Want to learn how to create an online course that can generate 6 figures, even with no experience? You’re in the right place.
If you have experience, skills and knowledge, you can turn it into a profitable online business.
Creating and selling online courses is one of the most powerful ways to share your expertise, build your brand, impact more lives and generate passive income online.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a coach or a content creator, learning how to launch an online course can open a new opportunity to generate income while still helping people achieve their goals.
The e-learning market is projected to reach $185 billion by 2026, and there is no better time to create your online course.
But the good news is that you don’t need tech skills or a huge budget to get started.
If you have great skills and valuable experience you can share with people, no matter your niche, you can create a profitable online course that can generate 6 figures.
In this step-by-step online course guide, you’ll learn how to:
Pick a course topic that your audience needs
Plan your online course content strategically
Choose the best course platform
Record engaging course modules
Launch and sell your course successfully.
It doesn’t matter whether you want to impact lives by teaching others or build a scalable digital product; this tutorial will show you how to create an online course from scratch in 2025.
Fast Track Your Online Course Success
class="wp-block-preformatted has-background" style="background-color:#f0f9d8">Online Course Free Workshop: Learn the fastest ways to launch online courses and coaching program and scale to 6 figure fast in 2025.
OfferLab: New collaborative commerce platform where creators and Affiliates team up to promote your online courses.
Here is a step-by-step guide to creating and selling an online course successfully.
Step 1: Choose the Right Course Topic
One of the most important steps to creating an online course is choosing the right course topic.
Your online course should be on the topic or subject you have more knowledge and experience about, and be able to showcase your skills.
That means you need to solve a real problem for your audience.
Your course should be a solution and transformation, not information.
How to choose a profitable course topic
Below are steps to find profitable course ideas that align with your audience.
Start with Your Experience and Skills
What do people ask you for help with?
What topic can you confidently teach?
Do you have good working experience?
Do you have certification, or have you achieved success in a specific area?
For Example, if you have built a successful affiliate blog that makes money, a great course could be ‘Affiliate for Beginners: How to Make Your First $1,000 Commission Online.
Research Market Demand
You don’t just create a course that no one will buy. Validate that people need it.
Here are a few platforms to research market demand.
Udemy, Skillshare, and Coursera to find popular courses.
Quora and Reddit: to discover some common questions in your niche
Facebook Group and Niche Forums: You can find out what people want and their problems.
Narrow It Down
You’re not launching a course for a broad audience; it is crucial to break your niche down into sub-niches.
For example, broad topics like marketing and Finance are too competitive and appeal to a wider audience.
You can break it down into something specific, like:
Email marketing for beginners
Home management for busy Moms
Validate your course idea.
After choosing a topic, validate it by:
Check if there are other online courses in your niche.
You can check marketplaces like Udemy, Clickbank, and Skillshare
Ask your list what they prefer to learn
Create a shop survey or poll using Google Forms.
Pre-launch the course to test if there is a market demand.
Tips: Your online course doesn’t need to be perfect: Focus on helping your students achieve one specific result.
Step 2: Who Is Your Targeted Audience
Before starting to create your course content, it is essential to define your audience and know who your course is for.
Identifying your target audience helps you create content that resonates and offers real solutions for your course to be profitable.
Why Knowing Your Audience?
When you identify your audience, you can:
Focus on their specific pains with specific solutions.
Easily build trust and engagement
Use the right language.
Write sales copy that convinces them to purchase your course
Tips To Define Your Audience
Here is how to know and understand who your course is meant to serve.
Identify Their Demography
Gender
Age range
Education level
Understand Their Lifestyle and Behaviour
This is where you understand your audience’s psychographics.
What are their desires and goals?
What challenges are they facing?
What motivates them to invest in an online course?
For example:
If your course is on ‘Affiliate Marketing For Beginners’, your audience could be work-at-home Moms, people who want to make money online, or workers who wish to escape 9-to-5 jobs and earn money at home.
Create a Student Persona
Write a profile for your ideal students. Give them a name, jobs, lifestyles and list their main challenges.
It will make it easy to create quality content and marketing that feels personal and more relevant.
