Have you thought about how to create an online course and turn your knowledge into a source of income without leaving home?
With the growing demand for digital courses, anyone can produce a quality course using only the equipment they already have—a phone, a computer, and their knowledge.
This is an accessible opportunity, especially for those already working in content creation and looking to expand their revenue streams.
In this article, we’ll show you how to create an online course practically, without the need to invest in studios or expensive equipment.
Is It Expensive to Produce an Online Course?
Many people think that it’s necessary to spend a lot to create a quality online course. However, this idea is not true.
Today, smartphones have excellent cameras capable of recording videos in 4K, eliminating the need for professional camera investment.
Additionally, it’s unnecessary to invest in expensive video and image editing software, as there are mostly free options available like CapCut, DaVinci Resolve, and Canva.
In fact, the biggest investment for beginners is time.
Planning content well and learning to use the right tools will make a significant difference in course quality and the delivery of results.
Reasons to Create an Online Course
The online education market is expanding, representing a great opportunity to make money online without leaving home.
The two main reasons to create an online course are:
1. Create a Primary Source of Income
Creating and selling online courses can become the main source of income for content creators.
A report from Valuates Reports indicates that the digital content services market is projected to reach $241 billion by 2027. In other words, there is demand.
Moreover, working 100% in the digital market provides various benefits.
Creators gain geographical freedom and create a highly scalable digital asset that can be sold thousands of times.
2. Generate Leads for a Higher-Value Product
For companies and marketing professionals, an online course can serve as a powerful entry point to a range of more advanced products.
SaaS companies like SemRush and HubSpot use this strategy: they offer free or low-cost courses and certifications to attract new users.
This educational content works because it:
- Enables the student to solve a problem;
- Builds a relationship with them;
- Demonstrates the platform’s value.
This makes it much easier for these companies to offer their more expensive products, increasing conversion rates.
Following this same logic, by creating a course, you can attract qualified leads and later offer mentoring, consulting, or advanced packages that increase your average transaction value.
Checklist for Creating an Online Course
Now that we understand the benefits of creating an online course, let’s get practical.
We’ve prepared a step-by-step list to help you start producing your course, with tips for each stage.
1. Choose a Niche to Work With
First of all, you need to define the central theme of your course. If you already create content for YouTube or other social media platforms, you could create a course on the topic you cover on those channels.
If you’re starting from scratch, it’s recommended that you work in a niche where you already have experience and authority on the subject.
If you’re a music producer, for example, you could create a course teaching how to record music using just a laptop.
The more specific the niche, the easier it will be to reach people with specific problems and interests that your course can help solve.
2. Know Your Audience
For your course to truly attract and help your audience, it’s important to know who these people are. Research the interests, pain points, and needs of your potential students. Use social media, forums, and surveys to gather information.
That’s why it’s important to choose a niche where you have experience and have personally faced challenges. The better you understand your audience, the easier it will be to create relevant content.
3. Analyze the Competition
Take a look at the most well-known courses in your niche. See how they structure their lessons, what promises they make, and what students are saying about them.
Identify strengths and weaknesses, and think about ways to offer more attractive content.
This part of the process is very important to avoid creating a course that’s too similar to existing content in the market.
Additionally, this analysis will help you set your own price later on.
4. Prepare the Lesson Plan
With the niche and audience defined, it’s time to organize the content of your course.
Structure your lessons logically and progressively, dividing the material into modules to make it easier to understand.
Create scripts for each lesson with main topics and supporting points, ensuring you cover all essential information without getting lost.
Don’t worry if the script becomes too long. The important thing is to make sure each lesson provides useful information for the student.
5. Record and Edit Your Lessons
Now comes the practical part! To record your lessons, you can use your own smartphone, which generally already has a good camera quality.
If possible, invest in a lapel microphone to ensure clearer audio, and finally, choose a quiet place with good lighting, preferably natural, for recording.
To edit the videos, use free and easy-to-use tools like DaVinci Resolve and CapCut, which allow you to make basic cuts and adjustments.
