Want to Create an Online Course? Start Here

Thinking About Creating a Course? Keep These 4 Things in Mind

4 Reasons to Start a Waitlist then Launch your Course or Product

I have bought my fair share of terrible online courses and even created some myself that never even sold! So why should you even invest in educating your clients?

If done right and with interest, you can save yourself time, money, and client frustration.

4 Reasons Why Most Online Training/Courses Suck

Generic, One-Size-Fits-All Content

Trying to appeal to everyone ends up resonating with no one. If your training isn’t tailored to your audience’s real needs, struggles, or goals, learners quickly tune out.

How to do better:
Get specific! Speak directly to your ideal client’s pain points and dreams. Use real-life examples, stories, and language that feel familiar and relatable.

For example, in my presentation, “Graphic Design for Nondesigners,” I focused on creating slide decks using real-world examples that engage and inspire people to produce better graphic design work in their PowerPoint presentations.

Zero Guidance Overload

Many online courses attempt to cram in everything, but the kitchen sink. While it’s tempting to overdeliver, providing too much information without a clear roadmap can leave learners overwhelmed and unsure of where to start. If there’s no step-by-step guidance or clear learning path, people quickly lose motivation.

How to do better:
Break your content into manageable, bite-sized modules. Give learners a clear journey. Tell them exactly where to start, what to do next, and what success looks like at each step.

In my workshop, Exploring Your Origin Story, I had participants interact with me after each step to learn the material more effectively and on the spot, and to demonstrate how to create better stories using their existing experiences. I provided feedback and guidance throughout.

No Immediate Wins

How to do better:
Give your learners quick wins. Start with a small, actionable tip or exercise they can try right away from the very beginning.

My husband, Avery, was going through training that consisted of video after video, with very little guidance if he had questions or needed to know what actions to take. It was just videos, and many were already out of date.

Boring Delivery

Let’s face it: endless slides, monotone voice-overs, and walls of text just aren’t fun. If your course feels like a chore, people won’t stick around. Would you? I know I don’t.

How to do better:
Inject your personality! Use video, audio, visuals, and even humor. Keep it conversational. Make your course feel like a friendly guide, not a textbook.

I feel like I have skipped out on countless training programs simply because they couldn’t hold my attention long enough. The knowledge could have been excellent and career-beneficial, but it was just not an interesting presentation.

You Can Create Something Amazing

The best online training isn’t about packing in information—it’s about creating transformation. When you design your courses with care, clarity, and real support, your clients will not just learn, but thrive.

So, if you’ve ever felt let down by an online course, let that inspire you to do things differently. Your audience deserves better—and you can give it to them!

4 Ways To Do It

You don’t need to completely reinvent the wheel to make this work. Here are a few ways you can start using courses and educational content for all your clients:

Create an FAQ Library
Gather the most common questions you get—whether by email, on calls, or in DMs—and turn them into a series of short videos or written guides. These can be organized in a simple online portal or a shared Google Drive folder.
Offer Refresher Mini-Courses
You may have a core course or an onboarding process for new clients. Why not create a “refresher” version that clients can access anytime they need a boost or want to revisit the basics?
Build a Self-Serve Onboarding Hub
Even seasoned clients sometimes forget details or want to share info with a colleague. Having a central hub with all the onboarding steps, guides, and resources makes it easy for them to find what they need, whenever they need it.
Using a Drip Email System to Slowly Educate:
As your clients get started with you, you can send them a series of simple, easy-to-follow emails that introduce the basics, terminology, expectations, and answer common questions, guiding them through each step. This gradual approach helps clients feel supported and confident, making it easy for them to learn without feeling overwhelmed, all while you continue to show up frequently in their email as their supportive guide. Getting the frequency right is really important in this technique.

Why Ongoing Education Matters

I was recently hired by a CPA whose onboarding process included a 96-slide deck that was chock-full of valuable information, but it took 2-6 hours to review. It was so much information that it was too easy to get overwhelmed and forget what’s in it. As a solution to this, we are creating educational courses that can be done that his client’s pace, on their own time, without booking in-person meetings through the use of video and slide deck content, saving the CPA plenty of house in meetings.

The truth is, learning doesn’t stop after the first “hello.” Whether your clients have been with you for a week or a year, they’re still growing, asking questions, and hitting new roadblocks. By providing ongoing educational content—such as mini-courses, tutorials, or FAQ videos—you’re showing clients that they’re supported every step of the way.

This approach does more than just educate. It builds trust, deepens relationships, and helps your clients maximize the value of what you offer. When people feel confident and empowered, they’re more likely to engage, refer, and stick around for the long haul.