The Thousand Solutions Blog

What can you do to increase your passive Income from Your Online courses?

Jun 6, 2024

     Reader Disclosure

We could inform you that you could make more passive income from the online courses you offer using your self-hosted platform?

What's Inside? Toggle

Untruths about Third Party LMS Platforms

You might agree with this statistic that shows is 57% of course creators decide the success of their courses by student satisfaction, while students' enrollment is a third of the focus while 21% of the focus is on the income of students.

It's the reason why so many instructors feel it's preferential to use an alternative to third-party LMS platforms, such as Udemy, Teachable, and Kajabi for the following reasons:

  • They believe it can reduce their marketing expenses, thereby reducing the requirement for huge initial investment in software and hardware.
  • They think it will aid the brand to be introduced into the world in a quicker manner.
  • The assumption is that it's simple to navigate and doesn't require any technical expertise It's much simpler for course creators to design, launch, and manage their course.

But, these benefits have a high price for example:

  1. The cost of revenue sharing is growing.
  2. 75 75% of instructors have less than $1,000 every year. Just 1 percent of instructors make more than $50,000 per year.
  3. The course may be missed in the crowd and require additional advertising costs to get your message out to the right audience.
  4. Limited opportunities to nurture relationships with students who aren't available on these platforms.
  5. The page you create cannot be customized and neither can your company's logo be displayed on these platforms.
  6. It's hard to monitor the students' progression in the funnel.
  7. The limited engagement possibilities are due to the absence of gamification as well as community-based integrations.

     Introductory Courses hosted self-hosted    

If you're an online course creator frustrated with the high prices and restrictions on SaaS LMS platforms, you're not alone. There are many educators facing the same issues.

But, there's an alternative solution that's self-hosted platforms for classes.

If you decide to host your own classes, you will be able to control your classes and reduce the cost of fees for revenue sharing, and explore opportunities to make money.

Take a moment to think about the concept...

Imagine getting the option to design your courses exactly how you want and keeping the majority of the money you earned.

Making the switch to self-hosted platforms isn't just about reducing costs. It's about unlocking the full potential of your business, and making it the most profitable and sustainable business.

Are you still unsure? Check out this explanation below.

     The high cost of Revenue Sharing    

If you're on one of one of the most well-known SaaS LMS platforms to sell and administer your online courses you must be aware of the model of revenue-sharing.

They typically charge an enviable percentage of your earnings, which could add rapidly and consume your profits.

This is a summary of typical revenue-sharing programs that are offered by a handful of popular SaaS LMS platforms:

     1. Teachable

Teachable provides a wide range of pricing options and their revenue-sharing structure varies based upon the plan you select. The following is the pricing for the year is:

  • The Free Plan Charges $1 + 10% for each transaction.
  • The basic plan ($39/month): 5 per cent transaction charge.
  • Business Plan ($119/month) and Business Plan ($499/month) The Professional Plan is free for transactions, but a limited course publishing cap.

     2. Thinkific

Thinkific has a range of pricing tiers that have different income-sharing implications

  • Free Plan: There's zero transaction charges, however, it is limited in its capabilities.
  • Base Plan ($49/month) The Basic Plan includes no fees for transactions. However, it is limited to digital downloads.
  • Premier Plan ($99/month) as well as Premier Plan ($499/month) The Premier Plan is $99/month, and the Premier Plan costs $499 per month. is no fee for transactions however, there are a few online community options.

     3. Udemy

Udemy is based on an entirely different income-sharing model than Teachable as well as Thinkific:

  • Organic revenue: Udemy takes 50 percent of their revenues from purchasesmade via their marketplace.
  • Instructor Promotion: Instructors keep 97% of earnings through sales they generate through their own promotion (using an instructor coupon) as well as Udemy charging 3 percent administration charge.
  • Paid User acquisition: In the case of the sales that are generated by the paid advertising strategy of Udemy, instructors only receive 25% of the revenue.

