How to Choose a Course Platform: Top Must-Have Features

Not sure how to choose a course platform? Learn about essential features like website builders, course builders, community, affiliate programs, bulk email, among others

Choosing the right platform to host and sell your online courses is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a course creator.

With so many options available, finding the right platform will make all the difference in your content delivery, student engagement, and overall business success.

To help you navigate the decision-making process, I've outlined the top must-have features to look for when choosing a course platform.

These features will not only enhance your course creation experience but also improve student engagement, increase sales, and help you scale your business.

Table of contents

You can also check out all the free guides available at the Course Creator Academy by clicking on the Academy link on the top menu.

What features should I look for when looking for a good course platform to host my course?

When it comes to choosing a course hosting platform, the following features are important:

Course builder
Community
Website Builder
Bulk email
Certificates
Affiliate program
Payment options
AI assistance
Analytics

I explained each in detail below.

Course Builder: The Foundation of Your Online Success

When it comes to choosing a course platform for your courses, a course builder is a must.

A course builder is the centerpiece of any online course platform. It allows you to design, structure, and organize your course content in a way that’s accessible and engaging for students.

What to Look for in a Good Course Builder:

Easy to Use: A simple course builder with drag-and-drop tools lets you create courses without coding. You should be able to add videos, audio, text, and quizzes easily.
Flexible Lesson Formats: Choose a platform that supports videos, audio, text, quizzes, assignments, and downloads to make your lessons more engaging.
Custom Pricing & Access: Make sure you can set different pricing options (free or paid) and control access (public, private, or hidden).
Engagement Features: Features like quizzes, and prerequisites can make your course more interactive and guide students through the content.

A platform like OnlineCourseHost provides an intuitive course builder that allows you to design, structure, and organize your course content in a way that’s accessible and engaging for students.

Want to know more about the course builder, then read the post on How to Create an Online Course (with an Intuitive Course Builder).

Community: Enhance Learning Through Interaction

Another important factor is whether the platform has a strong community feature. A vibrant community can turn your course into an interactive and engaging experience, so choose a platform that includes built-in community tools.

Features to Look For:

Customizable Access: Create public, private, or paid communities to suit your business model.
Engagement Tools: Options for creating topic-specific forums, chat rooms, or discussion boards enhance interaction.
Monetization Capabilities: Offer exclusive content or premium memberships for additional income.
User Management: Platforms should provide tools to moderate discussions and recognize top contributors with badges or incentives.

I advise you to read The Advantages of an Online Course Community (Free vs Paid) to know more about the importance of the Community Feature for your course hosting.

3. Website Builder: Establish a Professional Online Presence

A quality website builder is important, so when picking a platform for your online course, pick one that’s simple, customizable, and works well on mobile devices.

What to look for in a course platform’s website builder:

Customizable Templates: Pick a platform with ready-made templates you can easily change, like colors, fonts, and layouts, to match your style—no web designer needed.
Landing Page Builder: Make simple, focused pages for specific courses or promotions with drag-and-drop tools that encourage sign-ups.
Mobile-Friendly: Your site should automatically adjust to look great on desktops, tablets, and phones.
Easy Navigation: Choose a platform with a clean design that makes it simple for users to find courses, view details, and sign up.
Marketing Tools: Make sure it works with email marketing, payment systems, and CRMs to help you manage payments, promotions, and student progress.

Your website is the first thing potential students see, so it should look professional and easy to use.

4. Bulk Email: Simplify Communication with Your Audience

Effective communication is key to engaging students and marketing your courses. So, choose a course platform with built-in email tools to stay connected and automate important tasks.

Here are the bulk email features to look out for :

Custom Branded Emails: Use your own domain to send professional, branded communications.
Segmented Campaigns: Target students based on enrollment, activity, or preferences to ensure your emails are relevant and engaging.
Automation: Set up workflows like welcome sequences, course reminders, or promotional emails to save time.
Personalization: Customize subject lines and content to create a personalized experience for each student.

Email tools integrated into a course platform streamline operations and help you build stronger relationships with your audience, making this feature a must-have.

You can read How to Utilize Email Marketing for Course Promotion (Bulk Email, External Email Platforms) to know how to know more about the OnlineCourseHost.com bulk email feature.

