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What can you do to earn more money from passive earnings you earn through your online

Jun 6, 2024

     Reader Disclosure

If we told you that you could earn more than passive income from your online courses by making use of self-hosted platforms to host your online course?

What's Inside Switch

The Misconceptions of the Third Party LMS Platforms

You might agree with this statistic that shows 57% of course makers evaluate their course's success by the level of satisfaction that students have, while 23% consider student participation while 21% concentrate on income.

It's the reason why instructors believe it's better to use third party LMS platforms like Udemy, Teachable, and Kajabi due to:

  • They believe it can reduce their marketing expenses, which means they don't have to make huge upfront expenditures in software and hardware.
  • They are convinced that it will assist in launching their company onto the market in a more rapid rate.
  • It's assumed that it's simple to use and needs no technical skills that makes it easy for course creators to design the course, launch it, and then control their course.

But, these advantages come at a cost, such as:

  1. A growing revenue-sharing expense.
  2. The majority of course creators earn less than $1000 per year, whereas just 1 percent of instructors earn more than $50,000 annually.
  3. Some courses may get missed in the crowd which means you'll be required to do additional marketing to reach the audience you want.
  4. The platform is not able to provide many opportunities for building connections with students that extend beyond the site.
  5. The page you are on cannot be customized or branded on these platforms.
  6. It's hard to keep track of the progress of your students along the funnel.
  7. The limitations of engagement opportunities result from the lack of gamification or community-based integrations.

     Introduction to Self-hosted Platforms for Courses    

If you're an online-based course creator frustrated by the expensive prices and restrictions in SaaS LMS platforms, you're not the only one. A lot of educators are facing similar challenges.

But there's a better way using self-hosted platforms for courses.

When you choose to host your courses You can gain responsibility for the course's content and save money on the cost of revenue sharing, and open up new methods to earn profits.

Consider the thought...

Imagine the possibility of being able to organize your classes precisely how you want and keeping more of the hard-earned money you make.

Moving to self-hosted websites isn't only to cut costs, it's about making the most of what you have and creating a more profitable, long-term business.

You're still you not sure? Check out this review below.

     The High Cost for Revenue Sharing    

If you are choosing the most well-known SaaS LMS platforms to sell and manage your online courses it's essential to know the models of revenue sharing they use.

These platforms usually will take a large percentage of your profits, and this could quickly add up and reduce the amount you earn.

Below is a comprehensive overview of the common types for the revenue sharing on well-known SaaS LMS platforms:

     1. Teachable

Teachable offers a variety of pricing options. Their revenue sharing structure varies on the plan you choose. That's how the annual cost for their plans is:

  • Free Plan: costs $1 plus 10% per transaction.
  • Plan Basic ($39/month): 5 percent transaction charge.
  • Business Plan ($119/month) as well as the Professional Plan ($119/month) and Plan ($499/month) The Professional Plan has no charges for transactions. However, they include a publishing limit for courses.

     2. Thinkific

Thinkific provides a wide range of pricing tiers that have distinct implications on revenue sharing:

  • Free Plan: There are no fee for transactions but with limited capabilities.
  • Basic Plan ($49/month) The Basic Plan includes no cost for transactions, but it only offers digital downloads.
  • Plan Pro Plan ($99/month) as well as The Premier Plan ($499/month) Pro Plan: No charges for transactions. However, there are several options to conduct on-line community services.

     3. Udemy

Udemy has a distinct sharing system of income that Teachable as well as Thinkific:

  • Organic sales: Udemy is able to take 50 percent of their revenues from transactionsmade via their marketplace.
  • Promotion of Instructors: Teachers only retain 97% of earnings from sales that they earn by themselves through promotional activities (using coupons for instructors) as well as Udemy offering a 3 per cent administration cost.
  • Paid User Acquisition In the case of purchases made through Udemy's paid advertising initiatives, instructors only receive 25% of the profit.

