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How can you earn more passive earnings from online courses |

Jun 6, 2024

     Reader Disclosure

Do you think you could earn more than passive earnings via your online courses making use of self-hosted platforms to host your online course?

What's inside Toggle

Falsehoods regarding third party LMS Platforms

You might agree with this statistic which shows that 57% of course creators determine the effectiveness of their course based on student satisfaction. In contrast, students' enrollment is a third of the consideration and 21% rely on the income of students.

This is the reason a majority of course designers believe it's best to choose an alternative to third-party LMS platforms like Udemy, Teachable, and Kajabi because of the following factors:

  • They are convinced that it could lower their marketing expenses, thereby reducing the requirement for huge upfront investments in software and hardware.
  • They are convinced that it will assist in introducing their brand before the masses more quickly.
  • It is assumed that it's easy to use and needs no technical skills This makes it easy for course creators to design courses, design, and maintain their courses.

But, these benefits are not without cost and include:

  1. A growing revenue-sharing expense.
  2. 75% of course creators make less than $1,000 annually. The instructors make a mere 1% make more than $50,000 per year.
  3. It is possible that the course will be missed in the crowds and need additional costs for advertising to get your message out to the right audience.
  4. There aren't many opportunities for building friendships among students who aren't currently on the platform.
  5. The page you create cannot be customized and neither can your company's logo be displayed for these platforms.
  6. It's difficult to track your students' journey in the funnel.
  7. There are fewer opportunities to engage due the absence of gaming features or community-oriented integrations.

     Introduction to Self-hosted Course Platforms    

If you're a instructor unhappy about the high costs and restrictions of SaaS LMS platforms, you're not all alone. A lot of educators are facing similar problems.

However, there's an alternative to do it: self-hosted course platforms.

If you decide to host your own course, you can take charge of your course as well as save on costs of the revenue sharing, and also explore new ways of earning more money.

Think about this...

Imagine having the ability to tailor the courses you take to suit your preferences and keeping more of your hard-earned income.

The decision to move to a self-hosted hosting service isn't just about cutting expenses - it's about maximizing your potential to create a sustainable durable, long-lasting enterprise.

Still not convinced? Check out this overview below.

     The Cost High in Revenue Sharing    

If you are you're using one of the most popular SaaS LMS platforms to sell and run your online courses it is crucial to comprehend the revenue sharing model they use.

They typically charge substantial percentage of your profits that could quickly add up and consume your profits.

Here's a breakdown of the common revenue-sharing plans of popular SaaS LMS platforms:

     1. Teachable

Teachable provides a range of pricing plans. Their revenue-sharing model varies depending on which plan you pick. This is how the cost per year for the plan:

  • Free plan charges $1 + 10% for each transaction.
  • The Basic Plan ($39/month): 5 percent transaction cost.
  • Professional Plan ($119/month) and Business Plan ($499/month) There are no charges for transactions, however it is limited to publication of course materials.

     2. Thinkific

Thinkific has a range of pricing tiers with different revenue-sharing implications

  • Free Plan: There are no charges for transactions, however, it has limited capabilities.
  • A Basic Plan ($49/month): No fee for transactions but just digital downloads.
  • Plan Pro Plan ($99/month) and the Premier Plan ($499/month) Plan Pro Plan: No fee for transactions but restricted access to online community services.

     3. Udemy

Udemy is built on a distinct revenue-sharing model compared to Teachable and Thinkific:

  • Organic Sales: Udemy takes 50 percent of its revenue generated by transactionsmade through their marketplace.
  • Teaching Instructors Promoting: Instructors receive 97% of the profits from the sales they generate through their own promotional efforts (using coupons for instructors) in addition to Udemy charging a three per cent administration fee.
  • Paid User Acquisition For purchases that are made via Pay-per-click programs offered by Udemy, instructors only receive 25% of the revenue.