     4. Kajabi

Kajabi offers subscriptions that combine additional charges that are based on the plan:

  • Kickstarter ($69/month) Basic Plan ($149/month): No charges for transactions, however they are restricted in terms of terms of features and product offerings.
  • Plan for Growing Plan ($199/month) and the Pro Plan ($399/month) There's no fee for transactions however there are a limit of students enrolled in active classes.

The model that is built around revenue share highlight the costs associated with the use of third-party LMS platforms. These platforms are convenient and have robust capabilities, regular fees and reductions in revenues can drastically lower your income.

In contrast, a self-hosted option can allow you to keep more of your income and allow you to be more flexible in how you structure and present your course.

This is a comprehensive review of the two platforms.

     A Comparison of earning potential: SaaS LMS as compared to. Self-hosted Course Platforms.    

Example: Imagine that you are selling your course online for $100.

SaaS LMS Model Platform:

  • Teachable (Basic plan): With a 5% transaction fee that would mean you're losing $5 for each sale.
  • Profits per sale: $195
  • Monthly membership fee: $39
  • If you are able to sell 20 courses per month, you will earn $195 divided by 20 = $39 = $1,861
  • Udemy (Organic Sales): With a 50% share of income, your company will lose the equivalent of $50 for every sales.
  • Profits per sale: $50
  • If you're able to sell 20 courses per month this formula will be used for each course: $50 in 20 courses = $1000

Self-Hosted Solutions Example

  • The monthly cost for (Most Popular Plan): $33
  • Profits per sale: $100
  • If you can sell 20 courses per month, the following formula is used: $100 x 20 x $33 = $1,967

Comparison:

  1.       Teachable (Basic Plan):      
  • SaaS LMS Earnings: $1,861/month
  • Self-Hosted Earnings: $1,967/month
  • Differential: $106 more when self-hosted
  1.       Udemy (Organic sale):      
  • SaaS LMS Earnings: $1,000/month
  • Self-Hosted Earnings: $1,967/month
  • The difference is $967 more for self-hosted

Through the course of the year, they can be significant. It's around $11,604 that you can save throughout the year!

     Utilizing self-hosted courses platforms such as Courses could reduce your costs by hundreds or even thousands of dollars, depending the volume of sales you make.    

Now that you know how much you could get and save with self-hosted courses, let's see certain advantages of switching to this method.

     Advantages of Self-Hosted Learning Platforms    

Self-hosted course platforms offer an excellent alternative to SaaS LMS solutions by giving total control over content you create and the operations.

In the list, is said to be a great choice particularly in the event of

Through leveraging the power using the strength of WordPress It offers unrivaled options for customizing and flexibility that allow you to create an experience for learning that's in keeping with your brand's identity and objectives for your business.

If you select self-hosted courses platforms like the ones provided by e-learning.com, you enjoy many advantages. This includes lower prices more control and efficiency, as well as the capability to employ a range of strategies for monetization to maximize your earnings.                Watch >>> Courses Feature OVERVIEW

Let's look over these benefits in detail.

     Control and the Control of the Ownership of Content    

Control is one of the most important assets of an artist. It is a key element of effective branding and advertising.

If you host your own courses , you can tailor every element of your class to reflect your unique design and style.

From style and layout to the incorporation of multimedia elements having complete control over the content you create, it is possible to develop a coherent and professional learning experience which reflects your company's values and aesthetics. your business.

The ownership of your content permits you to use a wide range of marketing techniques without limitations.

It's possible to design and distribute promos and bundle classes, offer discounts, and use numerous marketing tools and plug-ins to WordPress.

This flexibility enables you to send your message to appropriate people quicker and adapt your strategy in response to real-time results and data.

     Direct Customer Relations    

One of the standout advantages of self-hosted learning platforms is the capacity to make intimate, unmediated relationships to your students.

In the absence of any restrictions from the intermediary services it is possible to interact directly with students by sending them personalized messages in addition to advice and feedback.

