Checklist of Free Online Course Launches

Dec 12, 2024

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So you're looking to create and sell an online course I'm excited to help you. Online sharing your knowledge is a great way to optimize your cash and has super high earning potential - much more than you would earn by teaching classes in person.

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There are loads of things to cover You're likely feeling a little overwhelmed, but I've got you covered.

By the end of this post, you'll have an outline of your next steps and be prepared for a smooth launch and confident about your course's success.

The online checklist for launching courses includes the processes and tools you need to get your course off the ground and ready to make you money $$$!

Let's begin.

and Planning and Planning

 Skip to the Research and Planning Course Checklist

Before filming your classes or creating modules, it is essential to start laying the foundations for your course. The research and planning process will make what comes after easier and more efficient. Here's how to do it:

1. Conducting Analyse Competition

First, scope out your competition. Spend some time researching similar courses to yours. What's already out there? What's selling well? Equally important, what's lacking?

Look for areas of opportunity in the market. If, for instance, you find that most classes on marketing through social media include general strategies but skip over TikTok growth strategies, then that's an the perfect opportunity to make your mark.

By filling those needs, you'll draw students, and establish yourself as an authority in your niche.

Pro TIP: Read reviews of competitors' courses. Negative feedback is important because it tells you exactly what they want, but don't finding. Make use of that knowledge to guide your direction.

2. Identify Your Target Audience

After you've mastered the marketplace, focus to the person the course you're designing to cater.

Who are these people? What issues do they have? What's driving them to pursue the course?

In the case of developing a course in affiliate marketing, your students may range from absolute novices who don't know what a referral link is or experienced marketing professionals seeking to expand.

Each group has different requirements, and you have to decide who you're catering to.

 Ask yourself:

  • What is the problem my program will solve, and who's most likely to be willing to spend money for the solution?
  • What is the level of education that my ideal student have?
  • Where can they be found online (forums, social media, etc. )?

The more precise you can be and more precise, the easier it is to develop the content that will resonate with your audience.

3. Define Crystal-Clear Learning Objectives

The aim of your job is to guide students toward a tangible result. Define what success looks like to students. When you finish the course, what will students know, have the ability to accomplish and feel confident in?

Bonus:
Clear objectives also assist you in making material. If a lesson doesn't contribute to the goal, cut it. BE RUTHLESS!

4. Plan Your Course Structure and Methods of Delivery

When you've identified what you know about the "what" as well as"why" and "who," it's time to determine what's the "how." An organized program makes learning more enjoyable and keep the students involved.

Each module should be focused on a specific idea or skill so as to not overwhelm your audience. Examples:

  • Module 1: Intro to Affiliate Marketing
  • Module 2: Choosing Profitable Niches
  • Module 3: Setting up Your First Campaign

When it comes to delivery methods you can mix things up. Different people learn differently. Therefore, mix video lessons, download guides, quizzes, and interactive elements. More variety means more enjoyable your lesson.

5. Decide on your Course Tools

Before you begin the creation of content, you should take some time to research the tools you'll use to build and deliver your course.

The platform you select can influence how you design your content, what features you can include (like tests or multimedia) as well as how students can participate in your class.

For the majority of creators, WordPress coupled along with the Courses is the best option.

WordPress provides unbeatable flexibility and control. Additionally, it simplifying the creation of courses and subscriptions by utilizing powerful tools like certifications, quizzes as well as progress tracking.

WATCH >>> Courses Feature OVERVIEW

When you understand what your tool will be able to do and then utilizing your tools later, you'll be able to save time through creating content that fits exactly with the capabilities of your platform.

Plus, with tools like  that, you'll have the ability to deliver a professional experience without needing to employ an expert developer.

Free Online Course Launch Checklist: Research and Planning

Conduct Competitive Analysis

Research similar courses in your niche.
Find out what's available and then determine what's getting the most attention.
Market gaps which you could fill.
Read competitor reviews, especially negative reviews, in order to find need gaps.
Use these insights to shape your path and stand out.

Identify Your Target Audience

Decide who you want to be intended for.
Find their weaknesses or challenges and their motivations.
Assess their levels of understanding to tailor your content.
 Ask:
What issue will my course help me solve?
Who is most likely to pay for this service?
I'm wondering where my followers hang out on the internet?