Example of Customer Persona
Name: Jonas
Age: 27
Occupation: Freelancer
Goal: To launch a blog and make money on the side.
Pain Point: Doesn’t know where to start or which platform to use.
Find Where Your Audience Hangs Out
Join Facebook groups in your niche
Read the Reddit thread within your niche
Check Quora for related questions in your niche
Join Niche forums
Use YouTube comments for feedback insights
Tips: Make your online course feel like a personal guide tailored to your students’ needs.
Step 3: Set a Clear Learning Goal
After you have chosen your course topic and know your target audience, the next step is to define clear learning goals or outcomes.
This will reveal what the students will gain from your course.
What Are Learning Outcomes?
Learning outcomes are the knowledge, skills, and experience your student will acquire after the completion of your course.
The question most students will ask themselves is, ‘What will I be able to do or results I will achieve after completing the course?
Reasons Learning Outcomes are Important
Help students understand the value of your course
Guide your course content creation and structure
Make the sales page more persuasive
Tips To Write Effective Learning Outcomes
Know how to use action verbs that state the observable and measurable results.
Always avoid vague words like “understand” or “know,” and be specific.
Here is a simple formula to write effective learning outcomes.
‘By the end of this training, you will be able to [action verb] + [specific task or results].’
Examples
Write and publish your first email newsletter with Monsend
Create and launch a WordPress website without coding
Design a processional logo using Canva
Write your first e-book in less than 72 hours
Avoid Vague Outcomes Like:
Understand email marketing
Learn SEO
Start graphic design
They are too broad and not measurable
Tips: Aim for 4 to 6 learning outcomes per course. Each lesson or module helps your students achieve one of the outcomes.
In the next section, we will talk about planning your course content.
Step 4. Your Course Content Planning
You have defined your course learning outcomes, and it is time to plan the content.
This step is about structuring your experience and knowledge into a clear, engaging, and easy-to-follow learning path.
Steps To Plan Your Course Content
Here is a step-by-step guide to plan your online course content for easy understanding.
1. Break Down the Topic Into Modules
Start by dividing your course into modules. Each module will cover one main idea in the learning journey.
For example:
Course Topic: Affiliate Marketing For Beginners
Module might include:
Introduction to affiliate marketing
Setting up a blog for affiliate marketing
Finding high-paying affiliate programs
How to join affiliate programs.
2. Create Lessons Within Each Module
Break each module into lessons. Each lesson should focus on one topic at a time.
Each lesson should be short and actionable. If it is a video, make it 5 to 15 minutes each
3. Decide on the Format
This is crucial, and since you’re creating an online course, it is better to choose video or mix it.
Content format could be:
Video (better and more engaging)
Slide presentation
Text to PDF
Quizzes
Worksheet or Templates
Many course experts use a mixed format to deliver their content.
4. Use Content Planning Tool
Many tools are valuable to help you organise your course outline to aid learning.
Google Sheet
Notion
Trello
xMind
These tools help to structure and track your progress.
Tip: Follow logical order to help students build their skills progressively.
Step 5: Choose the Right Online Course Platform
Choosing the right online course platform is a great way to bring your course to life.
Most of the platforms can handle your course being delivered.
It is crucial to choose the right platform that aligns with your budget and goals.
Features to Check when Choosing a Course Platform
Ease of use: Simple to set up without any coding
Pricing Plan: Is it affordable, and does it fit your budget?
Customisation: Is it easy to design and build a brand you desire?
Course Delivery Tools: Does it offer video hosting, quizzes, surveys, certificates, and downloads?
There are self-hosted course platforms you can use to sell your online course.
You can host your course using WordPress and a course plugin like LearnDash.
You will have more control over your work, but it requires time and technical skills.
Online Course Marketplaces
Online course marketplaces have millions of audiences that can help you discover your course easily. But the main disadvantage is that you will have less control over the pricing and data.
A few of the best online course marketplaces are Udemy and Skillshare
Pro Tip: As a beginner, go with easy and affordable platforms like systeme.io, LearnWorlds, etc.
Step 6: Create High-Quality Course Content
Now is the time to bring your online course to life by creating quality content that resonates with your students and delivers results.