     4. Kajabi

Kajabi includes subscription fees along with additional fees determined by the plan

  • The Kickstarter ($69/month) and the Basic Plan ($149/month) There's no fees for transactions, however there are only a few features and products.
  • The Growth Plan ($199/month) and the Pro Plan ($399/month) There there are no transaction costs however, there is a limit of students enrolled in active classes.

Models built around revenue share highlight the costs associated with the usage of third-party LMS platforms. They are easy to use but also have robust capabilities with annual costs and cut to revenues can drastically reduce the earnings you make.

In contrast, a self-hosted solution can help you keep most of your profits in addition to giving the flexibility to plan and present your classes.

This is an in-depth study of the two platforms.

     Comparative Analysis of Earnings Potential: SaaS LMS vs. Self-hosted Learning Platforms.    

Example: Let's say you offer your online course at $100.

 SaaS LMS Platform Example:

  • Teachable (Basic plan): If you have a 5% transaction fee the seller would lose $5 on each transaction.
  • The profit per sale is $95.
  • Monthly subscriptions Monthly membership cost: $39
  • If you could sell 20 courses a month: $95 x 20 - $39 = $1.861.
  • Udemy (Organic Sales): In the case of a profit share of 50%, share, you'd forfeit 50 dollars for each sale.
  • Per sale, earnings of $50.
  • If you are selling 20 courses per month, this formula will be used: $20 x 50 = $1,000

Self-Hosted Solution Example:

  • Monthly subscription for (Most popular plan) The cost is $33
  • Profits per sale: $100
  • If you are able to sell 20 courses a month, then 100 x 20 = $33 which is $1,967

Comparison:

  1.       Teachable (Basic Plan):      
  • SaaS LMS Earnings: $1,861/month
  • Self-Hosted Earnings: $1,967/month
  • Difference: $106 more with self-hosted
  1.       Udemy (Organic Sale):      
  • SaaS LMS Earnings: $1,000/month
  • Self-Hosted Earnings: $1,967/month
  • The difference is $967 higher with self-hosted

Through the course of one year they can be significant. This is about $11,604 savings over the course of a year!

     Utilizing self-hosted courses platforms such as Courses will reduce your costs by hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars, based the volume of sales you earn.    

You now know how much you can earn and save by hosting your own courses. In this article, we'll take a look at the advantages which come from making the switch to this method.

     Advantages of Self-Hosted Course Platforms    

Self-hosted courses are a powerful alternative to SaaS LMS services, as they give you the complete control of your curriculum and its content as well as operation.

Among these, stands out as a solid option particularly in the event of

Utilizing the capabilities of WordPress it provides unbeatable opportunities for customization and flexibility that allow you to create the perfect learning experience that aligns with your brand and corporate goals.

If you choose to host your own course platforms such as those, you'll enjoy several benefits. There are lower costs, enhanced control, as well as the ability to utilize a variety of ways to monetize your courses that will increase the revenue you earn.                Learn >>> Courses Overview of the Featured Courses

We'll look at these benefits in greater detail.

     Control and Control of Content Ownership    

Being in control is one of the most important qualities of an artist, and is the foundation of effective branding and marketing.

Through self-hosted platforms for courses such as the one which you're using, it is capable of customizing every aspect of your classes to match the distinctive brand image of your business.

The layout and design to the inclusion of multimedia elements. In total control of the content you create lets you create an effective and cohesive learning environment that represents your brand's principles and values.

Being the author of your content implies that you can apply a variety of marketing strategies without restrictions.

You can create and distribute promotional content, bundle courses that offer discounts or make use of various advertising tools and plug-ins that are available to WordPress.

The flexibility allows you to communicate to your target audience in a more effective way and allow you to adjust your strategies according to current performance and information.

     Direct Customer Relationships    

One of the standout advantages of self-hosted learning platforms is the capacity to establish personal, unbiased relationships with your students.

Without the limitations of an intermediary, you are able to engage directly with your students messaging them with personalized messages, or feedback as well as assistance.

