In today’s crowded online education marketplace, having a strong brand is crucial for online course creators looking to stand out from the competition. A well-defined brand helps you make a powerful first impression and ensures your courses are memorable to potential students.
Effective branding goes far beyond just slapping a logo on your website. It’s about cultivating an identity that resonates with your target audience and communicates the unique value you provide. From your brand colours and visual aesthetic to your voice and messaging, every touchpoint shapes how learners perceive you and your offerings.
With so many online courses vying for attention, a cohesive, distinctive brand is what allows you to rise above the noise. It stakes your claim as an authority in your niche and attracts students aligned with your philosophy and teaching style. Without clear branding, you risk blending into the masses – forgotten among a sea of forgettable, cookie-cutter courses.
As you’ll discover in this guide, building a powerful course brand requires purposeful planning and execution across multiple areas. But don’t worry, we’ll walk through each key component step-by-step. By investing the time upfront, you’ll craft an unforgettable identity that accelerates your success as an online educator.
Step 1: Choose the Right Brand Colours
Colours have a profound psychological impact on how we perceive things. The colours you choose for your brand can evoke specific emotions and set the overall vibe for your online course business. Don’t underestimate the power of colour psychology!
If you already have existing products or services, it makes sense to coordinate your new brand colours with those offerings. That way, there’s an instant brand association and consistency for your audience. For example, if you teach Microsoft Excel courses, you’d want to incorporate green hues to align with that product’s branding.
However, if you’re starting fresh with your online courses, you get to pick colours that capture the essence of your brand personality from scratch. It’s kind of exciting, isn’t it? But with so many options, where do you start?
Here’s my advice: choose two core colours – a primary brand colour and an accent colour. Your primary should make up the majority of your colour scheme, while the accent adds vibrant pops of contrast.
Think about the emotions and qualities you want your brand to embody. Are you going for a nurturing, peaceful vibe? Lean into green or blue tones. Want to convey energy and confidence? Warmer shades like red, orange and yellow might be more your style.
To help spark some colour inspiration, here’s a quick rundown of common colour associations:
Red = Power, passion, excitement
Orange = Confidence, friendliness, creativity
Yellow = Optimism, intellect, happiness
Green = Growth, health, naturalness
Blue = Trust, stability, calmness
Purple = Luxury, imagination, spirituality
Don’t forget to also consider your target audience when selecting colours. For example, if you’re teaching courses for new moms, soft pastels may appeal more than bold, saturated tones.
Once you settle on your perfect colour combo, setting those brand colours for your online course website on OnlineCourseHost.com is a breeze – no design skills are required! Just choose from their collection of premade colour themes and your whole site will instantly capture that unified, professional look.
I’d recommend sticking to two or three core colours to start. Having too many can make your branding feel disjointed. You can always expand your palette down the road if needed. For now, keep it simple and strategic!
Step 2: Create an Eye-Catching Background Banner
When someone lands on your course website, one of the first things that grabs their attention is the background banner on the homepage. This large header image sets the tone and makes that crucial first impression. You want it to be visually striking while representing your brand’s personality.
You’ve got two main options for obtaining a standout banner – create it yourself or hire a professional designer. If you have some design skills and an eye for aesthetics, tools like Canva can help you craft a solid banner. However, for a truly high-impact look, I’d recommend tapping into the talents of an experienced designer.
Platforms like Fiverr are ideal for finding affordable banner designers. For just $5-10, you can get an eye-catching custom banner that elevates your brand. The key is providing clear direction on the vibe, colour palette, images, text, and layout you want.
When briefing the designer, keep these elements in mind for your banner:
- Colours: This is primetime to showcase your brand colours! Make them a focal point while considering complementary hues.
- Images/Graphics: Too many visuals can feel busy, especially on mobile layouts. Stick to 1-2 simple images or icons that represent your course topic.
- Text: Limit text to avoid clutter. If including a title or tagline, place it centred for max visibility across devices.
- Layout: Remember, less is more! Every component should serve a clear purpose. Keep the middle area clear for visibility on smartphones.
A well-designed banner can make a powerful first impression and set your brand apart. It shows professionalism and grabs attention in a crowded market.
Once you have that eye-catching banner file, uploading it to your OnlineCourseHost.com website is refreshingly simple. Just visit your homepage, click “Edit Header”, and you can upload the new banner image in seconds. That impactful visual will be the first thing new visitors see!
With an attention-grabbing banner in place, you’re primed to further build your brand’s personality through your logo, colour scheme, and benefit messaging. But that banner is a key first step in the branding journey.
Step 3: Create an Impactful Brand Logo:
Having a unique, memorable logo can be hugely beneficial for your online course brand. A great logo helps increase brand recognition, sticks in people’s minds, and creates a cohesive, professional image across all your marketing materials.
When it comes to designing a logo, you’ve got two main options. You can create it yourself if you have some design skills and an eye for aesthetics. Or you can outsource the job to a professional designer. While hiring a designer does involve a cost, it’s well worth the investment if you plan to use this logo everywhere – on your website, sales materials, course slides, and more.
If you decide to DIY your logo, there are user-friendly tools like Wix Logo Maker, Canva, LogoMaker.com and Looka that can help. They provide templates and intuitive design interfaces to guide you. However, these won’t match the polish and quality of a custom logo from an experienced pro.
My recommendation? Hand this task over to a skilled designer who can craft the perfect logo representing your brand’s personality. Sites like Fiverr have talented freelance logo artists offering high-quality work for as little as $10-20. That’s a steal for a design you’ll use for years to come across your entire brand.
