Checklist of Free Online Course Launches

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If you're planning to develop and market an online class We're excited for you. The sharing of your expertise online can be a fantastic way to maximize your earnings and offers super high earning potential - far more than what you can earn by teaching classes in person.

WHAT'S IN THE INSIDE          Toggle

•     Research and Planning
•       Free Online Course Launch Checklist Research and Planning
•     Building an Online Presence
•       Free Online Course Launch Checklist Building an Online Presence
•     Course Content Development
•       Free Online Course Launch Checklist Course Content Development
•     Pre-Launch Final Checks
•       Free Online Course Launch Checklist Final Checks
•     Conclusion

There's a lot to take care of, and you're probably feeling slightly overwhelmed, but I've got you covered.

At the conclusion of this article, you'll be on an outline of your next steps and feel prepped for a smooth launch and confidence in the success of your plan.

The online checklist for launching courses contains the steps and resources you need to start your course off on the ground and ready to generate revenue. $$$!

So let's get into it.

Research and Planning

 Skip to the Research and Planning Course Checklist

Before you start filming classes or creating modules, it is essential to start laying the foundations for the course. Nailing the research and planning phase will make everything that follows easier and more effective. Here's how to do it:

1. Conducting Analyse Competition

Before you start, look into the competitors. Do some research on similar courses to yours. Are there any existing courses? Which products are selling? And equally important - what's missing?

Find areas of opportunity in the market. If, for instance, you notice most courses on marketing through social media include general techniques but do not cover TikTok growth hacks, that's chance to be noticed.

If you can fill those gaps, you'll attract students and position yourself as an expert within your area of expertise.

Pro Tips: Read reviews of competing courses. Negative feedback is gold as it can reveal what they want, but don't getting. Utilize that information to determine your course.

2. Identify Your Target Audience

Once you understand the marketplace, focus on whom you're creating this course for.

Who are they? What issues do they have? What's motivating them to take your class?

If, for instance, you're developing a course in affiliate marketing, your students may range from absolute novices who aren't sure what a referral hyperlink is or experienced marketing professionals looking to scale.

Each group has different needs, so you need to choose who you're serving to.

 You can ask yourself:

• What problem does my course solve, and who's most likely to purchase that solution?
• What level of knowledge do my ideal student need to have?
• Where can they be found on the internet (forums, social media, etc. )?

The more specific your message is more specific, the simpler you can create material that is resonant.

3. Define Crystal-Clear Learning Objectives

The goal is to lead students toward a tangible result. Define what success looks like to your students. By the end of your class, what do students know, have the ability to perform, or feel confident about?

Bonus:
Clare objectives can help you stay focused when creating the content. If a lesson doesn't contribute to the goal, cut it out. DO NOT GET RUSHED!

4. Create Your Course Structure and Methods of Delivery

Once you've nailed your "what" as well as the "who," it's time to think about the "how." An organized course makes the learning experience easier and helps keep students interested.

Each module should be focused on one ability or idea so as to not overwhelm your audience. Example:

• 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 with a variety of delivery methods. Learners are different, therefore combine video lessons, downloadable guidebooks, quizzes and interactive elements. More variety means more enjoyable your lesson.

5. Choose the tools you will use for your course

Before you begin the creation of content, you should take some time to learn about the tools you'll use to build and present your class.

The platform you select can influence how you design your content, what features you include (like quizzes or multimedia) as well as how students can engage with the course.

For most creators, WordPress when combined with Courses is the best option.

WordPress provides unbeatable freedom and control. It also simplifying the creation of courses and subscriptions with powerful features like quizzes, certificates, as well as progress tracking.

By understanding what your tools are able to accomplish it will save you time later through creating content that fits precisely with your tool's capabilities.

Additionally, using tools such as , you can deliver professional services without the need to hire a developer.

Free Course Launch Checklist: Research and Planning

Conduct Competitive Analysis

Research similar courses in your niche.
Look at what's out there and also what's popular.
Find gaps in the market which you could use to fill.
Check out reviews from competitors, particularly negative ones, to identify unmet needs.
Utilize these tips to help you shape your direction and distinguish yourself.

