As a teacher you know that you have so much knowledge to offer, but you feel stuck by all the tech choices you’re bombarded with online. You’re wondering things like “is it better to use Canva, Google Slides, or PowerPoint to create online resources” and you’re probably wondering “what is the best website platform for someone just starting out.” Here’s the thing: you do not need to be a tech expert or coding wizard in order to have a successful online business. Whether you are still teaching, or you have decided to go all in with your online teacher business, we both know that teaching isn’t limited to the four walls of a classroom. You are eager to share your knowledge online, but you just need a bit of direction with the tech stuff in order to get started.

What you can find in this blog post:

• Start Here: come up with an idea of what you are going to sell 
• Key Decision 1: decide on your design tools 
• Key Decision 2: obtain a domain 
• Key Decision 3: create a landing page 
• Key Decision 4: decide on an email service provider 
• Key Decision 5: secure a payment processor

TLDR; You can download the free tech guide for teacherpreneurs here. 

“You are eager to share your knowledge online, but you just need a bit of direction with the tech stuff in order to get started.”

If you want to feel more confident with technology, and have a solid plan for your online teacher business, then keep reading to learn how to get started with an online teacher business with no tech experience required.

Start Here: What Are You Going to Sell

Your goal as a teacherpreneur is to share your knowledge and sell something. You need to decide what you’re going to sell.

Maybe you have a unique way you teach math concepts to students, an impactful SEL curriculum, or a solid literacy group set up, and you want to package this knowledge into digital products. That’s awesome! You will have to decide what form of digital products you want to sell to your customers.

Some common forms of digital products are:

• Courses
• Lesson Plans
• Presentations or Slides
• Printables
• Templates

These are just a few of the most common digital products I see teacherpreneurs create online, but you can create anything you want! Once you have decided what you’re selling you will have to decide how you are going to create it.

Key Decision 2: Domains

You’re probably thinking, “what even is a domain?”

Domains are like owning a piece of the internet. It’s a place where your customers can reach you in the online space and buy products from you. So, yes, you need a domain for your online teacher business.

You can purchase pretty affordable domains from the following websites:

• hover.com
• godaddy.com
• namecheap.com

There are other options out there, but this list covers a few options.

Key Decision 1: What Design Tool Will You Use

One of the first tech skills you will need to learn is your design tool. Most online teacher business owners decide between Canva, Google Slides, or PowerPoint. One of them is not any better than the other- it truly depends on your comfort level. I will say my personal favorite is Canva. At the time of publishing this post it costs a little less than $13 a month for the Pro version. It is an awesome design tool with many pre-made templates, customization, and they even have an educator section.

What About Designing in Google Slides or PowerPoint?

You can definitely use Google Slides or PowerPoint to design your digital products to sell. When I was teaching I used these presentation tools daily for my slides, online resources, and to print materials. Neither option is better than the other- it just depends on your comfort level. If you plan on creating slides or editable documents for your digital products then these presentation tools may make more sense for you and your business.

What Should My Domain Title Be

Keep in mind that customers are going to have to type your domain into their internet browser in order to visit your website. A few rules of thumb are listed below.

Tip 1: Buy a .com domain rather than .co, .net, .org, .biz, etc.

When you think of visiting your favorite website more often than not the url ends in .com, right? Same should go for your business. Although the other options may be available for a cheaper rate I’d advise you to purchase a .com domain name to make it easy for your customers to find you.

Tip 2: Keep it simple

While a creative name might sound found saying it aloud, it might cause some confusion for your customers. This also goes for the spelling of your domain/ business name. Misspelling something will only cause confusion for your customers which could result in them not even bothering to visit your website.

You should also stir clear from numbers and symbols in your domain. Anything that could be misinterpreted by the general public is a barrier for them to visit your site which would hinder your potential sales.

Tip 3: When in doubt try using your name as your domain.

If your creative juices aren’t flowing I suggest using your own name, if available, for your domain. Your name sticks with you as you evolve vs. a cutesy domain name that pigeon holes you into a specific niche or area.

Key Decision 3: Website vs Landing Page

A key difference between a website and landing page is the number of pages you have. Think of a website like a hub with many pages linked to it while a landing page is just one place for customers to visit.

When first starting out in your online business journey I actually don’t suggest a full website. Unless you are willing to pay for the fees associated with buying a website template and purchasing a website hosting platform. A landing page is a good place to start.

Take it from me. I have spent hundreds of dollars on a website that sat empty and had a tiny amount of traffic when I could have spent those dollars elsewhere in my online business.

There are many great landing page options, however I recommend using your email service provider’s landing page when first starting out.

Key Decision 4: Email Service Provider

Email service providers, commonly referred to as ESPs, are a crucial part of your online business. “Email marketing software is projected to grow to $17.9 billion by 2027.”

Having an email list is critically important to any online business. You can send your audience newsletter emails, blog post updates, or information about digital products for sale. It’s a great way to stay in touch and build community with your audience.

There are quite a few options for email service providers. Most of them vary in cost depending on how many email subscribers you have.

Here are a few popular ESPs:

• Convertkit
• Flodesk
• Mailchimp
• Mailerlite

Key Decision 5: Payment Processor

Typically there are card readers at the store checkout. An online store needs a verison of a card reader. This is the purpose of a payment processor. The easiest one to start with (that you may already have access to) is Paypal. There are many payment processors that exist for online businesses, but it’s important to be aware of transaction fees associated with them. It’s also good to know what the user experience is like for both you, the account holder, and your customers. If going with a different online payment processor please try it out to get familiar with it first before using it.

I’ll say it again, there is no perfect tool, but there is the right tool for you and your online teacher business.

This wraps up my recommendations of what to do when starting an online teacher business with no tech experience. Overall, it requires testing and trying things out to learn what works best for you.

I hope you feel less overwhelmed by tech in your online teacher business, and ready to start sharing your knowledge with the world.

Rooting for you,

Sarah