How to Sell Online Courses Naturally on Your Website

Some people are just natural-born salespeople, right? They can sell ice to an Eskimo. But you can do the same with your online courses even if you have never sold anything before. 

The secret is it is not about your personality. It is all about how you understand your audience (aka your students) and how you use your strategy to reach the right people at the right time. To find the answer to your question, “How do I actually sell online courses?” I interviewed course creators and business consultants and asked them to spill the tea. In this article, you will

• Understand how you can position your course based on your students’ pain points.
• Learn some strategies other course creators use in their marketing to affect the purchase decision.
• Understand where you can sell your online courses.
• Know exactly how much you should charge for your courses.

Let’s do this. 

How to create a selling strategy for your online course 

Do you know one of the most common mistakes online course creators make when they first start? They pour their heart into creating an online course, hit publish, and then nothing happens. No sign-ups. 

I interviewed course creators who now make multiple figures. And almost all of them shared how excited they were at first but how they overlooked having a sales strategy. 

What they learned the hard way is great content is NOT enough. You can have the most valuable, well-structured course in the world, but if no one knows about it, it will not sell. That is why you need to start selling before your course is even finished.

Have you noticed how big brands launch products? They do not wait until everything is perfect and then surprise the world. They tease it. They build anticipation. They create demand before the product is even available. And we will do the same with your course.

Business consultant and course creator Jessica Terzakis put it perfectly when I asked her how course sales work in her case. 

"So you really have to think strategically about how I can position this? How are you going to release this to your community? How can I talk about this? How can I start letting my audience know about this before I even release it? You want to be thinking about that strategy piece of the launch as you are building your content." 

 

Jessica Terzakis, Course Creator, Business Consultant

Let’s see how you can achieve that. 

Position your online course the right way 

• Find what problem you solve 

One of the key points when it comes to selling your course is knowing exactly what problem you solve. 

People do not buy courses because they want information. They buy them because they need a solution. For example, if someone is drowning, they are not looking for a lesson on different swimming techniques. They want a life raft. And you need to make your course that life raft.

So, how do you find the right problem to solve?

Course creator Jan Keck explained it perfectly when I asked him what lies at the core of his marketing message. 

"Talk to your students, figure out what their pain points are, listen to the language, how they describe those pain points, because that exactly will be what is selling the course. It is not what is included and what is the content, but what are the challenges that are going to go away? What are the problems that are going to be smaller or disappear after completing the course?"

 

Jan Keck, Course Creator, Learning Experience Designer

• If you already have an audience, pay attention to the questions they ask. What are they struggling with? What keeps coming up in conversations, emails, or social media comments? If you do not have an audience yet, look at forums, Facebook groups, Reddit discussions, and blog comments in your niche.
• Another way to figure this out is by looking at yourself. What have you struggled with in the past that you have now figured out? Chances are, others are facing the same problem and would love to learn how you solved it. 

And when you understand what their main problem is, go to the core of that problem and be specific. Let’s say you want to start a fitness course and help people to have a healthy body. But we can go even further. 

Kelsey Wells, for example, who is a fitness trainer and course creator, goes even more specific. 

Her PWR gym-based program focuses on women who want to build lean muscles but do not want to attend the gym and use equipment. 

Learn more: How To Identify Your Target Audience For Your Online Course

• Create your transformation statement

Now that you know who you help and how you do it, we need to let your students know about that, too. Which is having what most course coaches call your transformation statement. 

How do we create this? You can use this simple formula:

I help [target audience] to go from [starting point] to [desired point] so that they can [promised results]. 

But we need to channel your inner marketer and copywriter. For example, I can say 

• I help entrepreneurs grow their businesses (Not promising and result-driven), or
• I help entrepreneurs make more money while cutting their work hours in half. 

Now, which made you feel more targeted and inspired?

The second example was actually the statement Graham Cochrane, a creator and entrepreneur, uses in his messaging. 

Once you create yours, you can add it to

• Your website (as your subheading)
• Your social media bio 
• Your course sales page (so people immediately understand the value)
• Your emails 
• Even in conversations (when someone asks what you do, you have the perfect answer)

This will become the cornerstone of your whole sales strategy. Jessica Terzakis, a creator and business consultant, even suggests building a mission around this statement. 

