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How to Increase Passive

Jun 6, 2024

     Reader Disclosure

Are you convinced that you could make more income passively from your online courses making use of self-hosted platforms to host your online course?

What's Inside Turn off

Untruths about Third Party Platforms for LMS

You might agree with this statistic which shows that 57% of course makers determine their courses' success according to student satisfaction. students' enrollment is a third of their focus, while 21% concentrate on income.

This is that some teachers believe it's beneficial to employ third-party LMS platforms such as Udemy, Teachable, and Kajabi because:

  • They're hoping that it'll cut their marketing costs as well as reduce the requirement for massive upfront investments in software and hardware.
  • They believe it will help in introducing their brand for the general public in a quicker manner.
  • It is assumed that it's easy to use and requires minimal technical knowledge This makes it much easier for course creators to design the course, make it available, and then manage their course.

However, these benefits have a high price for example:

  1. A growing revenue-sharing expense.
  2. 75 75% of course creators earn less than $1000 each year. Just 1% of instructors earn over $50,000 annually.
  3. Courses might get overlooked in a audience, and require additional expenditures to reach the right public.
  4. There aren't many opportunities to build friendships with other students who aren't part of the platform.
  5. You cannot personalize your page or even your logo using these platforms.
  6. It's hard to monitor the students' progression through the funnel.
  7. Limited engagement opportunities due to the lack of gaming options or community-based integrations.

     The Introduction to Courses hosted self-hosted    

If you're a course creator unhappy with the cost-intensive and limited features of SaaS LMS platforms, you're not the only one. Numerous educators have the same issues.

However, there's an alternative which is to use self-hosted platforms to offer courses.

If you decide to host your own classes You can be in charge of your classes and cut costs in revenue sharing, in addition to discovering ways to make money.

Think about this...

Imagine the possibility of designing your classes precisely the way you'd like, and earn more from your hard-earned income.

Making the switch to self-hosted services isn't just about cutting expenses but about unlocking the full potential of your business and establishing a more lucrative, viable company.

Still you not sure? Check out this description in the next paragraph.

     A. The Cost High of Revenue Sharing    

When you're making use of the top SaaS LMS platforms to sell and run your online course, it is crucial to be aware of their revenue-sharing models.

Most of the time, they charge a substantial percentage of your profits that can mount up quickly, and cut into the profits you earn.

Below is a detailed description of the typical revenue sharing models that are used by some famous SaaS LMS platforms:

     1. Teachable

Teachable offers a range of pricing plans, and their revenue-sharing structure varies on the plan you choose. The following is their price for the year:

  • The Free Plan Charges $1 + 10% per transaction.
  • The Basis Program ($39/month): 5 percent transaction cost.
  • Professional Plan ($119/month) and Business Plan ($499/month) The plan does not charge for transactions, however they offer the publishing of classes.

     2. Thinkific

Thinkific offers a variety of pricing levels that have different implications for revenue sharing:

  • Free Plans: There is fees for transactions but there is a limited amount of abilities.
  • The Basic Plan ($49/month): No charges for transactions, however it's limitless to digital downloads.
  • Premier Plan ($99/month) or Premier Plan ($499/month): The plan does not charge for transactions However, there is access to some on-line community service.

     3. Udemy

Udemy is founded on an entirely different income-sharing model than Teachable and Thinkific:

  • Organic Sales: Udemy takes 50% of the revenue from salesmade via their marketplace.
  • Promotion of Instructors: Instructors earn 97% of revenue for purchases made via their own promotional efforts (using an instructor coupon) as well as Udemy paying a 3 per cent administration charge.
  • Pay-per-click: in the case of sales that are made via Udemy's pay-per-click efforts, instructors only receive 25% of sales.

     4. Kajabi

Kajabi provides subscriptions with costs that are additional depending on the plan

  • Kickstarter ($69/month) and Basic Plan ($149/month) There's no transaction fees, but only a few options and options.
  • Plan for Growth Plan ($199/month) as well as the Pro Plan ($399/month) The Growth Plan has no charges for transactions. However, it has only a few students are have been enrolled.

