How to Create an Online Course for Free

What if you could create an online course for free, with no need for technical skills, and even earn money from it? With the right free tools, some time, and a bit of creativity, you can craft effective online courses that rival those developed with a budget. 

And, here’s an actual story about folks who built and sold an online course for $6,000,000 in 2 years. They achieved this without design skills, course creation expertise, or a perfect toolset.

The article shows you how to create a strong base for a profitable course, prepare for course promotion, and develop course content with free tools. Hop in and learn how to create an online course for free.

How to Market Your Online Course

To earn from your online course, start with promotion, not creation. Imagine you’ve poured your time and knowledge into the creation of a new course. If no one knows about it, your hard work won’t pay off.

Building courses takes time and effort, but selling your training materials requires even more resources. For better or worse, the course’s success depends on how well online course creators market their educational programs.

Here’s how to prepare fertile ground to sow the seeds of your course before you start writing, designing, and filming the content.

Step 1. Brainstorm course ideas

The first step in successful online course creation is identifying a strong topic. Focus on areas in your niche that you have the most expertise on. 

If you’ve already created successful content, consider expanding on those topics. They are in demand and can serve as a foundation for your new course.

Also, choose evergreen topics to keep your online course content relevant and therefore valuable over time.

Step 2. Research your target audience

You want to ensure sufficient interest before investing your time and energy in course creation, right? Now it’s time to validate course ideas and see if people need them. Several free tools can help with this.

If you already have an audience, ask them directly. Use email surveys or social media polls on Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn to discover their most pressing questions. This feedback can highlight the topics that people want to learn about.

If you don’t have an audience yet, research niche Facebook groups, Reddit, Quora, or other online forums where your target audience gathers. Observe frequently asked questions and the challenges they face. This can highlight demand areas that your course could address.

Use free tools like Google Trends to gauge interest in your topic and see if it’s growing or declining over time. You can also compare multiple topics to determine which has the most long-term potential.

Another powerful tool is GummySearch. It allows you to analyze conversations and trends within Reddit communities. GummySearch helps you discover what your potential learners are discussing, their pain points, and the topics that resonate with them.

Research statistics to further validate your idea. Industry reports, surveys, and data on similar online courses can clarify the potential demand for and competition in your niche.

Step 3. Competitor research

Before diving into course creation, explore courses on similar topics to identify gaps and opportunities. If you can’t find direct competitors, focus on those addressing the same pain points that your target audience has.

Sign up for free trials of various online courses to analyze their strengths and weaknesses and understand what they offer, how they engage learners, and where they fall short. 

This insight will help you differentiate your course, whether through unique content, teaching style, or additional resources, ensuring that you stand out in a crowded market.

Step 4. Set a realistic time frame

Effective time management is crucial when creating an online course. Set clear deadlines and stick to them, ensuring that you fulfill the promises you’ve made to your audience. To avoid procrastination, break the process into manageable tasks and keep yourself accountable. 

If you’re using free tools, expect to spend more time researching and learning how to use them effectively, as these options, e.g., tools for creating video lessons, often come with a learning curve. While the tools help save costs, the trade-off is investing extra time to master them and bring your course to life. Planning accordingly will help you stay on track and deliver your course on time.

Step 5. Define a business model and price

To ensure that your online course is financially sustainable, choose a scalable business model that aligns with your desired level of involvement. For passive income, consider self-paced courses or opt for live sessions for more engagement.

Next, determine your pricing strategy. Analyze your competitors’ prices and assess your course’s value compared to free resources. You can also review online course price benchmark data.

You can offer one-time purchases, monthly subscriptions, or tiered pricing with add-ons for premium content. Here’s a breakdown of these pricing models:

• A one-time purchase allows learners to pay once for lifetime course access. It’s good for courses that don’t need frequent updates or ongoing support. However, this strategy has limited scalability (you only earn once per customer unless you create new courses) and hinders long-term engagement with learners.
• A subscription-based model lets learners pay a recurring fee (monthly or yearly) to access your course or content library. It’s great for online courses that are regularly updated or periodically feature new content. The downsides are the need for consistent content updates or other added value to retain subscribers, and it’s harder to convince potential customers of the value of ongoing payments versus a one-time fee.
• Tiered pricing offers several options, such as a basic online course at a lower price, a mid-tier package with extras, and a premium package with one-on-one coaching or additional resources. This strategy allows for more personalized experiences for higher-paying customers and increases perceived value through premium features. However, it’s complex to set up and manage multiple tiers or add-ons, and learners may be confused when deciding which option is best.

