I want to create a course with videos (this will be my first one) and my goal is to sell it locally. I have my own website and am decent with marketing. I looked at Teachable and a few alternatives, but they all seem pretty expensive for starting out, especially since I’m unsure if I’ll even sell anything. What’s the real benefit of using these platforms versus just using a plugin on WordPress or Bluehost? My goal is to sell the course on my website, let people pay there, and then give them access to the course and a private Discord channel. I know larger YouTubers use platforms like Teachable, but it doesn’t make sense for me yet. Those extra features like quizzes and moderators don’t really appeal to me right now.
Honestly, you don’t need a course platform. You could simply host the videos on your existing site and create a ‘sales page’ there too. Internet gurus will make you think you need all these fancy platforms, but the truth is, you don’t!
I’m currently setting up a similar model. I added a PIN and expiry date with JS for security.
The benefit of platforms like Teachable is the simplicity of setup and built-in payment systems. WordPress can be more complex to navigate.
For an MVP, just put the videos on YouTube as Unlisted. This way you can test demand without spending money on software.
How do you plan to assess that students have learned something without quizzes? Most students want to track their progress.
I’ve bought courses without quizzes that were still valuable. I think my audience will appreciate depth over quizzes.