Best Website Platform for Online Courses: Top Picks Revealed
With the rise of online learning, the demand for online courses has skyrocketed. As a result, course creators are constantly seeking the best website platform to deliver their courses and provide an exceptional learning experience for their students. Choosing the right website platform is a crucial decision that can greatly impact the success of a course.
In this blog, we will explore the key factors to consider when selecting a website platform for online courses and compare some of the top platforms available. We will delve into the importance of marketing, affordability, and the pros and cons of using a website builder versus a dedicated course platform.
Why Choosing the Right Website Platform Matters for Course Creators
When it comes to marketing and selling online courses, choosing the right website platform is essential. The platform you choose will determine the overall user experience and customer journey that will lead your website visitors into paying clients. It's important to consider factors such as design flexibility, ease of use for both educators and students and the ability to integrate other tools & digital marketing strategies to boost your course sales. By selecting the right website platform, you can provide a seamless learning experience and ensure the success of your training programs.
Marketing: Website Optimization's Impact on Sales
One of the key advantages of using a website platform for your online courses is the ability to optimize your sales pages and drive more conversions. With a dedicated website for your online course business, you have more control over the design and layout of your sales pages, allowing you to create visually appealing and persuasive landing pages that effectively communicate the value of your courses. Additionally, website platforms often offer built-in tools for search engine optimization (SEO), allowing you to improve your courses' visibility in search engine results and attract more organic traffic. By optimizing your sales pages and leveraging SEO strategies, you can increase your course sales and ultimately generate more revenue than you may through more generalized course marketplaces.
Affordability: Balancing Cost and Value
When choosing a website platform for your online courses, it's important to find a balance between cost and value. While some platforms may offer attractive pricing plans, it's essential to consider the features and functionalities included in each plan. Look for platforms that offer a good balance of affordability and value, providing the necessary tools and features to create and deliver high-quality courses. Consider your specific needs and budget, and choose a platform that aligns with your goals. Remember, investing in a quality website platform can have a significant impact on the success of your online courses, so it's important to choose wisely.
The Pros and Cons of Using a Website Builder vs. Course Platform
When it comes to creating and delivering online courses, course creators have the option to use either a website builder or a dedicated course platform. Each option has its own pros and cons, and the choice ultimately depends on the specific needs and preferences of the course creator.
Website builders, such as Squarespace, offer ease of use and customization options, making it simple to create a visually appealing website. They're also specifically for the marketing and sales part of your business, and therefore there's more focus in the website builder's themselves around those features.
However, if you like a more "all-in-one" solution, many online learning platforms do offer landing pages, sales pages and even broader website platforms as part of the same tool. However, it's worth keeping in mind that the priority for these software companies isn't the website capabilities so you'll likely compromise on features if you choose this option.
Course creators should carefully consider their requirements and evaluate the pros and cons of each option before making a decision.
The Benefits of a Dedicated Website for Your Courses
Using a dedicated website for your online courses offers several advantages. First and foremost, it allows you to create a more customized and branded experience for your future students.
With a dedicated website, you can design your marketing assets to align with your branding and create a cohesive sales experience. Additionally, a dedicated website provides more flexibility and control over the sales page layouts, allowing you to properly show off your course to the best of it's advantages.
You'll also be able to take advantage of Search Engine Optimization for your main pages and blog posts to attract more potential customers to your content. Furthermore, a dedicated website enables better integration with digital marketing tools and strategies, allowing you to effectively promote and sell your courses. Overall, a dedicated website for your courses provides a professional and tailored sales experience, helping you attract the right students to your course.
Limitations of Solely Using Course Platforms
While course platforms offer many benefits, there are also limitations to consider. One of the major limitations is the design and structure of the overall website customer journey and, more granularly, your sales page and landing page layouts. This can lead to your marketing looking more immature and potentially risking customers not taking the value of your course seriously.
Another limitation is the lack of mobile optimization which can create a very poor user experience for those visiting your website. Lastly, course platforms may have limitations in terms of customer support specifically for their website capabilities. Depending on the platform, the level of customer support and response time may vary, which can impact your ability to quickly resolve any issues or concerns. It's important to consider these limitations and weigh them against the benefits when deciding on a platform for your online courses.
What are the best website platforms for online course creators?
If you decide to create a separate website to market and sell your online course, you'll then have to decide which website platform to choose.
My personal pick for the best website platform for online course creators is Squarespace. With a focus on useability, tons of helpful functionality, robust integrations and marketing tools, it's a perfect match.
