The e-learning sector is on the rise and more and more trainers and professionals in the world are exploiting the potential of the Web to share their knowledge.
How do you create your career in e-learning?
Here are some tips on how to start your online trainer business.

1. Analyse your skills and the e-learning market

The first thing to do is evaluate your skills and areas of experience, and offer a service that can be interesting for the sectors most involved in e-learning. This is why it is important to analyse the e-learning market and discover its trends. In Italy, for example, the sectors where online training is used more than the classic face-to-face course are banking, the metalworking and telecommunications.
The private education sector also has a positive trend, in particular language courses and recovery courses for school students.
In each sector the required courses cover both technical and the so-called soft skills such as the ability to work in groups or leadership. To approach the banking sector, for example, you can have specific skills in financial markets or transversal skills, such as those on security or project management.

2. Think of an online course idea based on the profile of your students

Once you have identified an area where your skills are required, you can think of a course idea based on potential customers. Users of an online course can be new employees or managers of a company, employees who need to develop professional and relational skills, other trainers, and students. Knowing your target means understanding its training needs and the best learning methods. Depending on the user's profile, it is possible to decide not only the content of the online training but also the way to deliver it: at the workplace, via the mobile phone, on request, etc.

3. Get the tools for designing online courses

Online course design tools are the basis for a e-learning professional work. Most manufacturers of e-learning software and LMS (learning management system) offer a free demo version. This way you can try the interface, the different functionalities and choose the most suitable product for your needs.

4. Launch a prototype and collect feedback

Creating an online training course requires excellent analytical skills, organization and time. The process to create an online course should always start from potential students just to avoid working on a product that is not so demanded. This is why it is important to start with a prototype of your course, to have it tested by the prospects and collect their impressions, perplexities and suggestions. The aim is to correct the course based on the feedback received and offer a product that really responds to a need.

5. Create marketing strategies

Those who have gained experience in traditional training have every interest in collecting the material produced and divulging it to as many users as possible. This is the biggest advantage of e-learning. To make their online courses known, however, we need to consider sales strategies through email, social media, copywriting, etc.
The e-learning industry provides trainers and experts with powerful techniques for reaching a very high number of students. To make the most of the potential of e-learning, it is good to know your skills, the market, your own students, work tools and sales strategies.