads to convert. Smaller platforms might provide more personalized support and a dedicated community, but they may have a smaller audience. Some common and useful integrated marketing tools to consider:

• Email Marketing: Send target mails and nurture your audience. Having access to this as an in-built tool or with integrated apps can save a ton of time for creators

• Social Media Integration: One-click share, or push helps market the course to a wider audience

• SEO Optimization: It’s a simple yet, effective game changer to optimize a course listing

Networking as a tool is often overlooked by creators. Engaging with a forum of like-minded creators and reaching out to audience on the lookout for quality courses, can yield fruitful results even in the digital era. For example, an Instagram influencer endorsing a simple video editing course for beginners can do wonders for the creator. This mutual endorsement can be highly effective, as students interested in one course are often open to related learning opportunities.

Creators can also participate in industry forums, join social media groups, or attend virtual events related to their niche. For instance, LinkedIn and Facebook groups focused on digital media or online education provide a space to share insights, learn from peers, and promote courses when appropriate. Networking in these spaces helps build a reputation and establishes the creator as a thought leader, which can drive organic traffic to their course. Additionally, many platforms have created communities where instructors can share tips and collaborate, providing a supportive space for growth and cross-promotion.

Conclusion

The verdict is quite simple and straightforward. It’s a no-brainer to get started on creating and selling an online course. electing the right platform is key to unlocking this potential, especially when considering factors like course control, built-in tools, pricing models, and marketing support. A simple and thoughtful approach to these elements yield promising results for creators who are dependent on platform-based revenue.

A platform like Zenler offers great deal of customization with a full-suite of integrated tools, simplifying course creation process. Zenler’s customizable options empower creators to maintain control over branding, course structure, and pricing—essential for building a professional, cohesive course. Additionally, its scalable infrastructure supports growing audiences and enables creators to add content over time, keeping courses relevant and engaging. Revenue model transparency and integrated payment systems are crucial considerations.

Zenler’s approach offers creators flexibility in pricing, allowing creators to set rates that reflect their course’s value while reaching a global audience through multiple payment options and currency support. This feature makes it easier for international students to enroll, increasing potential course sales and reach.

Summarizing all the benefits that Zenler offers, we also showcase how selling courses online is profitable, considering long-term success and partnership, and a call-to-action on how to get started with Zenler.

It is important to note that selling a course has a lot more to it than merely recording videos. Choosing the right platform can influence a multitude of factors including the course visibility, wider audience reach and better revenue. Integrated tools reduce the need for third-party solutions and allow creators to focus on creating content rather than managing complex marketing tasks. Zenler’s community and networking support also help creators connect with other educators, opening doors to collaborations and cross-promotions.

Are you already set to record your first course with Zenler? Reach a global audience and dive into a world of enriched teaching community with a user-friendly platform designed with a creator-first approach.

Still got questions? Read along a little bit further. We’re sure that our “frequently asked questions,” section below will help you get all the clarity you need!

FAQs

1. What happens once I upload my video on to the Zenler portal?

Zenler has an integrated cloud solutions app to help creators host their video without any hassle. Once you order and list your chapters for the course, our intuitive tools will help creators build engaging quizzes or other two-way communication offerings to shape a fantastic course. Your data is safe with us till you decide to go live with the course. You can also add further reading material that the students can download from the portal and leverage while learning. For students who may require guidance on accessing the course, creators can make use of Zenler’s video library for a detailed instruction video. 

2. How do pricing models and integrated payments affect my course’s success?

Pricing models directly impact your revenue, as some platforms charge a fee or take a percentage of each sale. Transparent, flexible pricing lets you set the right price for your course, run sales, or create membership options to attract students. Integrated payment options simplify the enrollment process, allowing international students to pay in their local currency or preferred method. This convenience can increase conversion rates, making your course accessible and profitable for a wider audience. A platform with favourable revenue sharing and diverse payment options can greatly enhance your course’s earning potential.

3. I need help navigating technology. Will an e-learning platform have a difficult backend?

Fret not! Most online platforms are designed to offer user-friendly, drag and drop sort of backend to build a course. For example, once you’re done uploading a video, closed captions can be auto generated, and a creator needs to spend just a few minutes to check for the right text conversion. There are several avenues like tutorials, customer support and online community resources to guide you through any kind of set up. As a creator, just focus on delivering impeccable content rather than the tech stuff! Zenler makes it accessible for beginners and non-technical users alike.

4. How can networking with other creators benefit my course?

Networking simply allows one creator to collaborate, discuss and learn from peers in the same group, while also building credibility in your field. Many platforms also have dedicated communities for creators, where you can exchange ideas and support each other. Participating in forums, social media groups, and industry events can help you establish yourself as a trusted expert and bring organic traffic to your course, boosting enrollment and long-term visibility.

5. Can I de-list my course at any time?

Zenler allows edit access to creators who would like to update their course to ensure its abreast with the market needs. In most cases, this resolves the need to de-list or delete a course. However, if you do strongly feel the need to delete your course, please contact our team to help you with the process.

6. How do I go about adding third-party apps in an online platform?

Most online platforms have easy access to add apps on to the back end at the click a button. In case you find the desired app missing in the most commonly accessed set of apps, reach out to the tech team who can simply enable the feature or embed the app for a simple way forward!

Categories: : Zenler Marketing Help/Advice