This form of billing generates security and ensures greater stability to the company, since it allows revenue predictability.

What is Recurring Billing  

Recurring billing is a payment model that occurs in the case of the purchase of a continuous service, where there is a subscription or monthly fee.

This type of payment is usually characterized as having no end date, ie as long as the service continues to be provided, the consumer continues to pay.

In this type of contract, determining how long this agreement will last can vary.

In most cases, a minimum time is established and, if the service is canceled before the end of this period, the client must pay a fine for termination.

If formerly the recurring billing used to be used only by service providers, such as schools, telecommunications, magazines, among others, the advantages of its business model ended up drawing the attention of those who sell products as well.

Amazon, for example, used recurring payments to encourage consumers to create a buying pattern.

If the customer usually buys a hair cream, for example, he can schedule the purchase of that product monthly, and the charge is made through recurring billing.

In addition to making life easier for consumers, this payment system contributes to user retention and billing growth.

How Recurring Billing works

When buying a product or purchasing a service, the normal thing is to pay for it at the time of purchase.

However, when signing a service contract, the customer agrees to pay a monthly fee and agrees that the amount be paid at regular intervals of time.

To understand better, here’s a step-by-step look at how recurring payments often work:

• the customer subscribes to or buys a product or service for an annual / monthly / weekly fee;
• the customer enters credit / debit card details when making the first payment;
• the details are saved for the next purchase;
• when it comes time to renew the purchase, the money is automatically debited from the customer’s account.

As we have explained, this is done automatically at regular intervals. The customer does not have to do the entire purchase process again.

Who can use Recurring Billing

Recurrent billing is a great way to keep income flowing. However, it is important to make sure that this plan is suitable for your business model.

Signature plans are not always easy to build. Depending on the segment in which you operate, you need to customize your product / service and form of payment according to the customer’s needs.

Although it is commonly used in the case of utilities-based products or services, recurring billing can be applied literally to any business idea. Check out five examples below.

• SaaS – Software as a Service: recurring payment is already quite popular in SaaS businesses. Companies like Adobe and Microsoft market their products in exchange for payment of an annual fee.
• Content: buy articles for blog, newsletter, etc? Do you pay for exclusive content on a magazine or website? Subscribe to Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime? All these services work through recurring billing.
• Products: from hair creams to razor blades, the purchase of recurring products through a signature plan has already fallen into consumer tastes.  
• Rentals: if you are in the rental business, you can allow a customer to use a product / service for a certain amount of time in exchange for a periodic fee, such as a hotel room or car, for example.
• Affiliate sales programs: this is a slightly different form of subscription plan, in which you are usually a reseller of a service or product and in return receive a commission for each sale / customer added to the affiliated company.

– Why to invest in a Loyalty Customer Program

With subscription services and recurring billing gaining space in the most diverse segments, it’s time to learn a little more about its advantages and how to implement it.

Advantages of Recurring Billing

Consumers no longer want the burden of ownership, but want the immediacy of results.

Signature services are also nothing new. Pymnts.com reminds us that “there is a reason why the tallest building in all cities is an insurance building.”

One simple reason for this type of billing to be so popular is that it is a beneficial option for both business and consumer.

Advantages for companies

There are many advantages to recurring billing for companies, such as:

1. Reduces missed or late payments

In addition to the possible loss of revenue, the administrative costs associated with collecting defaulters decrease, giving companies a double win.

2. Improve customer relationship

With payment being made on a recurring and automatic basis, you can focus on having positive interactions with your customers, focusing on increasing sales.

3. Security

Between PCI compliance and tokens used by payment gateways, the company has confidence about the security of its customers’ data.

4. Enhance customer experience

When set up correctly, a recurring billing system has a simple to use and interface. In addition to making life easier for consumers, this increases the conversions and chances of free promotion because people like to share positive experiences.

5. Enables flexibility

Due to the simplicity of subscription, most software allows you to offer promotions for new users and makes it easy for subscribing customers to change their plans.

6. Increase customer retention

Given the set-and-forget nature of recurring billing, the charge is made periodically without the customer even thinking about it, which reduces the likelihood of repentance and cancellation of the subscription.

– How to retain customers

Advantages for customers

Regarding the advantages that this type of payment brings to customers, we can highlight:

1. More options

Having the option to choose between different subscription plans allows consumers to make a decision based on their budget and needs. This power of choice and control makes customers more comfortable and inspires a positive feeling about the company.

2. Better utilization

Payment automation allows the consumer to enjoy their purchase without worrying or even remembering accounts payable.

3. No use restrictions

The products/services acquired can be accessed when the customer wants, without time restriction. In some cases, the purchase is immediately available, which acts as a huge incentive in decision making.

4. Flexibility

Many recurring billing systems allow consumers to change their payment details, switch plans or simply end their subscription.

5. Ease of use

It is necessary for the customer to enter their payment data only once, which facilitates the whole process.

It is important to remember that the environment also benefits from this form of billing.

The recurring payment is done in an automated way and can be carried out totally online, eliminating the excessive use of paper, printing and invoice delivery.

Segments that benefit from Recurring Billing

Although industries such as streaming, insurance, telecommunications, and public services have implemented recurring billing systems with great success for years, for many other segments this is new.

Here are some types of businesses that started using recurring payments and are improving their results.

Retail

The retail industry is a clear target for subscription-based offerings. The fashion industry, for example, has begun to enter this market with box delivery.

Ranging from offering socks to full suits, companies hope to win loyal customers by ridding them of the hassle of having to decide what to wear and go out to shop.

Retail pet products have also grown as companies explore people’s willingness to dress and give their pets presents.

Fitness

Thanks to the incredible volume of fitness models and “influencers” in social media, the fitness industry has seen marketplace expand and solidify.

The continued pursuit of vitamins, supplements, special clothing, among others, expanded their recurring billing options that were previously restricted to gyms.

Monthly supplies of vitamins, protein powders, training videos and healthy diets are just the tip of the huge growth that the fitness industry is experiencing thanks to the recurring billing.

Food

Facility in the kitchen? Yes please! If before only delivery was the solution, now it can be practical in a slightly more personalized way.

Among organic growers who periodically deliver fresh vegetables and fruits in your home, to selected and hard-to-find foods on the market, everything is within a monthly fee reach.

Food signing services have come up and have risen sharply in recent times, making it easier to prepare and organize meals.

Online courses

The recurring billing in schools is nothing new. In fact, this is one of the first segments to use the monthly tuition system.

With the growth of online courses market and distance education, the whole process of teaching and learning was facilitated, and could not be different with the payment method.

Online course instructors can easily create subscription plans or tuition so that the student has unrestricted access to all of their content and receives news from time to time.

This brings great benefits to both parties, and it means stability for those who create and sell online courses.

– How to sell online courses

As long as you have an elearning platform like Coursify.me, which can manage user interactions, a payment gateway that offers multiple forms of payment, and an easy system for billing, recurring payment is the best way to reduce expenses and increase the profits.

With user friendly interface, Coursify.me facilitates and enhances the user experience, increasing your chances of getting more students.

– 5 tips to attract students

In addition, Coursify.me has integration with PagSeguro, PayPal and soon Stripe, allowing you to receive payment in the currency of your choice.

Ideal for those who want to sell courses online, the platform allows the receipt of payment in a single installment or recurring billing.

Present in more than 60 countries, Coursify.me is the perfect solution for you to start your own business without investing anything for it.

