How to Make Money Online with Online Courses and Coaching — Expert Method (2026)

I still remember the day I stumbled upon the online course platform, Teachable, while browsing through a friend's website. She had created a course on photography and was selling it for $200. I was intrigued by the idea of creating and selling online courses, so I started digging deeper. I soon discovered that many experts in various fields were using platforms like Teachable, Thinkific, and Kajabi to share their knowledge and get paid for it.

In practice, creating an online course involves several steps. First, you need to identify a niche or area of expertise you're knowledgeable in and create content around it. This can be a video series, text-based lessons, or even a combination of both. Once you have your content, you need to set up a platform to host it. Most platforms like Teachable and Thinkific offer drag-and-drop course builders, making it relatively easy to create a course. You'll also need to create a sales page, which is essentially a marketing page that promotes your course and convinces people to buy it.

The money comes from students who enroll in your course. Platforms like Udemy and Skillshare take a commission on each sale, usually ranging from 10% to 30%. On Teachable, you can sell your course directly to students, and they take a 0% commission on sales under $3,000. However, they charge a payment processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. You can also offer one-on-one coaching services to students who need personalized guidance, which can be a lucrative way to earn extra income.

I recall a friend who created a course on marketing strategy and sold it on Udemy for $300. She earned around $1,500 in the first month, which was a decent income considering she had invested around 20 hours in creating the course. However, she soon realized that she needed to constantly update her course to keep it relevant and competitive. This meant investing more time and money in creating new content, which ate into her profits.

Another example is a coach who created a course on productivity and time management. She sold it on her own website using Kajabi and earned an average of $2,000 per month. However, she struggled with getting students to enroll in the course, and she had to spend a significant amount of time marketing it on social media and email lists.

In terms of earnings, it's difficult to give an exact figure, as it depends on the niche, course quality, and marketing efforts. However, on average, a well-created course can earn anywhere from $500 to $5,000 per month. High-end courses, especially those in areas like business strategy or software development, can earn upwards of $10,000 per month.

One of the pros of creating online courses is the passive income potential. Once you've created a course, you can sell it multiple times without much additional effort. However, this also means that you need to constantly update and improve your course to keep it relevant and competitive. Another con is the initial investment of time and money in creating the course, which can be a significant barrier for many people.

In terms of requirements, you'll need a computer or laptop, a reliable internet connection, and basic knowledge of marketing and sales. You'll also need to create a professional-looking course, which may require some design and video editing skills. Some platforms like Teachable and Thinkific offer a free trial, but you'll need to upgrade to a paid plan to access more features and remove their branding from your course.

Overall, creating and selling online courses can be a lucrative way to monetize your expertise, but it requires dedication, effort, and a willingness to continuously improve and adapt to changing market conditions.