     4. Kajabi

Kajabi offers subscriptions that combine other charges that conform to the following plan:

  • Kickstarter ($69/month) and the Basic Plan ($149/month) There is no charge for transactions, but with only a few features and offerings.
  • There is the Growth Plan ($199/month) as well as the Pro Plan ($399/month) There there are no transaction costs However, they do have a limited number of student enrollments.

Models built on revenue share reveal the expense of using third party LMS platforms. These platforms are convenient and well-built, but the standard costs and decreases in revenue can significantly reduce your earnings.

A self-hosted option can allow you to hold the largest of your profits and allow the flexibility to conduct and present your classes.

A thorough overview of both platforms.

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

Scenario: Let's say you offer your online course at 100 dollars.

SaaS LMS Model Platform:

  • Teachable (Basic Plan): In the event of the charge of transaction fees, which is 5 dollars. This would mean you'd lose $5 for each sale.
  • Earnings per sale: $95.
  • Monthly subscriptions cost $39
  • If you are able to make a profit of selling 20 courses per month, you will earn $20 divided by $95 = $39 = $1,861
  • Udemy (Organic Sales): In the event of an income share that is 50% share, the company will have to pay equivalent of $50 for every sale.
  • Profits per sale: $50
  • If you can sell 20 courses per month the next formula can be applied for the following formula: $50 20x20 = $1,000

 Self-Hosted Solutions Example

  • A month-long subscription (Most popular plan) Cost is $33.
  • Profits per sale: $100
  • If you're able to sell 20 courses per month the following formula is used to calculate: $100 times 20 times $33 = $1,967

Comparison:

  1.       Teachable (Basic Plan):      
  • SaaS LMS Earnings: $1,861/month
  • Self-Hosted Earnings: $1,967/month
  • There is a difference of $106 to host your own site
  1.       Udemy (Organic sale):      
  • SaaS LMS Earnings: $1,000/month
  • Self-Hosted Earnings: $1,967/month
  • Differential: $967 more for self-hosted

In the course of a year they can be crucial. It's about $11,604 that can be saved over an entire year!

     Self-hosted course platforms such as Courses may help you save hundreds or thousand of dollars depending the volume of sales you make.    

You now know the amount you could get and save using a self-hosted course solution, let's see some benefits from switching to this method.

     Advantages of Self-Hosted Course Platforms    

Self-hosted learning platforms are a powerful alternatives in comparison with SaaS LMS solutions by giving you complete control over the content you publish and your operations.

It is seen as a reliable choice, especially when

The power of WordPress, utilizing WordPress's strength WordPress allows for unmatched flexibility and options for customization that lets you create an experience for learning that is in line with your brand's image and business goals.

If you opt for self-hosted learning platforms like those, you'll gain many benefits. This includes lower prices as well as improved control, and the ability to utilize a variety of methods of monetization to increase your earnings.                Learn >>> Watch an overview of the feature

Let's take a look at these benefits thoroughly.

     Control and the Ownership of Content    

Control is among the top assets of an artist. It is an essential element in a the success of a brand's advertising and branding.

When you host your course on a self-hosted platform like the one you use, you are able to personalize every element of your course in order to reflect your unique brand identity.

From layout and design to adding multimedia components Being in complete control of your content lets you create a cohesive and professional learning experience that is reflective of your brand's aesthetics and standards.

The ownership of your content permits you to employ a broad array of strategies for marketing, with no limitations.

The site can be used to develop and distribute promotions, bundles of courses provide discounts, and make use of various marketing tools and plugins available on WordPress.

This allows you to get your message across to the correct people more effectively and allow you to tweak your strategy based on current information and feedback.

     Direct Customer Relationships    

One of the major benefits of self-hosted learning platforms is the capability to create intimate, unmediated relationships to your students.

In lieu of the limitations of an intermediary service, you can communicate directly with your students through personal emails, feedback, and even support.

If you manage the platform, you will are able to access a wealth of information about the students' behavior along with their interests as well as their progress and interests.