“One of the things that was a huge game changer for me in positioning the courses that I was creating and also helping my clients position their courses in a sales capacity is creating a mission around what you're doing. I think people often want to be part of something bigger than themselves”. 

 

Jessica Terzakis, Course Creator, Business Consultant 

• Think of the common objections 

When you think of yourself as a marketer who wants to position the course strategically, there is one more question to answer. 

Which is what your students think before they hit the enroll button. As someone who checks courses regularly, I ask myself dozens of questions before I purchase. So, your goal is to understand their purchase behavior and consider it in your strategy. 

For example, they can think

• Will the solution presented in this online course work for me? 

If that is an objection in your case, you can focus on sharing success stories with people who had different starting points or problems and were able to achieve the outcomes you promised. 

• I do not currently have time for this course. 

Since you know your course is for people who are likely busy in their everyday lives, you want to address this in your positioning as well. For example, if you have a self-paced course, you can mention that each lesson is 10 minutes long or that they can watch it on their own schedule. 

• The price is high.

You may be afraid that you charge too much. But not when you emphasize the value. 

Jan Keck, for example, suggests you communicate that there is a return on your student’s investment. 

“They need to see that there's a return on their investment. How can you describe that their investment is going to pay back at one point? Either by giving them skills they can use to apply for a better job or, if it is around business, by showing them how they will get more clients. Make sure they understand that”.

 

Jan Keck, Course Creator, Learning Experience Designer 

Now, the way you position your course offer decides on the action plan you want to follow to sell your online courses. 

Build your marketing funnel 

The action plan you create to sell online courses depends on the customer journey your students are on.  

Awareness 

In the awareness stage, your goal is simple: get noticed. People do not know who you are yet, so it is your job to make sure they do.

Jessica Terzakis, who helps hundreds of creators run their successful course businesses, put it perfectly in our interview:

“As a creator, you want to be thinking of how you can find the highest touch opportunities to get in front of your ideal client. Tell them about your course because your sales are just going to be so much easier”. 

 

Jessica Terzakis, Course Creator, Business Consultant 

• Get yourself in front of the ready audiences 

I know course creators who had this “I’m shy to sell” syndrome. Yet, selling your online course does not mean being pushy, offering special deals, and shaking your students’s shoulders to buy. There are natural ways you can sell a course, such as

• Being a guest in a podcast. You can find podcasts that your ideal students follow and be a guest speaker. So, you can offer the insights and hint at your course naturally. 
• Hosting a free online event. It can be a webinar, a masterclass, an interview, free training, or whatever. Since your course is the solution to the problem you give free insight for, you can present the course and not be pushy at the same time. 
• Partnering with other creators. All types of businesses rely on networking. And if you can partner with other creators, you get exposed to their audiences, too. 

• Use your own content 

As long as you are strategic about it, educating your audience for free is the most underrated sales tool. In fact, content fosters sell not only in the awareness stage but in the other parts of the customer journey as well.

For example, you can create problem-solving posts on LinkedIn, Instagram, or whatever works better in your case. 

Besides your social profiles, you can use other channels like hosting your own podcast or running a YouTube channel and newsletter. That truly requires work and effort. But as you grow, you can notice that this strategy is something you can rely on for the long term.

For example, Justin Welsh has multiple channels where he builds and nurtures audiences before they can find his courses. 

• He actively posts on LinkedIn and Twitter
• He has his newsletter
• He runs a blog
• He appeared in different videos by other course creators

Consideration 

At this stage, students are weighing their options. Maybe they are looking at other courses or just trying to figure out if your course will solve their specific problem. This is where you really need to build trust, show value, and clearly answer the question, Why should I choose your course over others? 

As we were talking about positioning the course, Jessica Terzakis mentioned after COVID, students developed higher expectations for what they invest their money in. From the students’ perspective, I can tell that they are more thoughtful and cautious with where they are spending their money and who they are buying a course from. 

So, at this stage, you can offer them a taste of what is there to come. 

• For example, you can host a 3-day mini-course or email challenge that gives a quick win, shows what it is like to work with you, and gives them a feel for your teaching style
• Gather positive feedback from your students, or colleagues, and use them in your communication channels
• Create a sales page that speaks for itself and gives a clear idea of why people should pass that journey with you and what outcomes they can achieve. 