Start with free content or a lower price to attract early users and don’t hesitate to adjust. Testing different price points will help you find the sweet spot.

Step 6. Prepare for course promotion

Even though you don’t have a ready-to-launch online course yet, we recommend preparing your landing page and sales funnel early on. Because with these two steps, you’ll:

• Start building an audience and generate interest in your upcoming course (helps with the next step — pre-selling).
• Validate the course idea and optimize it for your target audience.

Create a landing page

The first step in promoting your course is to build a landing page that clearly outlines the course description and the value it offers. Highlight the benefits, course outcomes, and any testimonials or proof of credibility. 

A well-designed landing page serves as the hub for potential learners to learn more and sign up for your online course. Make sure it’s optimized for conversions with a compelling call-to-action.

Free landing page creation tools

Here are some free tools to create a course landing page:

• Google Sites is a landing page builder with a free plan only. It’s ideal for simple sales pages. You can create a custom domain, use sales page templates, and integrate with Google Forms to collect leads. However, it lacks advanced customization features.
• Carrd lets you easily create a course landing page. The tool offers 100+ templates for landing page creation, and you can build up to 3 one-page sites with its free version. The paid plan lets you set up a custom domain, integrate with email marketing and analytics software, create more landing pages, and remove their branding in the footer.
• HubSpot offers a drag-and-drop course creator that allows you to create free online course landing pages on your own custom domain. The software is free, but you can buy HubSpot’s CRM to integrate it with your course page and manage leads.

Build a sales funnel

Once your landing page is ready, the next step is to create a sales funnel that guides your audience through the journey from interest to purchase. If you already have an audience — whether it’s a blog following, an email list, or a social media presence — you can use email marketing, content teasers, and promotions to stimulate interest and drive sales.

If you don’t have an audience yet, you can still promote your course by leveraging someone else’s audience without spending money. Corey Haines is a great example of launching a profitable course without a massive following. Tactics include:

• Guest posting on relevant industry blogs or websites.
• Collaborating with other content creators to reach new audiences.
• Being a podcast guest to showcase your expertise.
• Joining online communities (forums or social media groups) where your target audience hangs out. Provide value and interact with members to establish credibility.

Read our article for more ideas on how to promote your online course.

Step 7. Presell your course

Preselling your training is a smart way to reduce risk and validate your idea before investing time in online course creation. By offering early bird access or discounted pricing, you can gauge interest, test your target audience, and confirm demand. It will also help you find the right price point for your course pages.

For example, Rob Eisenberg, Chief Software Architect at Blue Spire, launched his online course and offered a $100 early-bird discount to build hype. This allowed him to gauge demand before proceeding.

Other ways to generate interest in your online course include hosting webinars, using social media teasers, and posting on blogs.

You can also set a clear pre-sales goal, like a specific number of sign-ups or revenue target. This generates upfront revenue and keeps you motivated to complete and launch the course. Plus, it allows you to gather feedback early on, allowing you to find areas for improvement and ensuring that your course content meets your audience’s needs.

Setting a pre-sales goal

To set a pre-sales goal, determine the sales revenue needed to justify full course development. Here are the points to consider:

• Estimate your time investment. Calculate the hours required for tool research, free online course creation, and marketing efforts. Once you have a clear idea of your time investment, calculate how much you expect to earn for time spent. Setting a realistic income goal based on your effort will help you guide your pricing strategy.
• Assess your audience size. Then, set a reasonable goal based on the size of your target audience and expected conversion rates. For example, if you have a list of 1,000 potential customers and expect 5% to convert from email marketing, your goal could be 50 sales.
• Revenue target. Multiply projected pre-sales by your online course price. For example, if your course is $100 and your goal is 50 sales, aim for $5,000 in pre-sales revenue.

This target will confirm market demand, and if met, it’s a green light to continue building your course.

How to Create an Online Course for Free

This section continues with tips on how you can create a course online for free.

Step 9. Outline your course

First, define the learning goal. What specific skills or knowledge should students acquire by the end of your online course? The answer to this question will guide your course content decisions.

Next, consider your target audience’s background and needs. Are they beginners or advanced learners? Understanding this helps you tailor the material to their level and make it engaging.

Decide on the online course format. You can create video lessons, use text with images, include audio narration, or mix all three. Pick a format that suits the content and your learners’ preferences.