It's crucial to know what works and what doesn't during your lessons.

When you analyze this information, you can tailor the material you provide and your teaching techniques to meet the demands of your students. This will result in higher satisfaction with your students and retention rate.

Intermediary platforms often limit the capacity of your company to offer timely and effective customer service.

With a self-hosted solution, you can implement a robust service that offers live chat, forums as also direct messaging.

The immediate accessibility to assistance and support can significantly improve students' experiences, and also help resolve issues before they become more serious.

     The Monetization of Membership    

One of the most efficient ways to monetize your self-hosted courses platform is to bundle them in a membership model.

Memberships encourage ongoing engagement, and increase customer retention as students continue to profit from their memberships.

In offering access to a vast catalog of contents with monthly fees, will provide value and encourage greater numbers of students to join.

Forums and live Q&A discussions provide a personal connection for your users and boost the trust of those who use your website.

     This method increases the quality of your students, and also creates a the possibility of a steady, recurring revenue.    

Base Body Homepage
Base body girls

They provide online as well as individual sessions at their own private facility for strength training located in Sydney, Australia.

Through the use of , Base Body Babes manages their content that is paywalled as well as their exclusive services through their website. They provide customers with access to online and offline as well as gym classes for exercises and weights and a recipe library.

The system allows customers to earn regular income and also provide significant benefits to their clients.

     Fixed costs and unlimited growth    

HTML0 Here's a breakdown of these expenses:

  •       Web Hosting      
  •       Domain Registration      
  •       LMS Software and plugins      
  • There are four pricing levels available. :
  • Basic: $179.50/year, suitable for beginners.
  • Additional: $299.50/year, includes additional capabilities and connectivity.
  • Pro: $399.50/year, ideal for businesses needing advanced features.
  • The premium is $499.50/year Great for entrepreneurs and creatives who have ambitions.
  • Additional costs:
  • SSL certificates for safe transactions ($0 up to $100 per year), usually offered with hosting packages).
  • Charges charged by payment gateways (typically approximately 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction).

What are the advantages to selecting our company ? Here is our pricing and benefits that you will gain by...

Pricing:

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

 ROI (ROI):

For better understanding of the ROI we'll assume that you choose the Plus option with a price of $299.50/year. If you provide an entire course or a membership for $100 and then you sell three memberships every month, the monthly profit will be $300.

In the course of a year, it's approximately $3,600. Subtracting the cost of ($299.50) as well as hosting ($240 at $20 per month) and you'll receive the amount of $3,061 as a net year-end profit.

It's evident that even with a small amount of revenue it is evident that the ROI is impressive as well as an economical choice!

Assessing the Potential for Scalability with no additional cost for Content or Users

One of the biggest advantages of self-hosting your course has is its scalability.

Contrary to SaaS platforms that cost per user or make a percentage of the revenue generated, SaaS lets you scale your business at no additional costs.

Here's how:

  • unlimited users: After your web site has been up and running it is possible to have an unlimited number of members without incurring additional costs. Costs will remain the same regardless of how your member base grows.
  • Flexibility of Content You are able to design and offer unlimited courses, lessons, and membership levels. This lets you expand your options and diversify the revenue streams without worrying about increased fees.

In short, the fixed-cost structure of self-hosted websites like this gives predictable prices and substantial development opportunity.

With an scalable platform and there are no charges per-user. You could grow your user base in addition to content offerings, maximizing profitability and guaranteeing sustainable expansion.

There's more.

     Integration with various Business Tools    

Self-hosted hosting services such as these offer the potential of integration various software tools to improve businesses, enhancing overall operation and providing insight into student behaviour and course performance.

Here's how:

     2. CRM Systems:

     3. Analytics Tools

     4. Calendar/Scheduling Tools:

     5. Form/Survey Builders:

     6. Payment Gateways:

Here are more details on how to integrate your business account to a number of instruments.