Identify Your Target Audience

Define who your course is to be used for
Identify their pain points, challenges, and motivations.
Assess their levels of understanding to tailor your content.
 Ask:
What is the issue my course address?
- Who's most likely to be willing to spend money on this service?
My audience - Where do they meet online?

Define Crystal-Clear Learning Objectives

Set measurable, specific goals for what students will be able to achieve.
Ensure objectives align with the abilities or the knowledge that they wish to acquire.
Don't cut content that doesn't aid in achieving these goals directly.

Create Your Course Structure and Delivery Methods

Then outline your course in a logical module.
Ensure each module builds on the one before it for a an easy progress.
It is recommended to incorporate a variety of delivery techniques.

Decide on Your Course Tools

Find out what tools you need and select the best to build and deliver your program.
Evaluate platforms based on:
The content must be compatible with the structure.
Support for features such as games, multimedia, and tracking.
Easy to using for both your students.
Check that your software is aligned with your goals to save time as well as provide a professional learning and experience.

Establishing an online presence

 Skip the step of creating an online presence Checklist

With WordPress and under your belt it's only two steps to create an online platform to your class!

6. Build a Brand that is Strong

Your identity is your brand's, which means it has been created in order to symbolize trust and a lasting commitment between your customers and you. Additionally, your brand must stand out, making you stand out from other competitors.

It is important to establish uniformity across your site and other customer-facing materials. It is your goal to leave a lasting impression of your target audience, which communicates what you stand for and is a good fit with their needs.

How do you go about it? It's simple. Your brand's identity is defined by clarifying what your brand is What makes you distinctive, and the emotional connection you'd like to establish with your customers.

All your target audience research can be useful here - information about their pain points and their preferences will guide your design and messaging, and overall brand strategy.

Creating a strong brand image is an rapid approach to making your company instantly recognizable. That involves choosing a logo and color scheme.

7. Design Your Website (In 15 minutes!)

ReadyLaunch(tm) is a built-in, customizable page creator which you can personalize your course site using your company's logo and colors.

The courses' pages are responsive to mobile devices and optimised for sales along with a well-designed and attractive design.

Plus, it is possible to do this without any coding!

The Free Course Launch Checklist Building an Online Presence

Create a Strong Brand

Clarify your brand's purpose:
- What does your brand stand for?
What are you that is unique?
- What emotional connection do you want to build with your audience?
Use audience research to inform your tone of voice, message, and your strategy.
 Choose a memorable logo.
Select the color scheme you want to use.

Build Your Website

Make use of ReadyLaunch(tm) to create your personalized course web site. in minutes.
If not using ReadyLaunch(tm), manually create these pages and ensure they're mobile-responsive:
Page of Account
 - Pricing Page
- Registration Page
 - Thank You Page
- Login Page
Add your logo, brand colors and your own fonts for a unique website.
Ensure your course site has been optimized to increase sales as well as easy navigation.

Course Content Development

 Skip to the Course Content Development Checklist

You've found a place for your course and a clear idea about the things you'd like it to look like and achieve Now it's time to dig into more depth and get making!

8. Build Your Course Content Outline

You're now ready to complete your course structure planning from step 4. Break each of your modules down into small, easily digestible lesson plans.

If your classes are delivered via video, research suggests it is best to make your lessons less than 15 minutes in length at a minimum, and ideally less than 10 minutes.

A study by MIT(pdf) found that average student engagement in recorded lectures was about 6 minutes.

With these stats in mind, think about how you can segment your lessons into short videos.

9. Design and create high-quality educational resources (Videos or slides or PDFs)

Now you have the bones of your course Now it's time to start making it complete with material for your course!

Video is the most popular way to deliver your content for one HUGE reason - it's engaging. However, ultimately, it's up to you to determine which is the most effective method to communicate your course information.

