200 Online course ideas to bank more cash

by Welly Mulia - September 16, 2024

It’s tough to get sales if you do THIS thing

It’s tough to get sales for our online course if it’s based on the usual niche.

Like: “how to lose 20 lbs in 90 days”, or “become more productive when working”, or “how to nail your GMAT exam”.

Why?

Ask yourself this question: am i a “celebrity” in my niche?

For example, in my niche… am I as famous as:

Tony Robbins is in personal development?
Dan Kennedy is in marketing?
Tim Ferris is in productivity?

No? Then our course will be forgotten as fast as people see it because they disappear faster than free samples at Costco.

After reading this post, you’ll understand The ExIn Method to come up with 200 untapped online course ideas.

That’s how your online course will stand out from the crowd.

The ExIn Method

Ex stands for Expertise.

In stands for Interest.

Instead of creating courses based on 1 niche, create courses based on 1 niche FOR a specific audience.

Examples:

Work out your way to a great body → Work out your way to a great body for men professionals
Build great relationships with your children → Build great relationships with your children for the busy dad
Speak on stage like a pro → Speak on stage like a pro for technical founders

Then…

After we’ve become the big fish in a small pond…

We can always expand to a bigger pond.

The start is always the hardest because we start from 0 (no momentum). We need to make sure the friction at the start is as low as possible.

3 questions to implement The ExIn Method

Ask yourself 3 questions:

1/ What are you good at (EXpertise)?

2/ What are you interested in that could appeal to a specific group of people (INterest)?

3/ What problem can be solved based on your expertise and interest?

Finally, you combine EXpertise with INterest.

Example #1

1/ What are you good at (EXpertise): Mindfulness

2/ What are you interested in that could appeal to a specific group of people (INterest): Programming

3/ What problem can be solved based on your expertise and interest: Stress and burnout faced by programmers

Combine EXpertise with INterest: Mindfulness for programmers

Example #2

1/ What are you good at (EXpertise): Email marketing

2/ What are you interested in that could appeal to a specific group of people (INterest): Online learning, digital product, coaching, consulting

3/ What problem can be solved based on your expertise and interest: Coaches and course creators who are great in their fields but not good at marketing themselves

Combine EXpertise with INterest: Email marketing for coaches and course creators

2 real examples of successful online courses that use The ExIn Method

1/ Pet Portraits: Capture studio-quality photos of your pet

Student demand is high — there are 5,055 students enrolled (and counting).

Let’s break it down:

Expertise: photography
Interest: pet owners
Problem that can be solved: instead of poorly-taken shots of your pet, now you can take beautiful, “instagrammable” pictures so you can keep the memories with your pet for a lifetime

2/ SEO for Devs by Monica Lent

Let’s break it down:

Expertise: SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Interest: developers / programmers
Problem that can be solved: developers are great at coding but they don’t know how to market themselves. With this course, they’ll know how to market themselves through SEO.

Pros & con of The ExIn Method

Con

Let’s start with the con:

Obviously, the market size will be smaller since we’re merging 2 factors: Expertise x Interest.

For example, a generic “How to lose weight weight” course has a bigger market than a “How to lose weight for professional working men” course.

Pros

[h4] 1/ Instantly stand out

You instantly stand out from amongst the hundreds of thousands of content creators / course creators who create courses only based on niches…

AND they don’t include the “for” part.

E.g.

How to lose weight
How to be productive
How to build a successful online business

In this day and age, attention is the most important currency. If you can’t catch people’s attention in 2 seconds, they’re gone.

[h4] 2/ Build rapport

Those who’re a perfect fit for your online course will feel you’re directly talking to them — that you understand what they’re going through.

[h4] 3/ Build authority & credibility

You’re viewed as a SPECIALIZED expert.

For example, suppose John is a technical developer working in a prestigious company. The pay is good, but the workload and scoldings from his boss is unbearable. He is under extreme pressure and is stressed out.

If he sees the 2 courses below, which do you think he is more likely to buy?

A/ How to reduce stress

B/ How to reduce stress for tech professionals

3 steps to implement The ExIn Method

Step 1

List out the main market categories:

Business & entrepreneurship
Personal development
Technology & IT
Arts & crafts
Health & fitness
Language learning
Finance & money
Lifestyle
Career advancement / development
Academic subjects

Then list out the sub-market within each category (a.k.a. the niche):

Business and entrepreneurship
- Niche: digital marketing, sales, entrepreneurship, e-commerce, affiliate marketing, online business strategies
Personal development
- Niche: mindset, confidence, productivity, time management, goal setting, self-esteem, creativity, public speaking, storytelling
Technology & IT
- Niche: programming languages, web development, mobile app development, AI / machine learning, data science, UI / UX design, software tutorials (e.g. Canva, Google Sheets), blockchain, AR / VR, cybersecurity
Arts & crafts
- Niche: drawing, painting, photography, graphic design, creative writing, music, sewing, knitting, woodworking
Health & fitness
- Niche: nutrition, weight loss, meditation, yoga, personal training, mental health, alternative medicine
Language learning
- Niche: English, Spanish, Mandarin, French, Japanese, Korean, etc.
Finance & money
- Niche: budgeting, debt reduction, investing in stocks, real estate, cryptocurrency, trading, retirement planning
Lifestyle
- Niche: cooking, home organization, gardening, pet care, travel, relationship, fashion
Career advancement / development
- Niche: job search strategies, resume / CV writing, interviewing skills, salary negotiation, leadership, industry-specific skills
Academic subjects
- Niche: math, science, history, literature, SAT, GRE, GMAT

Then pick a niche that you have EXPERTISE in.

