There are 3 things I talk to would-be course builders about that have them worried and stalled BEFORE they've even created their course. Let me tell you why you should skip these concerns and move on to the real work.
Worry #1: which online classroom platform should I use?
Of course, it’s fine to think about this. And, of course, the many really solid options for a classroom platforms keep putting this worry front and center as you see offers and emails and trainings and urgings to “act now!”
I get that.
Know this, though. Aany of the hosted classrooms can be set up very quickly.
And you can even sell a course without a full-blown classroom and deliver the first beta offering via email.
I'm not saying don't think about this. Rather: don't let this concern paralyze you or get you acting before you're ready. I have seen way too many course builders lock in a great deal on a classroom months and months before they're even using the classroom. Then it becomes less of a great deal.
You will have a much better sense of what you need and what kind of tech you can manage once you get your course outlined and start creating it.
It's really OK to make this a secondary consideration and make getting your course created the primary consideration.
And if you already locked in–then that's what you'll use to begin with.
You can move if needed since your course is basically a collection of files that can be set up on a new classroom with accounts migrated more easily than you might think. The only exception to that is if you use the classroom's payment gateway and have a recurring payment membership set up. Then the move can be more difficult.
Worry #2: what if I don't have enough content in my class to make my students happy?
While it's fine to be worried about student satisfaction, understand that the first then your students want is to get to their goal. That's more important to them than how many videos are in the class or how long the videos run.
Not only do your students want to get to their goal, they want to do it efficiently. You're going to be teaching your particular and unique approaches to your topic: your system.
That system is what matters. What doesn't matter is whether your course outline maps to someone else's. The real worry you should have at this point is: are getting to the point and are you engaging? Too much content can bog your students down.
You've got this.
Worry #3: will people share my class with others who didn't pay (or will people consume the class and ask for a refund)?
I have taught online for over 11 years now, making 1000s of course sales, and the times that this has been a problem are very very few.
You can minimize this problem by doing the following (and these are things I'd think you're already planning). They are:
1. Create a class with real value
2. Build an audience of people who really want what you've got to offer
3 Weave in support and community for purchasers
4. Price your course intelligently: not too high and not too low, so that you're attracting truly interested and motivated students,
5. Have a clearly stated refund policy, and
6. Trust that it really will work out.
So those are 3 worries that should not be preoccupying and even stalling you on your course building:
1. You don't have to choose your classroom platform before you've made solid progress on creating the course. There are plenty of good options and the hosted classrooms can be set up quickly.
2. Don't be worrying about whether there's enough content in your class. Instead, create a solid plan for getting students to their transformation.
3. Don't be worrying about people ripping you off. Connect authentically with the right tribe and deliver what they need and trust that while a few things may come up, for the most part, it will all be fine.