Even well before COVID-19, the global e-learning market was on track to reach $325 billion by 2025. In recent weeks, we have seen an explosion of people creating online courses.

In the following video, part 1 of a 3 part series, I look at the free methods of creating and hosting an online program.

Then, if you wish to use a more sophisticated interface to automate, sell and deliver your online program, we need to look at the vast array of good Learning Management System (LMS) options. The following video is a webinar looking at the leading LMS options listed below.

BEST ONLINE COURSE PLATFORMS

Online course platforms are also known as a Learning Management System (LMS) and they provide users with the access and progress tracking of their online course. The content of this course can be delivered as video, image, text, audio or PDF files. With loads of short, 2-3 minute videos now becoming the normal best practice, students can also take notes, perform exercises, and be asked to complete exams to test their knowledge.

This is my top 5 rating of the best LMS options.

1. Learndash is an impressive online course platform that integrates with WordPress. Some big websites using LearnDash include Yoast, Infusionsoft, the University of Michigan, and WP Elevation. In New Zealand, a great example of a big Learndash site is the  Citizens Advice Bureau.

2. Kajabi is a high-powered full-service offering. It features powerful course themes, robust email marketing automation, upsells and digital products, a customizable checkout, and blogging functionality.

3. Learnworlds is an impressive e-learning option with everything you need to create and sell an online course.

4. Podia allows over 11,000 users to create, host, and sell their lessons with one easy-to-use platform. There are no transaction fees, and a simple three-step process has your course website up in no time.

5. Udemy is one of the best online course platform marketplaces with over 24 million students, 35,000 instructors, and an unbelievable 80,000+ courses. The first step to creating a course on Udemy is to sign up to be a premium instructor, although they do take a significant cut of the revenue.

I have not included https://www.thinkific.com/ or https://teachable.com/ in my top 5, although they could both be at number 5 as they are certainly better than Udemy for most people. They are not included as they are not offering enough of a difference compared to the top 5.

Please ask any questions in the Remote Work Productivity Facebook group.