40 Tips on Making a Great Online Course

Editorial Take

Chris Haroun’s '40 Tips on Making a Great Online Course' delivers a tightly structured, no-fluff blueprint for educators aiming to build high-impact Udemy courses. With a 9.7/10 rating and beginner-friendly pacing, it distills years of platform-specific expertise into digestible, immediately applicable insights. The course focuses on efficiency, quality, and visibility—critical pillars for standing out in a saturated marketplace. From planning to promotion, each of the 40 tips is engineered to reduce friction and amplify results, making it a rare gem for aspiring course creators.

Standout Strengths

• Practical, easily implemented tips that save significant time and resources: Each of the 40 tips is designed for immediate application, allowing instructors to bypass trial-and-error and accelerate course development. The emphasis on efficiency means creators can go from concept to launch faster without sacrificing quality.
• Covers the full course lifecycle: planning, production, publishing, and promotion: The course doesn’t stop at content creation—it extends into SEO, thumbnails, and student engagement, ensuring holistic success. This end-to-end approach prepares instructors for every phase of the Udemy journey, from scripting to post-launch updates.
• Time-saving scripting and batch-recording techniques: The course teaches how to script and storyboard content efficiently, reducing on-camera hesitation and re-takes. By batching recording sessions, creators minimize setup time and maintain consistent energy across modules.
• Budget-friendly production guidance for lighting and audio: It provides clear, low-cost solutions for achieving professional-grade video, such as DIY lighting setups and microphone configurations. These tips ensure high production value without requiring expensive gear or studio rentals.
• Optimized for Udemy’s algorithm and user behavior: Tips on SEO-friendly titles, meta descriptions, and preview videos are tailored to how Udemy’s search and recommendation systems work. This increases visibility, click-through rates, and ultimately, enrollments.
• Engagement-focused presentation techniques: The course emphasizes on-screen annotations, callouts, and real-world demos to keep learners attentive. These methods combat viewer drop-off and improve course completion rates.
• Proven marketing and student-engagement strategies: It covers how to leverage coupons, promotions, and social media to drive initial enrollments. Responding to questions and updating content based on feedback helps maintain high ratings and long-term relevance.
• Lifetime access and certificate of completion: Students can revisit the material anytime, reinforcing learning over time. The certificate adds credibility when pitching services or applying for e-learning roles.

Honest Limitations

• Designed specifically for Udemy, limiting cross-platform applicability: Many tips are optimized for Udemy’s interface, policies, and algorithms, which may not transfer directly to platforms like Teachable or Skillshare. Users targeting other marketplaces will need to adapt strategies accordingly.
• Lacks deep dives on advanced marketing analytics or paid advertising: While it covers basic promotion, it doesn’t explore tools like Google Ads, Facebook retargeting, or conversion rate optimization. Instructors seeking scalable, data-driven marketing will need supplemental resources.
• Assumes access to basic recording equipment: Though budget-friendly, the course presumes a working microphone and camera, which may be a barrier for absolute beginners. No guidance is provided for smartphone-only creators with minimal gear.
• Minimal focus on accessibility features: Closed captions, screen reader compatibility, and inclusive design are not addressed, despite their importance for broad audience reach. This could limit compliance with accessibility standards.
• Does not cover course monetization beyond Udemy’s model: The course doesn’t explore subscription models, membership sites, or direct sales funnels. Creators looking to build independent brands may find the scope too narrow.
• Light on peer interaction and community building: While student engagement is discussed, there’s little on fostering discussion forums or cohort-based learning. These elements are increasingly important for retention in online education.
• No integration with external learning management systems: The course doesn’t address how to export or repurpose content for use in corporate LMS platforms like Moodle or Canvas. This limits its utility for enterprise trainers.
• Beginner-level depth may not satisfy experienced creators: Seasoned instructors may find some tips too basic, especially in scripting and editing workflows. The lack of advanced production techniques could disappoint those seeking deeper technical insight.

How to Get the Most Out of It

• Study cadence: Complete one tip set per week to allow time for implementation and reflection. This pace ensures concepts are internalized before moving to the next phase of development.
• Parallel project: Build a mini-course prototype while progressing through the lessons. Applying tips in real-time reinforces learning and results in a publish-ready product by course end.
• Note-taking: Use a digital notebook to log each tip and your adaptation plan. This creates a personalized playbook for future course development cycles.
• Community: Join the Udemy Instructor Community forum to exchange feedback and success stories. Engaging with peers helps troubleshoot challenges and sparks new ideas.
• Practice: Record and edit a short demo video after each production tip. Repeating techniques builds muscle memory and improves on-camera confidence over time.
• Review rhythm: Revisit the course every 90 days when launching a new course. Lifetime access allows for iterative improvement based on updated platform trends.
• Feedback loop: Share early drafts with a small audience and gather input. This mirrors the course’s emphasis on responsiveness and helps refine content pre-launch.
• Content repurposing: Turn each module into a blog post or social media snippet. This builds an audience while reinforcing the course’s marketing principles.