To learn more, visit our website, test the platform and understand why we are the best option for your business.

The post Recurring Billing: Benefits for your Online Course appeared first on Blog Coursify.me.

Onboarding transitions new hires into their new roles with a strong foundation and helps them to hit the ground running.

The Importance of Effective Onboarding

New employee onboarding is a critical process that sets the tone for the person’s experience with the organization. 

It is the first impression that the individuals have of the company and can significantly impact their engagement and productivity levels. 

This process is essential to ensure that new employees are integrated into the organization seamlessly and feel comfortable in their new roles. 

HR management system software can improve this process by automating tasks such as paperwork, benefits enrollment, and compliance training, making the onboarding experience smoother for both employees and HR teams.

First Impressions in the Workplace

The first few days of a new job can be overwhelming for employees, and a warm, well-structured onboarding experience can make all the difference. 

It’s your chance to showcase your company’s culture and values, not just in words but through the care you put into the employee training process. 

A good start can fuel motivation and job satisfaction.

Reducing Turnover Rates

Did you know a positive onboarding experience can influence an employee’s decision to stay? 

It’s true. When people feel nurtured from the start, they’re more inclined to stick around, reducing turnover and its associated costs.

On the other hand, employees who have a negative onboarding experience are more likely to leave the organization within the first year. 

This turnover can be costly to the organization in terms of time, money, and resources.

– Benefits of Online Corporate Training for Companies

Accelerating Time to Productivity

Online training can speed up the journey from newbie to productive team member, benefiting everyone involved. 

A well-designed employee training program can accelerate time to productivity. 

By providing new collaborators with the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources, they can start contributing to the organization more quickly.

The Game-Changer: Online Training for New Hires

Remember your first day at a new job? The blend of excitement and nerves? Now, imagine easing into this transition with the support of flexible, tailored online training. 

This is the gift you’re giving your new employees: the chance to learn at their pace, in their space.

Flexibility: Learning That Fits Life

Online courses are the unsung heroes for newbies adjusting to your world. They can pause, rewind, or fast-forward through material, fitting learning around life’s demands. 

This goes beyond just being convenient. You’re showing your new hires that you respect their time and individual learning styles.

Customization: Training That Makes Sense

Every organization is unique, and so are its training needs. Online employee training can be sculpted to fit your company like a glove. 

This customization ensures each new hire gets precisely what they need to thrive in their role, nothing more, nothing less.

Interactive Content: A Gateway to Active Learning

Modern Learning Management Systems (LMSs) are at the forefront of this change, offering a plethora of options for creating content that is not just seen or read, but experienced. This includes:

• Videos: Short, engaging clips that can illustrate complex concepts in simple terms or introduce new hires to the company culture and team members.
• Quizzes: Interactive quizzes serve dual purposes—they reinforce learning and provide instant feedback to learners, making the experience more rewarding.
• Simulations: These allow employees to practice real-world scenarios in a controlled environment, making the learning experience highly relevant and deeply engaging.

– Record tutorial videos: tips to get the best result

Progress Tracking: Insights into Learning Pathways

The ability to monitor progress is a critical feature to a employee training program and offers several benefits:

• Personalized Learning Paths: Tracking allows for the adjustment of learning paths based on the progress and performance of each new hire, ensuring that they are neither bored by simplicity nor overwhelmed by complexity.
• Identification of Needs: By understanding where employees excel or struggle, organizations can tailor additional training to address specific needs, enhancing overall performance.
• Motivation: Visible progress can be a significant motivational factor for new hires, encouraging them to engage more deeply with the material.

Mobile Compatibility: Learning on the Go

With the increasing prevalence of smartphones and tablets, mobile compatibility is no longer a luxury but a necessity. This feature allows employees to:

• Access Learning Anywhere: Whether on a commute or during a break, learning can happen anytime, increasing the opportunities for engagement.
• Flexible Learning: The convenience of mobile access supports a more flexible approach to learning, accommodating different lifestyles and learning preferences.

Customization: Tailoring the Experience

The power of customization cannot be overstated. A customized LMS can:

• Reflect the company’s brand, making the learning experience feel more integrated with the organization.
• Address the specific learning objectives and competency requirements of different roles within the company, ensuring relevance and effectiveness.

– ELearning platforms and corporate education

Creating a Community-Oriented Employee Training

One of the most significant factors in an employee’s long-term success and satisfaction is their sense of belonging within the organization. 

A key element of a great employee training is fostering a sense of community among new hires.

Group Orientations: Creating Connections

Organizing group orientations, either virtually or in person, allows new employees to connect with their peers who are also navigating the early stages of their careers at the company. 

This shared experience can create a support network that lasts throughout their tenure. 

These sessions should include fun and engaging activities that encourage open communication and foster a sense of camaraderie.

Team-building Exercises: Strengthening Bonds

Integrating team-building exercises into the onboarding process helps new hires understand the dynamics of their team and how they fit into the larger picture of the organization. 

These activities should be designed to not only be enjoyable but also to highlight the importance of collaboration, communication, and problem-solving within the company culture.

Buddy Systems: Personalized Support

Pairing new hires with a ‘buddy’ or a more experienced colleague can provide them with a go-to person for questions and guidance. 

This relationship offers a more personalized layer of support, helping new employees to feel welcomed and valued from day one. It also aids in quicker acclimatization to the company’s culture and workflows.

Community Platforms: Ongoing Engagement

Leveraging technology to create online community platforms can be a great way to maintain engagement beyond the initial onboarding phase. 

These platforms can host discussions, Q&A sessions, and provide better resources to employee training, enabling new hires to stay connected and engaged with their peers and the broader organization.

Unleashing Creativity in Employee Training: Beyond the Basics

When it comes to employee training in the onboarding phase, stepping outside the conventional box can make a world of difference. 

It’s about creating an experience that resonates on a personal level with new hires, making their initial journey memorable and uniquely tailored to both their personality and the company culture.

– Innovative Strategies for Engaging Students

1. The Power of Personality Tests

In the creative realm of onboarding, embarking on a journey of self-discovery forms a fundamental part. 

By introducing personality tests, you not only provide tools for understanding various work styles but also open gateways that help individuals to better understand their own personalities. 

These insights are instrumental in weaving the fabric of a stronger team. They allow you to understand and appreciate the diverse personalities within your team, fostering an environment of mutual respect and effective collaboration.

2. Interactive Onboarding Challenges

Consider organizing a scavenger hunt. This is a strategic tool that guides new hires through an exploration of the office, whether it’s a physical space or a virtual one. 

As they hunt for clues, they simultaneously uncover the rich tapestry of the company’s history and culture. 

Along the way, they meet colleagues, not just as fellow employees but as characters in the story of their new workplace, making the whole experience fun and interactive.

3. Mentorship Programs with a Twist

Stepping away from traditional mentor-mentee dynamics, you can introduce the concept of ‘reverse mentoring’ in your online employee training course.

In this setup, it’s the newer employees who take the lead, sharing their fresh perspectives and contemporary skills with the more seasoned staff. 

This approach not only empowers new hires, making them feel valued for their unique insights but also fosters an environment of mutual learning and respect across different experience levels.

Elevating Onboarding Experience and Employee Training to New Heights

The journey of enhancing onboarding experiences with an innovative employee training program is ongoing, marked by a commitment to innovation, personalization, and community building. 