Step 2

Think about what you’re INTERESTED in that could appeal to a specific group of people, like:

Gaming: gamers
DIY and Crafts: DIY enthusiasts, crafters
Cooking and Baking: foodies, culinary enthusiasts, bakers
Nature and Outdoors: nature enthusiasts, outdoor adventurers
Photography: photographers, photography enthusiasts
Writing and Storytelling: writers, authors, storytellers
Fashion and Design: fashionistas, designers
Music: musicians, music lovers
Languages: linguists, language learners
History and Culture: historians, culture enthusiasts
Science and Technology: scientists, technologists, engineers
Health and Wellness: health enthusiasts, wellness advocates
Personal Development: self-improvers, personal growth enthusiasts
Business and Entrepreneurship: entrepreneurs, business professionals
Social Sciences: social scientists, researchers
Law and Legal Studies: lawyers, legal professionals
Philosophy and Religion: philosophers, theologians
Arts and Humanities: artists, humanists, scholars
Education: educators, teachers, educational professionals
Travel and Tourism: travelers, tourism professionals

Step 3

Combine the above two lists from Step 1 & 2 to create a matrix of AT LEAST 10 x 20 = 200 online course ideas.

Here’s the thing though… under Step 1 — there are multiple niches within each main category.

Meaning you’ll get much more than 200 ideas when you pair each niche (Step 1) with each interest (Step 2).

Some examples:

Investing x photographers:
- How to build a million-dollar photography business via smart investments
Public speaking x lawyers:
- Persuasive legal arguments — mastering the art of public speaking for lawyers
Fashion x nature enthusiasts:
- Sustainable fashion design — combining eco-friendly materials and timeless style
Personal development x technology:
- Mindfulness for programmers: stress management in tech careers
Fitness x technology:
- Fitness tracking & data analysis: using tech to optimize your workout routine
Health x gamers:
- How to stay healthy even when playing 10 hours of games a day
Language learning x travelers
- Speak mandarin semi-fluently in 4 weeks so that you have peace of mind when traveling to china
Personal development x musicians:
- Creativity for musicians: how to use meditation to boost creativity and reduce performance anxiety
Technology x foodies:
- Using smart kitchen technology, AI & IoT (Internet of Things) in culinary
Creative writing x bakers:
- How to write recipe blog posts so persuasive, they make your readers salivate

For totally lazy folks — ask AI for help

If you’re still lazy even after I’ve shown you the 3 simple steps… you’re in luck.

Because you can ask AI to help you.

Here’s the prompt you can use:

1/ I’m trying to create an online course. Help me to decide the topic of the course by using the below guidelines.

2/ Read +++ Step 1 +++

3/ Read +++ Step 2 +++

4/ Execute +++ Step 3 +++

.

+++ Step 1 starts +++

These are the 10 main categories and niches one can create an online course on:

Main category: Business and entrepreneurship

Niche: digital marketing, sales, entrepreneurship, e-commerce, affiliate marketing, online business strategies

Main category: Personal development

Niche: mindset, confidence, productivity, time management, goal setting, self-esteem, creativity, public speaking, storytelling

Main category: Technology & IT

Niche: programming languages, web development, mobile app development, AI / machine learning, data science, UI / UX design, software tutorials (e.g. Canva, Google Sheets), blockchain, AR / VR, cybersecurity

Main category: Arts & crafts

Niche: drawing, painting, photography, graphic design, creative writing, music, sewing, knitting, woodworking

Main category: Health & fitness

Niche: nutrition, weight loss, meditation, yoga, personal training, mental health, alternative medicine

Main category: Language learning

Niche: English, Spanish, Mandarin, French, Japanese, Korean, etc.

Main category: Finance & money

Niche: budgeting, debt reduction, investing in stocks, real estate, cryptocurrency, trading, retirement planning

Main category: Lifestyle

Niche: cooking, home organization, gardening, pet care, travel, relationship, fashion

Main category: Career advancement / development

Niche: job search strategies, resume / CV writing, interviewing skills, salary negotiation, leadership, industry-specific skills

Main category: Academic subjects

Niche: math, science, history, literature, SAT, GRE, GMAT

+++ Step 1 ends +++

.