For example, Jan Keck offers training and workshops on virtual facilitation. Each of his courses targets a specific problem, and he clearly defines it on his landing pages via engaging and situation videos besides just text information. 

He also presents the outcomes the participants can achieve, bonuses, resources, and the whole description of what the workshop entails. 

In the same way, you want to present the value your students can get as they join your program. 

Decision 

At this stage, they know about your course, they understand its value, and they are ready to make a decision. Your job now is to make it as easy and appealing as possible for them to say yes. 

You can use different techniques to help the students make the decision. The most common ones I have seen include

• Bonus content, like a special worksheet, a call with them, access to their community, etc. 
• Offering a money-back guarantee. But, at the same time, you want to remind them that your students will not even need it. For example, Mellisa Guller introduced their refund policy in her program promotional email. Yet, she included testimonials right after it. 

• You can use the social aspect and mention if you are a member of any funds or if their purchase helps people achieve a common bigger mission. For example, Jan gives 1% of his sales to partners to save the planet. 

• Have a defined day when the enrollments close. So, if people are interested in enrolling, they can make the decision quickly. For example, Kim Foster sent reminder emails to her subscribers before the enrollments closed so they did not have to get on the waitlist. 

• Add some testimonials on the checkout page as well. For example, Dr Stacy Sims offers microlearning courses on health performance. Right when the students are about to fill in their card details, there are testimonials. 

Remember the potential objections we discussed above? The marketing strategies we use are basically based on them. So, if you are struggling with online course sales, make sure you truly understand your students, and you know what is holding them back so that you can address it in your marketing. 

Define your pricing strategy

Now for the hardest part of this all. How much should you charge for your courses? 

This decision does not come easy because you either 

• Set the price for your courses too low and devaluate your course
• Afraid you charge too much and do not feel comfortable with what you charge

If you are neither of these, congratulations. Yet, if you are not sure, let us break this down. 

As we were discussing pricing strategies with Jan Keck, he mentioned one very simple method. He suggests starting with a price that feels slightly uncomfortable. Yes, uncomfortable. 

“I know a lot of people don't feel comfortable asking for a higher price because they're not sure of the value that they're providing, especially if it's the first time.  The more tangible tip I can give is to start with a price that feels slightly uncomfortable and then raise it every time you run a new cohort until people stop signing up”.

 

Jan Keck, Course Creator, Learning Experience Designer 

This is what we call value-based pricing. 

But let us take a step back. Before you even decide on the number, you need to understand your audience. Who is this course for? A busy entrepreneur looking for a shortcut to success will pay more than a hobbyist testing the waters. 

That is why Helen Hicks, a creator and coach I interviewed, suggests researching your market. More specifically, your audience and your competitors. 

“Always do research. Sometimes that research can be as easy as a Google search, you know, just searching for … courses in my area, how much does it cost? And whether you want to make phone calls or you want to send out emails inquiring about what other people are pricing, and then you decide, based on the feedback that you're getting from what other people are charging for similar services, what feels right for you?”

 

Helen Hicks, Parenting Coach

So, now you have a starting number that you can go slightly uncomfortable with. As for the models, you can consider:

• One-time payment. This is the simplest when you charge once and give full access. 
• Payment plans. Here, instead of charging $90, you have different tiers with different resources included. So everyone can get what fits their budget. 
• Subscription model, when students pay monthly or yearly for ongoing access. 
• Freemium with paid upsell. For example, when you offer a free mini-course or webinar to get people in, then upsell them to a paid program. 

Best 3 platforms to sell online courses 

Now, where do you sell your online courses? Here are some of the best platforms you can consider. 

Uteach

Uteach is an all-in-one platform that allows you to sell online courses, coaching, live sessions, digital and physical products, and much more. You can easily build your online course-branded website with lots of ready-made templates available, run your blog, and automate courses and student communication. 

Why start on Uteach? 

• Uteach offers a branded mobile app, so that you can have your school’s app available on marketplaces. This way, you can provide mobile learning opportunities. 
• Uteach supports 15+ payment providers. It is easy to find your local payment method and accept payments the way that is most convenient for you and your students. 
• Uteach does not limit the number of courses and products you can sell for each plan. This way, you do not have to upgrade or hit the ceiling. 