The Case for Squarespace as the Best Website Platform for Online Course Creators
Squarespace offers a user-friendly interface, making it easy for educators to create their websites and sales pages. The platform also provides a range of customizable features, including the ability to integrate with the best online learning platforms like ThriveCart, making it the ideal choice for creative topics and learning. Alternatively, you can sell your courses directly through their e-commerce setup and even use their online course builder to keep everything conveniently in the same system.
Additionally, Squarespace offers affordability, with different pricing plans to suit various budget requirements. With its ease of use, flexibility, and integration with the best online learning platforms, Squarespace is the top choice for online course creators.
Ease of Use
One of the key benefits of using Squarespace as a website platform for online course creators is its ease of use. The platform provides an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it simple for educators to create and manage their webiste themselves without the need to hire an expensive website designer.
Squarespace offers a drag-and-drop website builder, allowing course creators to easily add and arrange course content, multimedia elements, and interactive features. Additionally, Squarespace provides customizable templates or you can purchase premium templates created by expert designers, for a quick way to create your visually appealing and engaging course website. With its ease of use, Squarespace makes it accessible for educators of all technical skill levels to create professional and high-quality online courses.
Flexibility and Integrations
When considering a website platform for online courses, flexibility and integrations are crucial factors to evaluate. That way you can pick the best online course platform for you, set up your sales funnel and any other marketing tech you decide to test out without lots of fussy set up stresses.
Squarespace stands out in this aspect by offering a range of customization options and seamless integrations with third-party tools. Integrating with various tools enhances the functionality and user experience, making the platform versatile for different teaching styles. Whether you want to embed video lessons, incorporate interactive elements, or streamline course administration, Squarespace provides the flexibility to meet your specific needs. By prioritizing flexibility and integrations, Squarespace enables course creators to deliver engaging and dynamic online learning experiences and save you a lot of time in the process.
Affordability
Affordability is an important consideration when choosing a website platform for online course creation. Squarespace offers a range of pricing plans to suit different budget requirements. The platform provides a basic plan that includes essential features for course creation and management, making it a good option for educators starting out. Additionally, Squarespace offers premium plans that provide more advanced features and capabilities, such as the ability to create premium courses and offer advanced customization options.
Squarespace's pricing plans provide a great balance between affordability and value, making it an ideal choice for online course creators looking to create high-quality courses without breaking the bank.
Comparing Squarespace with Other Leading Platforms
When it comes to choosing a website platform for online courses, there are several other leading platforms to consider. Two of the most popular platforms in the market are WordPress and Kajabi. WordPress is a widely used web development platform that offers a range of plugins and themes for online course creation. Kajabi, on the other hand, is an all-in-one platform specifically designed for online course creation and marketing. In the following sections, we will compare Squarespace with WordPress and Kajabi to provide a comprehensive overview of the different options available for online course creators.
Squarespace vs WordPress
Squarespace and WordPress are two popular website platforms that offer different features and capabilities for online course creators. Squarespace is a user-friendly platform that provides drag-and-drop functionality and customizable templates, making it easy for educators to create and manage their courses.
WordPress, on the other hand, is a more flexible platform that offers a wide range of plugins and themes for course creation. WordPress is still the most popular website platform, there is a lot more maintenance and upkeep involved in hosting your website with them. Since WordPress is an open-source platform, anyone can create plugins and apps to add to your website which means you'll have lots of options to choose from as you optimize your site however you run the risk that they'll break, become corrupt or stop working altogether.
While Squarespace is suitable for beginners and educators looking for a simple and intuitive platform, WordPress provides more customization options and advanced functionalities for those with more technical expertise.
How Squarespace Stands Out Against Kajabi
Kajabi is another leading platforms that offers specialized features for online course creation and marketing. While Squarespace provides a user-friendly interface, customizable templates, and affordable pricing plans, making it an ideal choice for educators starting out in the online course industry.
Kajabi, on the other hand, is an all-in-one online platform that offers comprehensive features for course creation, marketing, and sales. While Kajabi provides a more robust set of features, Squarespace offers a simpler and more affordable solution for educators looking to create and deliver high-quality courses.
Key Features That Make Squarespace Stand Out
Key Features That Make Squarespace Stand Out:
Squarespace is known for its design-forward approach, offering sleek and professional-looking templates.
The platform provides an integrated e-commerce shop, allowing course creators to sell their courses and digital products.
Squarespace offers a range of integrated marketing tools to help course creators promote their courses effectively.
The platform supports responsive design, ensuring that courses are accessible on different devices.
Squarespace provides reliable customer support to assist course creators in setting up and managing their courses.
