Everyone has a skill they’re great at. Maybe it’s something you’ve spent years mastering, like marketing or graphic design. Or perhaps your talent is more niche, like organizing cluttered spaces or reviving houseplants.
Whatever it is, there’s a good chance someone is eager to learn it. Thanks to the rise of online courses, sharing your knowledge has never been more rewarding. Teaching online lets you connect with your audience, position yourself as an expert, and deliver lasting value to your community. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to reach more customers and generate extra income. The best part? Creating an online course is easier than you might think. With a clear plan and the right tools, you can build a course that delivers real impact. Keep reading to discover the ten steps to turn your idea into a successful online course—from picking your topic to promoting it effectively.
What is an online course?
An online course delivers structured learning entirely over the internet. It usually includes pre-recorded lectures, lessons, assignments, assessments, and other educational resources. The biggest advantage of online courses? Flexibility—learners can study anytime, anywhere.
Why create an online course?
Before we discuss how to create online courses, let’s first talk about why you might want to. There are a lot of great reasons, but here are four of the biggest ones:
- You’ll reach more people: Once your course is up and running, it works for you around the clock with little effort on your part. Unlike in-person workshops, you don’t have to be there each time someone registers. Whether you want to reach 10 people or 10,000, you can easily grow your audience.
- You can make a real impact: An online course is a powerful way to make a difference. From teaching a new skill to offering expert advice, your course helps learners achieve their goals. Seeing how you support their personal or professional growth is incredibly rewarding.
- It builds your reputation: Launching an online course establishes you or your organization as an expert in your field. By presenting your knowledge in a structured, educational format, you show your audience you’re a skilled teacher. This boosts your credibility, making people more likely to trust you, seek advice, and follow your guidance.
- It’s an easy way to make money: Online courses are an excellent way to generate passive income. After putting in the initial time and effort, your course can keep selling to a growing audience, creating a steady stream of income.
Just getting started? Read How to solve a problem like content creation: The key to delivering tangible business outcomes
10 steps to create an online course
Online courses can create big opportunities for individuals and organizations alike. But by now, you might be asking yourself—do you have what it takes to create one? The good news is that it’s never been easier to build a course from scratch. In fact, you can do it in just 10 simple steps. Let’s walk through the process together.
Step 1: Pick your topic and audience
The first thing you’ll need to do to create a successful online course is to choose a topic and define your target audience. Look around, and you’ll see the possibilities are endless—yoga, entrepreneurship, coding, and beyond. Your course should focus on what you know best and who you want to reach.
So, how do you choose the right topic for your course? Follow these tips.
Take stock of your expertise
Reflect on what you’re really good at. Think about the experiences that have shaped you, the skills you’ve honed, and the passions that drive you. What are you truly exceptional at? What do you enjoy doing? Your expertise is the foundation of your course, so choose a subject you’re confident in and passionate about—something that will inspire others to feel the same way.
Understand your audience’s needs
Next, focus on your target audience. What do they want to achieve? What challenges can your course help them solve? By pinpointing gaps in their knowledge or skills, you can design a course that directly meets their needs. The more specific you are, the better. A course that tackles a clear issue will resonate more deeply with your audience and increase your chances of success.
Align with your purpose and passion
Lastly, make sure the course ties into your bigger goals—whether it’s growing your client base, building your brand’s reputation, or training new employees. Ensuring that your course supports your personal or organizational mission helps keep it relevant and valuable in the long run.
Step 2: Conduct market research
By now, you probably have a winning course idea. Great! But before you create one, make sure there’s demand for it. The last thing you want is to invest time and energy into something that doesn’t get the attention it deserves.
To figure out if there’s demand, start by asking yourself these key questions:
- Are people interested in this topic?
- Are there already courses on this subject?
- Can you spot gaps or opportunities in existing content?
Here’s how you can conduct thorough market research to answer those questions.
Analyze demand
There are plenty of tools that can help you see if your audience is interested in your topic. Google Trends can show if interest in your subject is rising. SEMrush, Ahrefs, and AnswerThePublic can identify high-traffic keywords and trending topics related to your course idea. You can also browse forums like Reddit and Quora to see if people are asking questions about your topic.
Don’t forget to search through Facebook Groups, LinkedIn, and X to gauge the conversations happening in real time. This will give you a sense of whether your topic is gaining traction. Here’s another pro tip: create a landing page where people can pre-register for your course. Promote it across your social channels to measure interest and start collecting potential leads before your course even launches.
Competitor analysis
Next, take a closer look at other courses in your niche. See who’s already offering something similar, and pay attention to their course pricing, formats, and content. What do they cover, and more importantly, where do they fall short? Are there gaps in the content or areas they haven’t fully explored? This will give you the insight you need to make your course stand out.
Engage with your audience
Beyond online research, engage directly with your potential audience. Conduct surveys or focus groups to gather feedback on what learners truly need. Ask about their pain points, goals, and expectations for a course. This direct engagement will help shape your course content to meet real-world needs. You can also incentivize participation by offering something of value, like free access to your course once it’s launched.
