There are many internet marketing courses for sale online today. It’s a very competitive course and many courses have loads of bonuses that can coax every last dollar out of your pocket.
It is not possible to know the level of difficulty involved in any of these routes from the outside and many of them are made up to sell them to the unwary.
I’ve taken a few online courses now in internet marketing and most have been disappointing either because promises were made in the initial sales pitch that being green at the time I fell in love (there’s no quick way to make money online) or because information was missing or support was not up to scratch.
Is the course teacher of integrity?
I feel that the most important factor in online learning lies at the feet of the person teaching the course. There are many so-called teachers out there, but teaching is a skill and a good teacher who can impart knowledge and support a student through a course towards success is a rare thing. Being a successful online marketer who has quit his day job and earning a lucrative income from his business does not mean that he can really teach others how to do it comprehensively or know how to really support a budding newbie.
A lot of thought should be given to offering an online course. The course becomes a representation of the teacher and knowledge of him. Making videos and offering a manual is not enough. The information must be completely clear. If a fail-safe course is offered, then it should be exactly that. In a course I did recently, the professor tells his students that if they need information that is not included in the course, it is better to find out for themselves rather than ask and that the ones who will be successful online are the ones who just do it . that.
This is just an escape and totally out of integrity. It’s like buying a DIY kit online and only getting half the instructions and the manufacturers telling you that you lack intelligence if you can’t figure out the build yourself. So would you feel apprehensive about calling them if you couldn’t figure it out?
What this conveys is that the course is missing valuable information, which the writer didn’t bother to reveal. This is very frustrating for the student, since the reason why he pays money to do an online course is because he wants someone who knows to teach him the things that he does not know.
The responsibility of the course provider.
If you were ever lucky enough to have a mentor/teacher in school who was so passionate about the subject they were teaching that they wanted everyone to succeed, then you will remember how dedicated they were to the task and how much time they spent helping. Your students.
People who develop online courses and then put them up for sale into the mainstream don’t have to be vetted by a national standards board. There is no one to review them to see if what they have written is complete, has adequate results or has delivered the correct information and has covered the necessary elements to make a successful course.
Anyone can offer an online course and hide behind incompetence at the risk of the unsuspecting buyer. A businessperson who has been successful at her craft is not necessarily a competent writer or course instructor. I believe that people who offer online courses have a great responsibility to those who buy them and they need to listen carefully to their students/customers when they have problems with the information. The feedback will let the teacher know what is working or not working.
A 10 Point Checklist Before Signing Up
To help people decide on a course, I’ve created a checklist that you can ask your future teacher before you buy. You will no doubt have your own questions to add, but this list will provide you with the basic questions you need to ask.
- Is the course completely comprehensive and does it include all the information necessary for an absolute novice to understand?
- Is this course fully supported by a moderator or team that can answer questions clearly and concisely?
- What is the time frame given for a moderator to respond to a request?
- Is this course presented in a variety of media? for example, video, written manual, webinars, workshops, etc.
- Is the teacher committed to the student’s success and how will they support the student?
- Does the course owner have a mission statement and can they access it before purchasing the course (very important)?
- Can you provide testimonials from previous students? (not videos taken of attendees in the middle of a workshop who are excited at the time)
- Check the credentials of the person offering the course, for example their Facebook fan page or ask in online forums.
- Ask about their money back guarantee.
- It’s good to ask all your questions via email or Facebook messages so you have your answers in writing.
The best source of information are people who have actually taken the course. You can Google forums or course reviews.
You have the right to question the person presenting the course, after all, you are paying him to teach you and he has to deliver what he promised you. Often, amid all the dazzling publicity for the year’s new you beaut course, the promoter doesn’t tell you what he or she intends to offer you personally as a student of his or her course. A major oversight that you are now aware of.
There are some very good courses out there, but you need to know what questions to ask to find them. Armed with a list of pre-purchase questions, you’ll save time, save money, and be insightful—not to mention putting you in the driver’s seat and in charge of your own education.
