Many trainers and coaches keep asking us: "How can I make my online courses more engaging so that my participants actually complete them until the end?" In this article, we answer this question and provide you with 4 tips for creating truly great online courses!

As a trainer, you probably know this: You have put together a new online course for your participants and are convinced of the content. But somehow only half of the participants are engaged, and you notice that they are only half-heartedly involved. But how can you change that?

Successful online courses start with you!

You are the foundation of your training offerings. Therefore, ask yourself: Am I even enjoying working on my online courses? Am I motivated to finish the course? Have I learned something new? You must be convinced of your own content and your concept in order to inspire others!

"If you don't feel like looking at your own courses again, neither will your participants" – Claudia, online course expert at blink.it

It is also particularly important for your participants to know the meaning and purpose of your course from the very beginning. If you keep your promises regarding the course and its objectives, your participants will be satisfied and will gladly recommend you.

But what distinguishes successful online courses?

The answer is simple: It's the enthusiastic participants who work through your courses to the end. They should feel throughout the entire online course that your course has personally or professionally advanced them and that they have truly learned something. But how do you achieve that? With the following tricks, you will excite your participants about your learning content – first, however, we will show you how your online course should not look.

Reading Tip: On the blog, we have also summarized a suitable study for you: With these factors, you motivate participants in online courses.

Example: How your course should NOT look

Your online course contains all the important content but looks little appealing. // Source: blink.it

In this example course on the blink.it platform, all essential content is in place. However, the online course is visually rather monotonous, and the preview reveals little about the content. Additionally, there is no clear structure indicating to participants what comes next and where they currently stand in their learning progress. Many text contents also seem demotivating – there is a lack of variety to hold attention or pique participants' curiosity.

We now want to optimize this online course in the next step! With these 4 tips, your courses will be well-structured and visually appealing:

Step 1: Clarify the benefits for your participants
Step 2: Create a clear course structure for your content
Step 3: Offer participants varied content
Step 4: Visually enhance your course

4 Tips for Engaging and Well-Structured Online Courses

1. Clarify the benefits!

• Communicate the goal of your online course and the benefits for participants from the start. What can they expect? How is the course structured? What is the specific goal?

• It’s best to repeat this goal at the beginning of each new “chapter” or learning section to remind participants of the overall objective.

• Bring personality into the course and send your participants this message in the form of a short video. Simple selfie videos are quick to produce and build intimacy. In a face-to-face course, you would also briefly greet your participants at the start and explain the content of the event.

• Address your participants in direct language, preferably in the informal "you" form (unless specified otherwise by the participant or customer). Personal addressing is additionally motivating!

Reading Tip: Do you want to encourage your course participants to engage? My colleague Corinna has already developed 7 simple tips for active participants in blended learning for you.

2. Develop a clear structure!

• Consider a meaningful "schedule" for your online course. Based on your plan, you will subsequently build your course.

• Participants must be engaged from the outset and want to know where they currently stand until the end of the course.

• Ideally, divide your learning content into several “chapters” or units to clarify the structure for your participants.

• Give them the feeling of being well-guided through the course! A virtual roadmap helps to highlight the respective stage.

Create a “roadmap” and show your participants where they currently are. // Source: blink.it

3. Offer varied content

Create varied content and play with formats that appeal to different learning types – because everyone learns differently:

• Visual learners need images and numbers in the form of diagrams, sketches, mind maps, or graphics.

• Communicative learners enjoy direct interaction with others. A comment or chat function in the course for questions and ideas is particularly beneficial.

• Auditory learners can learn well with videos or podcasts. So also provide varied content with audio to listen to.

• Haptic learners apply learning content directly. Create exercises, offer downloadable materials like checklists and reflection sheets to fill out.

• For all learning types, it is important that they can easily follow you; therefore, short learning units in microlearning style are especially suitable.

Tip: In line with the different learning types, there are various methods – in our rocket pack, we have compiled 40 best-practice methods for you.

4. Enhance your online course visually!

Let’s get to the most beautiful and final tip, because appearance matters!

• Find your common thread and create a recognizable feature, whether it’s your color scheme or small graphics – the main thing is that your participants immediately think of you!

• For example, shoot your videos against a distinctive background, perhaps in a nice color or with your logo on it. However, the background should not be too chaotic so as not to distract your participants from the content.

• Create beautiful thumbnails for the individual learning contents that make them appealing.

• To create your own logos, designs, and graphics, our expert Claudia recommends the tool "Canva"!

• Focus on less text and design the learning units as short as possible. For example, use free stock photos from Pexels, emojis, or font icons to make your content even more varied.

Tip: Do you want to work with smileys and emojis on your blink.it platform? On the page smileybedeutung.com, you can easily copy various emojis you know from Whatsapp and Co. and paste them into your course! This works in the course titles, in the individual blinks, and even in the chapter tiles (see example).

Example: How your online course can look in the end

Even in course design, the common thread should be recognizable. // Source: blink.it

This is what our online course looks like after the revision:

Step 1: Participants now learn the benefits of the course in a welcome video. In the video, they also get to know the trainer and are motivated to participate in the course.

Step 2: We have created a "roadmap" and added chapters to structure the content. Participants can open and close the chapters individually – this makes the course clearer.

Step 3: We have replaced the many texts with videos and images to offer participants more variety.

Step 4: Finally, we have added preview images that match the respective content. Small emojis make the course more colorful and relaxed.

Tada – our online course is finished! As you can see, there are some very simple tricks to make your courses more engaging for your participants. With a few small changes, you will quickly notice that your courses will be even better received.

Do you want to apply these tricks directly to your own online course but haven't found the right platform yet? Then test blink.it in a free admin demo and convince yourself of the intuitive operation and the many options for making your courses visually appealing too!

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