Define Crystal-Clear Learning Objectives

Make clear, measurable objectives for the students to be able to achieve.
Ensure objectives align with the skills or knowledge they want to attain.
Don't cut content that doesn't aid in achieving these goals directly.

Plan Your Course Structure, Delivery Methods and Format

Outline your course into logical sections.
Ensure each module builds on the one before it for a seamless progress.
The plan should include a mixture of delivery techniques.

Choose the Tools for Your Course

Choose the right tools to build and deliver your program.
Examine platforms in light of:
• Compatibility with your content structure.
Support for features such as multimedia, quizzes, and monitoring.
It is easy to using for both your students.
Make sure your equipment is in line with your goals to save time and deliver a polished course Experience.

Making an online presence

 Skip the step of creating an online presence Checklist

With WordPress and your course under your belt, you only need two steps in creating an online home to your class!

6. Build a Brand that is Strong

Your brand's your identity, which means it has to be designed to convey confidence and an ongoing commitment between your customers and you. Also, it must stand out, making you distinct from your competitors.

It is important to establish the same look and feel across your website as well as other customer-facing materials. The goal is to create a an indelible impression of your target audience, which communicates the essence of your business and is a good fit with their needs.

How do you go about it? It's simple. You define your brand identity by clarifying what your brand represents and what distinguishes you and what emotional bond that you wish to create to your target audience.

Your entire research on your target market will come in handy here Information about their pain points and their preferences will guide the design, messaging, and overall brand strategy.

The creation of a distinctive brand image is an immediate method to create a brand that is immediately recognizable. That involves choosing an identity and color scheme.

7. Build Your Website (In Minutes!)

ReadyLaunch(tm) is an integrated, flexible page maker that lets you personalize your course site with your brand's logo and colours.

The page's mobile-friendly and optimized for sales, along with a well-designed and attractive layout.

Plus, it is possible to do this with zero coding required!

A Free Checklist for Online Course Launches: Establishing an online presence

Build a Brand that is Strong

Clarify your brand's purpose:
What exactly does your company's brand represent?
- What makes you unique?
What is the emotional connection you wish to establish for your viewers?
Use audience research to inform your message, tone and overall strategy.
 Choose a memorable logo.
Choose a color scheme.

Make Your Website

Use ReadyLaunch(tm) by to build your personalized course web site. within only a few seconds.
If you're not making use of ReadyLaunch(tm) you can manually build the following pages, and make sure that they're responsive to mobile devices:
- Account Page
 - Pricing Page
- Registration Page
 - Thank You Page
- Login Page
Include your logo, brand colors, and your own fonts for a unique site.
Ensure your course site has been optimized to increase sales as well as ease of navigation.

Learning Content Development for Courses

 Skip to Course Content Development Checklist

You've found a place for your program and an idea of the things you'd like it to look like and achieve It's now time to dive into more depth and get creating!

8. Create Your Course Content Outline

Now is the time to finish the course structure you've created following step 4. Break each of your modules into manageable, small and simple lesson plans.

If you're delivering your lessons in video content, research suggests that you must aim to make your lessons not more than 15 minutes at a minimum, and ideally less than 10 minutes.

One study from MIT(pdf) discovered the average engagement of students in recorded lectures was six minutes in average.

In the light of these numbers Consider ways that you could break down your lesson into smaller videos.

9. Design and create high-quality educational resources (Videos, Slides, PDFs)

Once you've got the foundation of your curriculum, it's time to start making it complete with material for your course!

Video is the most sought-after method of delivering the content of your courses, and due to one major reason - it's entertaining. However, ultimately, it's up to you to decide what is the best method to present your course's information.

Slides and PDFs provide excellent references and revision tools to students, and provide a second way for students to absorb information from the course, catering to various learning styles.