Supplementary Resources

• Book: 'Teach Online and Change the World' complements the course’s philosophy with broader e-learning context. It expands on pedagogical design beyond technical execution.
• Tool: OBS Studio is a free, powerful tool for practicing screen recording and live demos. It integrates well with the batch-recording techniques taught in the course.
• Follow-up: 'The Complete Digital Marketing Course' builds on the marketing gaps left by this course. It dives into analytics, email funnels, and paid ads for course promotion.
• Reference: Udemy’s Instructor Handbook should be kept open during development. It provides official guidelines on policies, pricing, and content standards.
• Template: Download a free course outline planner from Canva to map modules visually. This supports the course’s emphasis on structure and flow.
• Audio tool: Audacity is a free audio editor to practice sound cleanup and voice leveling. It pairs well with the course’s audio production tips.
• Thumbnail tool: Canva’s Udemy thumbnail templates help implement design best practices. Visual appeal directly impacts click-through rates on the marketplace.
• SEO tool: Use Ubersuggest to research keywords for titles and descriptions. This enhances the course’s SEO strategies with real-time data.

Common Pitfalls

• Pitfall: Overloading modules with too much content per video. To avoid this, follow the course’s scripting advice and keep segments under 10 minutes for better retention.
• Pitfall: Ignoring thumbnail and title optimization. Use the course’s SEO tips and A/B test variations to maximize visibility and enrollment rates.
• Pitfall: Failing to engage with students post-launch. Regularly respond to questions and update content, as emphasized in the engagement section, to maintain high ratings.
• Pitfall: Recording without a storyboard, leading to rambling or off-topic segments. The course’s planning tips help create focused, concise presentations.
• Pitfall: Using poor lighting or background clutter. Apply the course’s production tips to create a clean, professional look that builds viewer trust.
• Pitfall: Neglecting preview videos, which are critical for conversion. The course teaches how to create compelling previews that showcase value and teaching style.
• Pitfall: Skipping batch-recording, which increases production time. Follow the course’s time-saving workflows to record multiple videos in one session efficiently.
• Pitfall: Relying solely on Udemy’s organic traffic. Combine the course’s promotion tips with external marketing to drive consistent enrollments.

Time & Money ROI

• Time: Expect to complete the course in 4.5 hours, with additional time for implementation. Most creators can launch a full course within 4–6 weeks using the tips.
• Cost-to-value: At Udemy’s typical pricing, the course pays for itself with just a few enrollments. The lifetime access and actionable nature make it highly cost-effective.
• Certificate: While not industry-certified, the completion credential strengthens instructor profiles on Udemy. It signals professionalism to potential students browsing course bios.
• Alternative: Free YouTube tutorials lack structure and depth compared to this curated guide. The organized format saves far more time than piecing together fragmented advice.
• Income potential: A well-optimized course can generate passive income for years. The tips on pricing, promotions, and engagement directly impact long-term revenue.
• Skill transfer: The production and marketing skills apply beyond Udemy to webinars, coaching, or internal training. This broadens career and freelance opportunities.
• Reusability: The templates and workflows can be used for multiple courses. This multiplies the return on investment with each new product created.
• Market edge: Creators gain a competitive advantage by implementing all 40 tips. This leads to higher ratings, more reviews, and increased algorithmic visibility on Udemy.

Editorial Verdict

Chris Haroun’s '40 Tips on Making a Great Online Course' is a masterclass in efficiency and platform-specific optimization for Udemy instructors. It doesn’t just teach how to make a course—it teaches how to make one that sells, engages, and endures. Every tip is purpose-built to eliminate guesswork and leverage proven strategies that align with Udemy’s ecosystem. The structure is logical, the delivery is crisp, and the outcomes are measurable. For beginners, it’s a launchpad; for intermediates, it’s a refinement toolkit. The lifetime access ensures ongoing value as creators iterate on new projects.

The course’s focus on practicality over theory makes it one of the most actionable resources available for online educators. While it doesn’t cover every edge case or advanced tactic, its strengths far outweigh its limitations. The absence of deep analytics or cross-platform strategies is a fair tradeoff for its laser focus on Udemy success. When paired with supplementary tools and communities, it becomes part of a powerful learning ecosystem. For anyone serious about building a sustainable presence on Udemy, this course is not just recommended—it’s essential. The combination of time savings, professional polish, and marketing savvy delivers exceptional ROI, making it a standout in the crowded e-learning space.