Slides and PDFs provide great references and revision aids for students. They also provide another method for students to learn information from the course, catering to different learning styles.

Strategies for Creating engaging videos

• Keep Videos Short: Aim for video that are less than 6 minutes long to ensure maximum participation. Video lengths that are shorter will require more preparation but will hold students' interest for longer.
• Adopt an Informal Style: Casual, relatable settings make the videos feel more personal and approachable and thus more enjoyable! When you're looking for video quality to be good, avoid using an impersonal studio setting.
• Talk enthusiastically and naturally: Speak with energy and confidence. Rapid, lively speech is more engaging.
• Enhance Tutorials to Rewatch: For how-to videos add visual signsposts or bookmarks for easy skimming and watching again.
• Edit Effectively: Get rid of filler words, pauses as well as other distracting elements during editing to ensure that content is crisp and engaging.
• Use a Variety of Teaching Styles Use visuals, animations as well as demonstrations in addition to spoken explanations to cater to different learning styles.
• make videos accessible: Add captions and transcripts in order to make the videos more accessible to people with hearing impairments or parents who aren't willing to wake the baby!

Since Courses is a user of WordPress Gutenberg blocks, it's easy to add texts, videos, images and PDF files into every class.

10. Create Engaging Quizzes and Assignments

Some people think that tests and assignments only serve for giving your students a test However, they're great engagement-boosting tools that help reinforce learning and give students the sense of achievement.

If done correctly, they'll help motivate your students as well as make the course fun and enjoyable. Here's how to create assessments that stand out:

 Create It Fun as well as Interactive

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

The course includes nine different type of quiz questions that help make things interesting.

Give immediate feedback

Through these test questions, you can offer automated evaluation and feedback, giving students immediate results as well as explanations. This helps reinforce learning and makes the learning experience more effortless.

Create a custom assessment for your content

Create assignments and quizzes that reflect your course's objectives. For example, if you're teaching a photography course you could create an assignment that requires students create edited images based on a technique they've learned.

Through the Courses Assignments option, students can upload all kinds of projects to be graded from video, portfolios, images and long-form essays. It is possible to be creative with the assignments you want for your students.

The nature of these assignments means you'll have be grading them manually and this is possible using the Courses Gradebook feature.

Keep the Bite-Sized

Do not overwhelm students with long assessments. The short and frequent tests or assignments are more engaging and provide regular opportunities for students to assess their comprehension.

Mix It Up Between Modules

Variate the type of questions and assignments throughout your course. You can, for instance, take advantage of knowledge-check quizzes early on as well as more hands-on, practical assignments in later modules.

Allow Retakes and Flexibility

Allow students to retake quizzes or revise assignments in order to foster learning and improvement in the content.

11. Recognized with Certificates

Recognizing your students' achievements can be a great way to keep them motivated and involved. The awarding of certificates not only adds value to your course but also provides the students with a tangible award that they will be proud to show off in their professional as well as personal life. Learn how to create certificates that are an integral part of your course:

Why Certificates Matter

• Motivation Certificates give students something to work toward and help them remain in the present and stay engaged throughout the entire course.
• Recognition: They serve as an official acknowledgement of the effort made by the student and learning achievement.
• Shareable Achievements Students may share their certificates through LinkedIn as well as resumes and personal websites that highlight their talents and expertise.

What is the best way to award certificates for courses

Courses allows you to instantly issue certificates to students upon course completion.

There are a range of designs and customize certificates to reflect your company's image and contain all pertinent information, such as:

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

With the certificate feature included in Courses, there's no need to install additional plugins or manual processes. It's fully automated and smooth.

Set Expiry Dates to Continuous Certifications

For courses that require regular recertification, such as certification for compliance or specific skills to industry, you can set expiry dates for certificates.

Students are encouraged to keep current with their education through re-taking the course within the specified time frame, to ensure their skills remain relevant.

Encourage sharing to expand your The Reach

If students are able to share certificates, they could become effective marketing instruments. Encourage your students to:

• Print and share certificates on social networks.
• Add certificates to the professional portfolios of their employees.
• In the profiles of their LinkedIn profile.

