What Are Some Online Classes for New and Emerging Online Businesses?
The internet has changed the way many of us shop and do business — and the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed those changes to the extreme as many of us no longer have the option to shop or conduct other transactions in person. That might seem like a disadvantage, but there’s no better time than now to start moving your operations online — or start an ecommerce business. With most people sheltering in place, turning to the internet is many shoppers’ primary method of getting what they need and want in a safer manner than buying in person.
The digital realm isn’t just great for shoppers; it’s also beneficial for business owners. Not only can you open and run an entire business online, but you can also start learning the basics of business entirely over the internet. Whether you’re looking to transfer your existing business to an online format or to start a new one altogether, there are plenty of great online classes that help you learn how to run your company effectively. To make sure your web business is a success, take a look at some tools that’ll ease your transition to a digital business model.
Learn the Basics of Ecommerce to Get Started
Over the past few decades, the internet has opened up a world of possibilities when it comes to selling goods and services and working online. These innovations have simplified everything from sourcing products to generating leads to marketing. That said, opening a web store or online business can be a little daunting if you’re new to ecommerce and the ways it works. Fortunately, web classes can teach you everything from the basics of setting up your own online marketplace to business strategies you can use to help it succeed.
Alison: Alison is a website that hosts free online classes. There are also several paid membership options if you’re interested in unlocking additional features such as ad removal or certification. Regardless of which you choose, you can explore a wide range of ecommerce courses in subjects like online business strategy and website creation. Courses you may want to take here include “21 Days to Building a Web Business,” “Building a Successful E-business” and “Sourcing and Customizing Best-Selling Products for Ecommerce.”
Udemy: Udemy is a well-known open online course provider that offers a huge range of ecommerce courses, many of which cost around $15 or less. That said, sometimes you can find courses for free. Udemy is especially helpful if you’re looking for courses that teach you how to navigate specific online marketplaces and master Shopify, WordPress, Magento and other site-building and ecommerce tools. Because there are so many courses here, it’s a wise idea to filter your results by the topic you’re interested in. Choices include Ecommerce, Dropshipping, Passive Income and Selling on Amazon, among dozens of others.
Skillshare: Skillshare is another effective platform that offers online classes. It tends to have a solid mixture of both general ecommerce courses and those that are geared towards specific online platforms like Amazon, Poshmark, Etsy and others. The biggest difference between Udemy and Skillshare is that Udemy charges by the class, whereas Skillshare offers a membership that’s billed either yearly or monthly. Once you’re a member, you can take as many classes as you like at your own pace.
Sell Intellectual Products on the Right Platform
A variety of site-building tools, such as Wix and Weebly, have built-in web store creators that you can utilize to sell products that you’ll ship to consumers. But what if you want to sell non-physical products? Say, for instance, that you’d like to start an online music school or are looking for a place to sell intangible products like apps you’ve designed or your own consulting services. A traditional ecommerce platform might not offer everything you need in terms of the formatting you’d prefer for selling your products. Fortunately, there’s a number of other options you can learn about.
LearnWorlds: If you want to start an online school or teach courses, LearnWorlds is a great place to begin. Once you choose from a variety of monthly membership options, you’ll be able to develop and sell online courses through the site. When your class goes live, it’ll include a membership portal that ensures only authorized members are able to access your course content. You don’t have as much control over your content this way — your courses are hosted on LearnWorlds and students will use the site to access them. But that simplicity can be a good thing if you’re more interested in getting your content out there and less interested in building your own brand.
The Chrome Web Store: If you’re looking to publish apps and games, the Chrome web store is definitely worth checking out. This platform is Google’s online store for selling extensions for its browser, Chrome. Chrome web store’s guidelines walk you through the process of uploading your app, extension or game and making it available for users to purchase within minutes.
Joomla: Another great way to make money online is to become a website designer instead of teaching courses about site design. With sites like Joomla you can help your clients design and publish their own websites or online shops. The site also offers its own online classes, which are designed to help you learn how to use Joomla and all of its features.
Take Your Business Online to Boost Productivity
As a business owner or manager, you’re likely familiar with the ways 2020’s sudden shift from in-person to online meetings with clients, customers and employees has been a challenging one to navigate. Fortunately, there’s a number of online tools that can make it easier to keep everyone in your company on the same page. Although they’re not classes, these tools are virtually indispensable when it comes to moving many of your daily operations online as employees continue working from home. Use them to keep your business organized and on track.
GoToMeeting: GoToMeeting is an effective tool for staying in touch with clients and employees. The web-based service offers features such as online meetings, desktop sharing and video conferencing. It’s one of the best webinar platforms for making sure that your team can meet in real-time.
SharePoint: If you’re wondering how to keep document collaboration alive and well among your employees, SharePoint is a great option to check out. The online intranet tool is a secure platform for collaborating and sharing documents, files, data and resources with others who are inside your organization. There are even online classes available that can help you master the program.
TSheets: Looking for a way to make sure everyone gets paid accurately and on time? Check out TSheets, an online time clock that makes it easy for employees to log their hours. On the management end, you’ll be able to keep track of who is working and on what projects, all in real time. TSheets also integrates with QuickBooks, Sage, ADP, Paychex and other payment and human resources management software programs to streamline payroll processes.
Online DICOM Viewer: If you work in the medical industry, you might want to take advantage of websites that allow you to view and share DICOM images on any device. PostDicom is a cloud-based service that can help doctors working from home access clinical documents and images from anywhere they have an internet connection.
