4 Unexpected Benefits of Creating a Simple Online Course

Some of the reasons for creating your first online course are obvious.

Revenue steals most of the limelight – an online course is an asset you can sell again and again to earn more money for your business.

(And often that income is passive, which is a major attraction too.)

But money is not the only reason to build a course.

In fact, you might be surprised just how many other benefits you’ll get from creating a simple online course.

Are you ready to discover what they are?

You’ll Send Your Credibility through the Roof

Haven’t you heard? “Launching a course” is the new “publishing a book”.

In other words, it’s a major credibility booster.

And it’s pure common sense. If I land on your website and see that you have a course for sale, I can’t help but be impressed. It means you know (and care) enough about your area of expertise to spend the time it takes to create a course around it.

And whether I end up buying your course or not, you’ve made a positive impact.

(Just like I don’t have to read your book to be impressed that you wrote one.)

So don’t underestimate the power of creating a course, even a modest one. It’s not just about the money you make, but the impression you make.

And the truth is that few authors make big bucks from selling their books anyway. But they know the effort will pay off in numerous other ways that most people don’t realise.

And it’s just the same with courses. So don’t make the mistake of thinking that a course that doesn’t earn you a fortune doesn’t have serious value.

You’ll Fast-track Your “Signature Method”

If you offer a service you probably know this already, but…

Customers love it when you have a success formula you always follow.

You can call it your “proven process” or your “signature method” but people are reassured to know you follow a tried and tested template for getting results.

(It signals you’re not just making it up as you go along.)

The thing is though, a robust method like this takes time to develop and usually goes through multiple iterations. But there’s nothing that’ll help you refine your thinking like trying to turn it into a course.

When you teach your methods to others, you’re forced to iron out the wrinkles. Your first students will help tell you where the gaps lie so you can adapt it and evolve.

So if you’re smart, you’ll have a process that you can use to show prospective customers that there’s some method behind what you do.

If you’re not there yet, creating a course is an excellent way to push that effort forward – and create a valuable business asset at the same time.

You’ll Create a Net to Catch More Customers

How much does it cost for people to get their first taste of working with you?

Whatever that number is, it’ll be too steep for some.

Now you might think: “That’s just fine. I only want to work with people who can afford it.”

Which sounds totally logical, but here’s the twist. Some prospects don’t necessarily have shallow pockets, they’re just not comfortable digging deeper before they get to know you and your methods a little better.

A simple online course creates an entry-level offer that lets people step into your world with a modest investment. And does it in a way that doesn’t devalue your higher-priced services.

Naturally, not everyone who buys your course will want (or be able) to take it further. But those that do will already be “warmed up” to work with you, and those that don’t will have generated income without requiring much of your time.

So think of your course as a net to help you catch the smaller fish that would otherwise have swum away. And also hook some bigger fish that were in disguise.

You’ll Learn a Ton about Creating Courses

Whether courses are a big part of your future strategy, or you’re only just working out where they fit in, one thing is certain:

Course creation is a learned skill and the more you do it, the better you’ll get.

Too many first-time course creators go for broke and start building a course that’s too ambitious. The result is they either lose steam and give up part-way through the process, or create a flawed course that doesn’t repay the effort they put in.

That’s why I recommend that business owners start small and build a modest course the first time around.

Building a smaller course will still give you a chance to develop the various skills you’ll need for a bigger one, but by working at a more manageable scale.

(Of course, a small course still needs to produce a meaningful result for its target audience, but that result can be something tactical and achievable in the near-term.)

Even if you don’t end up offering your first course for sale, I guarantee you’ll be glad you tried. You’ll move your thinking along and create ideas (and probably also assets) that you can use elsewhere in your business.

And you know what? If all you learn is that building courses is not for you, then that’s a valuable result too.

Are You Seeing Courses in a New Light?

There’s no doubt about it…

The promise of extra income is what draws most people to online courses.

And let’s be honest, what’s not to love about creating an endlessly scalable digital asset you can sell time and time again?

But once they get into the process, many people are surprised by the unexpected benefits they gain from packaging their knowledge up as a course.

So what about you? Are you seeing courses in a new light?

If so, maybe it’s time to start working on your first course. :-)