Prospective clients often ask me, “Do I have what it takes to create an awesome online course?”
My answer?
Of course you do!
With today’s user-friendly e-learning platforms, you can have a course up and running fairly quickly.
But don’t take my word for it. Read on to see if you’re ready to create your own online course.
You’re Able to Commit.
Let’s be honest. Developing an online course takes a large investment of energy, time and resources.
From crafting your course outline to writing learning objectives and from sourcing images to editing videos, you’ll need to juggle a variety of tasks before your course goes live.
Add all that to what you’re already doing to run your business and you might find your head spinning before you’ve even started on your course.
Does that mean you should put off your course until the time is right?
No. But you’ll be much more effective if you’ve got realistic expectations and have a plan in place to keep your business running while you dive down the course creation rabbit hole.
You’ve Got Friends and You Know How to Use Them.
Ringo Starr got it right when he sang about the importance of friends. In e-learning, too, things are easier when you’ve got support.
Plus, as far as we know, no one’s figured out how to extend the day beyond 24 hours. That’s why it’s important to figure out your strengths and then seek help for everything else.
Are you great at writing copy but easily frustrated with technology?
While you don’t need to be a tech guru to create a successful online program you do need to have some basic technical skills and be comfortable navigating online.
So if words like “jpeg”, “metatags” and “bandwidth” send you scurrying, consider hiring someone to help you with the tech-side of your course.
Do you have an eye for layout but stumble over spelling and grammar? Then delegate the copy-editing to your company’s resident grammar geek.
You Know Your Learners.
No doubt about it, online learning is an ever-changing environment. What’s popular today might not exist a year from now, or even a month from now.
The good news is you don’t need to be up on the latest app or have the skinny on the newest technology coming down the pike.
When it comes to great e-courses what matters is that you know your target audience. What e-learning tools do they like to use? How do they prefer to learn? Will they be happy to follow along with a slideshow? Or do they love on-line chats and discussion boards?
How do you find out? Ask them!
So, how’d you do? If you can answer yes to the three criteria I’ve outlined above, you’ve got a good foundation for creating a course that your clients will love.
Want some support to get your signature learning program up and running? Check out The Launch Pad, my hybrid coaching + consulting program here. Or contact me for a consult to find out how I can help.