These key features make Squarespace a popular choice for course creators who prioritize aesthetics, monetization, effective marketing, user-friendly design, and professional support.
Setting Up Your First Course For Sale on Squarespace
If you're ready to launch your first online course using Squarespace for your website, here's an overview of what you'll need to do:
Sign up for a Squarespace account
Select one of their templates or purchase a premium Squarespace template specifically designed for online courses
Customize your pages to match your branding by adding your fonts, colors and uploading photos, videos and your copy
Optimize your sales page by embedding a video using Squarespace's built-in video hosting
Once your course website is ready, connect your domain and select your payment plan to set your website live!
Alternatives to Squarespace: Exploring Other Options
While Squarespace is a popular choice for course creators, if you decide to skip the separate website here are some of the most popular course platforms that may better suit specific needs.
Teachable: Teachable is a dedicated course platform that offers comprehensive features for course creation, marketing, and student management.
Thinkific: Thinkific is another popular course platform that provides customizable course templates, marketing tools, and extensive student engagement features.
Kajabi: Kajabi is an all-in-one platform that combines course creation, marketing, and sales features, making it a great option for course creators looking for an integrated solution.
WordPress with LMS plugins: WordPress can be used with various learning management system (LMS) plugins to create a custom course platform tailored to specific needs.
By exploring these alternatives, course creators can find the platform that best meets their requirements in terms of course features, marketing capabilities, and overall ease of use.
Why Some Creators Choose Teachable or Other Course Platforms Over Squarespace
While Squarespace offers a range of features for course creators, some creators may prefer other course platforms such as Teachable. Here are some reasons why creators choose alternatives to Squarespace:
Ease of use: Teachable and other course platforms often have a more intuitive course builder, making it easier for creators to get started with your course.
Customer support: Some creators may prioritize robust customer support, and platforms like Teachable are known for their responsive and helpful support teams specifically when you're struggling with course related issues.
Unlimited access: Certain course platforms offer unlimited courses and students on all pricing plans, allowing creators to scale their online education business without limitations.
Course creators should consider their specific needs and preferences when choosing a platform, ensuring that the chosen platform aligns with their goals and provides the necessary support and flexibility.
All-in-One Course Creation Solutions like Kajabi
Aall-in-one platforms like Kajabi provide a comprehensive solution for course creators. It offers a range of features, including online course software, marketing tools, and membership sites.
With Kajabi, course creators can easily create and publish individual courses, customize their course websites, and manage student enrollment and progress. The platform also integrates marketing tools such as email campaigns, sales funnels, and analytics, allowing course creators to effectively promote their courses and grow their online education business.
In addition to course creation and marketing features, Kajabi provides membership site functionality. This allows course creators to offer exclusive content and resources to paid members, providing additional value and engagement opportunities.
Kajabi's all-in-one solution makes it a popular choice for course creators who prefer a comprehensive platform that simplifies course creation, marketing, and membership management. However, just because these tools can do all of these various tasks doesn't mean they are optimized for each of those specific tasks.
Enhancing Your Course’s Reach with Squarespace’s SEO and Marketing Tools
If you do decide to host your website on Squarespace, you can take advantage their SEO and marketing tools to reach a greater audience and boost your course sales.
The platform provides built-in SEO tools that allow course creators to optimize their course content for search engines. By using relevant keywords, creating unique meta descriptions, and optimizing page titles, you can improve your courses' visibility and attract organic traffic, which is always a great idea!
Squarespace also offers email marketing tools included in some of the higher monthly subscription plans which allow you to run targeted email campaigns and engage with your audience. By utilizing these tools, course creators can nurture leads, promote their courses, and build a loyal student community.
With Squarespace's SEO and marketing tools, course creators can maximize their courses' reach and attract a wider audience, ultimately leading to increased enrollments and revenue.
Leveraging SEO for Course Visibility
When choosing a website platform, it's important to consider its SEO capabilities and features.
An online course platform that prioritizes search engine optimization will offer features like customizable metadata, keyword optimization, and the ability to add alt tags to your video content. These features help search engines understand and index your course content, making it more discoverable to potential students.
Thankfully, Squarespace natively includes these features and makes it relatively easy to make use of them too since they're baked into the website structure.
Utilizing Squarespace’s Email Campaigns for Direct Marketing
When it comes to promoting your online courses, email marketing is a highly effective strategy for reaching your target audience.
If you want to keep everything in house, Squarespace offers a powerful email marketing tool called Email Campaigns that allows you to create and send personalized email campaigns to your subscribers.