+++ Step 2 starts +++

These are some interests that could appeal to a specific group of people:

Gaming: gamers

DIY and Crafts: DIY enthusiasts, crafters

Cooking and Baking: foodies, culinary enthusiasts, bakers

Nature and Outdoors: nature enthusiasts, outdoor adventurers

Photography: photographers, photography enthusiasts

Writing and Storytelling: writers, authors, storytellers

Fashion and Design: fashionistas, designers

Music: musicians, music lovers

Languages: linguists, language learners

History and Culture: historians, culture enthusiasts

Science and Technology: scientists, technologists, engineers

Health and Wellness: health enthusiasts, wellness advocates

Personal Development: self-improvers, personal growth enthusiasts

Business and Entrepreneurship: entrepreneurs, business professionals

Social Sciences: social scientists, researchers

Law and Legal Studies: lawyers, legal professionals

Philosophy and Religion: philosophers, theologians

Arts and Humanities: artists, humanists, scholars

Education: educators, teachers, educational professionals

Travel and Tourism: travelers, tourism professionals

+++ Step 2 ends +++

.

+++ Step 3 starts +++

Combine the above two lists from Step 1 & 2 to create a matrix of 25 online course ideas.

Some examples:

Investing x photographers:

How to build a million-dollar photography business via smart investments

Public speaking x lawyers:

Persuasive legal arguments — mastering the art of public speaking for lawyers

Fashion x nature enthusiasts:

Sustainable fashion design — combining eco-friendly materials and timeless style

Personal development x technology:

Mindfulness for programmers: stress management in tech careers

Fitness x technology:

Fitness tracking & data analysis: using tech to optimize your workout routine

Health x gamers:

How to stay healthy even when playing 10 hours of games a day

Language learning x travelers

Speak mandarin semi-fluently in 4 weeks so that you have peace of mind when traveling to china

Personal development x musicians:

Creativity for musicians: how to use meditation to boost creativity and reduce performance anxiety

Technology x foodies:

Using smart kitchen technology, AI & IoT (Internet of Things) in culinary

Creative writing x bakers:

How to write recipe blog posts so persuasive, they make your readers salivate

+++ Step 3 ends +++

Don’t build your online course just yet

Think like a business owner.

Many folks say to validate your online course before creating it — which is spot on.

But they validate based on research & survey — which is mehhh.

The thing is…

You can research and survey until your fingers fall off from all that typing…

And you still can’t be certain if people are actually going to shell out money to buy your course — even if they SAY they want to buy in the survey or if research shows your course will be a hit.

It. Doesn’t Matter.

It’s like asking our friends if your new haircut looks good — they’ll say yes, but deep down do they really think so or are they being nice?

Humans do NOT do what they say… especially when it comes to money. Heck even families fight over money lol.

The right way to build your online course is to sell it before creating it.

But because the idea of “selling before building” is new to most people, they don’t believe it can happen in real life.

But there are already people doing this, as explained in this post.

Recap

I hope this post gives you some actionable insights to come up with an online course idea that suits you.

Follow The ExIn (Expertise x Interest) Method to make your course stand out.

And remember as Lao Tzu said: “To know and not to do is not yet to know”.

Hence I trust you’ll implement and come up with a profitable online course idea very soon.

FAQ

What should my online course format be?

It depends on your preferences and strengths.

See this Online Course Decision Matrix:

This spreadsheet tool tells you the course format you should build based on the preferences you enter. Get it free here.

How do I sell my online course?

If you already have an audience, sell to them in a non-salesy way.

The order to sell to is to:

Previous clients whom you’ve gotten good results for
Existing clients and customers
Direct network that are a good fit for your offer
Leads / potential students you’ve conversed before via chat / email / call
Email subscribers
Social followers

If you don’t already have an audience, build it first, then sell to them.

I’ve previously written in detail about this popular topic here: How to sell online courses.

I’ve decided on a topic for my course. How deep on the topic should I cover?

1 course should only solve 1 specific problem.

Why?

1/ To maximize your revenue

This way you can create more offers (that solve different problems) to sell.

2/ To encourage implementation

This way students are more likely to complete the course and take action on what they’ve learned.

If the course is too complex or has too much information, they’ll be overwhelmed → Don’t take action.

Focusing your course on only solving 1 problem makes things digestible.

3/ To boost satisfaction

When students take action and get good results, they’re more likely to buy your other courses. They might also refer you to their friends and peers.

solve 1 specific problem for your course

What kind of online course sells the most?

Courses in these big 3 markets: health, wealth, and relationships.

If you think about it, it’s no surprise — everyone wants to be and stay healthy, everyone wants to have good relationships with their families and friends, and everyone wants to be wealthy.

How do I make my online course stand out?

Apart from the ExIn method covered in this post, actually care for the results of your students / customers too.

Their results are everything — even more important than how much sales you made from selling the course.

Because at the end of the day, when you made an impact in their lives (in this case help students solve their problem)…

They’ll tell their friends and network about you.

Bonus

If you’re already doing “sales funnel” things like email marketing, automatically following up with “almost customers” who abandoned your cart is one of the lowest-hanging fruits to tap into for additional income. Check out these 10 abandoned cart email templates here. This is as “almost passive income” as you can get.
When talking about online courses, it’s inevitable you’ll run into some digital marketing terms you might not understand. If that’s the case, click here for a comprehensive list that includes simple explanations & examples.