Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
If you are thinking about creating online courses, one of the first questions you will probably ask is, “What should I teach?” or “What is a topic that I can train others in?”
That sounds simple, but choosing the right subject can make a huge difference to whether your online courses attract buyers or sit quietly on your website gathering digital dust.
The good news is that you do not necessarily need to invent a completely new subject. Some of the strongest opportunities sit around problems people already need to solve. They want to earn more, become better at their jobs, start a business, use new technology, pass an exam, improve their health or develop a skill they can use immediately.
Current employment research supports this approach. The World Economic Forum expects around 39% of workers’ existing skills to change or become outdated between 2025 and 2030. AI and big data, cybersecurity, technological literacy, creative thinking, leadership and analytical thinking are among the skills expected to grow in importance.
That creates plenty of opportunities for trainers, consultants, educators and businesses that want to create online courses.
Here are 10 areas I think are particularly worth considering.
It would be difficult to discuss the best online courses to create today without putting artificial intelligence near the top of the list. AI is changing how people work across almost every sector. The World Economic Forum identifies AI and big data as the fastest-growing skill category through 2030, while technological literacy also ranks highly.
The opportunity, however, may not be in creating another generic “Introduction to AI” course.
Most likely the stronger opportunity is going to be niche training such as:
The more specific the audience and outcome, the easier it becomes to explain why someone should buy your course. If you are trying to discover your niche audience, Goster can provide you with guidance and tools to find those buyers.
Business training has always been a strong category for online courses because learners can connect the knowledge directly to their income, career or business. You could create courses around starting a business, improving profitability, managing employees, developing business plans, sales, customer service or operational management.
There is also a useful distinction here between broad business education and practical business training. “Entrepreneurship” is broad.
“How to Build Your First Service Business” is much more specific and your personal experience in launching your business can be of incredible value to another person looking to take that leap.
I’ve also found that specificity usually makes course marketing easier because the prospective learner can immediately recognise whether the course applies to them.
Marketing changes constantly, which creates an ongoing demand for training. Businesses need people who understand social media, content marketing, email marketing, paid advertising, analytics, search optimisation and increasingly AI-assisted marketing. You could create online courses around specific marketing skills rather than trying to teach everything in one enormous programme.
Examples include:
“Instagram Marketing for Small Businesses”
“Email Marketing from Scratch”
“Content Marketing for Professional Services”
“AI-Assisted Content Creation”
“Google Analytics for Beginners”
“Social Media Marketing for Local Businesses”
Marketing also works well as business-to-business training because companies can purchase courses for multiple members of their team.
Technology remains one of the strongest areas for online learning. The World Economic Forum identifies software and application development, AI and machine learning, big data and cybersecurity among areas experiencing strong growth.
There is also an opportunity outside traditional programming. Businesses need people who can use software effectively. That means you could create online courses covering WordPress, Microsoft 365, Excel, Power BI, project management software, CRM systems, automation tools, website development and no-code platforms.
This is particularly interesting for trainers because software courses can solve an immediate workplace problem. A course called “Microsoft Excel” is fairly generic. “Excel Reporting for Small Business Managers” has a much clearer commercial proposition.
Certification-based online courses have an advantage that some other categories lack. The learner already has a clear reason for buying.
This creates opportunities in areas such as project management, cybersecurity, health and safety, IT, business administration, compliance and professional development. Goster can help you explore some of these opportunities during a free discovery chat
The important part is accuracy. Certification courses need to reflect current examination requirements and should be reviewed regularly. You can also structure these online courses around practice tests, quizzes, downloadable study materials and progress tracking.
There is sometimes a temptation to think that online courses need to teach highly technical subjects and I have to say that I just don’t think that’s true.
Human skills still matter enormously.
The World Economic Forum lists leadership and social influence, analytical thinking, creative thinking, resilience, flexibility and agility among important skills for the coming years. That creates plenty of opportunities for courses covering:
These subjects can also work particularly well as corporate online courses because businesses can purchase access for entire teams.
This is one of the less glamorous parts of running an online course business, but it can make a huge difference. Keep your original videos, graphics, scripts, audio, presentations, photographs, worksheets and course files organised.
Choosing a popular subject helps, but it does not guarantee sales. The strongest online courses usually combine three things.
For example, “Photography” is a broad subject. “Take Better Family Photos With Your Smartphone” gives the learner a much clearer reason to buy.
