How To Use The Best Tools To Sell Courses Online And Increase Your Profit Margins

7 Best Tools To Sell Courses Online For Cash-Strapped eLearning Companies
fizkes/Shutterstock.com
Summary: Your expertise might be an undiscovered source of revenue for your organization. In this post, I share tips to widen your profit margin with the help of top-notch tools.

Generate Revenue By Using The Best Selling Tools

There are generally two approaches to selling online courses. The first is to use the content you already have, such as in-house training to generate extra revenue. Then there’s developing content from scratch for the sole purpose of boosting your bottom line. Whatever route you choose, you need to find a way to market your intangible product and appeal to your niche audience. But the catch is to choose an effective promotional technique that doesn’t dip too far into your budget. This defeats the purpose of offering your eLearning course to boost profits. Below are some tips to use the best tools to sell courses online without breaking the bank.

Ηow To Use The Best Tools To Sell Courses Online

1. Map Out Your Marketing Strategy (With Toolbox In-hand)

Take stock of the tools at your disposal and create a marketing plan that helps you achieve your key objectives. For example, step one is to launch a social media page/group so that you can interact with prospects and spread the virtual word. Break each point on the map into tasks and assign them to relevant members of the team. Be clear about when each task should be wrapped up and which resources they must use.

2. Create Measurable Milestones

In addition to a marketing plan of action, you should also develop measurable milestones to track your progress. The best tools to sell courses online won’t be of much use if you haven’t identified their purpose or set success parameters. For instance, one milestone might be that at the end of the first month, you’ll have XX followers on social media. Or that you’ll raise your site conversion rates by XX amount. Make sure your team is aware of these KPIs and how to monitor marketing performance.

3. Develop A Budget And Posting Schedule

The best tools to sell courses online may be free or low-cost, but fees are still involved. Even if it’s the payroll hours, you must invest in moderating the blog or social media page. This is why it’s crucial to develop a budget that accounts for all expenses, from the LMS implementation costs to site maintenance fees. It’s also wise to set a posting schedule for your social media marketing efforts. For instance, a member of your team will post once a day to promote the new course. This schedule should also feature the general topic, keyword, or link they must include. Lastly, identify which article publishing platforms you want to use and which subject matter they accept. For instance, most sites won’t post outright promotions. Instead, you have to find a creative angle to help readers as you promote and sell eLearning courses.

4. Encourage Course Customers To Leave Online Reviews

Satisfied customers might be willing to share their experiences by posting an online review or rating, but you may need to give them a nudge. After all, there are probably other things on their mind. Send out emails or post links to review sites on your social media page. Tell them how much you appreciate their honest feedback. Another platform you should direct them to is your exclusive online directory listing.

5. Consistency Is Key

Many organizations make the crucial mistake of starting strong and then fizzling out. They launch an effective sales campaign using the best tools to sell courses online but fail to follow through. The key to success is consistency. Create weekly blog posts. Ensure that your LMS with shopping is properly maintained and updated. Publish daily tips (and calls to action) on your social media sites. The catch is that too much exposure can annoy or frustrate prospects. People are less likely to purchase your course if you bombard them with hourly posts. Or publish articles regularly that aren’t really relevant to their needs.

6. Monitor Metrics To Identify Top-performing Tools

Part of your follow-up strategy should be to continually monitor how the sales tools are performing. This allows you to identify which tools are more effective than others so that you can divert/re-allocate your resources. For instance, social media stats reveal that Facebook isn’t driving as many visitors to your site as you hoped. Or LMS metrics disclose that your landing page needs some fine-tuning, given that most visitors originate from other platforms. You can also use discount codes to track your marketing efforts and see which is worth the time and effort.

7. Research All Your LMS Options

A top tool to sell online courses is an LMS with a shopping cart functionality. But you need to find the best tool for the task. It must not only have advanced encryption and a secure payment gateway, as well as a place for you to store and promote your online course catalog. The system should also offer the right pricing model for your organization. Another consideration is the features it provides and its support options. For example, it must be mobile-friendly and responsive so that you appeal to on-the-go learners. Or offer gamification support so that you can incentivize your course and boost engagement. Research all your options to pick the platform that fits your budget and scales to meet your needs.

Conclusion

These best tools to sell courses online can help turn your skills, talents, and brand reputation into a steady revenue stream. Develop a clear strategy beforehand, complete with milestones, budgeting guidelines, and posting schedules. Then stay consistent about your online presence. Lastly, continually monitor engagement and invest in an LMS that is geared toward eLearning eCommerce.

Need some help finding the right LMS to sell online courses? Research the top platform and view the latest ratings. Our online directory also includes detailed reviews so that you can see if the system meets your standards.