As we embrace the benefits of online courses and creative strategies, let us also keep our eyes on the horizon, anticipating the needs of future generations of employees and the evolving landscape of the workplace.

– 5 Tips to Make Online Learning More Effective 

By adopting a holistic approach to onboarding, we not only elevate the initial experience of new hires but also lay the foundation for a vibrant, engaged, and dynamic workforce. 

This commitment to evolution in onboarding practices reflects a broader commitment to the growth and success of individuals and organizations alike, paving the way for a future where every employee is empowered to thrive from day one.

The Coursify.me is ready for you to enter your courses and create a fully customized page for your business.

Developed for companies, with the Business Plan you customize your own domain and remove the Coursify.me brand from all your pages and courses.

In addition, we have an online support team ready to assist you and help you with any difficulty.

To know more, visit our website, test the platform and understand why we are the best option for your company.

The post Benefits of Online Courses for New Employee Training appeared first on Blog Coursify.me.

Boosted by the pandemic, it has found its permanent place in many schools and academic institutions, and it already has enormous influence on the way students are educated and interact with their teachers and peers. 

This quick transition was certainly not easy and there is still a lot of room for improvement.

Advantages of Online Learning 

With the pandemic and social distancing rules imposed, almost overnight teachers were forced to create a successful online learning environment for all students, regardless of their circumstances. 

This required perseverance, adaptability and creativity from people who were used exclusively to classroom teaching, and often had little familiarity with technological resources. However, after much trial and error, surprising results began to emerge.

With this momentum, online learning has progressed a lot in a short period of time, especially with regard to the development of Learning Management Systems (LMS).

Currently, numerous resources and platforms are available to schools, making blended learning a reality that has many advantages for education.  

– Blended learning: how your school can combine online and offline teaching

Current improvements in distance education allow the student to take an active role in the learning process, even outside of a conventional classroom. 

This substantially increased the effectiveness of the online education system, bringing it on par with face-to-face learning. Some of the highlights of eLearning include:

Large selection of courses available

Online learning provides access to a much wider range of subjects. Everything is just a click away. Mathematics, history, computing, dance and cooking are just some of the areas of knowledge that you can access without leaving your home. It’s hard to find something you can’t learn online. 

Economics

Online schooling is generally cheaper than a traditional school. Students also eliminate other costs such as commuting, uniforms and materials that are not needed for online learning. This makes education significantly more accessible to many.

Flexibility

With live classes or pre-recorded lessons, students gain a lot of flexibility for studying. Live classes can be watched anywhere that has internet access. With pre-recorded classes, students can study at a convenient time for themselves and review the content as often as needed.

5 Tips to Make Online Learning More Effective 

Online learning comes with its challenges, but here are some tips and ideas to help make your classes more and more effective.

1. Familiarize yourself with the teaching platform 

Assuming that teaching online is the same as teaching face-to-face is quite wrong.

Teachers must be well-trained in various eLearning approaches so they can identify the best methods to keep their students engaged.

– ELearning Methods You Probably Didn’t Know

Many schools and academic institutions already have online learning platforms for teachers and students to connect. But that’s not enough.

Not everyone is familiar with this technology, and some training is required.

The institution or the support team of the chosen platform, in case they use a SaaS platform such as Coursify.me, can provide this training, so that teachers can take advantage of all available resources to create the best possible class.

A LMS usually allows you to present video lessons, audio files, recorded tutorials, PDF, PowerPoint presentations and much more.

Therefore, it is recommended that teachers familiarize themselves with the available resources to understand which ones would be most enriching for their classes and how to use them with peace of mind.  

This makes teaching, assigning tasks, and explaining the platform to students much simpler, providing security so that they, too, get the best out of online learning.

2. Modernize your assessment methods

Online learning allows teachers to change the way assessments are carried out, moving away from the classic and poorly regarded written test.

With current technological resources, there are more possibilities for creating differentiated assessment methods that can meet the learning styles of each student.

Instead of the old written test that encourages memorization more than reasoning, assessments can be done through interactive games, video presentation, tutorial production and much more.

Modernizing the way things have been done for hundreds of years is the best way to engage an increasingly connected generation, which is able to assume an active role in their own education.

Providing a variety of testing options makes things exciting and engaging for both parties and can undoubtedly show much better results when it comes to understanding and assessing each student’s ability.

3. Use different online resources

A big advantage of online learning is that students are connected to the internet, making it easy to use apps and other online resources that can add value to teaching. 

Many interactive eLearning platforms like Coursify.me, allow teachers to use varied teaching methods such as videos, tutorials, presentations, handouts, images, among others.

– Record tutorial videos: tips to get the best result

Not all subjects benefit from the same teaching methods and it is important to test to see which best suits your needs and facilitates student learning. 

Finding the right method can take a bit of trial and error, and sometimes you can even use more than one resource in your online classes. 

It is also a good idea to offer support materials and suggest complementary apps to the subject taught in class, which allow students to study independently more easily.

In the case of math lessons, for example, the MathMaster is an excellent example of a platform where students can learn effective methods for solving equations. Just scan the equation with the device’s camera to see a comprehensive breakdown of the calculations used to get the answer.

4. Start a virtual community

While in-depth study of a subject requires concentration and a lot of individual reading, social involvement also has its advantages for learning and should not be ignored just because it is a virtual environment. 

An online community is a positive way for students to interact with one another.

By creating a discussion forum or closed group on Facebook, for example, or even just making a chat tool available on the teaching platform, your students will have a space to discuss course topics, answer each other’s questions and collaborate on assignments. 

Staying active in a community also keeps them accountable to each other and more engaged with online learning. 

There is no doubt that when there is debate and exchange of ideas, people expand their knowledge, points of view and often learn something entirely new that they had not even thought of.

5.  Create Personalized Learning Paths 

Personalized learning paths give students more control over their own education so they can more effectively acquire and retain knowledge and skills.

The idea here is to give more importance to the goals and preferences of each one, instead of imposing the same learning path for everyone.

For example, you can offer them the chance to test their knowledge through seminars, multiple-choice exams, or dissertations. The key is to make them feel like they have a direct say in the learning process, rather than telling them how, what and when they are going to learn.

It’s also important to offer online self-assessments that they can do on their own. Provide one or two quizzes or simulations that allow them to test their own progress and understanding of knowledge. 

– 10 free programs to create online quizzes

Also, don’t forget to make them aware of the fact that you are there to support them should they need it.

Each activity gives students a better understanding of the topic and gives teachers the opportunity to identify learning style and needs. 

This can be more work, but it’s definitely also extremely rewarding and keeps your students much more motivated.

Is there a future for online learning?

Online learning is one of the most transformative inventions of the 21st century. 

As more people understand its advantages and new technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) arrive to make teaching more dynamic and complete, the possibilities increase and an even more promising future for distance learning begins to be molded. 

Let’s never forget that education is undoubtedly the most valuable asset that a person can get, and online learning has offered a means to distribute it to the whole world. 

This provides an opportunity to launch the entire planet into a new era of progress and wealth. 

Start improving your online classes now

It might not be easy to apply all of these suggestions, but knowing they exist and are available to you is a great first step.

As you learn more about how online learning works, you gain the chance to improve your methods and make your classes more engaging and effective.

Always ask your students for feedback so you can determine if your lessons are working well or need tweaking.

With the right platform, all of this is possible.

Coursify.me is a dynamic and customizable eLearning platform that provides all the features you could ever need.

