Whether you’re looking to learn social media, copywriting, SEO or PPC there are lots of online courses either run by individuals or organisations to suit your needs. However, before you sign up, there are important questions you should ask.

Who are the tutors and what experience do they have?

There are lots of ‘social media gurus’ out there who have had little or no success with social media. You want to make sure you’re being taught by someone who knows what they’re doing.

How much will it cost? Are there any hidden fees?

Do you pay per class? Per course? On a time basis? Are the fees quoted in full or do you have to pay for additional resources?

How will the course be delivered?

Will it be one-on-one via Skype? Is the course just a glorified regular newsletter? Will you be set tasks to complete and taught in correspondence via email?

What hardware is required?

Don’t sign up to a course that requires you to speak on Skype if you don’t have a microphone (or the money to buy one).

What (if any) additional software will I need?

Similarly, if additional software is required, you’ll want to make sure it works on your computer before you sign up to (and pay for) a course that requires it.

Can I work at my own pace?

Does the course take place over a fixed period or can you work faster/slower than the standard time?

What have former students gone on to do?

Not every school will have successful students, particularly if it’s new, but graduates going on to great things is a good testimonial for the quality of the course.

How long has the course been running?

Again, a new school isn’t necessarily worse that an old one, it may even be better. However, experience is generally a virtue, and a longer-running course is more likely to have everything in order.

How can I contact you?

Are you restricted to email? Usually this is fine, but we’ve all been frustrated by the time it takes to communicate solely by email. A phone number is a big plus. You may never use it, but at least you know you can.

What is your refund policy? 

Before handing over any money, it pays to check what refund policy (if any) comes with the course. For example, if the course doesn’t deliver what it said it would, would you be entitled to any money back when you complain?

Do you have any experiences of booking online training courses or have any further questions you’d like to share below? 

Image Credit: Iria Flavia

This entry was posted on Friday, December 9th, 2011 at 8:01 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.