Content quality matters; it should be clear, easy to follow, and actionable for better understanding.
1. Record Engaging Video Lessons
No doubt, video is the most popular format for online courses.
Here is how to make your video lesson more effective and engaging.
Tips for Effective Course Videos
Make it short: Aim for 5 to 15 minutes
Be confident: Speak naturally
Use slides: Tools like PowerPoint and Canva can help
Quality audio and lighting: Use a decent microphone for quality audio.
Tools
Recording: Loom, Zoom or Camtasia
Editing: CapCut, ScreenFlow, or Descript
Presentation: Canva and Google Slides
Add supporting materials.
You can make your course more effective and engaging by providing downloadable material to facilitate learning for students to apply what they have learned.
Examples are:
Checklists
Workbooks
Swipe files
Quizzes
Assignments
Mix Content Format
To aid learning, mix up your materials.
Create a Video for core lessons
Use text for quick review
Add an audio version
Add visuals like graphics, slides, and charts for engagement
Assessment for students’ understanding
Don’t Focus on Perfection, But Clarity
You don’t need expensive equipment for production. The most important thing is to help your students achieve their promised results.
Speak directly to your audience
Focus more on your earning outcomes
Remove fluff to make lessons results-driven.
Step 7: Set Course Pricing and Sales Goals
Pricing your online course is about understanding your audience, your goals, and the value you offer.
A good course pricing strategy can help boost conversions, increase sales, and reach a larger audience.
Consider These Factors when Pricing Your Course
Know Your Audience
How much is your audience willing to invest in your course?
Are they beginners or experienced?
Do they prefer free content or paid coaching?
What value and results are they getting?
For example:
Beginners may prefer to invest in a course from $27 to $97, while experienced or professional users can invest in a high-ticket offer like $297 to $997.
March Price to the Course Value
The course price should reflect the results and transformation it delivers.
If your online course helps someone start a profitable blog that makes money or land clients, it has high ROI value.
Research Competitors
Check similar courses in your niche and see what they’re charging.
Platforms like Clickbank, Udemy, and Skillshare are marketplaces to find similar courses.
Also, check competitors’ landing pages and look at what they charge for their courses.
Your Expertise, Your Goal, and the Value
While thinking about the price, there are two things to take note of.
Expertise: The authority of the course creator matters. The buyer will be willing to pay more for someone who is an expert and a leader in the industry.
Your Goal: How much are you willing to make from your online course?
The Value: How high quality is your course?
If your goal is to generate $100,000 from your course, then work toward it.
Making $100,000 depends on the price and the value of your course.
Here is how it works
If you charge $49, you need 2,040 students to enrol.
For $97, you need 1030 students
For $197, you need 508 students
For $297, you need 336 students
For $497, you need 202 students
For $997, you need 101 students
As you can see, if you launch an online course that is actionable with outcomes and adds value to students, they will be willing to pay for it.
Step 8: Set Up Course Sales Funnel
Launching your online course is only half the work; marketing it requires a highly converting sales funnel.
A sales funnel guides potential buyers from discovering your course to taking action.
A well-designed course sales funnel converts visitors into leads and into paying customers.
What Is a Sales Funnel?
A sales funnel takes your visitors from initial awareness of your course to a purchase.
How to Build a Sales Funnel for Your Course
Here is how to create a sales funnel for your online course.
1. Create a Lead Magnet
A lead magnet is a valuable freebie you can create to attract visitors and build an email list.
Free mini-course
PDF guide
Checklist
Webinar
Free training
For example:
If you’re selling an online course on how to sell an eBook, your lead magnet could be a free guide: ‘9 proven steps to create and sell your first eBook’.
Design a Landing Page
A landing page is where visitors will learn about your free offer, the benefits, and its value.
It should include:
Strong headline with clear benefits
Simple description of what they’ll get
Email sign-up form
Use Page builder tools like:
Clickfunnels
Systeme.io
Landingi
Set Up an Email Autoresponder Sequence
Once visitors opt in to your list, send a series of automated emails to:
Deliver the freebies
Share tips and informative content related to your offer
Introduce your course
Create urgency, such as a discount or bonuses.