Learning Management System present in more than 60 countries, Coursify.me is ready for you to upload your courses and create a fully customized page for your online school.

– Whats is a Learning Management System

To learn more, visit our website, test the platform and see why we are the best option for you.

The post 5 Ways to make online learning more effective appeared first on Blog Coursify.me.

But, if you want to get a slice of this pie, you need to find a niche that people are looking for. In other words, it is necessary to find out if there is a market for your course.

What you need to define before start creating online courses

You have an excellent idea for creating online courses, you’re ready to start developing the content, but the question arises: is there a market for this product?

How do you know if your idea will be a huge success or a big failure?

The answer is simple: do market research.

Researching whether there is an audience interested in your online course before creating it is very important.

Unfortunately, most people find this part too complicated and end up “going blind”, which tends to go wrong. Write it down: planning is the first step to success.

– Simple guide to create and sell online courses

The good news is that it is quite simple to validate your idea for ​​an online course. There are several online tools that facilitate market research.

But first of all, start by answering the following questions:

1. Is there a demand for your course topic?

Naturally, you want to invest your money, time and effort in something that is in high demand. Otherwise, creating online courses and building a distance education business will be a complete waste of time.

To find out if a topic is in demand, here are some tips:

Ask people 

Ask friends, family and people who fit your target audience, that is, have a relationship with the area and theme you intend to teach. Find out what their difficulties are and what they would like to learn. 

You can use social media, email, join groups and discussion forums, among other channels, to get as many responses as possible.

Check the competition

This survey can give you an idea if the topic you intend to address has a demand and if enough people are already trying to solve it. Search Google, Amazon, popular podcasts and other online education-related platforms. Take the opportunity to use your competitors as inspiration to create successful online courses.

But be aware, if there is little or no competition, this is a bad sign. It probably means that there is little or no demand for your idea.

Do a keyword research 

Google is a powerful tool that you can use to analyze the demand of their course. Use the keyword planner to find out what people are searching for and what topics are most searched for. 

Another great keyword tool is Answer The Public. Just select keywords related to the course topic and see how many questions arise. The more questions there are, the greater the interest in the subject.

– How to define and search for keywords

2. Do you have a specific target audience?

Many people who start creating online courses make the mistake of assuming that their course is perfect for everyone. However, those who do not focus on a specific group, end up reaching anyone.

It may seem counterintuitive to restrict your course audience, but it is proven that courses have sold best when created with a specific target audience in mind.

To define who your client is, answer the following questions:

• Do you know someone who would be interested in taking your course? If so, what do you know about this or these people?
• What is the age group of your target audience? Genre? Economic status? Profession? You must have specific demographics in mind.
• What are the problems of this audience?
• What do they want to achieve? What would be the ideal outcome that your course could offer?
• How much are they willing to pay to get the desired result? 

The answers to these questions will help you define your buyer persona, that is, your ideal customer.

– How to create a buyer persona

Keeping that persona in mind is essential to learn how to create online courses that meet the expectations of the audience you intend to reach.

3. Do you have a powerful goal?

Of course, one of your goals when creating online courses is to make money, but that should not be your only reason to dive into this endeavor. In addition to increasing your income, you need to have a greater motivation when it comes to teaching.

Without a real passion for your topic, you will not be as enthusiastic as your competitors, and your potential students are sure to notice, which will result in less sales. 

Many professionals create a course just for the purpose of winning and forget that the most important thing is to serve your audience.

The result? Low sales rate.

So, be sincere and answer yourself what your goal is. What is your motivation to teach on this topic?

Perhaps you have had an experience that has taught you some valuable lesson, and now you are inspired to share what you have learned.

Perhaps you love your profession or some other subject with all your heart, and the idea of ​​passing on your knowledge is wonderful.

Or maybe a friend or loved one has inspired you to share something you know, that has made all the difference in his life.

Doing an internal search is just as important as external search. If you have no motivation other than money, you may need to rethink your idea of ​​creating online courses.

3 ways to validate your idea before creating online courses

Thanks to technology, you have several simple and free tools online to validate your course idea.

Conducting a survey is important to assess whether there is a market for your course and to give you more security before you start.

There are different channels for making this query and Coursify.me has listed three that you can test before creating online courses.

Google

Go to Google and start with the obvious, do a search for keywords and phrases related to the topic of your course.

Think about how your potential audience could search for that topic on the internet and don’t necessarily include the word “online course”. Pay attention to these results:

• How relevant is your idea of ​​an online course to searchers? In what position does it appear?
• Videos appear on the first page?
• Are there any paid ads related to the topic?
• Are courses on the same topic already available?

If these items appear in your search, contrary to what may look, this is a good sign. It means that there are other professionals or companies that agree that it is possible to profit from this idea.

When creating online courses, you want to address a niche where people are spending money.

– 10 profitable niches for online courses

If no competition appears, you need to think about why no one is investing in it.

BuzzSumo

BuzzSumo is a powerful SEO tool that evaluates shares on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest and Instagram.

Just type a topic or keyword in the search field and the program will show you which sites are gaining the most likes, shares and links related to the subject.

These results provide a good sense of how popular a topic is and on which channel it attracted the most attention.

This not only helps to validate your idea before you start creating online courses, but it also shows you where it’s most interesting to start promoting it.

It is also possible to know what engagement it has and how your competition is doing.

Amazon

You may be wondering what Amazon has to do with creating online courses, and the answer is: nothing. But don’t forget that the focus here is market research.

Website where we can find everything today, let’s remember that this is only possible thanks to a powerful search engine.

The Amazon Kindle Store area is particularly valuable for course creators. It contains a large number of eBooks on various subjects.

Through Amazon’s search engine you can find out if there are books on the topic you want to address and if they sell well.

Enter your search terms in the search bar and select “Kindle Store” from the side menu.

If you see several results related to your course topic, and if any of them are on Amazon’s Best Sellers list, this is a good indication that you are on the right track.

As simple as it may be, this market research is very effective in helping to validate your idea before finally starting to create your course.

Create and sell online courses with Coursify.me

Determining whether there is a market for your course is as important as creating and selling it. 

Remember that you don’t have to have tons of experience or qualifications to teach on your chosen topic.

What you need is a passion for the subject, a willingness to teach and a determination to create well-made and effective online courses that stand out from the competition.

And, most importantly, you must strive to create a course that meets the needs of your target audience. Do this and the money will follow.

In addition, all you need is a Learning Management System (LMS) where you can host your courses and that is easy and interesting for your students to access.

– Whats is a Learning Management System

Elearning platform, Coursify.me has integration with other content platforms, such as YouTube and Vimeo. In addition, the user can upload videos, texts, images, audios and any other material that is hosted on Dropbox or on his own computer.

Attending schools, companies and professionals in more than 60 countries, Coursify.me is a dynamic Learning Management System, ready to serve you. 

To learn more, visit our website, test the platform and start creating online courses right now.

The post Creating online courses: how to validate my course idea appeared first on Blog Coursify.me.

Webinar: what it is

A webinar is an online video seminar, which can be recorded or broadcast live. 

Currently, the main Webinar platforms are Youtube Live, Google Hangouts, WebinarJam and GoToWebinar.

Through one of these ready-made and easy-to-access platforms, instructors can teach classes in real time, with the possibility for viewers to interact through a chat.

If used correctly, the webinar can also act as a powerful marketing and lead generation tool.

– How to generate leads

This is because the resource facilitates direct communication with your target audience, through which you have the opportunity to demonstrate your authority on the subject and create a relationship with the customer.