Watch how to boost your memberpess website with Integrations and add-ons

     Moving to Self-Hosted Hosting Switch to Self-Hosted    

After you've been convinced by the numerous benefits of moving away from SaaS-based LMS platforms to self-hosted platforms, here's how you'll need to take in following phase:

Switch to HTML0!

Transitioning from a SaaS LMS platform for self-hosted courses such as these can be overwhelming, but it's doable by having the right plan.

This is a step-by -step instruction that helps you through the steps:

     Step 1: Start by making a plan    

  • Check Your Current Platform Review your current SaaS LMS platform's features, information, and limits.
  • Definition of goals: Determine the goals you want to accomplish by implementing the change (e.g. costs reduction, fewer expenses and better control).
  • Create a migration plan: Outline tasks, timelines, and your responsibilities. You should ensure you have a full-data backup.

     Step 2. Set-Up the Self-Hosted platform you have created.

  • Install Install and purchase the plug-in on your WordPress site.
Learn How to Install the Plugin

     Step 3. Export Data from SaaS Platform    

  • Backup data Be sure to have backups of all the course's contents, including the user's information along with course content as well as other pertinent details.
  • Export Content Utilize the tools for export that are provided in the SaaS LMS to download all information you require, like user information, and media documents.

     4. Import the Data

  • User Import: Use devices or techniques manual to import user data to provide seamless access for the students who are already in school.

     Step 5, Step 5: Setup    

  • Members Levels It is possible to set up levels of membership that work with the business model you are using.
  • Payment Gateways Install payment gateways, such as Stripe or PayPal to ensure safe transactions.
  • Customization You can customize the look and layout of your site's pages to reflect the image of your company.

     6. Try All    

  • Functionality testing Make sure that all functions, including access to course or levels of membership, and payment options, work effectively.
  • Users Experience Check the user experience of your course beginning with registration and continuing until the course's completion so that you can ensure that you're having a pleasant course.

It's now time!

     Step 7: Launch and Promote    

  • Inform users to inform existing customers about the new system with clear guidelines and also assistance for accessing the new system.

5Tips to make a smooth transition

  • Plan complete, with precise dates and backups for your data.
  • Let users know about changes clearly to users and provide support.
  • Test all functions thoroughly and in order order to ensure that there are no interruptions.
  • Make use of existing resources and guide. Begin by introducing a tiny portion of content to address issues early.
  • Provide constant support with Help desks and FAQs and track efficiency, making changes in response to the feedback.

By following these guidelines, it's possible to smoothly transition from an SaaS LMS to a self-hosted service like having total control of your content, while maximising your profits.

     A Quick Recap    

Find out how far we've made it.

The first issue we discussed was the drawbacks which arise from the use of third party LMS platforms to handle the monetization of your online courses.

We also discussed the major advantages that self-hosted platforms for courses offers, including complete content ownership, reduced costs, and increased control over your branding and marketing strategies.

Also, we conducted some comparatives and were able to convince you that investing in self-hosted courses platforms such as Courses is an important step forward for the creative company you run.

It is also important to be aware that when you get rid of high fees for revenue sharing and use tools like Courses, you are able to build a sustainable and profitable online educational business.

Make sure you examine the costs of your existing platform vs. benefits. If you're currently using WordPress then you need to think about an alternative that will maximize the potential for growth and profitability.

We'd appreciate it if you let us know through the comments section if you're planning to switch to a self-hosted system for your courses, such as Courses. We're looking forward to responding to any queries you might have for us.

Sarah O Sarah is adamant about making simpler the technical aspect of plugins, websites, and digital marketing. As a writer for content for Member Press Member Press, she has a keen eye for crafting interesting and useful written material. Sarah plays a major role in helping users become educated and empowered to fully utilize the potential in Member Press plugins. Bringing a blend of expertise in tech and a design flare her goal is to make sure each piece does more than educate, it additionally stimulates. When not writing her favorite articles, she's looking to learn about the most recent technologies and trends in the field of digital marketing. She's always searching for innovative ways to increase user satisfaction.

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