Email tools like Kit and Moosend will work better.
Design a persuasive sales page.
The sales page is where visitors will decide to purchase your product.
It includes:
Strong headline
Course values and promise
What is inside the course
Case studies and testimonials
Pricing and CTA buttons
FAQ
Tips: Use urgency and scarcity triggers such as countdown timers, bonuses, and free one-on-one coaching to increase conversions.
Step 9: Launch Your Online Course
Now, you have built your course, designed a sales page, and set pricing; it is time to launch and market your course.
Having a strategic launch with a proper plan can make a significant difference between a few sales and thousands of students.
Whether you’re launching to a small subscriber base or a huge social media following, the key is building excitement. anticipation, trust and urgency around your offer.
Tips To Launch Your Course Successfully
1. Start with a Pre-Launch
Prelaunch is a way to warm up your audience.
Share your course ideas on social media
Share related content on YouTube
Write a blog post
Build an email waitlist
It helps to build anticipation about your course.
2. Offer Early Bird Launch
Offer a discount to a few people in exchange for:
Feedback
Testimonials
Social Proof
It helps to validate your course and improve it before the official launch.
3. Use Email Sequence
Your list is your asset. Send a series of emails that:
Tell your story about the course
Highlights the results that students can achieve
Explain why the course is for them
Answer any objections
Offer limited discounts and bonuses
The Proven Ways to Market Your Online Course
Creating the best course in your niche doesn’t mean people will buy if they don’t know it exists.
1. Promote it on your favourite social media
Share tips, testimonials and a preview of your course.
Use Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to introduce your offer.
Create YouTube videos about it
Create a series of videos related to your niche and introduce your offer.
2. Host a Webinar
Webinars convert very well. Start a live session to teach something valuable to your audience and introduce your course at the end.
Webinar tools like Damio, Investor, and Zoom are great for live sessions.
One of the best ways to make your course go viral is to use JV and recruit affiliates to promote it.
You can offer them 40 to 50% commission on every sale they make.
Many affiliates have thousands of email lists, so you can 5x conversions and sales.
Platforms like Clickfunnels, Samcart, and Systeme.io support affiliate tracking.
4. Run Paid Ads
Paid ads are a great way to get fast results.
YouTube, Instagram, and Google ads can drive targeted traffic to your offer if you have the budget.
Step 10: Post Launch
Creating a profitable online course doesn’t stop after launch.
To make it relevant, engaging and meet the market demand, gather feedback to improve the course content based on real student experience.
It boosts your credibility and increases future sales.
How to Collect Feedback
Ask for feedback after the first few lessons. It shows you care about them and helps to fix any issues on time.
You can use Google Forms to create a survey.
And at the end of the course, ask students:
What they like most about the course
What results do they achieve?
What could be improved?
Would they recommend the course?
Use their feedback to gather testimonials and improve your course.
How to Use Feedback to Improve Your Course
Update content based on feedback
Add new resources
Add new lessons based on student requests.
Create an FAQ section based on students’ questions
Conclusion: Create Your Online Course Today
Learning how to launch an online course can be a game-changer for building a profitable business online.
It helps to share your knowledge and experience and make a real impact.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, coach, creator, or freelancer, the opportunity to share your experience online is endless.
By following these 10 easy steps, you can have a clear roadmap to:
Choose a profitable course topic
Identify your audience
Set effective learning outcomes
Have a proper course content structure
Choose the right platforms
Create engaging course content
Set a strategic course price
Design a sales funnel
Launch with full confidence
Continue improving your course
Anyone can follow these steps to create an online course and generate 6 figures.
You don’t need to be perfect; just take the first step.
Focus more on helping your audience solve a specific problem.
Are you ready to launch your first online course?
Choose a niche where you have the skills, knowledge, and experience; outline your course idea; and get started.
You now have a comprehensive guide on how to create an online course; it’s time to embrace the process and transform your expertise into an impactful online course that inspires learners.
Your knowledge has value; share it with the world.
Oyundoyin Anthony is a blogger and an affiliate marketer that offers helpful contents to people who are looking for different products for their needs. He enjoys helping people to achieve success in their business.