Those who want to advertise and sell courses online can use webinars at different stages of the sales funnel, such as:

• Top of the funnel: addressing a general theme, related to your content, to attract and generate leads;
• Middle of the funnel: addressing a specific topic, related to your content, to advance your leads through the sales funnel;
• Bottom of the funnel: run a live demo of your product to convert advanced leads into customers.

– Understand how the sales funnel works

Another possibility is to use the webinar periodically to offer qualified and interesting content to your customers, for the purpose of relationship and retention. 

The step by step to organize and launch a Webinar is simple: 

• Create a Landing Page for subscription;
• Promote the Landing Page by email and social media;
• On the day scheduled for the Webinar to happen, create the event on Hangouts (or another platform of your choice);
• Email the event link to those who signed up.

The tool also brings several benefits for the audience, since it acts as a quick and practical means of learning and allows the exchange of experience with professionals.

Webinar: advantages for your online course

Webinars are a great idea for online course creators for two main reasons:

• It is a good way to engage and communicate with your audience when you have little time to blog and / or produce another type of content;
• It’s content that can be reused to make another rich materials, such as: eBooks, blog posts, infographics, presentations, podcasts etc.

– How to use your Blog as a marketing tool

– How to use podcast to sell online courses

For those who are starting to create online courses and need to build a strategy to attract customers and promote your product, the webinar can serve as a facilitator in several aspects:

Increase your mailing list

Creating an email list is essential to start your strategy of capturing and converting leads. 

The webinar is a good channel for getting contact information from potential customers, as people need to register to participate, using an email address. 

This guarantees the opportunity to contact your audience even before the broadcast, and the address is recorded regardless of whether the person is present at the time of the seminar or not.

– How to create an email marketing campaign

Attract qualified leads

If the user registered to watch your presentation, he is already a lead, that is, a potential customer. 

After all, only those who are interested in the content covered, which is directly related to the product you are offering, will perform this action. 

Take this opportunity to show authority on the subject and give a sample of what the customer will gain by registering for your online course. A good presentation is your best advertising.  

Create a relationship

Using a webinar to teach online classes or even to offer an explanation that complements what has already been taught, is an effective way to simulate the interaction that occurs in a classroom and develop a relationship with the student.

Through live broadcasts the student has the chance to view his instructor, which makes it easier for him to create a connection. 

Communication is possible due to a platform feature that allows you to answer questions sent by chat during or after your presentation.

Reach a wider audience

First, you don’t need to hire anyone to help you host a webinar. Most webinar hosting tools are easy to use, which means you can learn to use in no time. 

Second, the platform offers the main advantages of an online course: it can be accessed by anyone anywhere in the world, without the need for mobility.

Third, several webinars support 1,000 participations or more at the same time, which means that even if the price of the course is low, you still have the possibility to earn good money by reaching more people. 

We know that your goal is to sell courses online, but a good tip is to use the webinar to share (quality!) content for free with the public before publicizing your course and pricing it.

One of the best ways to sell a product or service is to offer support before asking whether the person wants to buy or not. 

When you deliver something for free, it attracts attention and increases the chances of someone being interested in purchasing your material.

– Free online courses as a strategy to attract students

5 tips for selling online courses with Webinar

Selling courses can be the most challenging part for those starting out in the e-Learning market.

Most professionals love to teach what they know and record their classes, but when it comes to advertising and talking about sales they feel nervous and lose confidence, which is perceived by the client.

– Learn how to sell online courses

A webinar is an excellent opportunity to present your material, talk a little about the content and, finally, sell the course.

So that the discomfort does not appear at that moment, remember that you are inviting the viewer to learn from your course and not imposing an obligation.

To improve your sales strategy during the webinar, check out some tips:

1. Offer a guarantee

After presenting the price of your online course, offer a satisfaction guarantee, such as the 15-day money-back offer if the customer doesn’t be satisfied with the material.

This guarantee represents a small risk, as some people can take advantage and ask for a refund after they have already taken the course, but it is quite common for more people to buy their course for having this security, which ends up yielding a positive balance.

2. Make it easy to access the sales page

After you finish your presentation and go to the Q&A session with your viewers, make sure to leave the slide that shows the link to your sales page shown on the screen.

Some people will decide to buy your course during this chat, so make sure they know exactly where to go and what to do.

– How to create a sales page

3. Offer a limited time bonus

An effective way to sell courses and still encourage people to attend your webinar is to offer a limited time available bonus to participants.

You can offer a private call to answer questions, discounts on course fees, support materials, among others. Whatever it is, it is important to honor this offer and make it available only to those who have fulfilled its conditions, otherwise you will lose credibility.

4. Provide varied payment options

In many cases, there will be people who attended the webinar, watched your sales presentation and want to buy your online course, but are unable to pay the full amount at once.

For this reason, it is important to provide plans with different payment methods, offering the customer a choice between paying for the entire course in advance or paying a monthly fee, for example.

– How to price online courses

5. Record your webinar

Considering that a significant portion of your course sales come from people who have watched your webinar, it is very important to remember to record it and make it available for others to attend when they can.

This increases your likelihood of selling courses and creates good material to send to your potential customers and attract new leads. That is, after your webinar is over, send the link by email to your contacts and publish on your social networks.

The Coursify.me is the perfect platform for those who want to create and sell courses with quality, allowing you to upload content from platforms like YouTube, Vimeo and Dropbox.

With all the functionality you need to provide the best online learning experience for your customers,  Coursify.me also provides integration with major payment platforms, enabling you to charge your students the way and in the currency you prefer.

Complete Elearning platform, Coursify.me is the ideal solution for anyone who wants to create, sell and promote courses on the internet without having to invest to start their own business.

Serving businesses and professionals in more than 60 countries, the platform is a dynamic and customizable Learning Management System.

– Whats is a Learning Management System

We have three choices of plans for you to decide which best suits your needs, and the good news is that the Beginner Plan is free!

Visit our website, test the platform and start selling online courses right now.

The post Webinar: How to use it to sell online courses  appeared first on Blog Coursify.me.

To help, in this post we will talk about the step by step you must take to accomplish this mission.

Setting up an online course: educational entrepreneurs

Before start setting up an online course, let’s talk about why this is a good idea.

According to a 2017 industry report, the Global E-learning Market is expected to reach at $275.10 billion by 2022.

Its expansion is due the benefits that e-learning offers ranging from more flexibility in the learning process, lower costs, easy accessibility and increased effectiveness by animated learning.

The rise of this market also provide an opportunity to entrepreneurs who want to share and monetize their knowledge.

– Global eLearning market

Called “edupreneur”, the term refers to an educational entrepreneur, someone who plans, open and successfully operates an educational service.

The job of an edupreneur is to educate the public, teaching a specific subject and helping them to develop a specific skill.

As many established edupreneurs say, online courses are more fun and rewarding than starting other businesses.

Furthermore, all agree that it is a more economical, easy and profitable venture, and offer the best business model.

Another great advantage is that you do not need any credentials or certification to create a course.

All it needs is some experience, passion and knowledge about the subject you want to teach.

However, when thinking about setting up an online course, you will have to define what is the purpose of your course and how it will add value to the public.

By doing this, you achieve the dream of many: work doing what you like and selling something you are proud of.

Setting up an online course: step by step

A good online course requires planning which, combined with effort and strategy, turns into a profitable business and a powerful leads generator.

