Setting up your course with the right tools from the start can save you countless hours and ensure that your students have a smooth learning experience.
The good news is that, with the right tools and systems, the technical part of creating and running an online course can be seamless. In this guide, we’ll break down the essential tools you’ll need for hosting, payment processing, video hosting, email marketing, and building a community around your course.
The first and most crucial step is choosing the right platform to host your course. The platform you select will handle everything from course delivery to payment processing and student management.
ThriveCart is a powerful all-in-one tool that not only hosts your course but also manages payment processing, upsells, and even offers built-in affiliate management. This is perfect for those who want simplicity and functionality in one place. ThriveCart Learn, the platform’s LMS (Learning Management System), allows you to easily manage your course and track student progress.
Teachable is ideal for beginners and seasoned course creators alike. It offers a user-friendly platform where you can upload various types of content, such as videos, quizzes, and assignments. Teachable also integrates seamlessly with many popular email marketing tools, making it easy to build and nurture your audience.
If you want a one-stop shop for everything related to your online business, Kajabi is the way to go. It not only hosts your course but also handles email marketing, landing pages, and payment processing. Kajabi’s all-in-one nature simplifies the backend, allowing you to focus on course creation and marketing.
Once your course is live, you’ll need a system to handle transactions and ensure that your students can easily pay for your course.
One of the most popular payment processors, Stripe allows you to accept credit cards and other payment methods from around the world. It’s highly secure and integrates easily with most course platforms, including Teachable and Kajabi.
PayPal is a trusted payment option worldwide, offering one-click payments that make it easy for students to complete their purchases.
ThriveCart isn’t just a hosting platform—it also excels at handling payments. With built-in payment features that support both Stripe and PayPal, ThriveCart simplifies managing transactions.
Email marketing is essential for nurturing your audience, promoting your course, and keeping your students engaged.
Klaviyo is a powerful email marketing tool known for its robust automation and segmentation features. With Klaviyo, you can send highly targeted email campaigns based on student behavior.
ConvertKit is designed specifically for creators, offering easy-to-use automation workflows and email segmentation.
For advanced email marketing and CRM capabilities, ActiveCampaign is an excellent choice.
Videos are often the core component of any online course, so it’s important to choose the right platform to host them.
Vimeo Pro is a popular choice for video hosting due to its advanced privacy options and seamless integration with course platforms.
Loom is a versatile tool that allows you to record and share videos quickly.
Wistia offers a marketing-focused approach to video hosting.
Creating a community around your course can significantly boost engagement and improve student retention.
Facebook Groups are a simple and free way to build a community around your course.
Circle is a community platform designed for creators who want to build branded, structured communities.
For more real-time communication, Slack is a great tool.
Launching an online course involves more than just creating content—you also need to have the right tools in place to manage payments, video hosting, email marketing, and community building.
If you’re ready to take the leap but need help with setting up or scaling your online course, High Tide Strategy is here to assist. Contact us today and let’s make your online course a success!