Step 3: Define learning objectives
Learning objectives are essential for guiding your course. They tell learners exactly what they will gain from it and keep them on track. By defining these objectives early on, you’ll make sure that your course has a clear focus and purpose.
You can use the SMART framework to create learning objectives:
- Specific: Focus on precise skills or knowledge
- Measurable: Define outcomes learners can assess
- Achievable: Ensure the objectives are realistic
- Relevant: Align with the audience’s goals and your organization’s mission
- Time-bound: Set expectations for completion
For example, a course on sustainable practices might include an objective like, "By the end of this course, participants will be able to identify and implement three key waste reduction strategies in their businesses."
By outlining precise learning objectives from the start, you set the tone for your course and give learners a clear path to success.
Step 4: Outline your course content
Once you’ve defined your learning objectives, it’s time to organize your course content. The course ensures the material flows logically and covers all necessary topics. To do this, break down your course into modules or lessons that progressively build on each other.
Here’s some advice on how to structure your content:
- Introduction. Your introduction sets the tone for the entire course. It’s the first impression learners will have—so make it count. Introduce yourself or your organization, explain the course structure, and highlight the benefits learners will get from it.
- Core modules. Organize the main content into bite-sized, logical modules. Each module should focus on one specific skill, concept, or topic, helping learners move toward the course’s overall goals. Keep the modules consistent in length and complexity, and ensure they flow naturally from one to the next. This way, learners can build on their knowledge without feeling overwhelmed.
- Conclusion. Wrap up the course by summarizing the key takeaways. This is where learners can reflect on what they’ve learned and solidify their understanding. Include a quiz or test to help them check their knowledge to make sure they’ve grasped the important concepts.
Step 5: Choose the right platform
The platform you choose can make or break your course’s success. With the right one, you can enhance learner engagement, track progress, and easily manage your course. Your choice should fit your organization’s goals, budget, and planned content.
- Learning management system (LMS): AI-powered LMS platforms like Absorb Create make it simple to create and deliver courses for learners inside and outside an enterprise. These systems offer a variety of advanced features, such as social learning, personalized learning paths, reporting and analytics, and an eCommerce portal for selling your courses. With Absorb, everything is streamlined into a single unified platform.
- Video recording tools: If your course includes video content, having the right tools is essential for creating professional-quality recordings. Tools like Absorb offer AI voices that narrate your courses, ensuring consistency across different course creators.
- Design software: Visual content plays a key role in making your course materials appealing. Canva and Adobe Suite are excellent tools for designing professional-quality visuals like slide decks, infographics, and other course materials.
Step 6: Develop engaging course materials
You’ve chosen your topic, confirmed there’s a demand for it, set clear learning outcomes, and mapped out your course structure. Now, it’s time to get creative and plan how to deliver your content in a way that captivates your learners.
Everyone learns differently, so it’s important to diversify your course materials to appeal to a wide range of learning preferences. A mix will keep your content engaging, while also making your course more marketable.
Here are some ways you can approach it:
- Videos: Short, engaging videos are perfect for visual learners and work well to break down complex topics into easy-to-understand, bite-sized lessons.
- Text and PDFs: Some learners prefer text-based content. Offer downloadable guides, templates, checklists, or transcripts for offline use. PDFs work especially well for detailed instructions or step-by-step processes.
- Interactive elements: Keep learners engaged with quizzes, assignments, and discussions. Quizzes let them test their knowledge, assignments encourage hands-on learning, and discussions build a sense of community.
- Visual aids: Infographics and animations are excellent tools for simplifying complex ideas. For example, an infographic summarizing a step-by-step process can be far easier to understand than a long text description.
- Live sessions & Q&A: Host live sessions or Q&A rounds for real-time interaction. These provide support, clarify confusion, and strengthen the learner-instructor connection.
- Gamification: Make learning fun with gamified elements like badges, points, or leaderboards. These features boost motivation and create a sense of accomplishment as learners hit milestones.
Step 7: Record your course
With your course structure, materials, and plan in place, it's time to start recording. This step is essential for delivering a polished, professional course. Here's how to get it right:
Preparation:
- Create a script or outline: Write a script or a detailed outline for each lesson. This helps you stay on track and ensures you cover all the key points without missing anything important.
- Set up your space: Choose a clean, quiet spot to record with minimal distractions. Make sure the lighting is good—natural light works best, but if you're indoors, consider using a ring light or softbox lighting to brighten the space.
- Invest in quality equipment: Clear audio and video are a must for an effective course. While you don’t need to spend a fortune, investing in a good microphone and camera will make a noticeable difference in the quality of your course.
Recording:
You have a few options for recording styles depending on your content and preference:
- Talking head: Frame yourself on video while speaking directly to the camera. This style works well for building a connection with your audience. Just make sure you’re well-lit, maintain good posture, and use engaging body language.
- Screen recording: If you’re demonstrating something on your computer, use Absorb’s screen recording software to capture it.
