Website in Week Course Online Course Development
Do-it-yourself online course for solopreneurs that want to design their own website with WordPress but are not sure how to get started.
PROJECT: Online Course | ROLE: Course Creator | DURATION: 8 Weeks
PROJECT: Online Course
ROLE: Course Creator
DURATION: 8 Weeks
Vision
After years of working in the web design industry, I have realized the increased need for do-it-yourself web presence as several solopreneurs approached me to teach them how to create their own website. After a few rounds of in-person workshops, I have decided to combine my expertise in web design + course creation to develop an online course that covers not only web design but also branding and marketing.
Challenges
Project KickOff
After initial success with the first version of the course and valuable feedback from first batch of students, I have decided to revamp the entire course by creating more video tutorials and including lessons on branding and post-launch marketing.
Some of the reoccurring questions that inspired my decision:
What steps are required to effectively plan and design from scratch a DIY website?
What other skills/tools are required to successfully create and manage WordPress website?
What is the most cost-effective way to launch a basic website without tech overwhelm?
While the main focus of Website in Week is how to plan, design and launch a website, the course includes several workbooks, cheatsheets and tool tips to make the design process straight forward. In addition, students of the course get access to WordPress Bootcamp.
Meet The Users
Name: Kate W
Age: 29
Job: English Teacher
Kate has been traveling around Asia for years and has been working as English teacher at local schools. She wants to create her own website so she can start teaching online to supplement her income during the pandemic.
Name: Susan B
Age: 38
Job: Stay-at-home Mom
Susan, a mother of two small kids, enjoyed her career in sales before moving to Asia and would love to start a small online shop for educational toys. She is interested in learning how to set up and manage her own online store and website.
Name: Andy M
Age: 22
Job: Student
Andy is single and an aspiring solopreneur. They are about to graduate university with a degree in business management and they are in need to create a portfolio website for their upcoming job hunt.
Competitive Analysis
My research has shown that there are some similar courses that offer design-only training at a lower price point. On the other hand, some of the more expensive courses that can be found on the internet focus on web design based for other platforms like SquareSpace, Shopify, Wix, ShowIt, etc..
I have also collected feedback from my clients and students in regards what they would need to launch a DIY website in one week.
Preparing the Journey
With a clear goal in mind for version two of Website in Week, I have spent several days outlining each module of the course to ensure that all important aspects related to web design are covered in-depth. After several round of revision, I found a well balanced methodology which would allow students to complete each lesson in assigned time frame and at the end walk away with a client-winning website.
Course Mapping
In order to ensure quality content and the right sequence of lessons, I have created a spreadsheet to outline the entire course before even going into the creation more. Each module was divided into lessons that focus on max of three learning outcomes and indicated what aids will be used to ensure that student can easily complete each lesson or skip it if they already have such item in place.
Course Revision
The first version of Website in Week was based on in-person experience from my workshops where I was present to assist students as needed. Cutting out the availability of 1-on-1 instant help called for additional support so when students get "stuck" they can find their way back to completing their website without giving up because of some difficulties along the way.
Some of the consideration I have taken into account while creating the second version of Website in Week course:
Less Tech Overwhelm
By including tutorial for other design tools in addition to WordPress, students experience a higher success rate and complete the course quicker without additional help.
No More Answer Overdose
Curated course content that is necessary to successfully complete all lessons allows students to learn the foundation of web design and how to apply it in real life.
Step-by-Step Solution
Course content builds up from one module to the next and while most students benefit from entire course, it's easy to skip some lessons and still launch DIY website.
Design Tools & Beyond
Research has shown that most courses focus on WordPress design only, but student survey indicated that branding, marketing and post-launch tasks must be included.
Takeaways
After completing the revision for the course curriculum and received the first round of feedback from a few new students, I feel confident that the tweaks to the first version will allow to not only create a do-it-yourself website with step-by-step instructions but also learn how to get started how to reach a wider audience with basic marketing tools and overall constant brand and messaging.
Thank you for checking out Website in Week course development process & click here to preview the course.
Let's Connect!
Searching for a designer that shows passion in their work? Interested in working together? I'd love to hear from you!
