Coaching and consulting businesses are increasingly turning to online courses as a powerful tool to scale their operations and reach a broader audience.
While one-on-one coaching or consulting provides personalized value, it can limit your reach due to time constraints.
By creating online courses, coaches and consultants can package their expertise into scalable content, allowing them to grow their business without sacrificing quality or personalization.
In this blog, we’ll explore how online courses can help coaches and consultants scale their businesses, the key features to look for in a platform, and the best platforms available to support your growth.
Why Online Courses Are a Game-Changer for Coaches and Consultants
1. Scale Without More Hours
One of the main challenges for coaches and consultants is that their income is tied to their time.
You can only work with a limited number of clients before reaching capacity.
Online courses allow you to scale without increasing your workload.
Once the course is created, it can be sold to an unlimited number of students, providing a recurring revenue stream.
2. Reach a Global Audience
Online courses break down geographical barriers, enabling you to reach clients from all over the world.
This helps you expand your impact and grow your business beyond the limitations of in-person coaching or consulting.
3. Offer Tiered Services
Courses provide the perfect opportunity to offer different levels of service.
You can create basic self-paced courses for those who want to learn at their own pace, while offering premium packages that include group coaching sessions or one-on-one consultations for higher-paying clients.
4. Create a Passive Income Stream
Once your online course is built, you can continue to generate income from it with minimal ongoing effort.
This passive income stream allows you to focus on other areas of your business or work with higher-ticket clients, while still delivering value to a larger audience.
Key Features to Look for in an Online Course Platform
When choosing an online course platform as a coach or consultant, you need to consider a few essential features to maximize your efficiency and scalability.
1. Membership Options
Membership models allow you to offer ongoing value to your students, such as monthly coaching calls or access to a private community.
Platforms with membership features let you create subscription-based courses, which provide a stable, recurring income.
2. Group Coaching Capabilities
For coaches, having the ability to run group coaching sessions is a huge plus. Look for platforms that offer integrated video conferencing tools or support live sessions, allowing you to run group webinars or live Q&A sessions directly within the course environment.
3. Custom Branding
As a coach or consultant, your personal brand is critical to your success.
You’ll want a platform that allows you to fully customize the look and feel of your course site, so it aligns with your brand and stands out from competitors.
4. Automated Email and Communication Tools
Communicating with your students is vital for engagement.
Platforms that integrate with email marketing tools or provide built-in email automation allow you to keep in touch with your students, send reminders, and promote new offerings.
5. Payment Flexibility
You need a platform that offers flexible payment options, such as one-time payments, payment plans, and recurring subscriptions. This helps you cater to different customer preferences and makes your services more accessible to a wider audience.
Best Platforms for Coaches and Consultants
Choosing the right platform to host and sell your courses is crucial to your success.
Below is a comparison of some of the best online course platforms for coaches and consultants.
| Platform | Key Features | Best For | Starting Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teachable | Custom branding, email automation, memberships | Coaches and consultants | $39/month | Visit Teachable |
| Thinkific | Memberships, quizzes, live lessons | Consultants and entrepreneurs | $49/month | Visit Thinkific |
| Podia | All-in-one platform, memberships, coaching tools | Freelancers and small businesses | $39/month | Visit Podia |
| LearnWorlds | Live sessions, interactive tools, certifications | Educators and trainers | $24/month | Visit LearnWorlds |
| Kajabi | Advanced marketing tools, funnels, memberships | High-end coaches and consultants | $149/month | Visit Kajabi |
How to Scale Your Coaching or Consulting Business with Online Courses
Scaling your coaching or consulting business with online courses requires a strategic approach. Here’s how you can use online courses to expand your impact and revenue:
1. Create an Entry-Level Course
An entry-level course can serve as a low-cost option for potential clients who may not yet be ready to invest in one-on-one coaching.
This course should provide foundational knowledge, giving them a taste of your expertise.
Once they complete the course, you can upsell them to premium coaching services or more advanced courses.
2. Bundle Your Services
Offer a bundle that combines self-paced courses with group coaching or one-on-one sessions.
This allows you to provide a mix of scalable and personalized services, making it attractive to a wider audience while maintaining high-ticket offers.
3. Offer a Membership Program
Membership programs create recurring revenue by offering continuous value over time.
You can provide new monthly content, such as live Q&A sessions, exclusive courses, or group coaching calls.
This keeps clients engaged and creates a community around your brand.
4. Automate Your Marketing
Use automated email sequences to nurture leads and convert them into paying students.
Platforms like Teachable and Thinkific offer built-in marketing tools that allow you to send promotional emails, cart abandonment reminders, and course updates without manually sending each message.
5. Create a Funnel for Higher-Ticket Offers
Once students complete your self-paced courses, use a funnel to upsell them into more personalized coaching or consulting services.
For example, after a student completes a course on business strategy, you could offer them a one-on-one consultation or a spot in a mastermind group.
Conclusion
Online courses provide coaches and consultants with a powerful way to scale their businesses, reach a global audience, and create multiple revenue streams.
By selecting the right platform, offering tiered services, and automating key processes, you can grow your business while maintaining high-quality service.
Platforms like Teachable, Thinkific, and Podia provide the tools you need to create, market, and manage your courses, helping you scale without adding more hours to your day.
FAQ
1. What’s the best online course platform for coaches?
Teachable and Thinkific are excellent platforms for coaches due to their membership options, group coaching capabilities, and custom branding features.
2. Can I run live coaching sessions on these platforms?
Yes, platforms like LearnWorlds and Kajabi offer integrated tools for live sessions, allowing you to interact directly with your students in real time.
3. What’s the benefit of offering a membership model?
A membership model provides ongoing value to your students and creates a recurring income stream. You can offer new content, group coaching, and exclusive access to community features.
4. How do I automate my course sales?
Platforms like Teachable and Kajabi have built-in marketing tools that allow you to set up email automation for nurturing leads, upselling courses, and sending reminders to students.
5. Can I customize the look of my course site?
Yes, most platforms offer customization options for branding, allowing you to align your course site with your personal or business brand.
Best online course platforms
Benjamin Shemesh is an ecommerce enthusiast and a digital marketing expert.
He loves surfing the ocean