For online course length, start with a mini-course to test your idea. Mini-courses typically run between 30 to 90 minutes and serve as your minimum viable product (MVP).

Break down your content into bite-sized subtopics. Each module should cover one key concept or skill, helping students gradually reach the final learning goal.

Lastly, structure your online course to flow logically. Arrange your modules in a progressive order, with each building on the previous one. Check books on your topic for inspiration on the organization of the material.

Step 10. Create online courses for free

Take your training structure and begin this step. In this section, we’ll show you how to create an online course with iSpring Free. This powerful tool helps you build professional-looking online courses at no cost.

Why iSpring Free?

iSpring Free is a free online course creator that lets you build training materials in PowerPoint. It’s great for beginners or those lacking course creation skills. As your business grows and you need advanced features like interactive quizzes or simulations, you can easily upgrade to iSpring Suite, the paid version with extended functionality.

How to create your first course with iSpring Free

Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating your first course:

1. Download and install iSpring Free

Download the free tool and install it. Once installed, an iSpring Free tab will appear on your PowerPoint ribbon.

2. Create a new presentation

Open PowerPoint and create a new presentation. Use this software to design your course slides, adding text, images, and multimedia as desired.

3. Create course content

First, gather materials you already have, such as YouTube videos, webinars, social media posts, blog articles, or PowerPoint presentations. Repurposing these resources can save time and help you build a solid foundation.

Next, write training content for each module. Try to make it engaging and easy to go through. Incorporate plenty of real-life examples and case studies to illustrate key concepts and keep learners interested.

4. Add an interactive quiz

To add a quiz to your new course, click on Quiz from the iSpring Free tab. You can add this interactive element directly onto your slides for a more engaging learning experience.

5. Turn your slides into online courses

Once your training content is ready, click on Publish in the iSpring Free tab. The software converts your PowerPoint presentation into a SCORM-compliant course that you can upload to any LMS.

6. Publish your course

Finally, publish your online course. You can do this with several free platforms available:

• Udemy is a popular course platform that allows you to publish and market your course to its large user base. While it’s free to get started, Udemy takes a percentage of each sale, and you’ll need to follow their pricing guidelines.
• Moodle is an open-source and customizable learning management system (LMS). Moodle allows you to create, host, and manage online courses. While it’s free to use, it requires some technical setup and may involve hosting costs if you’re running it on your own server.

And that’s it! With these steps, you’ll have your first online course ready. If you need more advanced features later, like branching scenarios or interactive assessments, iSpring Suite will allow you to enhance your new course without starting from scratch.

Step 11. Test and launch your course

Before going live, ask a few friends or trusted colleagues to take your online course for a trial run. Their feedback will help you spot technical issues, unclear instructions, or gaps in content. Make sure that all the details and interactive elements, like videos, quizzes, and downloads, function smoothly.

Once you’re confident everything is in place, launch. Promote your online course through marketing channels like your own website, membership sites, social media, your email list, or collaboration with influencers. A well-coordinated launch will ensure that you reach the right audience from the very start.

Bonus Section: Tools and Resources for Creating Online Training Courses for Free

1. 7 free video tutorial software for creating decent training videos for free. 

2. 3 free screen recording tools you can use to explain complex processes and software usage.

3. 22 PowerPoint add-ins (both paid and free). If you enjoy the iSpring Free course creator, you might want more PowerPoint add-ons to further help you make an online course for free.

4. 10 free, pre-designed completion certificate templates to increase perceived value and create additional promotional materials for your course.

5. AGES model — one of the most powerful learning design frameworks for creating online courses for free.

6. You’ll learn to write better content and promote it effectively through Erica Schneider projects, newsletters, and posts.

7. Learn the B2C sales and marketing basics from HubSpot.

Conclusion

If you want to create an online course, it doesn’t mean you need to have a massive budget or technical skills. While you shouldn’t expect quick, easy gains without a budget, you can certainly get off to a great start. Grow your audience step by step and improve your content along the way.

Online course creators like iSpring Free offer all the basics for launching a professional-looking course from your PowerPoint slides. This iSpring add-on lets you add quizzes and publish the content to SCORM for your LMS.

As your business grows, and you realize profits, invest in paid creation tools to enhance your courses. For example, upgrade your free account to iSpring Suite. This authoring tool provides advanced features like interactive quizzes, role-play simulations, and a broader range of content formats, helping you deliver a more engaging and polished learning experience.