5. Certificates: Recognize and Reward Achievement

Another feature to consider when looking for a platform to host your course is the ability to easily create a certificate and make it automatically available for your students.

Certificates add value to your courses, motivating students to complete them and providing them with a tangible symbol of their accomplishment.

Must-Have Certificate Features:

Customization: Platforms should offer editable templates or the ability to upload custom designs that align with your brand.
Social Sharing: Make it easy for students to share certificates on LinkedIn or other social platforms, enhancing your course's credibility.
Automated Issuance: Certificates should be generated and delivered automatically upon course completion.

Incorporating certificates into your course platform boosts student motivation and serves as a powerful marketing tool.

Here’s how to easily create one on OnlineCourseHost.com and make it easy for your students to share on social media platforms:

How to Create an Online Course Certificate Easily

6. Affiliate Program: Expand Your Reach Cost-Effectively

Look for an affiliate program feature, too, when choosing a course platform. It helps you grow your business by allowing others, like influencers, teachers, or satisfied students, to promote your courses and earn a commission.

Key Features to Look For in an Affiliate Program:

Customizable Commission Rates: Set flexible rewards to incentivize your affiliates.
Recurring Commissions: Reward affiliates for subscription-based courses with ongoing payouts.
Simple Dashboard: Ensure affiliates have access to tracking tools and performance analytics.
Easy Sign-Up: Streamline the onboarding process for affiliates to encourage participation.

Affiliate programs help scale your marketing efforts by leveraging the networks of others, making this feature a valuable addition to your course platform.

7. Payment Options: Accommodate a Global Audience

When determining how to choose an online course platform, payment flexibility is also very important. The right platform ensures that students worldwide can access your courses with ease.

Payment Features to Prioritize:

Multiple Payment Methods: Support for credit/debit cards, PayPal, Stripe, and region-specific options.
Subscription Support: Offer recurring payments for memberships or multi-course packages.

Comprehensive payment options reduce barriers to entry and increase conversions, ensuring more students can enroll.

8. AI Assistance: Simplify Course Creation and Marketing

When exploring how to choose a course platform, look for solutions offering AI-powered features.

AI tools can save significant time and effort by automating repetitive tasks.

What to Look for in AI Assistance on a Course Platform:

Content Creation: Tools to create course outlines, lesson plans, and video scripts.
Quiz and Assignment Tools: Automatic generation of quizzes and assignments based on your content.
Marketing Help: AI to improve landing pages, pricing, and email campaigns.
Time-Saving Features: Automates repetitive tasks and improves course structure.
Personalization: Adapts content and strategies based on student behavior.
Ease of Use: Simple, beginner-friendly tools that don’t require technical skills.
Scalability: Features that grow with your business, like trend analysis or new course ideas.

With a platform like OnlineCourseHost.com and its AI assistant, you can focus on teaching while effortlessly managing course creation.

9. Analytics: Make Data-Driven Decisions

Analytics tools are important for understanding how your courses are performing and where you can improve.

They provide insights that help you make smarter decisions about your content, teaching methods, and marketing strategies.

Essential Analytics Features to Look Out for:

Student Tracking: Monitor progress, engagement, and completion rates to identify areas for improvement.
Revenue Reporting: Gain insights into sales trends and identify high-performing courses.
Integration with Google Analytics: Enhance your understanding of traffic sources and audience behavior.

Analytics help you make informed decisions, boosting the success of your courses and marketing campaigns.

Conclusion: How to Choose the Right Course Platform

As seen, deciding how to choose a course platform involves understanding your goals, audience, and the features that matter most for your business.

Whether you’re prioritizing ease of use, scalability, or engagement tools, platforms like OnlineCourseHost offer all the features that you need:

Course builder
Community
Website Builder
Bulk email
Certificates
Affiliate program
Payment options
AI assistance
Analytics

In short, choosing the right course hosting platform simplifies your work and helps you deliver great learning experiences that attract and keep students, ensuring long-term success for your online course business.

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Ready to learn how to launch your first coaching program or course on OnlineCourseHost.com? Here are the helpful guides for you to check out:

Let me know in the comments below what other topics you would like me to cover or any questions that you have.

Thanks for reading… and enjoy the course creation process! 😉

Course Creators Academy, a community by OnlineCourseHost.com

Founded by Vasco Cavalheiro

Online Course Creator