As the administrator of this platform, you gain access to extensive data about the students' behavior and preference and their performance.

This is essential for understanding what works and what isn't effective in your study.

By analyzing this data by analyzing this data, you can modify your curriculum and methods of teaching in order to best meet the requirements of your students. This leads to better satisfaction with your students and retention rate.

Platforms for intermediaries often hinder the ability of providing timely and efficient customer support.

With a self-hosted solution, you can set up a robust service offering support through forum, live chat and also as direct messaging.

The immediate accessibility to assistance and support can dramatically improve the experience of students and solve issues before they become worse.

     Monetization via Membership    

One of the best ways to earn money from your course online through a self-hosted service is to include them into the model of an subscription.

Members encourage continuous engagement and increase customer retention as students continually find value in their subscriptions.

In providing access to the vast library of content with a fee that is consistent that you provide an enormous benefit, thereby enticing greater numbers of students to join.

Forums and live Q&A session sessions help build an identity between users, thereby increasing the commitment of users to your site.

     This strategy enhances the quality of education you provide to your students. It also creates a steady stream of recurring income.    

Base Body Homepage
Base body girls

They offer on-line as well as private sessions in their own fitness studio located in Sydney, Australia.

Through the use of Base Body Babes' website , Base Body Babes manages their paywalled content and exclusive offerings through their website. They provide customers with access to gym and online weight training classes Tutorials, as well as recipe libraries.

The model permits them to earn recurring revenue in addition to providing significant benefits for their local communities.

     Fixed costs and unlimited growth    

Here's a details of the cost involved:

  •       Web Hosting      
  •       Domain Registration      
  •       LMS Software/Plugins:      
  • The company provides four pricing tiers :
  • Basic: $179.50/year, suitable for beginners.
  • Additional costs: $299.50/year, includes additional features and integrations.
  • Pro: $399.50/year, ideal for companies that require advanced technology.
  • Premium: $499.50/year, great for creative entrepreneurs and creators.
  • Additional Costs:
  • SSL certificates for secure transactions ($0 to $100 per year) typically included in hosting plans).
  • Fees for payment gateways (typically around 2.9% + $0.30 for every transaction).

Why should you select Us ? We have our prices and what you will receive...

Pricing:

  • Basis Plan $179.50/year
  • Plus Plan: $299.50/year
  • Pro Plan: $399.50/year
  • Elite: $499.50/year

HTML1ROI (ROI):

For calculating the rate of return on investment, let's say you opt for the Plus plan for $299.50/year. If you sell an entire course or a membership at $100, and you sell just 3 memberships per month, your income each month will be $300.

For a full year, that's $3600. When you subtract the cost of ($299.50) and hosting ($240 at $20/month) this is $3,061 annual net profits.

It is evident that even when revenues are low it is a great investment which is why it's the most economical option to consider!

Analyzing the Scalability Potential without additional costs per Content or User

One of the major advantages of hosting your own courses by means of scalability.

Contrary to SaaS platforms, which charge by user or take a cut of your revenue and allow companies to expand their business without incurring any additional expense.

Here's how:

  • Unlimited Users Once your site is running, and you have it up and running, you are able to add the number of users that you want to have without incurring charges. So, your expenditures will remain the same regardless of how much your membership expands.
  • Content flexibility: You can create and create unlimited lessons, courses as well as membership levels. This allows you to expand your options and diversify your income streams without the worry of rising costs.

The fixed-cost structure for self-hosted services like these provides an affordable cost structure and offers a huge development possibility.

With an scalable platform and there are no additional costs for users. You can increase the amount of users you can have as well as your content offerings, while maximizing profits and ensuring a steady increases.

There's more.

     Integration with Other Business Tools    

These kinds of services allow the possibility of connecting various enterprise tools to improve the efficiency of all departments and provide insight into the behaviour of students and their course performance.

