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Designing An Online Course

by Tommyg123
10 replies
Hi,

I am producing a website that will sell an online course for my particular area of expertise. I have written an ebook and I am also in the process of recording tutorial videos.

I have some concerns/questions with my plan though and would appreciate your input.

My main concern is how to publish the ebook. Is it ok to just publish it as a PDF? Converting a document from word into a PDF is useful but it doesn't make the product look particularly professional. Word is a great word processor but isn't great at making the design look very unique or innovative. Does anyone have any ideas on how I could make this 'course' look more like a course and less like a document I have just typed up in my office. Even though I know the product I have produced is of excellent quality and know it is going to help a lot of people I want to give it that professional shine it deserves.

Thanks a lot.
#designing #online
  • Profile picture of the author Aaron0669
    Originally Posted by Tommyg123 View Post

    Hi,

    I am producing a website that will sell an online course for my particular area of expertise. I have written an ebook and I am also in the process of recording tutorial videos.

    I have some concerns/questions with my plan though and would appreciate your input.

    My main concern is how to publish the ebook. Is it ok to just publish it as a PDF? Converting a document from word into a PDF is useful but it doesn't make the product look particularly professional. Word is a great word processor but isn't great at making the design look very unique or innovative. Does anyone have any ideas on how I could make this 'course' look more like a course and less like a document I have just typed up in my office. Even though I know the product I have produced is of excellent quality and know it is going to help a lot of people I want to give it that professional shine it deserves.

    Thanks a lot.
    Well, for me, if the pdf contains great content and I find it useful, I wouldn't mind it not looking professional.

    One way to make it like a course is to break it down into modules instead of giving it in one document. This is more appropriate if you have video tutorials accompanying each module. So if you finish one module, you can move on to the next module. That's how a lot of online education courses are organised.
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  • Profile picture of the author thad
    If youd like it to be more of a course i say do the tutorial videos first, and have the ebook as a second option, that way it can stay more of a online course because you can only make certain videos available at certain times. (Ex:member watches one video, but has to click "go to the next step" to watch the next video,but still explaning things from the ebook.) also videos are easier to sell than just ebooks and ebooks can be downloaded and shared, you can make videos only available on ur site. (ex: buy now to gain access to 12 exclusive videos and an ebook . )

    idk if this helps but just message me if you need more advice
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  • Profile picture of the author Tommyg123
    Good suggestions guys thank you.
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    • Profile picture of the author The Great Gordino
      I agree that the inside of the book design is not massive. As long as the content is good, and the formatting is not all over the place, then neat and tidy in a pdf is fine. If you want to brand everything with a cover/design, then great, but it's all about the content!
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  • Profile picture of the author Tommyg123
    I am wary of piracy and sharing of my ebook so planning on only making it available to be read online in a members area rather than having a file to download on their computer. Do you have any thoughts?
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    • Profile picture of the author Kush Sharma
      I think creating video tutorials will be a better idea. They are easier to follow and more helpful.

      As far as the ebook is concerned, the PDF should be fine but in my opinion, a better idea would be to publish it as an Amazon kindle. Amazons tag will take care of every concern that revolves around your book looking professional. Moreover, you'll get additional sales too.
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  • Profile picture of the author SunnyDelight
    PDF serve as a great tool for distributing and selling your information. If you want to take it a few steps further, you can even utilize video to your advantage and go a bit more in depth in certain areas.

    Video is really big nowadays and can really add value to your course. Something about video really ups the value on a course.

    By adding a few quick videos along side your PDF ebook you can increase the value of your course as well as cater to customers of all learning types.

    Good luck and much success to you and your product!
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  • Profile picture of the author Tommyg123
    Thank you all
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  • Profile picture of the author Crowsnest
    I agree in that I feel video is a more convenient media for customers to view & absorb information, then to have a pdf for reference.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sheryl Bagley
    A video tutorial or a nice presentation before the download would be nice. I use Prezi, is very elegant and easy to use. An then a PDF file for download will do. I am not sure, but I think that PDF format allows you to protect the content so it will not be copied.
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