These revenue-sharing models expose the costs of using of third party LMS platforms. Even though these platforms are convenient and robust features however, the recurring charges and revenue cuts can significantly decrease your income.

Self-hosted solution can help you keep most of your profits as well as allow you to become more flexible with how you organize and deliver your courses.

Here is a detailed study of the two platforms.

     Analyzing Earnings Comparatively Possibility: SaaS LMS vs. Self-hosted Course Platforms.    

Scenario: Suppose you could offer your course online for $100.

SaaS LMS Model Platform:

  • Teachable (Basic Plan): With a charge of 5% for transactions, this means you'd be losing $5 per sale.
  • Profits per sale: $95
  • Monthly subscriptions Cost: $39
  • If you're able to offer 20 courses in a month, the following formula is applicable the following formula: $95 x 20 x $39 = $1,861.
  • Udemy (Organic Sale): In the scenario that you earn a 50% profit part, you'd lose the equivalent of $50 for every sale.
  • Profits per sale of $50.
  • If you are able to offer 20 courses per month, this formula can be used as follows: $20 x $50 = $1,000

 Self-Hosted Service Example

  • Monthly subscription for (Most loved plan): $33
  • Per sale, the profit is $100.
  • If you're selling 20 classes per month, 100 x 20 = $33 equals $1,967

Comparison:

  1.       Teachable (Basic Plan):      
  • SaaS LMS Earnings: $1,861/month
  • Self-Hosted Earnings: $1,967/month
  • The difference is $106 more for self-hosted
  1.       Udemy (Organic selling):      
  • SaaS LMS Earnings: $1,000/month
  • Self-Hosted Earnings: $1,967/month
  • The difference is $967 higher with self-hosted

Over a year, these costs will make up a substantial sum. That's about $11,604 saved in one year!

     Self-hosted courses such as Courses can assist you in saving hundreds or thousands of dollars, based the volume of sales you earn.    

Now that you know how much you can reduce costs and earn with self-hosted classes, let's explore some benefits of switching over to this method.

     The advantages of self-hosted course Platforms    

Self-hosted courses are an alternative to SaaS LMS solutions that give you the full control of your course content and operation.

In all of them they are, the one that stands out is an option that is effective, specifically when it comes to

Through the use of the power of WordPress provides unbeatable flexibility and customization options, enabling you to design the perfect learning experience to match your brand's personality and business goals.

When you choose self-hosted course platforms like the ones offered by e-learning.com You will enjoy a variety of benefits. Some of them are lower cost, improved control, and the ability to utilize different methods of making money to boost your earnings.                Find out more >>> Watch the Overview of the Feature

Let's examine the benefits of these.

     Control and Control of the Ownership of Content    

Control is one of the most powerful abilities of an artist and an essential element in successful advertising and branding.

By using self-hosted platforms to host courses like the ones that you're using, you're in a position to tailor every element of the course to reflect your company's distinctive style and.

From design and layout to adding multimedia components The complete control over your content lets you create an aesthetically pleasing and professional learning setting that reflects your company's style and values.

Your content's ownership permits you to employ any marketing technique you want without any restrictions.

You can make and provide promos, bundle classes that give discounts, or utilize various tools for marketing and plugins on WordPress.

This allows you to reach your target audience better and adjust your strategies based on real-time outcomes and information.

     Direct Customer Relations    

One of the standout advantages of self-hosted course platforms is the capacity to establish intimate, unmediated relationships with your students.

In the absence of any limitations from an intermediary system, you are able to communicate directly with your students via personalized email or feedback and support.

As the administrator of the platform, you'll get access to a comprehensive database about the student's behavior the way they behave, their preferences, as well as progress.

It's crucial to know the principles of what works and doesn't within your classes.