This is the case of Lili Balfour, a financial advisor for startups. In an interview for Forbes, she says that she created six online courses for entrepreneurs, some within thirty minutes but most lasting 2-3 hours. The price range varies between 47 and 197 dollars.

“The goal is to help entrepreneurs understand finance in a fun way,” says Lili.

On setting up an online course and how long it takes, the consultant says that in her opinion is about the same time that you need to write a book.

“Of course, if you’ve already written a book and are doing a course about it, it takes a fraction of that time. If somebody is coming in with their own content, such as blogs and workshops they’ve already created, they can probably sit down in one weekend and create a 2-3 hour course.”

If you already have some stuff ready or will start from scratch, in both cases you need to know exactly what your next step and budget.

To help you, we prepared a five-step process for you to go from planning to publication of your course.

Step 1: Idea

Your online course should be in your area of expertise and experience, but decide which specific topic to address can be trickier.

In this case, the tip is look for inspiration in your daily routine and ask the following questions:

• Have you solved a problem that others are struggling for?
• Do you friends, customers and colleagues ask for your help in a specific thing that you are considered an expert?
• Are you an expert on a software or a method that other want to use?

You can set an online course on anything that people are looking for advice, since relationships to car maintenance tools, for example.

Step 2: Course Outline

Time to let your creativity run free. Make a brainstorm and think about all the things you would like to address in your course.

Write everything down and then start to think about how to setting up an online course from what you wrote.

You must put all the ideas in a logical order and then decide how your content will be organized.

Two easy ways to get your student understand and follow your course are:

• Course divided by subjects;
• Course divided by difficulty level: basic module to advanced, for example.

Before define how the material will be made available, it is easier to decide what content will be covered in each lesson or module of the course.

Step 3: Research

As many people say, when in doubt “ask master Google.”

To have a clear idea of how to build an effective online course that suits your audience, go to the online world and search for competitors.

Find out who else works with similar content to yours, how their classes are set, what their students think and what makes them successful or not.

– Three ways to validate your online course idea

That will help you update your brainstorming ideas, include more information and find information that will add to your own knowledge.

Also stay tuned for the case of no competitors, this can be an alert for an area in which few people are interested in investing money.

If so, expand your search, define your target audience and find out about what they would be interested on learn.

If that happens, no panic, you are still in the planning phase, which means that there is time to review your ideas without prejudice.

Go back to Google and search on what is working and what people are interested in knowing and there’s still little competition.

And remember that teaching requires constant research and updates. Search for materials similar to the subject you teach will help to develop your own content.

Step 4: Content

The first thing you should understand about setting up an online course, is that you must write your content.

No matter what resources you will use to teach, such as videos, quizzes or audio, you still need to put in lines what you will say.

Here is where you are combining your course outline with the collected information into an actual course.

If you are starting your first course, the easiest way to begin is using content that you’ve created previously.

Search your computer files for documents, articles, notes, videos and any other material that you can reuse. Even books kept in a drawer may be useful.

You’ll probably find something that can be great to use in your online course and will help you save time.

We have listed some examples of what you can look and that can even serve as inspiration to create your own classes:

• Videos (screencasts, webinars, etc.)
• eBooks and PDF files
• Presentations and Slides
• Quizzes
• Blog Posts
• Audio Files (podcasts, interviews, etc. .)

Content organized, it’s time to define how your classes will be (videos, tutorials, handouts, etc.) and finally start to shape your course.

– Different types of content for online courses

If you are a little insecure, start using the tool that you’re more familiar with, as PowerPoint for example, which is great to create beautiful and animated presentations.

There are several free software on the Internet for those who want to record video and screen capture tutorials.

– Tips for creating online courses

With a little time and dedication you will learn to use the tools and will soon be setting up an online course with professional look.

Step 5: Upload

Now that you have learned how to setting up an online course, you need to understand how to make it available to your audience.

Unless you have your own website, with capacity to store videos and tools needed for teaching online, you will need the help of a LMS (Learning Management System).

• What is a Learning Management System

A LMS is an online platform like Coursify.me, whose goal is enable teaching and learning online.

Software developed specifically for distance education, it has a list of features that allow teachers and students to interact in the virtual world.

Some of the features you find in Coursify.me, for example, are:

• Customization: customize the look of the course identity;
• Hosting: safe and reliable environment;
• Modular courses: possibility to organize courses in modules with sections and lessons;
• Integration: integrate and import content from other platforms (Dropbox, Vimeo, YouTube);
• Online payment: receipt of payments via PayPal or PagSeguro;
• Growth charts: charts showing the number of sales;
• Student management: accompany the progress and performance of each student;
• Chat: space to talk and interact with the student;
• Responsive: optimized support for desktop, tablets and mobile.

Out all these features, the platform has a user friendly design and intuitive navigation system, which ensures that its use is easy for all audiences.

Is no need to be expert in computing to use Coursify.me and within minutes anyone can create and register your course.

Setting up an online course: video tips

When we think about the technical side of how to setting up an online course, we think of tools such as text editor, slides templates, video editing software, among others.

For text, there are several options, but the best is that you choose what suits your computer such as Word for Windows, Pages for Mac, OpenOffice for Linux and for those who prefer work in the cloud, Google Docs or Office 365.

However, when it comes to video, choose one of the various programs available online can be a mystery.

– How to create better video classes

To help, we’ve listed some that are considered the best and/or easier to use:

1 – Camtasia

Powerful tool for video editing that allows you to record your screen and edit the final material.

2 – Screencast-O-Matic

Free and easy to use, the software enables recording of multiple screen sizes and, in the end, you can send the material direct to YouTube if you want.

3 – Stone Screen Recorder

Application for Windows light and fairly easy, it is ideal for recording tutorials, reviews and informational materials.

4 – Ezvid

Ezvid is a screen recording program that comes with a built in video editor, which you can divide recordings and add text between two clips.

5 – Adobe Premiere

The most professional option, Adobe Premiere is a powerful video editor capable of creating professional quality materials, however, is a bit harder to use.

Preference among the public, provide video lessons is a good way to attract more audience for your course.

The best thing to do, however, is vary the resources used, providing lessons and support materials in different formats to make the most dynamic and interesting content to the user.

– Design and video editing tips

Now that you already know everything you need about how to setting up an online course, it’s time to start.

Do not let uncertainty stand in your way. Here in Coursify.me we have several successful cases of professionals who have created their first courses and today only work with it.

Complete elearning platform, the Coursify.me is used by over 450 users and serves businesses and professionals in more than 60 countries.

Visit our website, test the platform and see how easy it is to create, sell and advertise your online course.

The post Setting up an online course appeared first on Blog Coursify.me.

Deliver content to the consumer is the basis of Inbound Marketing, unlike traditional marketing, it is focused on creating a relationship with the customer.

How to get students with free online courses and Inbound Marketing

Capturing students is a challenge to every professional who is starting to sell online courses.

– Learn how to sell online courses

There are several forms of dissemination and ways to communicate with your target audience, but for results, you need to know and study different marketing strategies.

– Digital Marketing and SEO

Currently, there are two ways to prospect new clients: passively, through inbound marketing, and actively, with outbound marketing.

As mentioned earlier, Inbound Marketing is to make the customer come to you, luring him with content of interest. Here some examples of how this can be done:

• blog posts;
• free online courses;
• webinars;
• eBooks, among others.

