If you’ve been thinking about how to build an online course, now is one of the best times to act. Online courses let you scale your expertise, reach learners beyond your postcode, and—when done well—create a recurring revenue stream. Below I’ll walk you through why digital courses often outperform traditional face-to-face training (with UK-specific evidence), and give a practical, step-by-step blueprint to build an online course that sells.
Rigorous reviews and meta-analyses show online and blended learning are at least as effective as face-to-face instruction, and blended approaches often outperform purely classroom formats on learning outcomes. That means you’re not trading quality for scale if you build the course well. Here are a few statistics to keep in mind while considering whether to convert your knowledge into an online course for reselling:
Several UK studies and industry reviews show that demand for online and blended learning is established and growing. The Learning & Work Institute’s Adult Participation in Learning Survey 2024 found that just over half of UK adults (52%) took part in learning in the last three years — driven largely by an increase in self-directed and online study.
From an employer perspective, organisations are adopting digital or blended delivery at pace. A 2024 review of learning technologies found that blended learning—which mixes online and in-person elements—has been adopted by roughly 62% of organisations, underlining that digital-first programmes are now mainstream in the workplace.
Universities and providers are already reaching far beyond campus: UK transnational and distance education enrolled over 600,000 students across undergraduate and postgraduate TNE programmes in 2022–23 — showing the scale you can tap into when you go digital.
Industry benchmark stats also underline efficiency and ROI. Analyses often quoted in the L&D world show that e-learning can take 40–60% less employee time than equivalent classroom training—helping organisations reduce costs and remove the “time” barrier to learning.
Don’t build a full course before you’ve checked demand. Follow these quick validation steps:
Pick a clear niche and outcome (e.g., “Build a 6-figure freelance content plan in 8 weeks”).
Run a simple survey or LinkedIn poll and a tiny paid ad test to measure interest.
Offer a low-cost pilot (a mini course, workshop or webinar) to a small group and gather feedback.
Check competitive pricing for similar UK offerings and corporate budgets if you plan to sell B2B.
Record with modest gear. Clean audio (USB mic), a good webcam or smartphone, a lapel mic for mobility, and simple lighting. Script the lesson openings and CTAs.
Launch & iterate. Use email, LinkedIn, partnerships, and a repeatable webinar funnel. Collect feedback and refine content, community, and onboarding.
Flexibility & access. Busy UK professionals favour bite-size, on-demand learning rather than day-long classroom events—this directly addresses time barriers to learning.
Scalability & reach. A single course can be sold repeatedly across the UK (and internationally) without proportional venue costs—Universities UK TNE data shows how digital delivery expands reach.
Comparable or better learning outcomes. Meta-analyses find blended/online approaches equal or superior on retention and application, so organisations gain results while saving time and money.
Sell B2C (one-off courses), B2B (company licences + cohort training), subscriptions (access to all content), or high-ticket cohorts (group coaching + certification).
Add certificates, CPD points, or employer-backed endorsements to increase the perceived value.
Use affiliates, micro-credentials, and corporate partnerships to scale faster.
Track these KPIs: completion rate, NPS / learner satisfaction, revenue per learner, CAC (cost to acquire a customer), and LTV (lifetime value). Use automated analytics inside your LMS and quick post-course surveys to measure outcome achievement.
To build an online course that sells, combine clear outcomes, short focused lessons, and an evidence-backed launch plan. The UK data is clear: learners and employers increasingly prefer digital and blended formats because they scale better, often save time and money, and—when designed properly—deliver equal or better learning outcomes. If you commit to validation, quality content and ongoing iteration, you’ll transform your expertise into a profitable digital product.
Learning & Work Institute — Adult Participation in Learning Survey 2024 (report & PDF).
Universities UK — Transnational education (TNE) data, 2022–23.
HESA — HE student enrolments by distance learning marker (Table 63).
Learning Light — State of Learning Technologies 2024 (blended learning adoption).
ScienceDirect — Meta-analysis: online learning is at least as effective as classroom delivery (2023).
PMC / BMC — Meta-analysis on blended learning effects (2023).
eLearningIndustry — Why online learning can be more effective (Brandon Hall stat on time savings).
IBM — The value of training (historic IBM training ROI references).
CIPD / People Management coverage — Learning at Work (digital learning trends in UK L&D). (summaries and commentary on digital learning increases).
LinkedIn Learning — Workplace Learning Report (UK).
In this chat, we’ll show how we can turn your content into a branded, scalable course—no obligation.