Here's how:

     2. CRM Systems:

     3. Analytics Tools

     4. Calendar/Scheduling Tools:

     5. Form/Survey Builders:

     6. Payment Gateways:

The following are further details about how you can connect your business account to the tools you use.

Watch the video below to learn how to boost your membership website's performance by incorporating the latest add-ons and integrations.

     Moving to Self-Hosted Hosting Switch to self-hosted    

After you've been swayed by all the benefits attached to moving from the SaaS-based LMS platforms to self-hosted platforms, here's the information you'll need to accomplish:

Switch on HTML0!

Switching from the SaaS LMS platform to self-hosted course platforms like can seem daunting, but it's manageable when you have a strategy.

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you follow this process:

     The first step is to begin with a strategy    

  • Review Your Current Platform Check your currently installed SaaS LMS platform's features, limitations and data.
  • Create Objectives Choose the objective you want to achieve with the migration (e.g. lower costs, better control).
  • Prepare a migration Plan Define the timelines of the project, its tasks and duties. You should ensure you've an archive of all your data.

     2. Install Your self-hosted platform.

  • Install Buy and install the plugin on your WordPress site.
WATCH >> How to Install The Plugin

     Step 3: Export Data From SaaS Platform    

  • Backup Data You should ensure that you've backups for all course content as well as user information as well as any other data which is pertinent.
  • Extract Content Use the tools to export that are provided in your SaaS LMS to download the entire information you require, which includes courses, information about the user, as well as media documents.

     4. Import the Data to    

  • user import Use tools or manual methods to import user data and ensure continuous access for students already registered.

     Step 5 Setup    

  • Membership Levels You are able to create the levels of membership you require to suit your business structure.
  • Payment Gateways Set up payment gateways such as Stripe or PayPal to secure your transactions.
  • Customization It is possible to customize your website's appearance and look. your site to match the brand image of your business.

     6. Test All

  • Functionality testing Verify that all features, such as the accessibility of courses or membership levels and payment options are working in a proper manner.
  • User experience: Test the user journey from signup to course completion to ensure that you have a pleasant experience.

It's time!

     Step 7 Promoting and Launching    

  • notify users inform existing users of the new technology, giving clear instructions and support for using the new technology.

5Tips for a seamless transition

  • The plan is thorough, including precise timelines and backups of data.
  • Provide information about the latest changes clearly to users and offer support.
  • Check each function carefully to ensure that any disruptions do not occur.
  • Utilize the resources available and migrate guides, starting with a small part of the content that addresses issues early.
  • Offer continuous support through Help desks and FAQs and evaluate the effectiveness, and make changes based on the feedback.

Following these steps You can easily transition between a SaaS LMS and an self-hosted solution like the complete control of your content, and maximising your profits.

     A Quick Review    

Look how far we have reached.

We started with the disadvantages of using third-party LMS platforms to facilitate online course commercialization.

Also, we discussed the key advantages that self-hosted platforms for course content offer, including full ownership of content, lower expenses and more control over marketing and branding.

Additionally, we made some tests and have been able to show you how self-hosted classes like Courses is a major game-changer for the creative enterprise you run.

It's essential to be aware that if you eliminate high revenue-sharing fees and use programs like Courses, you're able to create a viable and successful online educational company.

You should evaluate the costs of your platform in comparison to benefits. If you're using WordPress you should consider the best solution for you to increase your profitability and growth potential.

Tell us in the comments section if you'll change to self-hosted course such as Courses. We're ready to address any questions you might be having.

Sarah O Sarah is adamant to simplify the technical details of plugins, websites, as well as digital marketing. As a writer for content for Member Press, she has a keen eye for crafting compelling and insightful content. Sarah is an integral person in the process of educating and encouraging users to maximize the full potential of Member Press plugins. Combining technical knowledge and creative skills, she makes sure that each article not only informs, but also stimulates. When she's not writing her most loved content, she is interested in researching the most recent advancements in marketing and technology. She is always looking for new techniques to improve customer experience.

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