How many times have you pondered if an idea for an online course is feasible or if your target audience would be interested in it? Have you ever struggled to come up with a topic that will pique the interest of your audience? If that's the case, you've arrived at the right spot!
Ideas are merely the beginning of the process of creating an online course, and we all know that the first half of any activity is the most crucial.
Many online course creators wish their concepts were well-known, but only a small fraction of them are worth implementing. The best approach to evaluate if an idea has a chance of success is to validate it.
WHAT IS IDEA VALIDATION?
Idea validation is one of the most important steps of the creative process, regardless of what a person is about to create. Idea validation is a systematic approach to gathering data through a variety of methods and channels in order to make quick, informed, and risk-free decisions about your online course topic and content for online course creators.
The validation of an online course concept frequently starts with a thought and ends with a paying customer. Before releasing a finished product (such as an online course) or service, validate a notion by putting it to the test in the actual world (e.g., a specific bundle of courses).
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
You should deliver useful online courses to your students as an online course creator. Being able to show your learners what they need to know about a topic or how to improve a skill through an online course you've produced for them demonstrates your expertise in that industry and builds your credibility with your target audience.
As a course creator, you have a significant responsibility to your audience, whether they are paying subscribers or not. Start with a great online course topic that will be beneficial to your students.
Course validation is the procedure you should follow while creating an online course to guarantee that your concept is appropriate. Regardless of how skilled you are, whether you are a professional, entrepreneur, or business, you should always consider market research, google analytics, search engines, and the variety of communication channels that we will discuss later in this blog to collect invaluable insight relevant to your online course idea.
Course validation can help you decide whether to modify your online course concept, establish a new online course, or set up the process for implementing a course topic and the content you'll include in it.
Let's take a look at the Steps of Validating Online Course Ideas
- Define the problems that your learners are experiencing.
The first stage in the course validation process is to make sure the topic you've chosen is relevant to your students' issues. Even if you don't have a specific topic in mind, figuring out what your students' roadblocks are will help you come up with a list of themes for your online course.
You can use a variety of sources to discover more about what your students are interested in and concerned about, as well as any interests or challenges they may be facing.
Some of the ways are through - Customer Surveys, Google Analytics, Keyword Trends, etc
2. Analyze the raw data
It's time to create a shortlist of online course subjects after you've gathered all of the information from the various sources we discussed in Step 1.
Many of the tools listed in Step 1 provide much more than just raw statistics to help you make an informed decision about which course topic to design next. As a result, this is unquestionably a positive indicator. You don't have to start from scratch when it comes to data analysis!
The task now is to compile all of this information into a curated list of course topics that will appeal to your online school and result in course sales.
You must use a lean, resource-efficient data analysis approach, in which evidence reduces risk and simplifies decision-making.
You can utilize online tools for Idea Management Software to assist the data analysis process once you've compiled a list of online course ideas.
These are tools for business owners and entrepreneurs that allow them to obtain product insights and then organise and manage product improvement or development ideas. Keep in mind that your online courses are your products as course creators.
Pre Launch of your online course
Now that you've narrowed down your alternatives and perhaps chosen the online course idea you'll use for your next online course, it's time to move forward with a soft launch. It will help you collect feedback and improve your course.
Advertising your course and gathering email addresses from potential students are both parts of the pre-launch process. During this time, you'll need to raise awareness and get people eager to buy your course.
The strategy works by creating a buzz and asking people to subscribe to your mailing list. In reality, this is the most effective technique for launching a product. By building up your audience's expectations, you create the necessary tension for them to opt-in and purchase your online course once it is available.
Remember, you can pre-launch your online course in its entirety or just a module, to your complete audience or a specific subset. As a pre-launch, you can also choose to launch merely a free first lesson.
There is no universal best practice or golden guideline for how you should handle your course's prelaunch and pre-sale. You must test and optimize your content based on your target audience and industry. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you notify your audience ahead of time so they know what to anticipate from a pre-launch or pre-sale.
In a nutshell, you now have all the information you need to validate any course idea you have and identify course ideas that make sense for your target audience in easy, straightforward stages. You're now ready to start working on your online course.
Remember that you don't have to use all of the tools and methods listed here to evaluate your course concept. Integrating several tools and methodologies yields considerable benefits.
Furthermore, certain ideas will make more sense than others based on your business and market. What's key is that you choose at least one technique for each step of the validation process to increase your confidence in your ultimate decision.
Finally, you've paved the ground for a successful launch of your online course, which can help your eLearning business develop and generate income. After all, why not? You've laid the groundwork for a consistent stream of passive income in the near future.
Teachmint is the leading ed-infra provider helping educational institutions improve their efficiency. With our offerings like LMS, attendance management, fee management system, and more, institutes can boost their productivity multifold.
Suggested Read: What is the Best Way to Make an Online Course?
