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Do you hate when people sign up for an online course and it is already full? It can be really frustrating to get so excited about a new class and not be able to take it because all of the spots are taken. If this sounds like something that has happened to you, then this blog post is definitely for you! I'm going to discuss why having a waitlist on your online courses can benefit everything from customer relations to marketing. 

I always knew I wanted to teach. From the moment I learned how to read, I filled my parents’ bookshelves with words in every language they could find. When I got older and started teaching myself about online education through courses on Udemy or Skillshare, it felt like a natural progression for me – meeting people where they already are and breaking down complicated topics into more explicit concepts that can be understood by anyone willing to learn.

There are so many great things about teaching online, but there are also some negatives, especially when you have an idea of your content but don't know where to start launching your course because you're not sure if it will sell? That's why this guide is here – I'm going to show you exactly how I set up my courses on Udemy and work with them to grow my content and audience.

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What is a waitlist, and how it works

In the online educational world, a waitlist is a list of people interested in taking a course but cannot for one reason or another. An educational platform can either manually or automatically generate waitlists. The users who want to take a course but cannot because it is complete will enroll in the waitlist and then have to hope that enough people drop out to get into the course. When you set up a waitlist, you will be asked to specify the minimum number of people allowed in your class. This is because setting too low of a waitlist can be frustrating for both students and educators. Too high of a number can cause delays, while low numbers can lead to cancellations. Default waitlists that some educational platforms offer are typically around 20 seats per course, but this is by no means the only way to go about it. If you are considering adding a waitlist to your classes, the first thing you should do is look at your past course data to see the ideal number of seats for your waitlist. 

The benefit of using a waitlist for an online course

If you take the time to create a waitlist for an upcoming course, it will act as a teaser to build up excitement for your class. This is especially true if you are an educator who leads classes only once or twice per year. If you take the initiative to create a waitlist, users can check back often to see if anyone has dropped out of the class yet.

Increase student enrollment

Adding a waitlist is a great way to boost enrollment for your courses. The only way you can do this is by increasing the number of seats on your waitlist. By enrolling more people ahead of time, you may increase the likelihood that students who want to take the course will enroll. 

Increase revenue

Adding more seats can also lead to more revenue for your educational platform. Allowing more people to enroll in your course will enable more people to either purchase a certificate of completion or pay for a class. 

Increase customer loyalty

Another way that adding a waitlist can help increase the revenue for your educational platform is by making students feel valued. When students know that they can get into the course, they will have a much better experience with your educational platform and may be more likely to come back in the future. 

Increase your social proof

Now that you know that adding a waitlist can help boost revenues for your educational platform, it is essential to make sure that you set up a good waitlist. This means making sure that it is advertised enough and updating users about their status on the list. By doing this, you will let students know how many seats are left in the course and how much longer they will have to wait to get into the class.

Increase customer support

Another way that adding a waitlist can help to boost revenues for your educational platform is by increasing customer support. When customers ask questions about the waitlist, you will be able to respond promptly and provide support if someone drops out of the class. This ensures that customers will continue to use the educational platform in the future, and it also provides more revenue for your business.

Decrease your online marketing costs

Adding a waitlist will allow you to decrease online marketing costs, and this is because you will be able to lower the amount of money you spend on marketing if you know that you will have a waitlist for your online courses.

The benefit to educators and students

Waitlists are beneficial for both students and educators because it helps with marketing, student retention, and customer relations. Waitlists are significant for marketing because they allow you to generate interest in courses that aren't currently open but might soon become available. Waitlists are also great for student retention because they enable users to get into courses that may be full at this time. This gives students more time to save money or get everything in order before registering for the class. More importantly, by putting students on a waitlist, you can establish stronger relationships with these customers and show them that you care about them as individuals. This is very important because it makes it more likely that students will come back for future courses.

Tips for managing your waitlist

Once you have created a waitlist for your online course, it is essential to make sure that you manage the list effectively. This means making sure that you communicate with students to ensure their understanding of the waitlist and communicate with users who will be enrolling when the course becomes full. There are some other things that you can do to manage your waitlist effectively, including:

Communicate often

One of the most important things you can do to manage your online courses effectively is to communicate with students. It is essential to make sure that students know the waitlist ahead of time because they may be discouraged if they expect to enroll in a course, but it is already full. Additionally, you should make sure that any questions or concerns are addressed by responding quickly.

Communicate with users who will be enrolling when the course becomes full

Nothing is more frustrating for students than finding out that you don't have room for them in your online course. To avoid this, you will need to ensure that users who do get registered for the course know about their waitlist status. By doing this, students can expect a lot more from your educational platform, and they may be more likely to come back again.

Communicate your policies

It is also a good idea to make sure that you communicate all of your policies regarding waitlists with students ahead of time. For example, in some cases, students may be charged for being on a waitlist. It is also essential to make sure that students know when they will be removed from the waitlist if they are not accepted into the course. 