This is where owning your own LMS can become particularly useful. Instead of putting your course inside somebody else’s marketplace, you can build the course around your own brand, website, audience and customer journey.
Own Your Audience:
When your online courses live on your own LMS website, you have greater control over the customer experience and your relationship with learners. You can connect course purchases with email marketing, memberships, certificates and other products or services. That can make it easier to build a long-term training business.
Control Your Revenue:
Third-party platforms can make course creation easier, but their pricing structures and limitations may not suit every business. With your own LMS, you have more control over pricing, packages, subscriptions, memberships and additional services. You can build your commercial model around your business rather than adapting your business around somebody else’s platform.
Build Your Brand:
Your LMS can become the destination for your training rather than sending customers somewhere else. You control the branding, website experience, course catalogue and learner journey. For an established trainer or business, that can be a significant part of building credibility.
Health and wellbeing remains a large online learning category, although this is another area where niche positioning matters. Rather than creating another general fitness programme, consider a clearly defined audience.
For example:
The opportunity is particularly interesting for professionals who already have expertise, qualifications or an established audience.
Health-related courses do require appropriate professional boundaries and up-to-date information, especially where learners could interpret educational content as medical advice.
People regularly look for practical ways to understand and manage money.
That can create opportunities for online courses covering budgeting, personal financial organisation, business finance, bookkeeping, financial literacy and other educational subjects.
The key here is trust.
A financial course needs to establish why the instructor is qualified to teach the subject and should avoid making inappropriate promises about investment returns or financial outcomes.
For trainers with suitable expertise, practical courses such as “Understanding Business Cash Flow” or “Personal Budgeting for Beginners” could be more approachable than trying to teach every aspect of finance.
Don’t overlook courses based on things people simply enjoy doing. Photography, woodworking, drawing, painting, sewing, cooking, gardening, music, crafts and other hobbies can all provide viable subjects for online courses.
One reason these courses can work well is that video is particularly suited to demonstrating practical skills.
A learner can watch the instructor perform a technique, pause the lesson, practise it and return to the demonstration.
This also gives you opportunities to sell supporting products, downloadable resources, equipment guides, templates or membership access alongside the course.
Career development is another area worth considering.
People want to improve their CVs, prepare for interviews, become better communicators, move into management, change careers and develop skills that make them more employable.
LinkedIn’s 2025 Workplace Learning Report found that 49% of learning and talent development professionals agreed that executives were concerned employees did not have the right skills to execute business strategy.
That suggests a significant opportunity for trainers who can connect learning with workplace performance.
Instead of a generic personal development course, consider a specific result.
Add Practical Resources:
Give learners something they can use immediately. Templates, checklists, worksheets, workbooks, examples and downloadable resources can turn a collection of videos into a more complete learning experience.
Add Assessments:
Quizzes and practical assessments give learners a way to check their understanding. They also give your LMS useful progress information and can support certificates where appropriate.
Give Learners a Measurable Outcome:
Try to define what the learner should be able to do after completing the course. “Understand digital marketing” is difficult to measure. “Create a 30-day social media marketing plan” gives the learner a much clearer destination.
You don’t necessarily need to choose the topic with the largest possible audience. In fact, I suspect that chasing the biggest market can be a mistake. A smaller audience with a specific problem can sometimes be much easier to reach. Before creating your online courses, ask yourself:
You can also validate your idea before spending weeks recording videos. Talk to potential learners, survey your existing audience, examine questions people regularly ask and consider pre-selling a course before producing the complete programme.
That last option can be particularly useful. A successful pre-sale gives you evidence that people are willing to pay for the solution before you spend a considerable amount of time producing it.
The best online courses to create in 2026 are likely to sit where expertise, demand and a clear learner outcome overlap. AI and technology are obvious opportunities. Business, marketing, leadership, certification, career development, health, finance and creative skills also have strong potential.
But don’t simply copy whatever course topic appears to be selling well.
Then create an online course that provides a clear path from the learner’s current problem to a useful outcome.
That is probably a better strategy than trying to build the next massive online course empire from scratch.
And if you already have an audience, customers, professional expertise or a successful business, I think you may already have the makings for a very good online course sitting right in front of you. Reach out to us for a free 15 minute discovery call to explore the opportunities awaiting you in creating online courses.
Let us show you the many options available to you to create a manageable, affordable, scalable online course—no obligation.