It has been the longest time that proponents of technology have been urging the mass population, “Only schools are not the future of education.”
The mass population, in an urge to believe, they have largely looked forward to alternative modes of learning.
While it is apparent that the alternative modes will revolve around the use of the internet, there is much and more to figure out before the scales can tip in that favor.
But why is that?
Why is it that rather than slowly shifting to the market for e-learning, people are waiting for an abrupt jump to e-learning?
Perhaps that is the very reason why the world has not yet accepted that e-learning has slowly and gradually picked up.
The stats show growth from 2021 to 2023. In fact, for those that have tried it say that micro-learning is much better than normal learning.
About 94% of learners prefer micro-learning because it gives them a sense of flexibility! Moreover, this type of learning can create about 50% more engagement!
This is why about 77% of companies used online learning in 2019! While you just sat back and thought that the time for e-learning is still many years away.
How to Start Your Own E-Learning Website?
So, if there is anything that you have learned up till now, it is that e-learning has already become a real market. It is no longer a far-fetched concept.
What you can realize, though, is that in times like these, where a global pandemic restricts mobility and movement, e-learning is the only way forward.
Among all these realizations, you can add in the fact that this is the perfect time to start your own e-learning website. But while the demand is right here, many do not understand the procedure of starting their own e-learning website.
Once you have the procedure to start your own e-learning website, you will be geared for the long run. However, what must always be kept in mind that breaking even in an e-learning website is not instant. It often takes more time than any conventional business method.
However, once you have established a platform, you will always have customers that will keep coming back to you for their learning. So, it might not be a bad idea to start your e-learning website after all.
To make things easier for you, here is how you can quickly start your own e-learning website:
1. Understand Your Business Model
While many people use online learning platforms like Coursera, Udemy, edX, and Udacity, very few really understand the implications of a business model like that.
Understanding business models in this industry is the first step towards creating your own website.
You can either choose to collaborate with globally recognized institutes to offer their signature courses online by collaborating with professors from these varsities. That is a business model that Coursera uses and engages 207 partners across 51 countries.
On the other hand, you can have individuals contributing to your platform with resources as well. This would mean that you allow for a much greater segment to contribute and can have a much larger number of courses like Udemy does.
2. Research
Once you have your eyes set on a type of business model, you can go about researching your audience. This means you need to understand what your customers want, how much they are willing to pay, and where they are located.
While researching, it is also important to concentrate your efforts on your main markets. These are countries or geographical locations where the demand for online learning has been on the rise.
While focusing on a type of country, you can understand the needs of your target audience better. In doing so, it will also be helpful to learn how much people in these economies are willing to spend on online platforms.
3. The Website
Once you have a good idea of your business model, the type of audience and niche that you will cater to, it is always great to customize your website according to those specifications. But building a website is not something you can do on your own.
You can choose to go for a personalized website that is specifically built to cater to your own needs. On the other hand, you can go for templates that have already been built for e-learning platforms.
Custom templates will obviously be cheaper (maybe even free) but will restrict your own customizations to a website.
What is better to do in this decision is to always have a long-term orientation. Think about the direction of your website in the near future, how much scaling it will need, and what it will need to do in the near future.
But while a template may cost lesser, there are certain exclusive reasons that make getting a custom website important.
4. Engaging Educators
One of these reasons comes about as a result of the engagement of educators. While you will obviously go for educators of the highest caliber, it is essential to understand that not all educators are well-versed in technology. And if one of the two most critical segments on your website cannot use your website efficiently, how good even is your website.
As they use the website, the educators will also suggest changes to make your learning experience smoother. With a website template, it would become impossible to make these changes.
When engaging educators, it is also important to understand that these educators might sometimes be associated exclusively with an institute. In that context, engaging that institute will also be just as important as having the consent of the educator.
If you really want your brand to be synonymous with quality, understand that engaging an institute will do wonders for your website.
However, educators have more to do than just impart knowledge. What they are also responsible for is to create assessments. They are also responsible for creating a line of courses that add to the same skill, so it is refined to the utmost.
5. Collaborate
What good is your curriculum if it is not even recognized?
In most cases, individuals will want to study from your platform because they want to develop a skill while also having something to show for it!
This is precisely why people will add their achievements and certificates of learning to their digital accounts. LinkedIn, the biggest professional platform specifically includes a section for your licenses and certifications.
Without LinkedIn recognizing your platform as a reliable one, nobody will want to show off their learning from your website on it. And if you have not already figured it out, when people show off their learning from your website on these social media handles, they create a positive word of mouth. This brings in more and more people to your website.
Final Thoughts
If there is one thing that you need to come to grips with at this very moment, it is that education has moved online. There is no denying that. The only way to move forward is to get in line learning or get in line, providing training.
And once you have the right resources, there will be very little that will hold back your e-learning platform.
