Make Money Creating Online Courses: The Shopify Merchant Way

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Evolving Landscape of Digital Education
3. Identifying Your Profitable Niche
4. Building a Curriculum That Sells
5. The Technical Advantage: Native Shopify Integration
6. Pricing Strategies for Maximum Revenue
7. Transparency in Pricing: The Tevello Advantage
8. Marketing Your Online Course
9. Building Community and Brand Loyalty
10. Scaling Your Business with Digital Products
11. Real-World Application: The Barista Example
12. Setting Realistic Expectations
13. Conclusion
14. FAQ

Introduction

Did you know that the global e-learning market is projected to reach a staggering $457.8 billion by 2026? This isn't just a statistic; it represents a fundamental shift in how the world consumes information. For Shopify merchants, this shift presents a golden opportunity to diversify revenue beyond physical inventory. Many business owners find themselves trapped in a cycle of rising shipping costs and supply chain delays, but digital products offer a high-margin alternative that requires no warehouse space and no postage stamps.

At Tevello, our mission is to turn any Shopify store into a digital learning powerhouse. We believe that if you have expertise—whether it’s in gardening, high-end coding, or boutique fitness—you should be able to monetize that knowledge without the technical headaches of managing multiple platforms. The purpose of this guide is to provide a roadmap for merchants who want to make money creating online courses while maintaining full control over their brand and customer data. We will cover everything from niche selection and curriculum design to the technical advantages of using a native Shopify integration to scale your business.

By the end of this article, you will understand how to build a sustainable digital education business that increases your customer lifetime value (LTV) and provides the recurring revenue stability every entrepreneur craves.

The Evolving Landscape of Digital Education

The era of "easy money" in online courses is behind us. In 2020, the market saw a massive influx of content, which created a "red ocean" of competition. Today, customers are more discerning; they aren't just looking for information—they can find that for free on YouTube. They are looking for transformation, community, and a polished learning experience.

Moving Beyond Information to Transformation

When you set out to make money creating online courses, you aren't just selling videos; you are selling a result. A merchant selling premium coffee beans, for instance, isn't just selling a "how-to" video. They are selling the ability for a customer to become a home barista, a transformation that enhances the value of every bag of beans that customer buys in the future. This synergy between physical goods and digital learning is where Shopify merchants have a distinct advantage.

Why Ownership of Data Matters

One of the most significant risks for course creators today is "platform dependency." When you host your courses on a third-party marketplace, you often lose access to your customers' email addresses, and you are subject to the marketplace's fluctuating fee structures. We created Tevello because we believe merchants should own their customer data and brand experience. This is why our solution keeps customers on your own URL, ensuring that the brand they trust—yours—is the one they interact with every single day.

Identifying Your Profitable Niche

Success begins with choosing a niche that balances your expertise with market demand. You don’t need to be the world’s leading expert; you simply need to be two steps ahead of your target audience and able to solve a specific pain point.

Solving a Specific Pain Point

Consider the challenges your existing customers face. If you sell skin-care products, a course on "Managing Adult Acne through Diet and Routine" solves a specific problem. By addressing the "why" and the "how" through a course, you position your physical products as the "what" needed to complete the transformation.

Analyzing Competition

Before you film a single lesson, research what is already available. If a topic is saturated with free content, look for a "gap." Perhaps the existing content is too technical, or maybe it lacks a community element. Adding a social component can be the differentiator that allows you to charge premium prices. You can see how merchants are earning six figures by identifying these gaps and filling them with high-value, structured content that free tutorials simply cannot match.

Building a Curriculum That Sells

A great course is built on a solid foundation. You need to map out the journey from where your student is now to where they want to be.

Structuring Your Modules

Break your knowledge down into manageable pieces. A standard structure often includes:

• The Welcome Module: Setting expectations and building excitement.
• Core Pillars: The fundamental lessons that provide the "quick wins."
• Advanced Techniques: The deeper insights that justify a higher price point.
• The Conclusion: Next steps and how to stay involved in the community.

The Power of Drip Content

One of the best ways to ensure student success and reduce refund rates is through drip content. Instead of overwhelming a student with 40 videos on day one, you can schedule content to be released over several weeks. This keeps the student engaged and ensures they actually implement what they learn before moving on. This feature is standard in our ecosystem, helping you maintain high engagement levels without manual intervention.