Communicate with students who have been removed from the list

If you cannot enroll a student on your waitlist when you open up your course, it is essential to communicate with them quickly. This is because you will want to let them know that the space in the course has filled up and let them know when they can expect to be enrolled. It is also essential to make sure that they know about your refund policy if they do not get accepted into the course.

Communicate when the waitlist will end

If you have a waitlist that is sometimes open, it is essential to communicate to students when it will end so that they do not lose trust in your educational platform.

Keeping your waitlist up to date is an essential part of keeping students engaged in the course. It is worth taking some time every week or two to make sure that you communicate with them and provide updates on their current place in line. Here are a few ways to do this most effectively:   

• Communicate often, but not too much! Sending emails about once per month will keep people feeling like they're still involved without getting annoyed.  
• Send out notifications when someone has been removed from the list if, for any reason, they need to be taken off (e.g., because they have already enrolled). This way, no one feels confused or lost as soon as it happens.  
• When the waitlist ends for a course, let them know. This lets them to know they no longer have a spot and wait for you to release a place in the class. 

 I want to share with you some of the best practices for managing your waitlist. If you have a waitlist that is sometimes open, it is essential to communicate to students when it will end, so they do not lose trust in your educational platform. Keeping your waitlist up-to-date is an integral part of keeping students engaged in the course. It's worth taking some time every week or two to make sure that you are communicating with them and providing updates on their current place in line.

Why you should use a waitlist even if there are no spots available yet 

You should use a waitlist for many different reasons, even if there are no spots available in your online course. First of all, the waitlist is excellent for marketing because it can get people interested in your online courses. If they know that they might get into the course if it becomes open, they might be more likely to stay on your waiting list. Also, by adding a waitlist, you will track student interest to improve your marketing efforts. Some of the most common marketing tools are SEO marketing, Social Media Marketing, Pay-per-click advertising, and email marketing. 

Customer relations are also improved when you use a waitlist. This is because customers feel that they are being treated more personally, and they appreciate that you care enough about their needs to let them know where they stand with the waitlist. 

Finally, by adding a waitlist, you will be able to decrease your online marketing efforts. This is because you can reduce the time and money you spend marketing your online courses if you know how many students you will enroll in the class.

Additional resources on the topic of waiting lists

As was mentioned earlier in this article, there are many different resources that you can use when you want to create a waitlist for your online courses. Below is a list of some additional resources that you might find helpful when creating your online waitlist:

Waiting lists are usually listed on your homepage. You can use this homepage space to tell customers why you have completed the waitlist and let them know when the course will be open.

It is essential to use your branding to help customers know that they could be eligible for the waitlist. This is especially true if you are using an email marketing platform for your waitlist. You can use actions like these to let users know that they could be eligible for your waitlist:

If you are planning on creating a waitlist, you should also use tools like Google Analytics and Facebook Ads to promote your online courses. These tools will allow you to measure precisely how much traffic each of your different marketing channels is getting.

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Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

The following are tips and frequently asked questions.

What are the advantages of using a waiting list?

Online courses have been booming in popularity in recent years, which means that there are a lot of people looking for the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to develop their careers. The demand for online courses can be fueled by a variety of different things. For example, employers may be open to using online classes because they can save time and money while still keeping their employees up-to-date on relevant information.

What happens if you are waitlisted for an online class?

Being placed on a waitlist is not an uncommon thing. In fact, it happens all the time. It may seem stressful to find out that you have been put on a waitlist, but if you have truly expressed interest in the course it should be considered a positive thing.

Waitlists are initiated when course seats are still available, but there is already a high demand for the course at that time. Putting students on a waitlist gives them an opportunity to get into the course when space opens up without having to worry about losing their spot.

Is it worth being waitlisted for a class?

In most cases the answer is yes. In fact, students who are put on a waitlist may be placed in a course for free or at a discounted rate. If you are placed on a waitlist and find that you need to enroll immediately, it may be worth paying for the course rather than waiting to see if it will become available for free again.

What does it mean when a class has a waitlist?

If a class has a waitlist, then that means that the course has been overbooked. In some cases, this may just mean that you have to wait a few weeks until some people stop showing up for class. In other cases it could mean that you have to wait for as long as several months.

What do I do if I'm waitlisted for a class?

If you find that you have been put on a waitlist, then congratulations! It means that the class is popular and has a lot of demand. At this point, there isn't much to do except wait patiently. If you feel particularly interested in the class, make sure to check back online regularly to see if your status has changed.

Additional Resources 

Wait! Wait! The Incredible Value of a Waitlist Explained. – What happens when a customer wants to take a class but it's complete? A well-used waitlist can improve the customer experience and your program's bottom line! (coursestorm.com)

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed reading about what a waitlist is and how it works. If you would like to try an online course with us, we recommend using a waitlist as soon as possible because they work! As always, please let us know if there's anything else we can help you with.

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Originally posted on February 20, 2022 @ 12:00 am