Also check: Uteach Review.

Udemy

Udemy is one of the best-known marketplaces that allows you to create, publish, and sell online courses to a global audience. It provides tools to upload video courses, quizzes, and assignments. 

Why start on Udemy?

• You have great exposure as there is a ready audience looking for courses
• The marketplace already established credibility
• You do not handle payments or course management

Also check: Udemy Review

Teachable

With Teachable, you can create and sell online courses, memberships, and coaching programs, all from a single platform. It helps you manage your students with detailed analytics, create automated email sequences, and integrate third-party tools for enhanced functionality. 

Why start on Teachable?

• It lets you create flexible pricing options, including one-time payments, subscriptions, and payment plans
• It makes upsells easier
• It has teachable: pay so you can accept credit card payments

Also check: Teachable Review

FAQ on how to sell online courses  

Let’s sum up how you can sell online courses with a few frequently asked questions. 

• How do I sell my online course if I don’t have an audience? 

You do not need thousands of followers to sell your course. In fact, the quality is more important than the number of your subscribers or audience. If you do not yet have the right people, start building your following. You can check existing communities, Facebook groups, Reddit threads, and LinkedIn discussions. Find where your ideal students are already hanging out and start providing value. Answer questions, share insights, and then mention your course when it makes sense.

Another way is to borrow someone else's audience. You can partner with a podcast host, collaborate with a blogger, or do guest training in someone’s membership group. These people already have the audience you need. And do not forget about email. Even if you start with five people on your list, nurture them. Give them free value first. A checklist, a mini-course, a live Q and A. Small lists can convert better than big ones if the people on them actually care about what you are teaching.

• How do you sell courses without appearing salesy? 

Selling does not have to feel pushy. For a moment, think about why you purchase something. You certainly get it because you feel like it solves a specific problem for you. The same is true with you selling online courses. 

Your course solves a problem, right? Focus on that. Because we do not say, "Buy my course," we show people why they need it. Share success stories. Talk about a student who struggled with something, took your course, and saw real results. 

Also, make your content do the selling for you. Teach something valuable for free. Maybe a short video, a blog post, or a live workshop. When people see how helpful you are, they will want more. And when you finally mention your course? It will feel natural, not forced.

• Should I sell my course on my own platform or a marketplace? 

Well, it depends on what you want. If you sell on a marketplace like Udemy, you get built-in traffic, but you also give up control. They set the prices, take a cut, and compete with thousands of other courses. 

If you sell on your own platform, you control everything. You set the price, build your brand, and keep all the revenue. The downside? You have to attract your own students. But if you are in this for the long run, owning your audience is the smarter move. In this case, you are building a business, not just selling a course.

• Should I pre-sell my course before creating it? 

Yes, and here is why. Pre-selling helps you test if people actually want your course before you spend weeks creating it. Nothing is worse than building something that no one buys. Plus, it gives you upfront cash to fund production and keeps you accountable for finishing.

So, before your course content is ready, give people a clear outline of what they will learn and when they will get access. Offer a discount for early buyers. Run a live workshop as the first version. This way, you validate your idea, make money, and create a course people actually want.

• How do I automate my course sales? 

Automating your course sales starts with setting up a system that runs in the background while you focus on creating and improving your content. 

What most creators do is build an email funnel. Offer a lead magnet, like a checklist, mini-course, or guide, in exchange for an email address. Then, set up an automated email sequence that nurtures your leads. These emails should introduce who you are, highlight the problem your course solves, share testimonials, answer common objections, and, finally, make an offer. 

Next, create a sales page. This page should clearly explain the transformation your course provides, include social proof, and handle objections. You can also set up an evergreen webinar that runs on autopilot. Also, you can use scheduling tools like Calendly for calls (if needed) and chatbots on your website to answer common questions. 

• What is the best platform to sell an online course? 

The best platform to sell your online course is Uteach. It gives you everything you need to create, market, and sell your course in one place. You can build a fully branded website, host live and pre-recorded lessons, automate sales, and even offer quizzes and certificates.

With Uteach, you are in control of your course business. Book your free demo with our expert, who will help you create and successfully sell your online courses.