How I Built My Online Courses Website

Online Courses are becoming increasingly popular and more people are looking for the right tools to start teaching. It turns out that you can build and sell online courses quickly, affordably, and with little custom code using WordPress, WooCommerce, and LearnDash. In this session, you’ll learn how.

Transcript

1. How I Built My Online Courses Website …using WordPress, WooCommerce, & LearnDash Joe Casabona / @jcasabona / casabona.org
2. @jcasabona
3. @jcasabona Alexander found the right tool for the job
4. @jcasabona Online Courses are becoming increasingly popular.
5. @jcasabona What Tool Should I Use? • It depends! • What features do you want? • How much control do you want? • How much time do you want to spend on content vs. site management?
6. @jcasabona Teachable LearnDash LifterLMS Udemy Teachery Moodle Sensei Skillshare
7. My Requirements • Full Control over content, design, and features • A way to build and sell courses • eCommerce functions (abandoned cart emails, stats, affiliate program • A community component • Good hosting
8. @jcasabona Research that was mostly trial and error
9. @jcasabona Researching Features • Teaching in classroom • Taking online courses from Masterclass, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, and Hollens Academy • Took notes on sign up, pricing, on boarding and learning processes
10. @jcasabona Researching Tools • Tried a number of tools (like Sensei) • Experimented with the idea of not using WooCommerce at all • Started coding my own theme before looking at StudioPress
11. @jcasabona How I Built It
12. Tools Overview • WordPress • LearnDash • WooCommerce with Metorik, Jilt, AffiliateWP • bbPress • Academy Pro Theme • Liquid Web hosting
13. @jcasabona WordPress • Using it for 15 Years • Free, Open Source • Great tools at a very affordable price 㾎 Full Control over content, design, and features
14. @jcasabona LearnDash • Fantastic LMS plugin • Built by folks who were in the enterprise LMS space • Tight integration with other tools • Included features I would have had to build from scratch using other LMS plugins 㾎 A way to build and sell courses
15. @jcasabona WooCommerce… • Integration with LearnDash • Full-on eCommence platform with shop, shopping cart • Flexibility beyond selling just courses 㾎 eCommerce Functions
16. @jcasabona …with Metorik, Jilt, AffiliateWP • Metorik for incredible reporting • Jilt for abandoned cart emails (and more) • AffiliateWP for affiliate program 㾎 Abandoned cart emails, Stats, Affiliate program
17. @jcasabona bbPress • Forum plugin for WordPress • Works with LearnDash, WooCommerce, and my Theme • Allows students to access forums by registered course. 㾎 A community component
18. @jcasabona Academy Pro Theme • A Genesis Child Theme • Clean design • Easily customizable • Lots of extensions to work with various tools 㾎 Complete control over design
19. @jcasabona Liquid Web Hosting • Managed WordPress & WooCommerce hosting • Easy updates • Very performant, even for logged-in users 㾎 Good hosting
20. @jcasabona Some code was required
21. Plans for the Future • Better community integration - more forums, office hours, a way for students to communicate • Memberships • Improving the design • Updates to courses
22. @jcasabona Do what works best for your needs, and the needs of your students!
23. Joe Casabona Educator, Developer, Podcaster @jcasabona SiteGround Ambassador casabona.org/wclanc19/