Think Cheap Means Smart? Not When It Comes to Online Learning Platforms

Have you ever signed up for an online course that looked promising?

But never made it past Lesson 1?

You’re not alone. According to a major study by Harvard and MIT, MOOC completion rates are typically under 10%, with a median of just 5.5%.

And here’s the kicker: it’s rarely the topic that’s the problem.
It’s the way the course was built, and who built it.

The Hidden Cost of “Cheap” Online Platform Help

Whether you’re launching a Kajabi site, creating an online course, or building a funnel, it can be tempting to hire the cheapest person available.

But here's what you get when you go bargain hunting:

• A course that’s uploaded, not designed
• A funnel that’s built, but not thought through
• A Kajabi site that looks okay… but doesn’t convert

It might seem cost-effective, until you realise:

• Your students aren’t completing the course
• Your funnel isn’t nurturing leads
• Your offer isn’t aligned with your audience’s journey

Cheap becomes expensive Fast.

• There’s a Science to Adult Learning (And Most Don’t Know It)
• Anyone can upload a video and call it a course
• But real transformation? That takes instructional design

Adult learners are different. 

Purpose, goals, and real-world application drive them. According to Malcolm Knowles' adult learning theory (andragogy), successful learning experiences for adults must:

• Let learners take ownership of their path
• Build on their existing experience
• Focus on problemsolving, not just passive information
• Keep relevance and internal motivation front and centre
  
  Most budget course creators skip this entirely. That’s why students drop out.

AI Can’t Do Strategy Perfectly Yet

AI can help you write a script or build a slide. 

But it won’t:

• Structure a course around behaviour change
• Anticipate learner objections
• Create interactive assets that drive engagement
• Help you build trust with your audience

Courses built purely with AI (and no human insight) tend to be soulless and directionless. 
Pretty? Sometimes. Effective? Rarely.

Good Course Design = More Than Content

The best course creators (yes, including us at The Customer’s Shoes) know that a course isn’t just about teaching. It’s about:

• Mapping the learner journey from interest to transformation
• Creating touchpoints: quizzes, feedback loops, automation
• Designing the business model: offers, pricing, and upsells
• Building long-term assets, not just one-off content dumps

One of our clients came to us with a course they had paid to have “professionally built”, except it wasn’t converting, and students weren’t making it past the third module. 
After a strategic rebuild focused on learner engagement and workflow, their completion rate increased significantly.

Sometimes, it’s not about building more. It’s about building better.

Want a Funnel or a Legacy?

Here’s the truth: your online course or coaching platform is a business asset, not just a product. 
Would you build a house using the cheapest bricks available? 
Or would you choose materials that last, support, and inspire?

The same logic applies here.

In Summary…

1. Don’t fall for the “cheapest freelancer” trap
2. Your students deserve more than a stitched-together course
3. Your business needs more than templates and guesswork
4. AI is helpful, but it's not a replacement for strategy, psychology, or experience
5. Completion and engagement matter. Without them, you’ve built a ghost town.

Ready to Build Something Worth Finishing?

We’ve helped hundreds of businesses turn ideas into powerful digital learning experiences that engage, convert, and transform. Whether you’re launching your first course or scaling your digital offerings, don’t go cheap, go strategic.

Drop us a message to chat through your next steps.