If you are the administrator of the platform, you will gain access to a wealth of information about the behavior of your students, their preferences, and progress.

It is essential in understanding how to make the best choices, as well as knowing the things that aren't covered in your courses.

After analyzing the data you can tailor your content and teaching methods to meet the specific needs of your students. This could result in higher student satisfaction and retention rates.

Utilizing intermediaries may limit your ability to provide rapid and efficient customer support.

Self-hosted hosting solutions let you set up a solid customer service system, including live chat, forums as well as direct messaging.

Instant access to help and help can dramatically improve the overall experience for students as well as help with issues prior to them getting more severe.

     The Financialization of Membership    

One of the most effective methods to make money through your course using an self-hosted platform is bundling them into an e-learning method.

Benefits of memberships include that they encourage ongoing involvement and improve retention of customers because students constantly benefit from the membership benefits.

If you are able to provide access to a huge catalog of contents at a cost that is regular that it can be of great value in enticing more students enroll.

Community-based features such as forums and live Q&A sessions create an emotional bond between the members, enhancing the commitment of your community.

     This technique increases the value you offer to your students as also creating a constant stream of revenue.    

Base Body Homepage
Body-loving, base babes

They also offer individual and online training sessions at their boutique fitness center located in Sydney, Australia.

Through the use of a software , Base Body Babes manages the paywalled content they offer and also their own services through their site. Customers can gain access to gym and online classes for weight training along with tutorials as well as recipes.

It allows them to earn regular income while providing significant benefit to their customers.

     Fixed cost and unlimitable growth    

Here's a details of the cost involved:

  •       Web Hosting:      
  •       Domain Registration      
  •       LMS Software/Plugins      
  • Four pricing levels are available. :
  • Basic: $179.50/year, suitable for beginners.
  • More: $299.50/year, includes additional features and connection.
  • Pro: $399.50/year, ideal for firms that need advanced features.
  • The premium is $499.50/year ideal for entrepreneurs as well as creative artists.
  • Additional Charges:
  • SSL certificates that guarantee safe transactions ($0 between $100 and $1000 per year) usually included in hosting plans).
  • Fees for payment gateways (typically around 2.9 percent) plus $0.30 every transaction).

Why should you choose ? This is our price along with the services you will receive...

Pricing:

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

HTML1ROI (ROI):

In order to determine the ROI of your investment, let's suppose that you choose the Plus option at $299.50/year. If you are offering the course bundle or membership at $100, and you sell three memberships each month, your monthly revenue will be $300.

Through the course of one year, this is $3,600. After subtracting the costs of ($299.50) and hosting ($240 per month for the price of $20) this is an annual net profit of $3,061.

The evidence is clear that even with a small amount of revenue it is clear that the ROI is substantial, making it the most cost-effective option for you!

 Analyzing the Scalability Potential Without Additional Costs Per User or for Content

One of the major benefits of self-hosting classes is the ability to scale.

Contrary the SaaS platforms which cost per user or get an 80% cut of profits the platform allows you to scale your business without additional costs.

Here's how:

  • unlimited users: When your web site is operational, you can have the number of users you want to have without any extra cost. This means your expenses are predictable regardless of the amount your members base expands.
  • Content Flexibility: The ability to design and provide unlimited classes or courses and also different levels of membership. This allows you to expand the scope of your services and diversify income streams without worrying about the cost increase.

Shortly, the fixed cost model of self-hosted platforms such as this one offers predictable expenses and substantial expansion potential.

With an scalable platform, and no additional per-user costs You could increase the number users you've got and the contents you provide, increasing profitability and ensuring sustainable increase.

There's more.

     Integration with Other Business Tools    

Self-hosted platforms like also offer the ability to connect with numerous business tools, enhancing the overall efficiency and providing information on the behaviour of students and academic 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 to connect your account into business tools.