Strategies for Creating engaging videos
  • Reduce Videos to a Minimum: Aim for video that are less than 6 minutes long to maximize engagement. Video lengths that are shorter will require more preparation but keep students' attention longer.
  • Use an informal style: Casual, relatable settings help videos appear more likable and personal, and thus more enjoyable! When you're looking for video quality to be excellent do not use a sterile studio environment.
  • Speak Enthusiastically and Naturally: Speak with energy and confidence. Rapid, lively speech makes you more enthused.
  • Enhance Tutorials for Rewatching: For how-to videos, include visual signposts or bookmarks to make it easier for skimming and watching and rewatching.
  • Editing Effectively: Eliminate filler words, pauses as well as other distracting elements during editing to ensure that content is clear and enjoyable.
  • Utilize a variety of Teaching Methodologies Make use of animations, images, and demonstrations to complement the spoken explanations that cater to various learning styles.
  • Make Videos Accessible: Add captions and transcriptions so that videos are accessible to learners with hearing impairments or parents who do not want to disturb their baby!

Because Courses utilizes WordPress Gutenberg blocks, it's easy to include videos, images, text and PDF files into each lesson.

10. Make Engaging Assignments and Quizzes

Some people think that tests and assignments only serve for testing your students, but they're also excellent tools for engagement that improve learning as well as give students the sense of accomplishment.

When done right, they'll help motivate your students and will make your class fun and enjoyable. This article will show you how to design assessment that stands out

 Let It Be Fun as well as Interactive

Consider thinking beyond simple multiple-choice questions. Make use of a variety of formats like matching, or fill-in-the-blank to keep students interested.

 Courses quiz questions
Courses quiz questions

The course includes nine different kinds of questions to you to mix it up.

Provide Immediate Feedback

With these quiz questions you are able to offer automatic assessment and feedback that gives students instant answers and explanations. This helps reinforce learning as well as ensuring that the experience is seamless.

Make Assessments that are specific to your Content

Make quizzes and assignments that match your curriculum's goals. If, for instance, you're instructing a photography class make an assignment in which students are required to submit edited photographs in accordance with a method they've just discovered.

With the Courses Assignments feature, your students are able to upload any kind of assignments to be graded from photos, portfolios, videos and long-form essays. It is possible to be creative with what assignments you'd like to set your students.

The nature of these assignments will require you to grade them manually and this is possible using The Courses Gradebook feature.

Keep the Bite-Sized

Don't overwhelm students with lengthy tests. Quizzes that are short, frequently repeated or assignments are more engaging and provide regular opportunities for students to assess their comprehension.

Mix It Up Across Modules

Vary the types of quizzes and assignments through your program. For instance, use knowledge-check quizzes early on and more practical, application-based assignments later in the course.

Allow Retakes and Flexibility

Students can retake tests or resubmit assignments to encourage growth and improvement of their understanding of the material.

11. Reward with Certificates

Celebrating your students' success can be a great approach to keep them interested and interested. The awarding of certificates not only adds value to your class but also offers the students with a tangible award that they are able to display in their work and private life. This is how you can make the certificates an integral part of your class:

Why Certificates Matter
  • Motivation: Certificates give students something they can work towards to keep them active and focused throughout the entire course.
  • Recognition: They serve as an official acknowledgement of the student's effort and achievement in learning.
  • Shareable Achievements Students are able to publish their awards on LinkedIn and resumes or personal websites that highlight their abilities and skills.
How do you offer certificates with courses

Courses makes it simple to instantly issue certificate to students at the time of the completion of a course.

You can choose from several types of designs, and personalize certificates to reflect your branding and contain all pertinent information, such as:

  • Name of the student
  • Name of the course
  • Completion date
  • Your name and signature

With the certificate feature included in Courses, there's not a need to install additional software or manual procedures. It's seamless and fully automated.

Include Expiry Dates on Continuous Certifications

For courses that require regular renewal, like specific industry skills or compliance training, you can set deadlines for expiry of certificates.

It encourages learners to remain up-to-date with their knowledge and retake your class after an agreed-upon time, making sure their skills remain relevant.

Encourage Sharing to Expand Your The Reach

If students are able to share certificates, they can become powerful marketing tools. Instruct your students to:

  • Share and download their certificates on social media.
  • Add certificates to their professional portfolios.
  • Include your school's name in their LinkedIn profiles.

Through Courses, you are able to provide shareable links for your students to share their knowledge all over the world, highlighting their achievements and highlighting your class as a reliable authority!

