The days of brick-and-mortar classrooms are quickly coming to an end. With the rise in online courses, it has become easier than ever for teachers and students alike to learn from anywhere in the world. The process of picking a platform for your course is important because you want something that will make both you and your students happy. In this blog post, we’ll be discussing 6 tips that will help you choose the right platform for your online course!
Choose A Platform That Fits Your Objective
When it comes to creating an online course, there are many different platforms that you can use. Some of the most popular options include Teachable, Thinkific, and Udemy. Make sure to check the LMS comparison article for more details about this topic. Choosing which platform is right for your needs depends on what you want to achieve with your online course.
For example, if you plan on hosting live events or webinars then something like GoToWebinar may be a good choice since it allows you more flexibility than some other tools do when it comes to things like attendee management and recording sessions. However, if portability is important then Teachable might be more suitable because as well as being able to host video files from external sources such as YouTube videos, this tool also lets users export their courses as an HTML page.
Determine What You Want To Accomplish
There are also several restrictions that you have to consider before choosing your platform. For example, some tools may not support mobile devices or require certain hardware requirements for the software to work properly. Make sure to check out all of these details and find out more about any limitations before signing up for anything so that there will be no surprises down the line.
In addition, it’s important to note which features each tool provides as well as what type of user interface they offer since this can affect things like how easy it is for students to navigate through content and participate within discussions, etc., depending on their technical skills. There are many different options available when creating an online course but knowing exactly what you want from yours beforehand can help ensure that you make the right choice.
Consider The Costs Involved
Another important factor to consider is the cost of your chosen platform. While not all platforms require a subscription, most do and these can range from $20 per month up to as much as $100 or more depending on how many courses you want to host and what other features are included with the plan.
Therefore, choosing a course hosting tool that provides everything you need without breaking the bank is extremely important especially if it’s something that you’re going to be using regularly such as an online e-learning portal for your company or organization. As long as there aren’t any hidden fees then this shouldn’t be too difficult but just make sure that they don’t limit anything like video storage space unless this will only affect a small number of people who opt to host large video files.
On the other hand, if you’re just starting and want to get your feet wet before investing a lot of time or money into creating an online course then it may be wise to start with something simple that doesn’t cost too much such as Teachable since this platform is free for up to three courses and there are no hidden fees associated with their paid plans either. However, keep in mind that these types of platforms typically have more limitations than others so it’s important not to become attached when moving on from them later down the line if necessary.
Consider The Device You Will Be Using
When it comes to choosing an online course, don’t forget that some tools are better suited depending on the device you plan on using. For example, while most platforms will work with desktop computers and laptops they may not be compatible with mobile devices like smartphones or tablets. Therefore, if your target audience is more likely to use these types of devices for their courses then something like Thinkific might not be a good choice unless there’s another feature included such as offline support which makes the tool both accessible anywhere without having to rely on internet access to provide content.
Build Your Content
After choosing your platform, the next step is to create or upload any course content that you want to include. Most platforms will let users import existing materials from other sources such as text documents and video files but just be sure about how much of this type of thing you’re planning on including because some tools only support a certain amount before requiring an upgrade or starting to charge extra.
Once your content is fully uploaded then you’ll need to consider how your students will be able to access it since not all platforms include this feature for free. For example, with Thinkific anyone who wants to enroll in one of your courses will have the option of downloading a course file that contains everything they need within it so there’s no need for any additional software or hardware requirements but if you decide on Udemy or Skillshare then each student may only have the ability to stream their materials instead which means viewing them online without being able to download anything at all unless an upgrade has been purchased beforehand.
Consider Other Factors
What works best may depend on the type of content involved as well as how much money or time you’re willing to put into creating something new from scratch since some tools only provide access to certain types of material such as video lectures instead of text documents like ebooks. So make sure not to get overwhelmed by all the choices available and take your time narrowing down your options before making any final decisions because it can be difficult changing platforms later on if we don’t end up liking them after they’ve been chosen due to their different features and limitations.
Choosing the right platform for your online course is not easy, but it can be made easier with a few tips. The last thing you want to do is pay hundreds of dollars for a new technology that doesn’t work or meet your needs. So let’s take a look at some helpful guidelines when choosing the best software and tools for hosting an online course.