Check out the video below to help you boost your members' site by integrating add-ons and integrations

     Moving to self-hosted Switch to self-hosted    

If you've already been convinced of the many benefits associated with changing away from the SaaS-based LMS platforms and moving to self-hosted platforms. Here's the steps you must take following:

Change it!

Transitioning away from to the SaaS LMS platform to self-hosted courses such as these can be overwhelming, but it's possible with a clearly defined plan.

HTML0 Here's a step-by-step guide that will help you through the process

     First step: Start with a strategy    

  • Check Current Platform Review your current SaaS LMS platform's features, data and restrictions.
  • Establish goals Define what you aim to achieve with the migration (e.g. cost reduction, less expense or greater control).
  • Create a migration plan Define your work as well as timelines and your responsibilities. Make sure you've got an all-data backup.

     Step 2: Configure your Self-Hosted platform that you've created.    

  • Install Buy and install the plug-in from your WordPress site.
Check out the video below on How to Install The Plugin

     Step 3. Export the data from SaaS Platform

  • backup data: Ensure you have backups of the entire course's information as well as users information as well as any other relevant data.
  • Export Content: Use the export tools provided by the SaaS LMS you use to download all the data you need such as information about the user, and media documents.

     step 4: import data    

  • transfer users: Use tools or methods manual for transferring user data to provide seamless access for current students.

     Step 5 Step 5: Configure    

  • Membership Levels: Make membership levels that are in line with your corporate style.
  • Payment Gateways Configure payment gateways like Stripe or PayPal for safe transactions.
  • Customization You can customize the look and layout of your website to align with the branding of your business.

     6. Check All

  • Tests for functionality Check that all functions like the access to courses, levels of membership and payment options are operating to their correct.
  • users experience: Test your course's user experience starting beginning with registration and ending the course for a seamless experience.

This is the best timing!

     7th Step Begin and Promote    

  • Information Users Inform existing customers about the platform's new features by giving precise directions and assistance on how with accessing the platform.

5 Tips for A Smooth transition

  • Plan comprehensive, including precise timelines and backups of data.
  • Inform changes clearly to users, as well as provide help.
  • Try this function thoroughly in order in order to prevent disruptions.
  • Make use of all available resources and guidebooks, beginning by introducing a tiny portion of information to tackle the problems before they turn into.
  • Give continual support by means of FAQs and Helpdesks, and evaluate efficiency and make changes according to feedback.

Following these steps following these steps, you will be able to transition seamlessly between the SaaS LMS into an self-hosted solution like gaining full control over your content while increasing your profit.

     A Quick Overview    

Find out how far we've made it.

The first issue we discussed was the drawbacks that come with relying on third-party LMS platforms to facilitate online course marketing.

The discussion also covered the main advantages self-hosted platforms and courses offer, such as total ownership of your material, less cost, and increased control of your marketing and branding strategies.

Also, we conducted a few comparatives and we managed to convince you that using self-hosted platforms for courses such as Courses is a major game-changer for the creative enterprise.

It's also crucial to keep in mind that if you cut out the high fee-sharing and make use of tools such as Courses, it is possible to build a sustainable and lucrative online educational company.

Make sure you evaluate the costs of your current platform vs. the advantages. If you're on WordPress consider a more efficient solution that will maximize your profitability and growth potential.

Please let us know in the comments whether or not you're contemplating switching to a self-hosted system to take courses such as Courses. We're looking forward to responding all questions you might ask us.

Sarah O Sarah is passionate in reducing the technical complexities of website plugins, sites and marketing via digital. In her role as Content Writer for Member Press, she has an eye for composing interesting and valuable writing. Sarah is an integral player in teaching and inspiring customers to fully utilize the potential that is Member Press plugins. With her expertise in technology, and an artistic flare her work ensures that each piece of content not just educates, but also inspires. When not writing her favorite articles, she's interested in pursuing the latest advancements in technology and marketing. She's always searching for innovative ways to improve user experience.

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