Through Courses, you are able to provide shareable links for your students to share their knowledge far and wide, sharing their achievements and highlighting your program as a trusted authority!

A Free Online Course Launch Checklist: Content Development for Courses

Create Your Course Content Outline

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

Create high-quality educational Materials

Create engaging videos to deliver your course content:
Employ a relaxed, casual style.
Talk with confidence and enthusiasm.
Include captions and transcripts to ensure accessibility.
Use additional resources such as PDFs and slides for further help with your learning.
Make use of Courses to easily upload videos, text and other files in every lesson.

Design and create engaging quizzes and assignments

Create interactive quizzes by mixing types of questions (e.g. multi-choice, matching, fill-in the-blank).
Use the Assignments feature that lets students upload photos or videos in one click.
Make assignments and quizzes short and frequent to maintain participation.
Allow retakes or resubmissions to help students master the material.

Rewards with certificates

Encourage students to complete certificates as recognition of their effort.
Set expiry dates for certificates to encourage recertification for ongoing abilities.
 Provide shareable certificate links.

Final Pre-Launch Checks

 Skip to Final Checklist

So you've finalized your course and done everything there is to do, and it seems like everything is in place and prepared to launch. If this is the case, you must make sure everything is in place to ensure a smooth and successful launch.

12. Run Tests & Get Feedback

Be sure to conduct one quick test run to be sure that your program is well-optimized and elements such as quizzes, video, forms and so on work without any glitches.

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

Also, be sure your text has been proofread and polished. Just to make sure that it is, consider hiring the services of a proofreader who will go over your course content and eliminate mistakes in spelling, grammar, or other information that isn't relevant to the course you might have added.

Once you've done all these and are ready to launch your course using Courses, being confident that you've built the perfect masterpiece that's ready to be a huge achievement!

Free Course Launch Checklist The Final Checks

Test Your Course Functionality
Run a test to ensure that your program is optimized.
Make sure that all components function flawlessly, for example:

• Quizzes
• Formulas
• Videos
• Links and downloads

Receive feedback via Beta Testers
Invite beta testers to test your course. through your course.
 Collect detailed feedback on:

• User experience
• Possible technical problems
• The relevance and clarity of the information

Check and Polish Your Content
Check that your course's content has no errors

• Misspellings
• Grammatical errors
• Non-relevant information
   You might want to hire a professional proofreader to review your final draft.

Launch with confidence
Use Courses to officially launch your course.
Enjoy knowing that you've produced a well-tested, polished work that is ready for the big time!

Conclusion

Planning for a course launch is a meticulous process in order for it to succeed and meet the goals you set.

Key steps include defining clearly defined learning goals, conducting competitive research, creating a solid curriculum, and executing a robust marketing plan.

By carefully checking off these items and preparing yourself for a seamless and efficient launch.

Thorough preparation is essential for ensuring that your course launch is successful and that your students experience a seamless learning experience right from the beginning.

For a simpler and more efficient process, think about using ReadyLaunch(tm) by . The powerful software simplifies the creation of courses by providing custom templates, mobile-responsive designs, and a user-friendly interface, without the requirement for coding knowledge.

Victoria Lloyd       Victoria has a talent for turning small beginnings into big success, elevating her jewelry line out of the buzz of the London's market streets to high-end locations like The Royal Academy of Arts and the Topshop's Oxford Circus main store. Victoria's expertise extends beyond physical products. Victoria is a pro-active track record of boosting online engagement for a variety of companies. From innovative startups to household names like Nokia as well as Jack Daniels, Victoria has employed her unique combination of wordsmithing along with strategic thinking and digital acumen to drive the engagement of brands as well as SEO. With her company , Victoria leverages her diverse experience to simplify and demystify the online world of participation and growth for businesses. Victoria is here to help readers through her insightful knowledge, assisting them in effectively and imaginatively create their communities online and membership sites.