Describe your vision – the styles, concepts, and colours you’re drawn to. But also allow the designer flexibility to apply their creative expertise. You’ll be amazed at the impactful, on-brand logos they develop tailored just for you. Once you’ve selected your favourite design, adding it to your OnlineCourseHost site is easy using their simple uploader.
With a bold logo and eye-catching background banner in place, you’ll be well on your way to an attention-grabbing brand that helps your online courses really pop.
Step 4: Create a Benefits Section:
When visitors land on your course website, you want to immediately highlight the key advantages and value your offering provides. Creating a dedicated benefits section is crucial for solidifying your brand and converting interested leads into loyal students.
Luckily, OnlineCourseHost.com provides a built-in area perfect for this below the fold on your homepage. This section allows you to create multiple mini-segments spotlighting your key features, core benefits, social proof, and anything else that will emotionally resonate with your target audience.
For each mini-section, craft an engaging, attention-grabbing headline summarising the benefit. Then, expand on it briefly in 1-2 paragraphs using clear, compelling language that paints a picture of the positive impact your course will have on their lives.
However, stick to a few best practices when drafting this content: Keep it concise and avoid overwhelmingly long blocks of text. This section’s role is to whet their appetite, not give away the full course! More importantly, prioritise articulating transformative advantages over merely listing features. And make sure you’re speaking directly to your audience’s pain points, goals, and desires.
The goal? By the time they scroll past this benefits section, you want prospective students thinking, “This is exactly what I need! This course will change my life.” With strategic positioning and copywriting, this section can make or break your brand’s ability to convert.
So get creative! Use punchy language, prove social validity through testimonials or stats, and make it sizzle. When executed thoughtfully, this section cements the first emotional connection many students will have with your brand.
Step 5: Choose the Right Domain Name:
Before you hit publish and unveil your stunning new course website to the world, take a moment to consider where you’ll be directing your visitors. It might seem like a minor detail, but the domain name you choose plays a vital role in your brand identity!
Think of it as your new online home. Your marketing materials, social media profiles, and even word-of-mouth recommendations will all point people towards this web address. Once they land on your doorstep (website), there’s no telling when they might return.
Here’s why choosing the right domain name is crucial:
- Memorable and Clear: Your domain name should be easy to remember and spell. Imagine potential students trying to find you by typing in a jumbled mess of letters – not ideal!
- Brand Recognition: Your domain name is an extension of your brand. It should reflect the overall image and message you’re trying to convey.
- Standing Out: In a crowded online space, a unique and relevant domain name can help you stand out from the competition.
How to Choose the Perfect Domain Name:
- Keep it Short and Sweet: Aim for a concise and easy-to-remember domain name. Long, complex names are easily forgotten or mistyped.
- Keywords: Consider incorporating relevant keywords that describe your niche or course offerings. This can help with search engine optimisation (SEO) and make it easier for people to find you online.
- Brand Alignment: Ensure your domain name aligns with your overall brand identity. Is it playful and creative, or professional and authoritative? Let your domain name reflect that.
- Availability: Once you’ve brainstormed some great options, check for availability! Use a domain name registrar’s search tool to see if your desired domain name is available with the extension you prefer (e.g., .com, .net, .org).
Your Options with OnlineCourseHost.com:
When you sign up with OnlineCourseHost.com, you’ll get the chance to choose your free subdomain. This essentially acts as your website address until you’re ready to take things a step further. Here are some examples:
- yoga-school.onlinecoursehost.com
- yourname.onlinecoursehost.com
- angular.onlinecoursehost.com
These subdomains allow you to publish your online courses for free on a branded website. It’s a convenient option for many course creators!
Taking it a Step Further: Custom Domains
If you want ultimate control over your online presence, you can upgrade to a custom domain.
Here’s how that might look:
- courses.yoga-school.com (or simply yoga-school.com)
- courses.yourname.com (or simply yourname.com)
With a custom domain, you can choose a subdomain like “courses” or simply use your website name directly. This allows you to create a more professional and memorable online identity for your course business.
The Beauty of Our Platform:
The best part? You don’t need any design or technical expertise to create a beautiful website with OnlineCourseHost.com. Our user-friendly website builder and course page builder are designed for non-technical users, so you can create a stunning online space without needing to hire a specialist.
That’s our commitment to empowering course creators! So head over to OnlineCourseHost.com, create your free account, and start building your online courses with confidence.
How To Create A Brand For Your Online Course Business?
Crafting a unique, memorable brand for your online course business is one of the most impactful investments you can make as a creator. In an increasingly saturated market, effective branding allows you to capture attention, build trust, and leave a lasting impression on potential students.
The online education space is booming, which is both exciting and challenging. More courses inevitably mean more competition, vying for the same eyes and wallets. Having a cohesive brand identity is what separates you from the faceless masses. It’s how you showcase your expertise and create a desire for your premium offerings.
Throughout this guide, we’ve covered the key components of a powerful course brand – from strategic colour choices and eye-catching visuals to a memorable name and compelling messaging. By thoughtfully executing each of these elements, you craft an unforgettable identity that resonates with your ideal learners.
Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. The course creators who truly thrive are those who take branding seriously from day one. Make the commitment that many overlook, and you’ll be miles ahead of the competition.
If you’re ready to elevate your business and join the ranks of wildly successful online educators, take action today. Subscribe to the instructor’s newsletter for more invaluable tips, or explore the comprehensive Course Creator Academy for a wealth of additional resources.
The future is bright for passionate creators willing to put in the work. Investing in outstanding branding is one of the highest-leverage steps you can take towards sustainable online course success.