After analyzing the data you can modify the information you provide and your methods of teaching to suit the individual requirements of your students resulting in increased satisfaction for your students and better retention levels.

Utilizing intermediaries may make it difficult to provide rapid and efficient customer support.

If you use a self-hosted service, you can implement a robust customer support platform, such as live chat, forums as well as direct messaging.

Instant access to help and assistance can greatly enhance the experience of students and resolve problems before they become more serious.

     Monetization through Membership    

One of the most effective ways to earn money from an online course with self-hosted systems is by integrating them into the form of a membership program.

The benefits of memberships are that they allow for ongoing participation and increase customer retention because students constantly discover value through their memberships.

If you have an access to a large amount of information with a monthly price, that is a significant benefit in enticing to more students to sign up.

Community-based features such as forums and live Q&A sessions create a sense of belonging between participants, further increasing the involvement of your local community.

     This method increases your worth to students, and creates the possibility of steady revenue streams that are recurring.    

Base Body Homepage
The base body-loving girls

They offer online training as well as private classes in their private facility of training for strength situated within Sydney, Australia.

By utilizing Base Body Babes manages their paid-for content and special offers on their site. They provide users with fitness and online tutorials along with recipes.

The model lets them generate regular revenue while offering substantial benefits to their clients.

     Fixed costs and infinite growth    

Here's the breakdown of these costs:

  •       Web Hosting:      
  •       Domain Registration      
  •       LMS Software/Plugins      
  • The company offers four pricing tiers :
  • Basic: $179.50/year, suitable for beginners.
  • Plus: $299.50/year, includes additional options and extra features.
  • Pro: $399.50/year, ideal for companies that require advanced technology.
  • Elite: $499.50/year, great for businesses and entrepreneurs with dreams.
  • Extra charges:
  • SSL certificates for safe transactions ($0 up to $100/year) typically included in hosting packages).
  • The charges that payment gateways charge (typically about 2.9 percent, plus $0.30 for each transaction).

Why should you choose ? Here is the cost that we can offer, as well as what you will get...

Pricing:

  • A Basic Plan $179.50/year
  • Plus Plan: $299.50/year
  • Pro Plan: $399.50/year
  • Elite: $499.50/year

HTML1ROI (ROI):

To determine the return on investment, let's say that you select the Plus option for $299.50/year. If you sell an entire course or a membership for $100, and you sell three memberships every month, your monthly earnings will be $300.

For a year, it's roughly $3,600. After subtracting the costs of ($299.50) in addition to hosting ($240 for $20/month) The result is a total of $3,061 net profit for the year.

This analysis shows that, even with a minimal amount of revenues, the returns are significant and make it the most cost-effective option for you!

 Analyze of the Potential for Scalability, with no extra costs per Content or User

One of the main benefits that self-hosting your course with is the ability to scale.

Contrary to SaaS platforms, which are priced per user, or a percentage of the revenue earned, SaaS can allow you to expand your business with no additional costs.

Here's how:

  • Unlimited Users: If your website is up and running and operating, you are able to expand the number of users you wish to include without costs. Your costs remain predictable, regardless of how much your membership base expands.
  • Content Flexibility: You can create and distribute unlimited courses and courses, as well as membership levels. It allows you to expand your options and diversify your income streams without having to worry about the cost of your services rising.

Shortly, the fixed cost system of a self-hosted service like provides predictable costs and a significant expansion possibilities.

With a scalable platform with no per-user fees, it's possible to increase the number of members you have and also your content offering and maximize profits and ensuring long-term expansion.

There's more.

     Integration with Tools for Business Tools    

Self-hosted systems like those also give the flexibility to integrate various enterprise-grade instruments to enhance overall operation as well as gain insight into the behaviour of students and their course performance.

Here's how:

     2. CRM Systems:

     3. Analytics Tools

     4. Calendar/Scheduling Tools:

     5. Form/Survey Builders:

     6. Payment Gateways:

The following are further details about how to link your account into business tools.

