Is Thinkific the Right Platform to Launch Your Online Empire? A Deep Dive Review
You want to share your genius and earn from online courses? Great idea! But with so many platforms, it can feel overwhelming. Don’t worry! We’ll explore Thinkific, a popular choice in the online learning arena. Is it your path to success or just another distraction? Let’s find out!
Thinkific 101: The Basics You Need to Know
What’s the Deal with Thinkific Anyway?
Thinkific is your go-to for creating, marketing, selling, and delivering online courses. It’s like a digital classroom minus awkward cafeteria food. Thinkific helps entrepreneurs convert knowledge into profit. Everyone loves some extra cash!
Behind the Scenes: Who’s the Wizard of Thinkific?
Meet Greg Smith, Founder and CEO, the genius behind Thinkific. He guides many creators like you to launch online courses. If you need to blame or thank someone, Greg is your guy.
Numbers Don’t Lie: Thinkific by the Stats
Thinkific isn’t a newcomer. It has over 50,000 active customers. These aren’t just hobbyists; they earn hundreds of millions by teaching tens of millions of students. That’s a massive impact on learning!
Where in the World is Thinkific HQ?
Thinkific is based in Vancouver, Canada. They don’t operate from a crowded office but with a distributed team. They have talent worldwide, making course creation dreams a reality. Welcome to the global Canadian company!
Thinkific Features: Unpacking the Goodies
Your Content, Your Kingdom: Course Creation and Ownership
No worries about losing your course content here! Thinkific ensures that everything you create is 100% yours. They won’t claim any intellectual property rights. You are the boss of your course materials.
Website Wonders: Building Your Online Storefront
No tech skills? No problem! Thinkific’s website builder lets you create a professional-looking storefront. No coding skills needed. It’s straightforward and drag-and-drop, so you can focus on design.
Live and in Charge: The Power of Live Lessons
Add real-time interaction to your courses with Thinkific’s Live Lessons. You can schedule as many live sessions as you want. Just connect your Zoom account. Imagine teaching live and answering questions on the spot!
Email Marketing: Reaching Out and Engaging
Thinkific has a built-in Mass User Email feature for sending bulk emails directly. Use it for announcements, updates, or to keep students engaged easily without separate email software.
Site Builder Superpowers: Crafting Your Digital Home
Thinkific’s Site Builder isn’t just for course pages. You can create a complete, customized website including homepage, product pages, and more. Build an attractive hub for your brand within Thinkific’s ecosystem.
Funnels of Fortune: Guiding Your Audience
Thinkific Funnels assist in creating personalized journeys for your audience. It helps attract, nurture, and engage students. This sets up pathways leading potential students from curiosity to enrollment.
Thinkific Integrations: Playing Well with Others
Zoom Zoom: Live Sessions Made Easy
Thinkific integrates seamlessly with Zoom. Manage live sessions from your dashboard. It tracks progress and restricts access based on enrollment. Easy and efficient!
Money Matters: Payment Systems Galore
Getting paid is essential. Thinkific supports its payment system (Thinkific Payments) along with PayPal and Stripe. Choose one or both to provide students with payment options.
Thinkific Pricing: Decoding the Dollar Signs
Monthly Costs: Picking Your Plan
Let’s get real – what are the costs? Thinkific offers several plans:
- Free Plan: $0/month. Start for free! Ideal for testing waters.
- Basic Plan: $49/month (or $39/month annually). More features await.
- Pro Plan: $99/month (or $79/month annually). Serious creators can scale.
- Premier Plan: $499/month (or $399/month annually). Advanced features for bigger projects.
- Expand Plan: $499/month (or $374/month annually). Tailored for growth.
- Plus Plan: Custom pricing. For enterprises with unique needs; contact for a quote.
Transaction Fees: The Good News
A little surprise: Thinkific charges 0% transaction fees. You keep every penny earned minus payment processor fees.
Revenue Share: The Free Plan Caveat
The Free Plan comes with a catch. If you use this plan, Thinkific takes a 10% revenue share on each course sale. Consider it the cost for using their platform without upfront fees.
Course Bundles: A Small Slice for Bundled Deals
Bundling courses is smart! But Thinkific collects a 10% fee on bundle prices. Still, bundling can boost sales volume.