Outbound Marketing focuses on a direct approach, which is to identify your audience, go to them and offer your product. Some Outbound approaches are:

• billboards;
• banners on websites;
• television and radio advertisements;
• contact by phone, among others.

To get a better sense of other differences between the strategies, see the following diagram.

Source: BioStrata

In summary, while with inbound you create mechanisms to attract potential customers, with outbound you identify who has potential to become a client and makes an approach.

Both strategies have value, but you must remember that the Outbound Marketing uses means that require greater investment and therefore are not as accessible to a beginner.

Inbound Marketing, on another hand, is accessible to all, as the largest investment required is time and knowledge.

Direct result of the consumer habits change brought by the Internet, the also called Attraction Marketing is the market response to an increasingly digital society.

By offering the consumer something in which he has interest, such as free online courses, you attract it to your business and earn the opportunity to show your product/service.

From there, it is easier to present your solutions and turn them into customers and even promoters of your brand.

Advantages of Inbound Marketing to promote and sell online courses

Inbound Marketing is, above all, a friendly approach. Focusing on giving something of value, before asking anything, it seeks to approach and create a relationship with the customer.

This strategy does not interrupt the consumer but delivers a message and waits for him go to those who created.

Balanced way to attract potential customers, Inbound search lasting results, which generates many benefits for your business, be it big or small, B2B or B2C.

Method that has everything it takes to build a strong brand and increase sales, check out some of its advantages.

Qualified audience

When it comes to relevant content production, we mean just that: relevant content for your target audience.

This means that if you are launching a course on English Literature, for example, and create posts on the topic, people who reach your blog have done a search on the subject, ie, have every interest in what you have to say.

These people are considered leads with high potential for conversion because they are searching for what you offer.

According to Content Trends 2017, companies that adopt content marketing reach 2.2 times more visits compared to those that don’t.

Proving what we mean by qualified audience, the same survey showed that these companies also generate 3.2 times more leads than those that do not apply similar strategy.

Confidence and Credibility

There is a big difference between offering and pushing a product/service, especially when it comes to consumer perception.

For example, if you offer it free online courses with quality content despite you not be paying anything for it, plus the confidence that it generates, it is normal that the customer feel grateful and indebted to you.

This is a first major step in building a relationship of partnership with its audience, and very important for the sustainability of your business.

From this successful interaction, even if the customer is not ready to make a purchase, you ensure a potential lead, and continues to work yours relationship by delivering other types of content.

This is how you will gain more credibility and authority to your customers that also become promoters of your brand.

Short sales cycle

Sales cycle is the time taken from initial customer contact to closing the sale, considering all stages of the journey.

– Tips do make a Customer Journey Map

This is a very important aspect to consider when adopting a marketing strategy, because the higher the cycle, more costly it becomes.

According to Martech 2017 survey, 50.4% of technology companies that adopt Inbound Marketing have a sales cycle that lasts less than 30 days. Only 29.5% of those who use Outbound methods have this performance.

This is due to relevant and personalized content delivered to the lead, which accelerates their movement by the sales funnel to the decision making.

A shorter sales cycle is a great advantage for those who have little capital investment and need to attract new customers faster.

Reduced costs

Inbound means provide content to the consumer and, therefore, initially you only need internet and dedication.

Offer free online courses, for example, is a way to use inbound to promote and sell your course with little investing.

After all, what cost to you? Research time, preparation of the material and lodging in an online platform like Coursify.me. Only.

The same is true when writing articles for a blog, participate in webinars, podcasts, update your social networks, etc. Means for content production are available to all, and the vast majority, is free.

It is not necessary invest large sums in ads in newspapers and TV, as in outbound marketing, which generates a greater economy of resources for you to invest in more assertive and focused strategies.

Real time measurement results

Successful marketing is always results oriented, and for that we need to draw metrics to monitor the effectiveness of the implemented actions.

– How monitoring content can help your digital marketing strategy

According to HubSpot, 72% of organizations that calculate the return on investment say that their marketing strategy is effective.

With most of the actions of Inbound being held in the virtual world, there are several tools that enable the measurement of results.

In the case of blogs, for example, there is the Google Analytics, when it comes to social networks, the platform itself usually keep charts with access data, YouTube shows the number of views, and so on.

Monitor carefully the data from each of your strategies, and do not be afraid to try other approaches if the results are not going as expected.

Free online courses: how to use it in your marketing strategy

We already hit this button, but to prove that offer free online courses works, we brought a successful case of our own platform.

Rachelle-Ann Louear is a professional that has been building businesses for over eight years and is very passionate about assisting women to use their natural giftings to advance their careers or businesses.

https://unlock-the-you-within.coursify.me/

To disclose her course she released a first free module, and the results could not be better.

With the audience conquered, soon Raquel released a second lesson, which became a bestseller.

And this is not our only case, so trust us, free online courses as strategy to attract students work out!

Free online courses as complement to classroom lessons

Another idea we witnessed here that works, is the case of classroom teachers who decided to use the Coursify.me to host support materials for their students.

The concept is simple: provide content that could serve as an aid to study at home.

With this, the teacher has gained more credibility and recognition, and soon his students began to disclose its course to others.

The success was so great that the business quickly climbed to complete online video lessons, marketed by varying values.

Note that all started slowly with the teacher using material that he already owned and disclosing for whom it was his client.

Currently, much of the disclosure statement is made by the students themselves and the business continues to grow.

Free online courses in Coursify.me

The conclusion we reached is that the buying habits are changing and purchase products and services online grows in preference between the current consumer.

In this scenario, the great advantage of inbound marketing is that it allows creativity to attract consumer attention and differentiate a brand from others.

SEO, Content Marketing and Social Media are the three pillars of Inbound and make it clear that its focus is the delivery of content and creating a relationship with the customer.  

Complete elearning platform (LMS), the Coursify.me is optimized for SEO and is fully integrated with social networks.

The software also allows you to create free online courses without you have to pay anything for it.

The Coursify.me is the ideal solution for those who want to create, sell and publish courses on the Internet, investing only time and effort to start their own business.

Visit our website,  test the platform and realize how easy it is to profit working with what you love.

The post Free online courses as strategy to attract students appeared first on Blog Coursify.me.

But in fact, there are different models of distance education courses that you should know about it.

Different types of content for online courses

If you are in doubt about what course to create or even do, it’s good to know a little more about the different types of content for online courses that exist.

There are several ways of transmitting knowledge and each case may have a format that best meets its needs and goals.

To learn what kind of distance education course is ideal for your target audience, understand more about the different models of online classes.

Simple learning

By “simple”, we refer to courses that use resources that are not interactive, such as handouts, PowerPoint presentations, videos or audio.

Easier to be produced, this type of content for online courses are majority, and combine with defined learning objectives designed in a structured way.

Even if they don’t provide interaction between instructor and student, they are quite effective and valuable for learning.

Interactive lessons

Interactive courses are quite common in corporate training.

This type of distance learning often combine interactive lessons and support materials.

Another way to make your course interactive is setting chats and video conferences to answer questions and discuss lessons.

Simulations

Another level of content for online courses, simulations are highly interactive forms of distance learning.

This type of education is normally used in the training of operators working in risks industries, such as medicine, aviation, military, among others.

The term basically means creating a learning environment that simulates the real world, allowing students to learn by doing.

Gamification

Gamification is the use of the mechanical and dynamic of games as means for the student learn and solve problems.

Quite in vogue, its main purpose is attract attention and increase user engagement by offering challenges and rewards.

