10 best online course ideas for 2023

Creating and selling online courses is one of the best ways to build a passive income. If you have a skill or expertise that can be taught, you can use online course platforms like TrainerCentral to build your virtual academy and share your passion with learners worldwide.    

However, before you start planning your curriculum and building your online course, you need to figure out what you'll be teaching. If you simply list the most profitable online courses and choose one that you have no passion for, you may end up giving up midway. Also, choosing a course that you're passionate about, but having little to no interested learners sign up will earn you no income.  

So, it's crucial to choose a niche that you're passionate about and also has a strong learner base. This article will help you uncover niche ideas that are perfect for you to create your online course around. Also, I've added my own list of the most profitable course categories.

Finding your Ikigai 

Many would be familiar with the popular self-help book, Ikigai. Ikigiai is a Japanese concept that refers to something that gives a person a sense of purpose in their life. The book talks about powerful concepts that can improve the quality of one's life.
Ikigai also talks about the concept of flow, which occurs when you consistently do something that you love and are good at, and also adds value to other people's lives. Based on this, entrepreneur Mark Winn created a Venn Diagram, where the intersection of a person's passion, talent, and the potential to benefit others forms the purpose of their life—their Ikigai.

We'll use this sphere to help us figure out the perfect course ideas. I'll be adding my own perspective as an example.

You love this 

This sphere includes things that bring you joy and fill you with a sense of contentment. You do these things even though you're not good at it and know that you won't be paid for it.

For me, the things I love are writing and video gaming. It could be anything for you, like backpacking, reading, or playing music.

You are good at this 

This sphere contains anything that you're good at, such as skills you've acquired, experience you've gained, and hobbies you've mastered. One thing to make sure is that the sphere can hold anything that you're good at, though you may not be passionate about it or not get paid for it.

This may include anything like being good at swimming, playing a guitar, or art. For me this again includes writing.

People need this 

People here refer to the learners who are in search of a particular skill or knowledge. This may include wanting to learn a musical instrument, getting into digital marketing, or learning yoga.

Here, just think about what people look for, rather than putting your own needs in the forefront.  

People pay for this 

Are learners willing to pay for the skill they want to acquire? There may be free resources over the internet that could entice many. But to master a skill completely, learners understand that quality training is crucial and they're willing to pay for it.

Based on this, my Ikigai will be content creation for marketing purposes. I could create courses such as Digital Marketing for Beginners, The Art of Content Writing, etc.

Finding your Ikigai helps you make a list of course ideas from which you can start building your own courses.

Here are a few profitable course category ideas that you can refer to find out your Ikigai.

1. Academic courses 

Several top institutes offer distance learning, where students and professors from various places and time zones connect for knowledge sharing. These institutes conduct online classes through video-classroom tools and offer certifications to their learners. The percentage of home-schooled students has been growing between 3% to 9% over the past few years.  

If you're looking to share your knowledge across your local community, or teach STEM education to home schoolers, you can start your training journey by creating your online course with a course platform.  

Examples of academic courses

• Engineering

• Humanities

• Math

• Science

• Competitive exams preparation

2. Art and design 

Employment in the field of art and design is projected to grow by 2% from 2021 to 2031. The median annual wage was $48,220 in 2021, which is higher than the median wage of other occupations. Also, NFTs are on a rising trend, with several creators earning millions from their digital arts.  

If you have a knack for drawing or using software like Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe XD, etc., you can create online courses around it and help budding designers learn skills for their future endeavours.    

Examples of art and design courses

• Digital arts

• Photoshop (or other design software)

• Fashion designing

• Animation

• Interior designing

3. Music and singing 

Musicians and singers have a huge scope in cinemas, production houses, and TV channels. Apart from earning a good income, these artists gain fame through their work. Young students are increasingly showing interest in enrolling in musical institutes to pursue their career in this field.

If you're someone who loves to sing or play musical instruments, you can teach your unique skill with audiences across the globe.

Examples of music and singing courses    

• Instrumental music

• Carnatic music

• Musical theatre vocals

• Music production

Take a look at how the veteran musician Dr. Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman used TrainerCentral to globalize his musical academy.  

4. Dancing 

Similar to musicians and singers, dancers have a wide range of scope in cinemas, stage productions, and TV channels. Dancing forms like Zumba and Salsa have proved to help people lose weight.

The demand to learn how to dance is high, with many people wishing to pursue dancing for either a career path or personal fitness. If you love dancing or have a dancing studio, you can plan to scale and globalize your passion by teaching it online.

Examples of dancing courses

• Zumba

• Shuffle

• Street dancing

• Hip-hop

• Belly dancing

5. Career-oriented training 

With several career options out there, young people can become confused about what path to choose. Many wish to switch jobs or pivot their career after several years in a particular field that no longer seems to fit their interests.

If you have expertise in this field of career guidance, you can help others by creating ecourses or conducting one-on-one sessions.

Examples of career-oriented courses

• Discovering your career path

• Resume building

• Essential soft skills

6. Foreign language learning 

Apart from opening up new career paths, learning a second language improves your memory and brain functions. English, Mandarin, German, French, and Spanish are few of the most in-demand languages on a global scale. The recent trend in K-pop and K-dramas has increased interest among the younger generation in learning the Korean language.  

Even if you've learned English as a second language, you can still teach it. The demand is high among countries such as Japan, China, and South Korea. You can use a course platform and target learners from these locations to promote your courses.

Examples for foreign language courses

• ESL (English as a Second Language)

7. Information and technology (IT) 

IT is one of the sectors that offers the highest-paying jobs in the world with a good work-life balance.

If you're from the IT sector and looking to build some extra income, you can teach your skills to young students.

Examples for IT courses

• Programming languages

• Data science

• Machine learning

• Quality and testing

8. Sales and marketing 

Sales and marketing can be found in nearly every industry. Salespeople and marketers are responsible for many activities ranging from lead generation to conversion. They use several tools and strategies to help brands reach the right audience.

Methods like inbound marketing require creative skills like social media management, content writing, and copywriting. If you're someone who likes to write, you can teach the nuances of writing to budding content and ad copy writers.

Examples of sales and marketing courses

• Digital marketing

• Content writing

• Search engine optimization

• Negotiation and persuasion

9. Health and wellness 

This category not only includes physical health but also mental well-being. People have grown increasingly conscious of their health and have started practices like yoga, Pilates, and meditation, especially because most sedentary jobs require little to no activity.

Examples of health and wellness courses

• Mindfulness/meditation

• Pilates

• Calisthenics

• Mental health

10. Personal development 

Self-development or personal development courses help a person improve their capabilities and potential, making them a better person in their personal and work life.

It empowers people with new skills that make them presentable and confident.

Examples of personal development courses

• Productivity and time management

• Life coaching

• Communication

• Emotional intelligence

Getting started 

Deciding on a course topic is obviously easier said than done. Always choose a topic that you will enjoy teaching to others. While you may find it difficult when you're starting out, things will get much easier once you get the hang of it. Give this blog a read, if you've already decided on a course topic and you're wondering how to get started on creating your online courses.