5 Proven Ways to Build Trust and Boost Online Course Sales

As the market for online courses continues to grow, standing out from the competition is the only way to make your online course successful. The most important factor in attracting and retaining students is building trust.

By creating an environment where students feel confident, secure, heard, and relatable, you can foster a sense of community, increase engagement, and ultimately boost sales for your online course. Building trust with your students is essential in promoting your online course and ensuring that your efforts to sell online courses are successful.

5 Ways to Build Trust and Boost Online Course Sales

1. Create excellent content

The quality of the course content will be the decisive factor in the success of your online course sales. Having content that is engaging, informative, and valuable to your learners creates long-lasting trust.

• Know your target audience: Take the time to understand their needs, preferences, and level of knowledge. Knowing the learning style of your target audience and the outcomes they want to achieve from your course will help you develop content that resonates with them and meet their goals.
  
• Use a variety of teaching methods: Don’t make your course bland by teaching it in only one format. Make it richer by mixing up the way you deliver your content to keep students engaged. Use a combination of text, audio, video, and interactive elements such as quizzes and exercises. This will help to cater to different learning styles and keep students interested.
  
• Provide examples and case studies: Make your content more relatable and authentic by sharing stories from your own life. Talk about the problems you have faced and the solutions you came up with, as this will not only show your expertise but also help to build trust and familiarity with your audience.
  
• Regularly update your content: Stay on top of the latest trends and developments related to your course topics, and ensure that your content is always up-to-date and relevant to your students.

2. Provide a free preview of your course

Purchasing a course is a significant investment, and thus, it is natural for people to be on the fence before making a decision. By allowing them to get a taste of your content, you give them the opportunity to evaluate the quality of your online course and decide if it is right for them.

Your free preview or the course sample also helps to market and sell your courses by alleviating any doubts or hesitation your customers may have about investing in your full course. Let them explore the content before committing, and you can make them feel more comfortable and reassured of their decision.

3. Share positive reviews and testimonials

When was the last time you booked a reservation in a restaurant without checking the reviews online? Chances are, you would not visit a restaurant without thoroughly researching it. Reviews and testimonials act as valuable sources of information that help people make informed decisions about products and services, and this also applies to online course sales.

92% of customers read online reviews before buying

- BigCommerce

Positive reviews and testimonials can be extremely powerful in influencing your potential students to purchase your online course. It helps build trust and credibility, allowing customers to make decisions based on the experiences of others. Additionally, it helps to build a sense of community, as customers can read the experiences of others and gain a better understanding of the product or service.

💡 Also Read: 5 Common Reasons Your Online Courses Aren't Selling

4. Be yourself and transparent

Authenticity is often undervalued. If you are the brand, people will want to know you. And there’s no better way to get people to trust you than sharing your story with them and being real.

You do not need to share all personal details, but giving your audience a sneak peek into your ‘Behind The Scenes’ brings you out as one of them. It makes you relatable and makes them think of you as someone they can trust.

You can share:

• Your journey
  
• How you are creating your course
  
• What are the obstacles that you are traversing?

This helps shape how your audience perceives you and allows them to look beyond the course you are offering and gain a better understanding of who you are and what you stand for. This deeper level of understanding and connection can result in increased online course sales, as potential customers are more likely to trust and purchase from someone they feel a connection with.

Content → Circulation → Consistency → Trust

- Niraj Harlalka

5. Be approachable

When people feel like they can reach out to you and that you are open to engaging with them, they will be more likely to invest in your content.

Being approachable means that you are willing to listen and respond to people's questions and concerns, and this, in turn, generates trust and creates a more positive relationship between you and your audience. This approachable demeanor is an important component of your marketing strategy for selling online courses.

You show them that you are invested in their experience and are willing to take the time to listen to their feedback and concerns.

Finally, by being approachable, you demonstrate that you are not only interested in making a sale, but you truly want to help and understand your customers. This helps to foster a sense of community and belonging among your audience.

Next Steps

When students trust you and your brand, they are more likely to sign up and remain engaged. Sustained trust will lead to increased sales and a more successful online course business.

Niraj Harlalka, Founder of Eduberance, spoke with Hanuj Tilwani, CEO & Co-founder, Miho, and discussed the key pillars of trust in building a knowledge business. His rich experience and insights are invaluable for anyone creating courses online.

Catch the podcast here.