The gamification is basically using ideas and game engines to encourage someone to do something.

As you can see, there are several types of content for online courses. Just define the one that fits in your goals.

Complete elearning platform, the Coursify.me offers resources for the creation, sale and distribution of distance learning courses and corporate training.

Visit our site, test the platform, see how easy it is to start and take the first step to owning your own business.

The post Content for online courses: know different types of courses appeared first on Blog Coursify.me.

Sell goes far beyond just announce something, it is necessary that the product offered to stand in the midst of competition and that the customer is convinced to buy it. For this reason, there are some persuasion techniques that are applied with success in sales strategies.

Sell Online Courses: 6 Laws of Persuasion that you should apply

Sell online courses using persuasion techniques is to guide the consumer to think in a certain way, make the decision that you want to. After all, persuasion is nothing more than the ability to convince someone.

Many people think that being persuasive is a gift, but, on the contrary, this is a quality that can be developed, studying and realizing how the human mind works.

The psychologist Robert Cialdini has released a book called Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.

He explores what he described as the Six Laws of Persuasion, which would be the following:

1. Reciprocity

This principle defines that people are more willing to agree to a request when something have been “given” to them in the first place.

To sell online courses according to this law, you can offer special discounts on the first purchase, facilitate the payment conditions, offer interesting content such as ebooks, handouts with summary of what was taught, a first free module of the course, among others.

2. Commitment and Consistency

People are more willing to act in a certain way if seeing this as being consistent with their previous behavior. Once we commit ourselves publicly with something or someone, we are much more likely to comply with this commitment.

Ask your customer to commit to something small, without cost, like to fill out a form, answer a satisfaction survey, create an account, etc. This increases the likelihood that your visitors see themselves as customers and end up buying your course.

3. Authority

The authority or perceived expertise of the communicator is an important factor for people to feel willing to agree or do something.

When it comes to sell online courses, this strategy must be built before, through content that proves the seller knowledge on the subject. This can be done through posts in blog, websites, social networks and other communication channels.

4. Social Proof

The more “popular” is perceived to be a behavior, the greater the tendency for someone to behave the same way. This fill the need of the human being to know that he is not alone.

Show number of subscribers, number of visits to the site, students registered in the course, testimonies of students and any other data that helps to create credibility and trust.

5. Scarcity

The attractiveness of a product/service/situation is inversely proportional to their availability. Feeling that we are going to lose something leads us to act with more emotion than reason.

Make an offer for a limited time, or pointing out that there is only X number of vacancies available is a great strategy to sell online courses.

6. Liking

People are more willing to help or agree with those from whom they like, have a relationship of friendship, for whom they feel attracted or consider to be similar to themselves.

Create a relationship with your audience. There are several ways to do this, like by having chats to talk with your audience, to find common ground between you and exploit them to gain attention and generate trust and affection.

Anyway, these are some techniques that you can apply to sell online courses and attract more students to your course.

To help you can count with the Coursify.me. Elearning platform  (LMS), Coursify.me has all the features you need to create and sell online courses with quality.

Please visit our website, learn more about the resources we offer, register your course and start profiting by doing what you like right now.

The post Persuasion techniques to sell online courses appeared first on Blog Coursify.me.

Learn how to create online courses with professional looking

To create online courses that have a professional look and ensure more credibility for your course, nothing better than to learn from those who mastered it.

So we invite Interface Designer, Nathalia Schoen Munhoz, to tell how it is to create templates, record and edit videos, and give tips for you to do the same, without hiring help.

Check out the interview below and learn to create online courses beautiful and well designed .

1 – What programs do you usually use to create templates and presentations?

I use programs such as Axure to create the skeleton of the screens when necessary. Then I create the layouts and do image editing in Photoshop and use Illustrator when I need to draw something or do some illustration. But I also use a lot the good old pencil and paper to organize ideas and make sketches before starting a job.

2 – What is important in a good layout?

The interface design work begins in the planning and organization of information, on paper. For your layout to be good it is first necessary that the information is well organized and categorized. After that, use a grid to arrange the information on the screen the best possible way. It is important that all information is easily found by the user and the interface is intuitive. A good design is one that you do not need to train the user, because he can find everything by himself.

3 – Some design tips for beginners?

Search for many references and base your work on that. If you do not know how to start, the starting point is research. Look for projects  similar to yours and styles you like, to see how the professionals who work with it solve every interface problem. You will learn a lot, and it serves to any area. Try to make each job has a challenge, even if small, because that way you will always learn something new. And remember that you will not learn everything from morning to night, it is a process, you advance a little every new day, every new job. Respect your learning time.

4 – How do you record home videos? What tools you use?

Depends on the type of video. When is a video talking about something that needs more information, I do a search, I write down the most important information and mount a script with the topics that I need to talk. Then I use this script to guide me in time to record.

When is a tutorial video is more complicated, because I have to plan more before start, separate the materials and make sure I have everything I need. At the time of recording, I need to make sure that the steps I’m following are being captured by the camera so the person watching understand what I was doing. With every step of the tutorial recorded, I need also to record an introduction and conclusion for this video.

With the raw material filmed, I edit all video joining introduction, the tutorial itself and conclusion. And after all that I still need to add text on the screen when necessary, and record the narration on top of the tutorial, so that who is watching is also able to fully understand each step.

For recording I use a semi professional camera, a tripod and prefer to use natural lighting (record during the day is the best), but if I can not I add an indoor lamp through a filter that I made of tissue paper to have more diffuse light, like a lightbox. I also have a unidirectional microphone that I use for stories, and that’s basically it.

5 – How do you edit videos? It’s difficult?

I use Adobe Premiere to edit my videos, but in general all the editing tools are relatively similar, and you can use the one you prefer to create online courses. The basics of video editing is cut what is unnecessary. I create a folder for each video and put the videos, photos and music that will be used in it. Then import these files into the program and start to join them, edit. In general I put the raw video on the timeline, start to watch and make the cuts. After the cuts has the color correction and audio, the transitions of image and audio between each section and the application of the effects, titles and subtitles when needed. It is easy but it is time consuming, because you’ll need watch the same video multiple times to make sure that what you’re talking will make sense on the edition.

6 –  For those who will record their first video, what do you recommend?

First of all, know your first video will hardly be good. But it’s okay. Create online courses is like anything in life, you will only learn with time and practice. My first videos were horrible, but if it were not for them I would not have gotten the point that I am today, and I will improve a lot yet. Another thing is that to talk to the camera can be much harder than it looks. So keep in mind what you will talk, write a script on paper and practice in front of the mirror if you need before start recording.

At the time of recording, always try to think about the edition. If you stuttered or said something wrong, no problems, repeat the phrase until the way you want, because you can cut in editing later and no one will see what you missed. In fact, it is always good to think about the edition at the time of recording, so you can make strategic breaks for cuts, for example. These are things you will learn naturally after that you get used to record and edit. If you feel unsure, start recording something to test and to watch, so you can see your mistakes and correct what is needed. But most importantly, do not be afraid to start! It’s all up to you.

Create online courses requires a bit of time, practice and perseverance, but once you get the hang, all the effort worth it.

Course done, sign up on Coursify.me and start to promote and sell it to your audience. Complete eLearning platform (LMS), visit the Coursify.me website and learn how we can help you work with what you like.

The post Create Online Courses: Design and Video Editing Tips appeared first on Blog Coursify.me.