Thinkific Plus: Custom Pricing for the Big Leagues
Thinkific Plus operates differently, with custom rates for enterprise-level clients. If you have a large operation, this may suit you.
Course and Content Management: No Limits in Sight
Unlimited Courses: Go Wild!
With Thinkific Plus, you can offer unlimited products. There’s no cap on courses, memberships, or downloads. Create freely!
Content Variety: Mix It Up
Thinkific supports various content types for your courses. Videos, PDFs, quizzes, surveys, and downloads are all options. Keep students engaged with lively materials.
Monetization: Show Me the Money!
Selling Like a Pro: Turning Knowledge into Income
Selling courses is simple on Thinkific. Sign up, upload content, and you’re set! Create video lessons for a passive income stream. Set your prices and enjoy the earnings!
Earning Potential: From Side Hustle to Six Figures
What can you earn? Successful creators average $1,000 to $10,000 per month. The top earners can pull in 6 to 7-figure incomes annually. Results vary but the potential exists.
Branding and Customization: Make It Yours
Custom Domains: Ditch the Thinkific Branding
You want professionalism? On paid Thinkific plans, set up a custom domain. This exchanges “thinkific.com” in your URL for your own branded domain. Instant credibility!
Support and Resources: Help is at Hand
Affiliate Program: Partner Up and Prosper
Thinkific has an affiliate program available. If you want to partner with them, apply on their Affiliates page. You could earn extra income by promoting their platform.
Security: Keeping Things Locked Down
Data Encryption: Your Data is Safe and Sound
Thinkific prioritizes security measures. They use secure cryptographic algorithms to encrypt data. All data is encrypted during transit using TLS 1.2 or higher.
Performance: Smooth Sailing (Mostly)
Browser Troubleshooting: When Things Get Glitchy
Tech issues can arise. If they do, it could be browser-specific. Pop-ups or ad-blockers may interfere sometimes. Rarely even antivirus software might cause problems.
Standard tech troubleshooting applies!
Account Management: Bidding Farewell (If You Must)
Cancellation: Parting Ways
Is Thinkific not for you? No problem. Cancelling your subscription means losing account features at the end of your billing cycle. Keep this in mind when planning to leave (though hopefully, you won’t need to!).
Profitability: Thinkific’s Bottom Line
Recent Financial Performance: Turning the Corner
Thinkific’s finances are improving. In the last quarter of 2023, they posted a profit of $301,000. This is a major shift from a $3.7 million loss in the same quarter of 2022. They appear to be on a good path.
Thinkific vs. The Competition: Weighing Your Options
Thinkific vs. Kajabi: The LMS Showdown
Thinkific and Kajabi compete often. The result? For course building alone, Thinkific performs better than Kajabi, especially regarding price. Kajabi has great marketing tools and a strong student experience. However, it usually costs more.
Thinkific vs. Teachable: Advanced Features Face-Off
Creators often favor Thinkific over Teachable for advanced capabilities. Thinkific offers more customization and flexibility, making it ideal for users who want more control over their learning environments.
Platform Powerhouses: A Lineup of Contenders
When selecting a platform, you have many options. Thinkific, Teachable, Udemy, Kajabi, Coursera, Classplus, OpenLearning – each has strengths and weaknesses. The “best” platform depends on your needs.
Domain Platforms: Where to Snag Your Web Address
Need a domain for your site? Consider these popular platforms:
- Namecheap
- Domain.com
- Dynadot
- GoDaddy
- Bluehost
- DreamHost
- Network Solutions
- Porkbun
Select one, register your domain, and prepare to brand your Thinkific site!
Making Money with Thinkific: It’s All About Passive Income
The beauty of online courses lies in passive income. Create video lessons once. They can earn income for months or years. Set prices right, market well, and you might enjoy life while students learn from you globally. Okay, that might be a dream, but the earning potential is real!
Payouts: Getting Your Hands on Your Hard-Earned Cash
When do you receive your earnings? With Thinkific Payments, you can expect your first payout in 7-14 days after your first sale. Not bad!
This is your insight into Thinkific. It is a strong platform with much to offer course creators. With its user-friendly layout, rich features, and flexible pricing, Thinkific is truly a contender for your online course venture. Now get out there, create great courses, and build your empire!
