Tools and Software Needed to Create and Sell a Course Online
You're reading this because you want to create an online course and need some assistance getting started. Well, let me assure you that you are not alone. In reality, hundreds of thousands of individuals are feeling overwhelmed. The road to developing an online course is simpler than you may imagine, and there are tools and software available to make the process easier for both you and your consumers.
There is a widespread misconception in the online course community that in order to create a decent course, you must use the finest and most costly software available. Many people believe that if you don't have access to or the funding for pricey software, you can't create a successful course. That is not entirely correct. In this post, I'll show you all of the free and low-cost tools and software you'll need to develop, deliver, and monetize your first online course in the coming weeks.
1. Udemy
This website is committed to providing a platform for you to teach and learn from others. It is a free online learning platform that allows you to build courses and classes. You may monetize the site by selling your courses. However, it also enables you to freely share your information. So, if you want to start teaching people without investing in a course, Udemy is the greatest option.
2. Teachable
Teachable is a popular LMS for online course producers nowadays. It was designed to make the process of developing an online course simple and straightforward. It is easy to use and offers a free trial plan to get you started. It enables you to build many courses at once and add modules, quizzes, and other features. It includes everything you need to deliver your first online course, including an editor, themes, and a marketplace where you may sell courses to others. It also allows teachers to set up payment plans, monitor student progress, and provide certificate programs.
3. Screencast-O-Matic
Screencast-O-Matic is a simple web application for instantly creating a video of whatever is on your computer. It enables you to record both your computer screen and audio at the same time. I've been using it for a few months, and it's a fantastic little tool. Before I began using this, I was making videos using Camtasia, which was a headache for a variety of reasons, including the fact that it's a large, bulky tool that's also quite costly. Screencast-O-Matic is completely free and simple to use!
4. Smartphone
One of the most difficult aspects of course development is video recording. You'll need a nice camera and a microphone. However, recording a video is not as complicated as it may seem. You can do it with your phone. I used my iPhone to record the video for my first course. There are other free video-shooting applications available on the Android and iOS app stores.
5. Google Slides
Google Slides is a popular tool for producing presentations and slideshows, and it is available on both desktop and mobile platforms. It's similar to PowerPoint, except it's developed by Google. It also supports collaborative presentation editing, allowing you to share a presentation with your team and have them offer comments, thoughts, and ideas.
6. Canva
Have you ever considered that creating a basic infographic is too difficult? Canva is one of the greatest apps to utilize if you need to quickly produce a graphic or video for your online course. Canva is a free online graphic design tool that can be used to generate any sort of visuals for your online course. Canva has over 60 million active users and has been operational for more than ten years. It includes hundreds of professionally designed templates for creating infographics, social media graphics, and even slides for your online course. Canva may also be used to create graphics for websites and email newsletters. You may also choose the file type for your designs (e.g., JPG, PNG, PDF, etc.) and have Canva optimize your graphics for you.
7. Unsplash
You can't seem to discover any free stock photographs on the internet? Unsplash is a website that allows you to free download hundreds of high-quality stock pictures. This website has been functioning for over 9 years and has become one of the most popular free stock picture websites. Many major companies have utilized this website.
So, what makes Unsplash unique? You may download photographs in a variety of sizes from our website, and you won't have to worry about copyright concerns. The nicest part about Unsplash is that it is constantly updated with fresh photographs. As a result, you'll never run out of creative ideas for integrating photographs into your course.
8. Zoom
Zoom is a video conferencing software that may be used for live meetings, seminars, training sessions, and conferences. It enables participants to converse, watch presentations, and take notes together. It also features a screen sharing option that enables you to share your computer's screen. Because it is so simple to put up, this is an excellent tool for teaching live classes. You may get a trial version of Zoom and start using it right now. You may buy the premium edition whenever you're ready to publish your course.
9. Calendly
It will save you time by arranging calls with prospective students and customers. When you book a meeting with someone, you don't have to email them links back and forth to attempt to schedule the meeting and then ask them to choose a time. This avoids the need for unwanted communications and enables the individual to plan a meeting on their own time.
10. ConvertKit
ConvertKit is an excellent solution for novices who do not yet have a subscriber list. It is my favorite email marketing tool and has a plethora of useful features. It interfaces with all of the platforms I use and provides several automation possibilities. Their autoresponder series enables you to establish automation depending on actions taken by a subscriber rather than a predetermined time range. For example, you may set up an automated to send a welcome email to new subscribers, followed by an email every three days, and so on. Alternatively, you may program a sequence of emails to be sent automatically depending on a subscriber's behavior in your course, such as when they reach a certain lesson. Furthermore, the platform is rapidly expanding, there is excellent support staff, and their pricing is really reasonable.
11. Zapier
Zapier is one of the most popular technologies used by online course makers today. It's a solution that connects your online applications so you can automate your workflow. For example, if you wanted all new customers who made a purchase on your website to be instantly added to a ConvertKit mailing list, just create a zap that connects your ConvertKit and Teachable accounts, and you're good to go. Zapier is fantastic since it has a vast range of connectors with major apps, allowing you to be quite creative with your workflows. When you sign up, you receive free access to the Zapier dashboard and a monthly limit of 5 zaps, but you can always upgrade to Pro for unlimited zaps.
12. Evernote
Evernote is one of the finest tools for organizing all of your ideas, articles, and research when developing your course. It is an excellent tool for taking notes and brainstorming. I use it for the latter, although it may be used for either. It combines a virtual storage container, a to-do list, a notepad, and a research center. To-do lists, notes, photographs, audio clips, and voice recordings are all possible. It is a free tool accessible on all platforms (mobile and desktop) that enables you to simply store all of your work in one organized location.
13. Google Drive
If you want to build and offer a course online, you will need a location to store all of the files that will be used in your course. Google Drive is a cloud-based storage service that allows you to centrally store, manage, and share your files and documents. It's free and simple to use. Set up an account and make sure you understand how to use Google Drive since here is where you will store all of your files.
14. ClickUp
ClickUp is a project management and collaboration solution that runs in the cloud. It is basic, straightforward, and adaptable to any project. ClickUp is ideal for project management, from monitoring blog material to preparing an online course. It has a very short learning curve, and anybody can rapidly learn how to use it.
Conclusion:
Finally, this is not intended to be a complete list of every tool and program available. That would need a full book. However, I've simply covered the fundamental tools and software required to properly offer a course online. You can develop a course, offer it online, and charge a very reasonable fee with the correct tools and software. The fact is that the tools you utilize to produce and sell an online course are unimportant. What counts is how you utilize them and what they include that enables you to use them successfully.
References:
https://sellcoursesonline.com/how-to-create-an-online-course-for-free#7-unsplash
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