Creating an online course is a big investment of time and resources, and it's natural to feel excited about sharing your knowledge and expertise with the world.
However, just because you have something valuable to teach doesn't mean people will automatically come and buy it.
To ensure the success of your online course, it's essential to validate your idea and make sure there's a demand for what you're offering. In this blog, we'll explore the crucial steps you need to take to validate your online course idea and give yourself the best chance of success.
Contents
Steps to validate your online course idea
1. Offer a free sample
Give potential students a taste of what your online course has to offer by creating a free sample, such as a video tutorial or an e-book. This helps you validate demand by looking at how many people showed interest.
Your free sample should be short and to the point. Aim for 10-15 minutes for a video tutorial or a few pages for an e-book. Don't overwhelm people with a lot of information, but give immense value.
What makes your online course different from the rest? Make sure your free sample highlights your unique selling proposition and sets you apart from the competition.
Why does this method work? Think about it; If your target audience isn't willing to provide their email for a free lead magnet, chances are they won't pay for a course on the same topic.
Related: 7 Strategies To Build An Email List For Online Courses
2. Create a waitlist
Creating a waitlist is a smart way to validate demand for your online course and build a list of eager potential students.
When people sign up for a waitlist, it indicates that they are interested in your online course and what you have to offer. This gives you a good idea of the level of demand for your course and helps you determine if it's worth pursuing.
Having a list of people interested in your course gives you valuable data you can use to validate demand. You can use this data to analyze the demographics of your target audience, the topics they're interested in, and the challenges they're facing. This information can help you tailor your online course to meet the needs of your target audience.
3. Talk to your audience
You can use a survey tool like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey to create your survey and send it out to your target audience.
When reaching out to your target audience, make sure to keep your pitch short and to the point. Explain why you're conducting the survey or call and what you hope to achieve. Offer incentives, such as a discount on your online course or coffee vouchers, to encourage people to participate.
If you are collecting responses via email/messages, here's what you can use:
"Hey [Name], quick favor? I'm putting together a course and want to make sure it's solving real problems. Can you share with me what's been holding you back in [area related to your course topic]? And what have you tried to overcome it? How did it go?"
4. The obvious: Google search
Start by searching for keywords related to your online course idea. Look for articles, blog posts, and forums that discuss the topics you want to cover. Pay attention to the questions people are asking, the problems they're facing, and the solutions they're seeking. This information will give you valuable insights into the needs and challenges of your target audience.
Look for signs that there is a need for your online course. This could be in the form of a high search volume for keywords related to your course, frequent questions on forums and social media, or a lack of existing resources that provide the information your target audience is seeking.
For example, we searched for a 'habit-building course' and found these results. These are paid courses, showing demand for this kind of knowledge.
Once you have gathered the data, it's time to judge the results. Look for patterns in the data and analyze the trends. Use this information to determine if there is a gap in the market that your online course can fill.
Start Creating Your Course Now
Final Thoughts
As you embark on your online course creation journey, remember that it's never too late to pivot or make changes based on the feedback you receive. The validation process is an ongoing one, and it's important to stay open to new ideas and insights as you continue to grow and improve your course.
If you're looking for a platform that can help you validate your online course idea and bring your vision to life, consider Miho. Miho offers a user-friendly course creation platform that makes it easy to design, build, and market your course to a global audience. With Miho, you have everything you need to turn your knowledge into a thriving online business.