- Voiceover: If you don’t want to appear on camera, create a voiceover while showing your screen or slides. This works great when visuals are the focus. With Absorb, you can even add an AI-generated voice to your courses.
The future of course development with Create AI
Step 8: Test your course
Before launching your course, test it out to make sure it lives up to your standards and delivers the value you’ve promised.
For starters, ask for feedback. Share your course with a small group of testers—these could be colleagues, stakeholders, or a few people from your target audience. Ask them how clear, engaging, and easy to use the course is. Their input will help you identify areas that need more explanation or improvement.
Next, test all the interactive features. This includes things like links, downloadable resources, quizzes, and multimedia elements. Make sure everything works as expected. Also, test the course on different devices (laptops, tablets, and phones) and browsers to avoid any technical issues for your learners.
Finally, review your course videos and materials closely. Look for any errors, outdated information, or places where the flow might be off. Check the pacing of the lessons to make sure they’re engaging and easy to follow. If needed, tweak sections to make the learner experience smooth and enjoyable.
Step 9: Launch and market your course
The launch of your course is an exciting milestone, but to ensure it reaches the right audience and makes the impact you want, you’ll need a solid marketing strategy. Start by creating a launch plan. This means announcing your course across multiple channels—newsletters, social media platforms, and your organization’s website.
Let’s take a look at the different ways to market your course:
- Email marketing: Build anticipation and drive sign-ups with email updates, sneak peeks, and valuable content.
- Write blog posts: Create blog content that highlights the benefits of your course.
- Use social media marketing: Post engaging content about your course on your social media channels.
- Host a webinar: Generate excitement by offering a free, value-packed webinar that gives a sneak peek of your course content.
- Use paid ads strategically: Invest in targeted ads on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google to boost visibility and attract learners from your ideal audience.
Leverage partnerships: Collaborate with influencers or industry leaders to help spread the word and reach new audiences.
Create testimonials and reviews: Showcase feedback from early testers or beta users to build credibility and encourage sign-ups.
You might also want to incentivize early registration by offering early-bird access. Consider special pricing, discounts, or exclusive bonuses for those who sign up before the official launch.
Step 10: Continuously improve your course
The launch of your course is just the beginning. To keep it relevant, valuable, and engaging, it’s important to keep making improvements along the way. Make it a habit to ask your learners for feedback—find out what’s working, what needs tweaking, and how the content, structure, or delivery could improve.
You’ll also want to keep your course fresh—add new lessons, case studies, or modules to reflect the latest trends and developments. As you get more feedback or learn something new, update your course to make sure it continues to meet your learners' needs.
Finally, check in on your course's performance using your LMS reporting and analytics tools. Look at metrics like enrollment, course completion, and satisfaction to get insights into where you can improve.
Mistakes to avoid when creating an online course
Creating an online course is an exciting journey, but there are common pitfalls you should watch out for to ensure success:
Lack of clear objectives: If your course doesn’t have clear learning goals, it can feel disorganized, and learners might struggle to understand what they’re supposed to achieve. Be specific about what learners should be able to do by the end of the course to give your content purpose and direction.
Too much content: It’s tempting to pack in as much information as you can, but overwhelming your learners has downsides. Focus on quality over quantity—make sure each lesson serves a purpose and ties back to your course objectives.
Poor audio or video quality: Bad sound or video can make even the best course hard to follow. Invest in decent recording equipment and editing software to ensure your content is clear and professional.
Lack of marketing: No matter how great your course is, it won’t succeed if no one knows about it. Spend time on a solid marketing plan, including email campaigns, social media promotion, and partnerships to get the word out and reach the right audience.
Little engagement: Engagement is key to keeping learners interested and helping them succeed. Add interactive elements like quizzes, discussions, or assignments to keep your learners active. Without engagement, they’re more likely to lose interest and drop out.
The final word on how to create an online course
Creating an online course doesn’t have to be daunting. In fact, it’s an incredibly powerful way for people and organizations to connect with their audience, teach new skills, and make a lasting difference. By following these ten steps, you’ll deliver valuable content and create an experience that resonates with learners.
Ready to get started? Try our AI-powered LMS and see how it works for you.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make my own online course?
Start by picking a topic you’re passionate about, then define your target audience and set clear learning objectives. Next, create a detailed course outline, develop engaging content, select a platform to host your course, and finally, market it effectively to reach the right learners.
How long should it take to create an online course?
It can take weeks to create an eLearning course with traditional software. Tools like Absorb Create, which uses built-in generative AI, allows you to create engaging courses in just minutes.
Is creating an online course profitable?
Yes, if done right. With proper marketing and a compelling course, you can generate substantial revenue. Online courses can provide passive income, scaling as you reach more learners.
Can I pay someone to create an online course for me?
Yes, you can hire freelancers or agencies to handle course creation, including scriptwriting, video production, platform setup, and marketing. Hiring experts ensures quality but requires a higher budget. Be clear about your vision and expected results.