With Squarespace's Email Campaigns, you can easily build and maintain an email list of interested students and potential customers. The platform provides customizable email templates, drag-and-drop functionality, and a user-friendly interface, making it easy for you to design and send professional-looking emails.
Additionally, Squarespace's Email Campaigns allows you to segment your email list based on factors such as course interests, location, or engagement level. This allows you to send targeted and relevant emails to specific groups of subscribers, increasing the likelihood of conversions and engagement. While not the most robust email marketing system, it's more than enough to get started with and is one of the most affordable ways to get started with email marketing.
By utilizing Squarespace's Email Campaigns, you can leverage the power of email marketing to promote your online courses and build a strong relationship with your audience. The platform's user-friendly interface and customizable templates make it easy for course creators to create visually appealing and engaging email campaigns, resulting in higher open rates and increased conversions.
Integrating Third-Party Tools with Squarespace for Enhanced Functionality
Squarespace offers a range of built-in features and tools for course creators, but sometimes you may need additional functionality that is not available out-of-the-box. In such cases, integrating third-party tools can help enhance the functionality of your Squarespace website and improve the learning experience for your students.
One example of a third-party integration that can enhance the functionality of your Squarespace website is a video hosting platform. While Squarespace does offer basic video hosting capabilities, integrating with a dedicated video hosting platform can provide a more robust and seamless video experience for your students. Platforms like Vimeo or Wistia offer advanced video management features, including the ability to organize videos into playlists, create custom video players, and track viewer engagement. By integrating with a video hosting platform, you can provide a more professional and engaging video experience for your students.
Another important integration to consider is an email marketing tool. Integrating a more robust email marketing tool like ConvertKit or Drip with your Squarespace website allows you to easily capture email addresses, automate email sequences, and track the success of your email campaigns. This integration can help you build a strong relationship with your students and keep them engaged throughout their learning journey.
Payment system integrations are also important for accepting payments from your students. While Squarespace does offer built-in payment options, integrating with a third-party checkout tool like ThriveCart allows for more optimized sales systems and funnels. These payment systems allow you to set up recurring payments, offer discounts and coupons, and track your revenue more effectively. By integrating a third-party payment system, you can provide a seamless and secure payment experience for your students.
Automation tools are another category of third-party integrations that can greatly enhance the functionality of your Squarespace website. Platforms like Zapier or Pabbly Connect allow you to automate repetitive tasks, such as sending automated welcome emails to new students, adding students to your email list, or automatically generating certificates of completion. By automating these tasks, you can save time and create a more streamlined and efficient course administration process.
By integrating these and other third-party tools with your Squarespace website, you can enhance the functionality of your courses and provide a more engaging and seamless learning experience for your students. These integrations can help you automate repetitive tasks, track student progress more effectively, and create a more professional and personalized learning environment. Additionally, Squarespace's use of artificial intelligence allows for continual improvement and better service for both students and course creators.
Conclusion
Choosing the right website platform for your online course business is crucial for success. Squarespace stands out with its user-friendly interface, flexibility, and affordability. Its design-forward layouts, e-commerce capabilities, and integrated marketing tools make it a top choice for course creators. By leveraging Squarespace's SEO and marketing features, you can enhance your course's visibility and reach. Consider setting up your first course on Squarespace with a step-by-step guide. Evaluate the ROI and explore alternative platforms to make an informed decision that aligns with your course creation goals. Partner with Squarespace to elevate your online courses and engage with your audience effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I connect my Squarespace website to my course hosted on another platform?
Yes, it is possible to connect your Squarespace website to your course hosted on another platform. You can create a seamless integration by embedding your course content or linking to your course from your Squarespace website. This allows you to maintain a cohesive brand and user experience across your website and course platform.
Can I Migrate My Existing Courses to Squarespace?
Yes, you can migrate your existing courses to Squarespace. Squarespace provides tools and resources to help you easily import your course materials and content from your current platform. This allows you to take advantage of Squarespace's user-friendly interface and design options while preserving your existing course materials.
How Does Squarespace Compare in Terms of Student Engagement Features?
Squarespace provides several features to enhance student engagement and create an immersive learning experience. With its built-in video hosting capabilities, you can easily incorporate video content into your courses. Squarespace also offers interactive elements such as discussion boards and live chat, allowing students to actively participate and collaborate.
Can I Get Support When Using Squarespace for Online Courses?
Squarespace offers comprehensive support for course creators. They provide a knowledge base with extensive documentation and tutorials to help you navigate the platform and create your courses. Additionally, Squarespace offers live chat support to address any specific questions or issues you may have during the course creation process.
