LearnDash Developer Responds: Why Doesn’t My Online Course Sell

My team and I spend a lot of time answering questions like, "Why am I struggling so hard to sell my LearnDash course?" The people posing the question are often subject matter experts. They are typically well respected in their industry and are the type that is asked to be speakers at events. They definitely have the knowledge to be publishing online courses in their space.

Having built a good number of these sites in our LearnDash Developer practice, I'd like to share some advice to shed some light on this. Many experts, despite how knowledgeable they are, don't get the sales. Let's go over some common mistakes we see made that holding online course builders back from succeeding.

LearnDash Developer Advice #1 - You Know Too Much

You would think that knowing a lot about a topic makes you the perfect person to build that online course. It does in many ways, but it can also present you with some unexpected blind spots.

What typically happens when we are experts in our field is that for a very long time you have stopped thinking like your ideal customers. I like to say we become contaminated by our own expertise. People purchasing your online course are NOT looking to become your up-and-coming clone. They aren't looking to accumulate a good amount of knowledge in your space.

Your ideal customer is looking to solve a problem. They have likely been trying to solve the problem on their own. By the time they are looking for what you have to offer them, they are hunting for a solution. They aren't on a search for learning material. They want an efficient way to learn what's necessary to fix their problem. As business owners, we are all busy.  We want to know we are getting answers in an efficient way focused on what we need. You are less a teach and more a means to a solution

You must remember that before you get very far along building your online course

LearnDash Advice #2 - You May Be Missing an Ideal Market

A coach of mine years back told me about a British engineering firm that was looking to grow their business. This firm had built some spectacular structures in the UK and have developed a very good reputation. No one doubted their experts and they had an impressive project portfolio.

My coach spent some time auditing the firm and learned about their system for recruiting and training their engineers. It was extensive and unique. It was intellectual property that enabled them to make great engineers out of their hires. My coach worked with them to explore that program and it led to their reinventing their firm offering this system to other firms. This became a very profitable additional business venture for them.

Many organizations like this engineering firm have assets like they do that were built internally to solve a problem. Because it's part of their operations, they take it for granted and don't think of it as anything that's impressive. However, it could be a hidden asset that can be used for building an online course or training program.

As LearnDash developers, we recommend looking at the systems you use for operating your business and see if there is something unique there that could be valuable to an outside market. It could be intellectual property, systems, programs or process within your organization that could be valuable outside of the area where it operates today.

LearnDash Developer Advice #3 - Ask Potential Customers What They Want

I can't tell you how many times this LearnDash developer has asked a client, "Have you asked your clients about this?" Nine times out of ten, they answer is, "No." Many business owners, for different reasons, don't get feedback from customers that are happy working with them. Most of the time it's because they don't think to do so. Other times, it's because they aren't set up to gather that data and putting it to work. Regardless, all businesses have customers happy doing business with them that are eager to lend a hand giving you feedback on things they would like.

That right there could be a good way to come up with ideas for online courses you wouldn't think to offer, again, because you are too close to your business and having a difficult time putting yourself into your customer's shoes. The end results it you miss out on opportunities to offer online courses based on content you may already have and could be easily converted into something you can sell to customers who are very willing to buy it.

Hope this helps!