Read also: 12 tools to edit videos with Artificial Intelligence
6. Prepare Supporting Materials
Supporting materials like PDFs, mind maps or practical exercises enrich the students' experience and increase the perceived value of the course.
These materials also facilitate content assimilation and allow the student to continue learning after watching the lessons.
Additionally, these supporting materials can be used to enhance the perceived value of the course, added to the landing page as a “bonus” included in the offer.
7. Choose Your Video Hosting Platform
Video hosting is essential for keeping your content secure and providing a good playback experience.
Platforms like Panda Video offer not only hosting but also advanced features like piracy protection, detailed analytics, and artificial intelligence functions that dub videos and generate eBooks, Mind Maps, and Quizzes.
Moreover, Panda Video can be used to boost your course sales, with features that increase retention and click-through rates. See the list of all its features.
8. Choose the Membership Area for Student Access
The membership area is the online environment where students will access lessons, download supporting materials, and track their course progress.
Having a well-organized and easy-to-use membership area makes a significant difference in the student's experience and helps keep them engaged.
Today, several user-friendly membership platforms are available, such as Hotmart, XGrow, and Cademí.
And best of all, most of these platforms only charge a percentage on sales. So, you don’t need to worry if you don’t make any sales in the first month.
9. Set the Course Price
Setting the price of the course is a strategic step that directly influences the number of sales and the positioning of your product in the market. When defining the price, consider the content offered, competitor pricing, and the profile of your audience.
In addition to defining the price itself, you can also choose the access model for your course:
- Lifetime access;
- Annual access;
- Monthly subscription.
Choosing between these options depends on the type of content and the expectation you want to create for your audience.
If you plan to create a community that will be regularly updated with new content, a monthly subscription may be more appealing.
For deeper or exclusive content, lifetime or annual access can increase perceived value and attract committed students.
It’s also wise to offer as many payment options as possible, especially for high-ticket courses.
10. Create Your Sales Page
The sales page is where you’ll persuade your audience to purchase your course. It’s essential for the page to be clear, visually appealing, and contain all the information a potential student needs.
Detail the course content, include student testimonials (if available), highlight the benefits, and use engaging CTAs to encourage purchases.
A powerful strategy to persuade your leads is to create a VSL (Video Sales Letter).
With a simple and direct format, a VSL is ideal for keeping the audience engaged and increasing conversions.
Read also: What is a VSL and Why You Should Create One (+10 Steps)
How to Boost Your Course Sales?
After creating the content and setting up your sales page, it’s time to attract students.
There are various strategies that can help boost sales and increase the visibility of your online course.
Here are some of the most effective ones:
1. Content Marketing
Create articles, videos, or posts on social media or YouTube related to your course. This helps establish your authority and attracts potential students interested in the content.
Use tools like ManyChat to automate messages so that every time someone comments on your posts, they receive a DM with the link to the page.
Learn more about video marketing here.
2. Paid Traffic
Platforms like Google and Meta Ads are very useful for reaching your target audience in a segmented way.
Create specific campaigns for those who have already interacted with your content or match the profile you’re looking for.
3. Discounts and Limited Offers
Time-limited promotions can create a sense of urgency that motivates leads to buy.
Offering a special discount for early sign-ups or an exclusive bonus for those who enroll by a certain date are effective strategies to boost initial sales.
Choose the Video Hosting Platform That Helps You Sell More
The video hosting platform you choose makes all the difference for the success of your course. Here are some reasons to consider a solution like Panda Video:
- Piracy Protection: Features like DRM ensure that only paying users have access to the content, protecting your course from unauthorized reproduction.
- Engagement Features: Panda Video allows you to add Call-to-Action buttons directly in the videos. This means you can include a link to the payment page at the exact moment you make a CTA in your VSL.
- Retention and Engagement Analytics: Track how each video is performing (views, completion rate, engagement) to understand what’s working and where you can improve the content.
- AI Features: With AI tools for generating automatic captions, dubbing, and even eBooks, your course can reach a broader audience and become accessible in multiple languages with ease.
Want to explore all these benefits for free? Start a free trial with Panda Video and see how the platform can help you sell more and engage students.
