3 reasons why your course isn’t selling and how to fix it

Creating an online course is hard work. You’ve put so much into it, but the sales aren’t showing it. You’re not alone, and I’m here to help. Let’s look at why your course might not be selling and how you can turn things around.

1. Your messaging isn’t connecting with your audience

Your messaging might be the issue. You may be focusing on what’s inside your course, while potential students are wondering, “How will this help me?”

Think of your messaging as a conversation with your ideal student. Picture their current struggle and show them a vision of success AFTER completing your course. Your message should resonate so deeply that they think, “Yes, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I need this!”

Tips to improve your messaging:

1. Identify pain points and desires: Create a simple survey using a form on your website or tools like Google Forms. Ask questions such as “What challenges are you facing right now in [your area of expertise]?”, “What have you tried that hasn’t worked for you?”, and “What results do you want to achieve?”
   • To get more responses, you could offer an incentive: Use Canva to create helpful downloadable resources like “The Top 5 [Your Area] Mistakes and How to Avoid Them,” a “Quick Start Guide to [Your Topic],” or a detailed checklist. Learn how to create an interactive, fillable workbook using Canva here.
2. Focus on transformation: Clearly explain how your course will improve their situation. For example, “By the end of this course, you’ll feel more confident in your yoga practice and find relief from daily stress.”
3. Use testimonials and success stories: If your course is new, offer a beta version to a small group at a lower price. Collect feedback with questions like “What did you gain from this course?” and “How would you describe the transformation to a friend?” Read these tips for using testimonials effectively on your website.
   • To get even more insights, stay engaged during beta: Schedule regular check-ins such as weekly video calls, and encourage participants to share their experiences in a private forum or social group. Host mini-challenges or Q&A sessions to maintain interest and gather feedback.

2. You didn’t validate your course idea

Did you skip validating your course idea? Without it, you risk spending time creating content that may not hit the mark. It’s SO important to understand exactly what your audience wants.

Steps to validate your course idea:

1. Do your research: Use Google Trends and Pinterest Trends to see what’s trending in your niche. Browse Facebook groups and see what questions your target audience is asking.
   • Turn insights into action: Identify recurring pain points or topics and think about how you can address these in your course. Look for gaps in what competitors are offering and see how you can fill them.
2. Try a pre-sale: Offer a pre-sale for a limited time. You might say, “Join now to secure your spot and save 20%, offer ends [Date].” Use a countdown timer to prevent timezone confusion. Read these tips for creating a sales page that converts.
3. Collect feedback: Ask pre-sale customers questions like “What topics would you like the course to expand on?” or “What format do you prefer: video, audio, live sessions, or downloadable materials?”
   • Organize and prioritize feedback: Set what is a “recurring theme”; if a point is mentioned by at least 20% of respondents, it should be addressed.
   • Plan your actions: Divide feedback into quick fixes (like clarifying confusing module names) and more time-consuming changes (like adding captions to videos). Set up a priority list in your project management system, create columns for urgency and impact, and color-code tasks to see priorities easily.
   • Draw conclusions:
     • Does it make sense for your audience to structure your offer differently? For example, a 4-week bootcamp instead of a 12-week live course.
     • Does your course give them what they need to get from point A to point B? You might consider niching down the topic or adding more to help your audience’s pain point.

3. Your marketing needs improvement

If everything else checks out, marketing might be where you’re getting stuck. Without a strong marketing plan, your course might not reach the right people, or they might not trust you enough to invest.

Ideas to boost your marketing:

1. Create a launch plan: Break your plan into weekly goals, assigning specific tasks each week. For example, Week 1 might involve drafting emails and creating social media content. Use a project management tool like ClickUp to stay organized.
2. Engage and build relationships: Create a content calendar that includes both promotional and engaging content, like how-to guides, inspirational quotes, transformation stories, or behind-the-scenes videos showing course development.
   • Interact on social media: Use a mix of content types like polls, quizzes, live stories, or behind-the-scenes peeks to encourage interaction and build community.
3. Share personal stories: When sharing your journey, connect personal stories back to your course by highlighting lessons learned that are directly related to the course benefits. Share how overcoming similar challenges led you to create impactful course content. For example, describe a specific obstacle, the breakthrough moment, and how it influenced your course design.

Take action now

If your course isn’t selling like you’ve hoped, it’s time for a deeper look. Are you clearly sharing the benefits? Did you test your course idea with your audience? Is your marketing strong enough? Take a hard look on these areas to grow your sales.

Want more help growing your course and enrolling more students in it? Check out my services.