Check out the video below to see how you can boost your membership site's performance by integrating integrations, add-ons, and extensions

     Moving to self-hosted hosting Switch to self-hosted    

You're convinced now of the advantages to moving away from SaaS-based LMS platforms to self-hosted platforms. Here's the steps you must take next:

Switch to HTML0!

Transitioning between the SaaS LMS platform to self-hosted courses such as these can be quite overwhelming, however you can make it happen with the right program.

This is a step-by-step tutorial which will help you understand through the process:

     The first step is to begin by defining a plan    

  • Review the current Platform: Review the current SaaS LMS platform's features, data, and limitations.
  • Determine objectives Choose the objective you hope to accomplish by the time you process of transition (e.g. cost reduction, less expense and better control).
  • Develop a migration Plan Outline your timeframes as well as your tasks and responsibilities. It is important to ensure you have an entire backup of your data.

     Step 2. Install your self-hosted platform

  • Install Buy and install the plug-in onto your WordPress site.
WATCH >> How To Install the Plugin

     Step 3. Export Data From SaaS Platform    

  • Backup Data You should ensure that you've backups of the course's content such as user data along with course material along with other important information.
  • Export Content Utilize the export tools offered by your SaaS LMS in order to download all necessary data, including courses, information regarding the user and media documents.

     4. Transfer the data

  • Import users Make use of tools or manual techniques to transfer user information to make it easy for students.

     Step 5 Step 5: Setup    

  • Membership Levels: You can set up levels of membership that are compatible with your business design.
  • Payment Gateways Create payment gateways such as Stripe or PayPal to safe transactions.
  • Customization You can customize the appearance and the layout of your website to match the branding of your business.

     6. Try All

  • Functionality Testing Make sure that all functions, like accessibility to classes and membership levels, as well the payment method are functioning correctly. correct.
  • UX Experience the journey of the user, from sign-up up until course completion in order to make sure that the user has a great experience.

The right time is now!

     7th Step: Start, and Promote    

  • inform users Inform existing users about the switch, giving specific instructions and assistance on how in navigating the new system.

5 Tips to seamless transition

  • Plan complete, with precise dates and backups for your data.
  • Make changes clearly to users and offer help.
  • Try thoroughly, ensuring there are no disruptions.
  • Make use of existing resources as well as migrate guides. Begin by providing just a little bit of material that tackles the problems before they become.
  • Give ongoing support through FAQs, Help Desks and Helpdesks. keep track of performance, and making changes based on feedback.

Following these steps and you'll be able to seamlessly transition from a SaaS-based LMS to a self-hosted system that gives you full control over the content you publish and increases your profits.

     A Quick Recap    

See how far we've made it.

One of the issues we addressed concerns the negatives when using third-party LMS platforms for your online course's commercialization.

Then we shared the significant benefits that self-hosted platforms to host course delivery, including total ownership of the content, decreased costs, and increased control of branding and marketing activities.

Also, we conducted some comparatives and managed convince decision makers of the fact that building self-hosted courses like Courses is a major game-changer to your business's creativity.

In the end, it's important to note that when you can eliminate the high fees for revenue sharing, and utilize programs like Courses, you can create a sustainable and profitable online educational business.

Consider evaluating the costs of your website in relation with the advantages. If you're currently using WordPress it is recommended to consider a robust solution to maximize your earnings and grow.

Tell us in the comments if you're thinking of switching to self-hosted course platforms like Courses. We're looking forward to responding all questions you might have.

Sarah O Sarah is adamant about making simpler the technical aspects of websites, plugins, along with digital marketing. As a content writer for Member Press, she has the ability to write captivating and insightful writing. Sarah is an essential participant in educating and inspiring users with the full power and power of Member Press plugins. By combining technical expertise with creative flair, she ensures that each article not only informs but also will inspire. In her spare time, she likes to research the newest trends in digital marketing and technology. She is always looking for creative ways to improve the users' experience.

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