The Technical Advantage: Native Shopify Integration

The biggest hurdle for many creators is the "tech stack." Traditionally, you would need a website for your store, a separate platform for your courses, and a third-party tool to connect them. This fragmentation leads to "login friction," where customers forget which password goes with which site, leading to a flood of support tickets.

Unified Login and Seamless Checkout

Because we offer a native Shopify integration, your customers use the same account for their physical purchases and their digital courses. This creates a unified login that reduces customer support friction and keeps the user experience seamless. When a customer checks out using the payment gateways they already trust on your Shopify store, their course access is granted instantly. No redirects, no third-party branding, and no confusion.

Keeping Customers "At Home"

Retention is higher when customers stay on your domain. By keeping customers at home on the brand website, you reinforce your brand identity. Every time a student logs in to watch a lesson, they are also seeing your latest physical product launches or blog posts. This "ecosystem" approach is how you significantly increase customer LTV.

Pricing Strategies for Maximum Revenue

How you price your course will dictate your marketing strategy and your overall business model. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but there are several proven models to consider.

The One-Time Purchase

This is the most common model. It’s excellent for "evergreen" content that provides a specific solution. However, to keep making money, you must constantly find new customers.

The Subscription and Membership Model

Recurring revenue is the holy grail of e-commerce. By charging a monthly fee for access to a library of courses and a community, you create a stable income stream that makes business planning much easier. At Tevello, we support this by offering a flat-rate plan that supports unlimited members, allowing you to grow your membership without worrying about your software costs eating into your profits.

Bundling Digital and Physical Goods

Shopify merchants have the unique ability to bundle. For example, a merchant selling high-end knitting yarn can bundle a "Beginner’s Knitting Masterclass" with a starter kit of physical tools. This increases the average order value (AOV) and provides the customer with everything they need to succeed in one click. We have seen incredible results with this; for instance, you can learn how one brand sold $112K+ by bundling courses with their existing product line.

Transparency in Pricing: The Tevello Advantage

We believe in keeping things simple for our merchants. In an industry where many platforms charge "success fees"—taking 5% to 10% of every sale you make—we take a different approach.

The Unlimited Plan

Our primary offering is The Unlimited Plan at $29.99 per month. We don’t believe in complicated tier structures that penalize you for being successful. Whether you have 10 students or 10,000, your price stays the same.

0% Transaction Fees

Our commitment to your growth includes a 0% transaction fee policy. You keep 100% of what you earn (minus your standard payment processor fees like Stripe or PayPal). When you are comparing plan costs against total course revenue, the savings from avoiding per-sale commissions can amount to thousands of dollars as you scale.

The Unlimited Plan includes:

• Unlimited courses and students.
• Unlimited video hosting and bandwidth (no need for external hosting services).
• Community features, including member directories and social feeds.
• Drip content scheduling and interactive quizzes.
• A 14-day free trial to build your entire curriculum risk-free.

Marketing Your Online Course

Even the best course won't sell if people don't know it exists. Marketing should be an ongoing process of building trust and demonstrating value.

Leveraging Social Proof

Testimonials and case studies are your most powerful marketing tools. Prospective students want to see that your methods work for people just like them. Highlighting how brands converted 15% of challenge participants into long-term customers can inspire your own promotional strategies.

Email Marketing and Lead Magnets

Your email list is your most valuable asset. Offer a "mini-course" or a downloadable PDF guide as a lead magnet to get people into your funnel. Once they see the quality of your free content, they are much more likely to invest in your paid flagship course.

Using Quizzes for Engagement

Quizzes aren't just for testing knowledge; they are marketing tools. A "What’s Your Skill Level?" quiz can segment your audience and recommend the specific course that fits their needs. This personalized approach leads to much higher conversion rates than a generic "Buy Now" button.

Building Community and Brand Loyalty

One of the primary reasons students drop out of online courses is a lack of accountability. By building a community around your content, you provide the social support students need to cross the finish line.

Profiles and Member Directories

Our platform allows students to create profiles and see who else is in the course. This fosters a sense of belonging and transforms a solitary learning experience into a collective journey. When students feel like they are part of a group, they are more likely to stay subscribed to a membership and recommend your brand to others.

