Online learning platforms have become an integral component of today’s educational environment. For some, it is a means of self-improvement. For others, it is a substitute for formal education or a way of professional development. Demand for e-learning platforms will arise due to the pandemic and its overall impact on people’s lives. Forbes estimates that by 2025, the online education market will be worth $325 billion. Accessibility, flexibility, and relative cost-efficiency are all characteristics that contribute to the appeal of digital learning.

Almost 60% of the population of our planet has access to the Internet. It means that EdTech and online learning service providers can reach a large number of users. Over the last year, educational platforms such as Udemy, Coursera, and MasterClass have seen significant student growth. Considering the increasing development and relevance of the eLearning sector, creating your platform makes sense. In this article, we’ll look at how to build an educational platform, its costs, and prospects.

How Much Does It Cost to Create a Website like Udemy or Coursera?

There are a lot of determinants that influence the cost of creating an eLearning app or website. Among these are the project’s amount and complexity of features and the approach to development chosen. For instance, you may build a platform from the ground up or use content management systems, such as Moodle, Joomla. Alternatively, you may apply the services of website designers like Wix or Tilda. The choice of approach to building your educational platform will directly impact the project’s overall cost. Why? Because it will affect the number of developers you require, their capabilities, and salary rates accordingly.

Other aspects will also affect the cost of developing an educational platform. These include: 

• providing high-quality user interface and user experience design
• software testing
• platform security 

Оnce the development of the website is complete, there will also be expenses associated with establishing courses, hiring lecturers and speakers. And to attract customers, you will need to invest in decent marketing.

How to Build an eLearning Website like Udemy or Coursera

Before you learn how to build an educational website, you need to determine your target audience and the services you intend to offer. Will your website provide only specialized courses or a broad range of options? Who will be interested in your platform? Is it a particular country, a region, or the entire world that you aim to target? The answers to the questions you ask yourself at this stage will determine your development strategy.

You may start developing your platform once you’ve decided on its specifics and established what will distinguish it from other educational resources on the market. Defining the platform’s functionality is essential for successful website development. This information must be provided to the development and UI/UX designers team. Following the development stage, it is also necessary to carry out comprehensive software testing. 

The next step is to set up user roles. Student, teacher, and administrator are the three common positions. Studying and attending courses are the student’s tasks, whereas the teacher’s duties include educating and grading assignments. A platform administrator has full access to the system’s functionalities. It is a professional who runs courses, moderates learning materials, and analyzes user behavior.

 When your website and online lectures are ready to launch, you can start attracting first customers. Then you’re prepared to choose a monetization strategy. A commission on each course sold may be one of your primary sources of revenue, but there are far more alternatives for monetization.

Udemy and Coursera: A Detailed Comparison

Udemy and Coursera are probably two of the most prominent websites for e-learning. These platforms provide considerable opportunities for both professional and self-development. Let’s take a closer look at what they have to offer.

Udemy is a global teaching and learning marketplace that offers low-cost memberships and lifelong access to courses. This platform also allows for program flexibility, enabling you to study at your own pace. Udemy courses cost between $20 to $200 on average, making them pretty affordable. It is ideal for those who aim to learn about a specific field and acquire a thorough grasp of it. Unlike Coursera, this platform allows for the employment of a variety of teachers. It should be considered when choosing a particular course because its quality will depend on the competencies of the lecturer.

Coursera is a website for elearning that partners with top universities and organizations to provide online courses, including academic ones. This platform’s educational approach is structured similarly to university-level online classes. There are fixed training session dates, a class schedule, and rigorous deadlines for completing assignments. Because Coursera’s contributors are primarily well-known institutions, you may acquire relevant certification on this website. The platform offers many free courses, and the pricing policy for paid ones is quite variable.

Mobile Learning Apps: Everything You Need to Know

The creation of a mobile learning app is now a prominent niche in the field of EdTech. There are numerous such programs available, and they will facilitate anything from language learning to science mastery. Such apps allow users to engage in self-education anywhere and anytime. Gamification is one of the fundamental elements of mobile learning apps. It is a game-based education that will undoubtedly enable users to become more motivated.

The educational system is changing to accommodate new realities in which learning is becoming more interactive. As a result, the approach to developing mobile applications is evolving. We encourage you to get acquainted with our project in supporting the MentorMe app development. We conducted business analytics, provided technical documentation, and developed an MVP to increase the efficacy of this educational application and its future progress.

Conclusion

The online learning platform has many uses. This resource can be applied for personal growth, corporate development, starting an online school, or as a substitute for traditional education. A comprehensive analysis of the market, user demands, and a competent development methodology are essential for creating a successful educational platform. If you are developing an educational website from scratch, you need to determine its distinctive features. In this case, your online learning solution will be profitable and satisfy its users with unlimited access to knowledge.