How to Set Up Your Thinkific Course Website for a Flawless Launch

Launching an online class is a great milestone. But the key to success lies in your preparation and website setup. Thinkific offers a variety of features and tools to create an engaging and professional learning environment. We will show you how to create your Thinkific website for a flawless launch.

Step 1: Register and choose your plan.

Sign up for Thinkific if you haven’t done so already. Compare the pricing options: Basic, Premier, and Pro. Select the plan that best aligns with your course goals, target audience, and budget. The Free Plan is perfect for those who are just starting out, while the Pro or Premier Plans will be more suitable for those looking for advanced features and customization.

Step 2: Choose a domain name.

For branding and credibility, a professional domain name is crucial. Thinkific allows you to use a Thinkific domain (e.g., yoursite.thinkific.com), but for a more professional appearance, consider purchasing a custom domain (e.g., www.yourcourse.com). If you choose a premium domain, it is easy to connect your custom domain with Thinkific. Choose a name which reflects both your course and brand.

Step 3: Customize the look and feel of your site.

Your course website’s aesthetic is crucial to creating a welcoming environment for your students. Here’s how you can customize it:

Thinkific offers pre-designed themes. Select one that matches your brand’s aesthetics. You can preview the theme and choose one that best represents your course.

– Branding: Choose your fonts and color scheme in the theme settings. Consistency is key to building trust and recognition with your audience.

– Site Layout: Customize the homepage to reflect course offerings and your brand’s ethos. Add sections such as ‘About Me,’ or testimonials to add credibility.

Step 4: Create course structure and content.

Before you launch, arrange your course material in a logical and easy-to follow structure. Here’s how:

– Course Design: Create a course outline by breaking it down into modules and lessons. Thinkific allows you to easily create your content and rearrange it according to your structure. Strive for clarity and consistency. Each module should be centered around a single topic with subtopics.

– Content Types: Mixing different types of content, such as videos and PDFs. Diverse formats keep learners interested. Thinkific’s platform allows for multimedia uploads to make it easier to create rich and interactive lessons.

– Drip Content: Use the drip feature of Thinkific to gradually release new content. This can increase learner engagement by making them anticipate new material.

Step 5: Configure your payment options.

For a successful launch, your payment system must be configured. Here’s how:

– Paying Processors: Connect Thinkific with payment processors such as Stripe and PayPal. You can now accept payments in a seamless manner. Set this up by following the instructions in your Thinkific dashboard.

– Decide Your Pricing Strategy: Offer one-time payments or subscriptions? Or payment plans? These options should be clearly communicated on your sales page in order to avoid any confusion.

– Promotional Offers: Offer introductory discounts and bundles to encourage early enrollments. Thinkific lets you easily create coupon codes and discounts.

Step 6 – Create an engaging landing page.

Make your landing page count. It’s often the first impression potential students have of your course. Here are some things to consider:

– Title and Subtitle: Use a title that clearly communicates your course’s value and a sub-title that explains the course.

– Course Description: Give a clear overview of the course, including key benefits and takeaways.

Include an outline of the course curriculum so that potential students know what they’ll learn. Detail each module.

– Testimonials: Display testimonials and case studies on your landing page. Social proof can influence the decisions of prospective students.

– CTA: Make your landing page end with a strong call to action, which will guide visitors to enroll. Encourage action by using buttons such as “Enroll Now” and “Get Started today”.

Step 7: Configure email series and notifications.

It is important to communicate effectively with your students. Use email notifications and marketing automations to keep your students informed.

– Emails of Enrollment: Create welcome emails that are automated with the next steps following enrollment.

– Drip campaigns: Set up email notifications to alert learners of new modules.

– Reminders : Sending out reminders about upcoming live sessions and tasks can keep students motivated.

Thinkific is integrated with email marketing platforms such as Mailchimp or ConvertKit. This allows you to easily manage your email lists.

Step 8: Thoroughly test everything.

Test the course thoroughly before your official launch:

– Enrollment: Experience the process of enrolling as a student. Verify that payment processing is working without any issues.

– Accessibility: Make sure all content scheduled is accessible and that all links are working correctly.

– User experience: Analyze user experience, from navigation to delivery of content. If possible, get feedback from beta-testers.

Step 9 – Develop a pre-launch marketing strategy.

Consider how you can generate excitement about your course as your launch date approaches:

Use social media to generate excitement. Share behind-the scenes looks of the course creation process and tease content.

– Webinar Pre-Launch: Offer a webinar with valuable content that promotes your course.

– Marketing by Email: Send countdown messages to your email list leading up the launch, with exclusive information on the course.

Step 10 Launch Day Checklist.

Check the following items before your launch:

– Verify that the content of the course is available and published.

– One last test of payment processing.

– Set up communication channels for students, such as forums and emails.

– Create a plan to direct traffic to your page.

Conclusion

Planning and executing your Thinkific website to ensure a smooth launch is essential. You can create a professional and engaging course environment by following these above steps, from selecting the best plan to customizing your website and creating compelling content. It is important to launch your course in a thoughtful way. This will not only help you gain initial enrollments, but it can also lead to future success. As you prepare for the launch, don’t forget to consider the needs of your learners.