Social Feeds and Interaction

A dedicated social feed within your course area allows for real-time discussion. Students can ask questions, share their progress, and support one another. This engagement reduces the burden on your support team because experienced students often help the newcomers. If unifying your stack is a priority, start by a simple, all-in-one price for unlimited courses.

Scaling Your Business with Digital Products

Once your first course is successful, it’s time to look at scaling. Scaling in the digital world is fundamentally different from scaling physical goods because your marginal cost for each new customer is nearly zero.

Upselling and Cross-selling

Use your existing customer base to drive new sales. If someone has completed your beginner course, they are the perfect candidate for an advanced module. By generating revenue from both physical and digital goods, you create multiple touchpoints that keep your brand top-of-mind.

Content Diversification

You don't have to stop at video courses. Consider adding:

• Digital Downloads: Templates, workbooks, or presets.
• Live Workshops: High-ticket events for your most dedicated followers.
• Group Coaching: Adding a layer of personal access to your digital curriculum.

The beauty of having digital products that live directly alongside physical stock is the ease of management. You use one dashboard, one checkout, and one set of customer analytics to run your entire empire.

Real-World Application: The Barista Example

Let’s look at a practical scenario. Imagine a merchant who sells premium home espresso machines. They have a steady stream of customers, but the "one-off" nature of equipment sales means they are always hunting for the next lead.

By creating an "Ultimate Espresso Masterclass," they can:

1. Increase AOV: Sell the course as an add-on during the machine checkout.
2. Reduce Returns: Many returns happen because customers don't know how to use the equipment. A course ensures they get a perfect shot every time.
3. Build a Subscription: Create a "Monthly Bean & Brew" club where members get fresh coffee and access to a library of new recipes and techniques.

This merchant has transitioned from being a "hardware seller" to an "education partner." This is how you build a brand that lasts. You can begin this transition today by seeing how the app natively integrates with Shopify and exploring how it fits into your current store layout.

Setting Realistic Expectations

While we provide the tools to help you succeed, it is important to remember that building a course business requires effort and consistency. You won't become a millionaire overnight, but you will build a robust asset.

The Power of Incremental Growth

Focus on your first 10 students. Listen to their feedback, refine your content, and watch as word-of-mouth begins to drive organic growth. Over time, your digital library becomes a "passive" income stream, but the initial work of creating a high-quality product is essential.

Long-Term Revenue Stability

The primary benefit of this model is stability. When physical product sales dip due to seasonality, your digital subscriptions can provide the "floor" that keeps your business profitable. It’s about building a multi-dimensional brand that can weather any economic storm. To start this journey, you can install Tevello from the Shopify App Store today and take advantage of the 14-day trial.

Conclusion

The opportunity to make money creating online courses has never been more accessible for Shopify merchants. By leveraging your existing expertise and the customers you already serve, you can create a high-margin revenue stream that strengthens your brand and increases customer loyalty. Whether you choose to sell one-time masterclasses or build a thriving membership community, the key to success lies in providing genuine value and a seamless user experience.

At Tevello, we are proud to offer a solution that empowers you to keep your customers on your own site, own your data, and scale without the burden of transaction fees. With our simple $29.99 monthly plan, you have everything you need to transform your store into an educational hub. Remember, you keep 100% of what you earn, and you can build your entire curriculum during your 14-day free trial.

To build your community without leaving Shopify, start by reviewing the Shopify App Store listing merchants install from.

FAQ

1. Can I sell both physical products and online courses on the same Shopify store?

Absolutely. This is one of the core advantages of using Tevello. By integrating natively with Shopify, your digital courses appear as products in your store, allowing customers to add a physical item and a digital course to the same cart and checkout in one transaction.

2. Do I need to pay for separate video hosting?

No. The Tevello Unlimited Plan includes unlimited video hosting and bandwidth. This means you don't need to pay for additional services like Vimeo or Wistia to host your course content, saving you significant overhead costs as your student base grows.

3. Will my customers have to create a new account to access their courses?

No. Because we use a native Shopify integration, your customers use their existing Shopify store account. This removes "login friction," as they only need one set of credentials to manage their orders and access their learning materials.

4. What happens if I want to offer a subscription instead of a one-time fee?

Tevello fully supports recurring revenue models. You can set up your courses as subscription products within Shopify. Once the customer's recurring payment is processed, our app ensures their access to the course and community remains active, providing you with stable, predictable income.