How to Convert Online Course Prospects Through a Buyer's Journey
The main reason why your online course is not selling is not what you think.
Many business owners come to me after their failed online course launch and think that the reason why their launch failed was due to their pricing.
Yes, your sales funnel may need tweaking, but the main reason why your online course is not selling is because you haven’t warmed up your audience prior to selling and you should do this through what is known in marketing as the buyer’s journey.
The Buyer’s Journey
If you asked, what in the world is the buyer's journey? You’re not alone. This is a foreign concept to many business owners.
The buyer’s journey is a step-by-step process that people go through when making a purchase decision.
First, they become aware that they have an issue and define their problem. This is the awareness stage.
Next, in the consideration stage, they will research all available options to solve their migraine. This may be hiring someone, buying a course to teach them, or
In the final step, the decision stage, they will choose a solution. They have decided on how they will solve their problem, for example, buy an online course and are researching all possible brands and people who can help them.
To help you understand this, think about the steps you go through to buy a new car.
First, you realize that you car has 180,000 miles on it and it’s falling apart (personal story)! This is when I became aware I had a problem.
Next, while I was in the consideration stage, I researched several alternatives. For instance, did I want a car, truck, or SUV. In this stage, I put together a list of must haves versus nice to haves. Do you want new or used?
Finally, in the decision stage, I decided I wanted a GMC Yukon. I looked online at several different dealerships to find exactly what I was looking for. I then made a purchase when I found the exact SUV I wanted (year, model, color, etc.).
To understand the buyer’s journey for your online course, I want you to put yourself in the mind of your ideal customer and answer the questions below.
If you don't know the answer to any of these questions, ask them. Do not guess. You will use this information for your social media, sales page, webinar, email marketing, and paid advertising content.
Awareness Stage
In the awareness stage, here are the questions you should answer for your online course:
How does your ideal customer describe their problem/migraine?
How does your ideal customer conduct research related to these problems?
What are the consequences if they don't act or do anything about their problem/migraine?
Are there any common misconceptions they have about addressing this challenge?
How does your target customer decide whether the problem/migraine should be prioritized?
Consideration Stage
Next, move onto the consideration stage and answer these questions:
What options does your ideal customer consider to fix their problem/migraine?
How does your ideal customer educate themselves on these various options?
How does your ideal customer perceive the pros and cons of each option?
How does your ideal customer decide which option is right for them?
Decision Stage
Finally, in the decision stage, the answer to these questions will help:
What criteria does your ideal customer use to evaluate the available offers? (e.g. ease of solution, price, etc.)
When ideal customers investigate your offer, what do they like about it compared to alternatives? What concerns do they have with your offer?
Who needs to be involved in the decision? For each person involved, how does their perspective on the decision differ?
Does your target customer have expectations around service guarantees?
Outside of purchasing, does your student need to make additional preparations, prior to purchasing your solution?
Once you’ve answered these questions, you will use this information for marketing your online course and effectively walking your prospect through the buyer’s journey.
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