A Free Online Course Launch Checklist: Course Content Development

Build Your Course Content Outline

Break your modules into small easy to digest lessons.
Make sure to keep videos less than 15 minutes (ideally about 6 minutes) to maintain student engagement.
Make use of Courses to easily set up your courses and modules.

Develop High-Quality Educational Materials

Create engaging videos to deliver your course content:
Employ a relaxed, casual style. Use a casual, approachable.
Speak with enthusiasm and clarity.
Transcripts and captions can be added for accessibility.
Add additional materials such as pdfs or slides to provide additional help with your learning.
Use Courses to seamlessly upload videos, text and other files in each class.

Create Engaging Quizzes and Assignments

Make quizzes interactive by mixing questions in different formats (e.g., multiple-choice, match-ups, fill-in-the-blank).
Make use of the Assignments feature in order for students to upload pictures as videos, documents, or images straight from their devices.
Be sure to keep assignments and tests quick and frequent in order to ensure engagement.
Retakes and resubmissions are allowed to help students master the material.

Reward with Certificates

Inspire students by giving them certificates of completion in recognition of their work.
The expiry date for certificates should be set in order to promote recertification of ongoing knowledge.
 Provide shareable certificate links.

Final checks prior to launch

 Skip to Final Checks The Checklist

So you've finalized your course and done everything there is to complete It appears that everything is set and all set to go. Although this could be the case, you must make sure everything is in place for a smooth and safe launch.

12. Run Tests & Get Feedback

Make sure to do a quick test run to make sure your course has been designed to be well-optimized. Ensure that all elements like quizzes video, forms etc., work without hiccups.

Beta testers are an excellent idea. Get them to run through the course, and then provide feedback on any concerns or issues they've had to face.

Lastly, ensure your content has been proofread and polished. Just to make sure, you could hire the services of a professional proofreader to review your content to eliminate misspellings, grammatical errors, and other non-relevant information that you might have included.

After you've completed all of these, you can confidently launch your Courses course knowing that you've created the perfect masterpiece that's ready to be a huge achievement!

Checklist for Launching a Course Free Online: Final Examinations

Test Your Course Function
Take a test to verify the course you choose to take is optimally designed.
Verify that all elements work flawlessly, for example:

  • Quizzes
  • Formulas
  • Videos
  • Links and downloads

Get Feedback From Beta Testers
Invite beta testers to test your course. through your course.
 Collect detailed feedback on:

  • User experience
  • Technical issues that could arise
  • Clarity and relevance of content

Check and Polish your Content
Ensure your course content has no errors

  • Misspellings
  • Grammatical errors
  • Non-relevant information
     Hire a professional copyeditor to review your final draft.

Release with Confidence
Use Courses to officially launch your course.
You can rejoice knowing you've made an impressive, well-tested piece that's ready to be a hit!

Conclusion

The preparation for the launch of a course requires a thorough approach if you want it to succeed and achieve the set objectives.

The key steps are defining clearly defined learning goals, conducting competitive research, making sure that the course material is well-constructed as well as executing an effective marketing strategy.

By carefully checking off the items listed above and preparing yourself for a smooth and effective launch.

An extensive preparation process is vital to making sure that the launch of your course is successful and that your students experience a seamless learning experience from day one.

To simplify and improve this process, think about using ReadyLaunch(tm) to simplify the process . The powerful software simplifies the creation of courses by providing flexible templates, responsive design for mobile devices and an easy-to-use interface, without the requirement for programming skills.

Victoria Lloyd       Victoria has a knack for turning small beginnings into big achievements, and has taken her jewelry brand from the vibrant buzz of the London's market streets to prestigious spots like the Royal Academy of Arts and the Topshop's Oxford Circus flagship store. Her expertise doesn't stop at physical items. Victoria has an established success track record in boosting web-based engagement for a wide range of companies. From innovative startups to household names such as Nokia as well as Jack Daniels, Victoria has employed her unique combination of wordsmithing along with strategic thinking and digital expertise to boost higher engagement with brands and increase SEO. At , Victoria leverages her diverse experiences to help simplify and decode the complexities of online membership and business growth. Victoria is here to help users with her exclusive insights, helping them to successfully and effectively build their membership and online community sites.