If you have little experience in creating online courses, you often make typical beginner mistakes. These can quickly become fatal: participants lose interest after a short time, and the entire course fails to deliver its value. We show you examples of online courses that contain exactly these 5 mistakes.
These are 5 typical beginner mistakes
We at blink.it have seen countless online courses daily for years and also experience which courses quickly become successful – and which are not well received by participants. Benefit now from this experience and avoid the following typical mistakes:
Jumping straight into the content
100% copy & paste from existing documents
Providing unclear or no instructions
Using overly text-heavy content
Neglecting the benefit for participants
Why these mistakes can be especially fatal and what good online courses should look like instead, I will now illustrate in detail with an example.
1. Typical online course mistake: Jumping straight into the content
Clearly: A good introduction to the online course is particularly important. Because if your participants drop out at the beginning, the rest of the course can be perfectly designed. If your online course starts directly with the content, participants can quickly become overwhelmed.
Therefore, the rule is: Even if you have communicated the framework in advance (e.g., via email or verbally), you should never start an online course directly with the content.
Preferably not: Jumping straight into the content without an introduction. Source: blink.it learning platform
Here's how to do it instead:
Welcome the participants, preferably in a short, personal video
Introduce yourself as the course leader: Who are you? Why are you the expert on this topic?
Briefly present the framework of the course: overview of topics, duration of the course, benefits for participants (see mistake No. 5)
2. Typical online course mistake: 100% copy & paste
Do you want to save time and use existing documents for your online course? There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with that – however, you should not rely on 100% copy & paste. Good content is always adapted to the current format. You should invest this extra time to provide your participants with appropriate content.
Preferably not: Uploading one document after another without commentary. Source: blink.it learning platform
This means: For example, you can certainly incorporate the existing PDF of the fire safety regulations in the company into your online course. However, make sure that it is placed appropriately and write a few sentences about why the participant should look at the PDF. Also, choose an appropriate title instead of just using the document name.
3. Typical online course mistake: Providing unclear or no instructions
The A and O of any further education, whether in person or online, are clear instructions. What should the participant do with the information? Again and again, we see at blink.it content that has been posted without a call to action.
Preferably not: Omitting the instruction (call-to-action) to participants. Source: blink.it learning platform
A call to action should be clearly and concisely formulated. Don't write too long or too complex! Your participant should understand the request immediately upon first reading. This point brings us to another typical mistake…
4. Typical online course mistake: Too much text
We humans are visual beings. To keep your participants engaged in online courses, you should not use too many plain text contents.
Preferably not: Using one text content after another. Source: blink.it learning platform
Video content is particularly popular among participants in online courses. The videos don’t need to be of outstanding technical quality – good sound and a length of less than 3 minutes are already worth their weight in gold! You can easily create short introductory and explanatory videos with your smartphone and enhance your course!
Of course, text content is also allowed in online courses! However, try to use it sparingly and support it with videos and images.
5. Typical online course mistake: Neglecting the benefit for participants
We all have busy schedules and prioritize our daily routine. What doesn’t provide us with obvious benefit has no priority in our minds. Therefore, never forget to mention the benefit for your participants!
This means: A good online course guides the participant through the content in such a way that they always know why they should engage with this or that content. The overall benefit of the online course is especially important, and you should mention this at the beginning (see mistake 1). For example, it could be a certification or a personal benefit, such as improving a soft skill.
Overview: Here's how to do it right!
If you avoid the five mentioned typical beginner mistakes, your online course will have very good chances of success from the outset. Here’s how to do it right:
Clarify the framework at the very beginning
Offer appropriate content
Provide clear instructions
Use varied formats
Communicate benefits
By the way: As a customer of blink.it, you can get feedback from online course professionals! blink.it offers all new customers the opportunity to have their first course (draft) reviewed and receive personally tailored feedback. This ensures that every blink.it course becomes a success. 💡
Avoid the typical mistakes mentioned from the outset! This way, you start directly with the right strategy and successfully design your training with online courses.
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