5 Things to ask yourself before you buy that online course

You don’t have to scroll for long on Instagram to be served an ad for an online course. And if you’re in marketing/business circles, it’s relentless.

Online courses are extremely popular, especially online marketing courses.

Maybe it’s because universities focus a lot on theory and not on practical marketing skills (and universities might not be accessible for some people). Maybe it’s because there has been a 46% increase in the number of women business operators over the past two decades.

Anyone trying to launch and run a business knows that budgets are tight, and usually, everything is on you.

So I can see the appeal of an online course. Hell, I’ve purchased plenty myself.

But it’s really important that you’re not throwing money away if you don’t need to.

So, here are 5 things to ask yourself before you buy that online course.

1. Is it actually a tripwire?

A marketing tripwire is a product or service sold at a low cost for the express purpose of converting those buyers to more expensive offers later on. 

It’s all about getting you into their ecosystem.

While many online courses are sold with the genuine intention of providing lots of value, many are used as tripwires.

Before purchasing an online course, look around the course creator’s business.

Do they have a $7k a month mastermind, yet their online course is $129?

It’s likely you’re about to buy a tripwire.

Brace yourself for the hundreds of emails you’re about to receive trying to convince you that you NEED to be a part of that mastermind.

Here is an example of a £1 for four week subscription tripwire trial at the FT with the irony of a self-referential title – Source, Dave Chaffey

2. What experience does the course creator have?

Ever hear the phrase “Those who can do and those who can’t teach?”

I don’t necessarily believe this because there are many reasons why a marketer would create an online course.

• They can’t increase their prices, so they need to find a way to serve more people.

• They’ve found a gap in the market, or they’ve seen people get burned by other courses 

• They genuinely want to share their knowledge.

What’s more important is looking at the experience of the course creator. 

Have they been there, done that or have they made a living by creating courses?

I’ve found that the best (read valuable) online marketing courses have been created by subject matter experts or by marketers who are still providing services to other clients.

3. Do you have time?

We business owners have a buttload of stuff to do. Would adding a course to that to-do list help or hinder you? 

Sometimes it’s all too tempting to save a bit of cash by doing something yourself rather than hiring someone to do it for you, but you need to ask yourself if the money you save by not hiring someone is worth the time it takes you to do the course.

And that’s if you actually end up doing it – it’s easy to get distracted. 

Consider if you’ll really get value out of the course, and it will save you money in the end OR if you’re just trying to avoid an investment in a service that could be better off for your business.

4. Can you afford it?

You keep getting targeted with ads of glamorous women telling you that you can’t go without their course if you want to have a 6 or 7-figure business. 

Whether that’s true or not, courses can be a great way to upskill and improve your business.

But even if the course is a great investment, if you have to sacrifice paying yourself or investing in something that is essential (like paying a bookkeeper or website subscription), it’s probably not the right time to make a purchase. 

I recommend reading blogs and absorbing as much free information as possible until you can put the money aside to invest in the course.

5. Do I already know this information, or am I trying to legitimise my knowledge?

A killer launch campaign can sway even the most discerning business owner, and it’s easy to get carried away in the excitement of an online course without thinking about whether you need it.

Will this course teach you something you don’t already know?  

Are you upskilling or want to do the course to feel more confident about your knowledge and confirm that you know what you’re doing?

I almost bought a course that I definitely didn’t have time for because I thought I needed to.

When I stepped back, I realised that I was trying to legitimise my knowledge before I could use it on my clients. I knew the subject already, but I wanted confirmation that I did.

So how do you know whether an online course is right for you?

Honestly, no one except you will know. But it does help to ask around.

If you know other business owners that have done the course and will provide an objective view, getting their honest opinion will make it easier to decide.  

Remi, Sunday Best Digital founder