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Are you desperately trying to figure out why your online course isn’t selling? Do you feel like you’ve put in a lot of time and effort, but aren’t seeing the results you were hoping for? If so, you’re not alone.
Many course creators face this same challenge. Fortunately, there are some common reasons why this happens – and even better, there are solutions to help you overcome them.
Here are four reasons why your online course isn’t selling, along with some tips to help you turn things around.
1. You’re not marketing effectively
One of the biggest reasons why online courses fail to sell is because the course creator isn’t marketing effectively. Simply creating a course and putting it online is not enough – you need to actively promote it to your target audience. Some common marketing mistakes include:
- Not defining your target audience clearly enough
- Not using the right marketing channels to reach your audience
- Not communicating the value of your course effectively
To overcome these challenges, start by clearly defining your target audience and understanding their needs and pain points. Then, identify the marketing channels that are most likely to reach this audience (e.g. social media, email marketing, paid advertising) and craft messaging that speaks directly to their needs. Consider offering a free trial or sample of your course to entice potential customers and demonstrate the value of your offering.
2. Your course content is not engaging
Another reason why your online courses may not be selling is that your content is not engaging enough. In a previous post, we highlighted a benefit of creating courses is to showcase your expertise with your audience. However, if your course is boring or doesn’t provide real value to your customers, they will quickly lose interest and look elsewhere. Some common content mistakes include:
- Not organizing your content in a logical and easy-to-follow way
- Not providing enough practical examples or hands-on activities
- Not providing feedback or interaction with students
To make your course content more engaging, consider breaking it up into smaller, more digestible sections, and include practical examples and activities to help students apply what they’ve learned. Provide opportunities for students to interact with you and each other, whether through live Q&A sessions, discussion forums, or other means.
Does this resonate with you? Schedule a 15-minute call with me so we could start the conversation about how I could help you with your content.
3. Your pricing is not right
Pricing is another critical factor that can impact the success of your online course. If your course is priced too high, potential customers may be hesitant to invest in it, while pricing it too low may suggest a lack of value or quality. Some common pricing mistakes include:
- Not conducting market research to understand what your competitors are charging
- Not factoring in the costs of creating and maintaining the course
- Not considering the perceived value of the course from the customer’s perspective
To get your pricing right, start by conducting market research to understand what your competitors are charging and what your target audience is willing to pay. Factor in your own costs, such as time spent creating the course and any ongoing maintenance or support needs. Finally, consider the perceived value of your course from the customer’s perspective – what benefits will they receive, and how much are those benefits worth to them?
4. Your sales page is not effective
Finally, your sales page may be the reason why your online course isn’t selling. This is the page where customers can learn more about your course and make a purchase so it needs to grab and hold their attention. Some common sales page mistakes include:
- Not clearly communicating the benefits and value of your course
- Not providing enough social proof, such as customer testimonials or case studies
- Not including a clear call-to-action (CTA) or making it difficult for customers to purchase
If you need help creating an effective sales page, my friend Cindy Bidar has an amazing course called Sales Pages That Convert. This course will help you write better sales pages for your courses and review past copywriting projects to find and improve the trouble spots before your next launch.
Final Thoughts
In this post, we highlighted four reasons why your online course isn’t selling as well as you’d hoped. These include ineffective marketing, uninspiring content, pricing that doesn’t match the perceived value, and a sales page that doesn’t effectively communicate the benefits of your course or make it easy for people to purchase.
However, with some targeted strategies and tweaks, you can overcome these obstacles and create an online course that sells. You can increase the chances of success and help more students benefit from your knowledge and expertise.
Now it’s your turn. Do you have a course that’s struggling to make sales?
