What Online Courses are in Demand in 2024? (13 Popular & Best Niches)

Did you know the global online education/e-learning market is forecast to reach almost 400 billion U.S. dollars by 2026, up from nearly 200 billion U.S. dollars in 2019? – source.

With the continual growth of e-learning, there has never been a better time to create and sell online courses or info products.

However, with so many niches, it can be difficult to know where to start.

In this article, I’ll introduce my favorite niches for online courses and information product ideas in high demand in 2024.

13 Most Popular Online Course Ideas In High Demand

Online Course Niche	Online Course sub-niche
Make Money Online (MMO)	Affiliate marketing, dropshipping, e-commerce, freelancing, online surveys, social media marketing, blogging
Marketing and Sales	Copywriting, email marketing, sales funnels, SEO, PPC advertising, social media advertising
Business Development	Business planning, project management, leadership, team building, customer service, market research
Health and Wellness	Nutrition, fitness, weight loss, yoga, meditation, mental health, stress management
Personal Development	Goal setting, time management, productivity, motivation, self-esteem, communication skills
Coding or Programming	Web development, mobile app development, software engineering, data science, cybersecurity, blockchain
Financial Trading (Crypto and Forex)	Technical analysis, fundamental analysis, risk management, trading psychology, cryptocurrency investing, forex trading
Fitness	Bodybuilding, weightlifting, crossfit, HIIT, endurance training, yoga, Pilates
Art	Drawing, painting, photography, graphic design, animation, video editing
Cooking	Baking, meal prep, healthy eating, international cuisine, vegetarian/vegan cooking, grilling
Career and Leadership	Career planning, job hunting, resume writing, interview skills, public speaking, conflict resolution
Personal Finance	Budgeting, saving, investing, retirement planning, debt management, taxes
Relationships and Dating	Communication skills, conflict resolution, dating advice, marriage counseling, sex education, LGBTQ+ relationships
Religion and Spirituality	Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, spirituality, meditation, mindfulness

In addition to these niches, there are many other topics that you can explore for your online course.

1. Make Money Online (MMO) Niche

The Make Money Online niche is among the most popular and profitable niches for online courses and info products.

The MMO niche is all about teaching people how to make money online. This includes affiliate marketing, dropshipping, e-commerce, blogging, online coaching, and more.

The internet provides the means for nearly anyone to launch a business, quit their job, and make money online. As a result, selling online courses about entrepreneurship and making money online is a niche with consistently high demand.

One of the benefits of the MMO niche is that it has a large audience of people eager to learn how to make money online. This means that there is a huge potential for you to make money by selling courses and info products in this niche.

To be successful in the MMO niche, you need to have a deep understanding of the topic and be able to provide valuable insights and strategies to your audience.

2. Marketing and Sales Niche

If you have expertise in digital marketing, sales techniques, and social media marketing, you have a great opportunity to create and sell online courses in the marketing and sales niche.

This niche is highly lucrative and in demand, as businesses and individuals always look for ways to improve their marketing and sales strategies.

One of the benefits of creating courses in this niche is that there are various subtopics to explore.

For instance, you can create courses teaching digital marketing strategies, sales techniques, and social media marketing. You can also cover SEO, advertising, and paid ads.

Related: Is Digital Marketing a High-income Skill?

3. Health and Wellness Niche

This is the perfect niche if you’re a medical or wellness expert and would love to sell your knowledge via courses or ebooks.

Some of the courses you could build in this industry include:

• Yoga
• Diet and nutrition
• Meal planning
• Vegan cooking
• Reflexology
• Acupressure
• Aromatherapy
• Massage
• Herbalism
• Meditation

The health and wellness industry is growing rapidly and is expected to continue growing in the coming years.

If you want to create an online course in the health and wellness niche, you can take many different directions. The most popular topics include exercise, nutrition, weight loss, and mental health. There is a high demand for courses that help people manage stress and anxiety and focus on overall wellness.

People worldwide are interested in improving their health and well-being, so there is a large market for these courses.

4. Personal Development

As people strive to become their best selves, they seek new resources and information to help them achieve their goals. This means there is a constant need for high-quality personal development courses and products.

Personal development is a broad category that encompasses a wide range of topics:

• Self-improvement
• Time management
• Procrastination
• Organization
• Goal setting
• Speed reading
• Investing
• Life purpose
• Study skills
• Self-esteem
• Anxiety management
• Emotional intelligence
• Conflict management
• Confidence
• Presentation skills
• Body language
• Persuasion
• Negotiation
• Networking
• Public speaking

So, focusing on a specific sub-niche within the personal development space is important. This will help you differentiate yourself from other course creators and target a specific audience.

Personal development is a popular niche because it appeals to a broad audience. People from all walks of life are interested in self-improvement and personal growth, making this niche potentially lucrative for course creators.

5. Coding or Programming

Software development is one of the highest-paying skills available today. With the increasing demand for developers and coders, many people want to learn how to code or improve their coding skills.

If you have experience in coding or programming, you can create online courses that teach people how to code in different programming languages such as Python, Java, JavaScript, and more.

You can also create courses that teach people how to build websites, mobile apps, and software applications.

It’s a pretty hot niche.

One advantage of creating coding or programming courses is that the demand for these skills is not limited to a specific industry or field. People from different sectors, such as finance, healthcare, education, and more, need coding skills to automate tasks, analyze data, and build software solutions.

Related: Is Programming a high-income skill?

6. Financial Trading Niche (Crypto and Forex)

One of the advantages of this niche is that it is highly profitable.

Many people are interested in learning about trading and are willing to pay for quality courses that can help them improve their skills. Creating and selling courses in this niche can earn a substantial income.

Another advantage is that this niche has a lot of demand for courses.

With the rise of cryptocurrency and forex trading, more and more people are looking for ways to learn about these topics. By creating courses that address the needs of this audience, you can tap into a large and growing market.

Related: Is Trading a High-income Skill?

7. Fitness Niche

Another top-selling online course is the fitness-related program.

The fitness industry was worth nearly 160 billion U.S. dollars in 2021 and is expected to grow from 171.75% to 434.74 billion USD by 2028. This is a lucrative niche for every fitness enthusiast.

Suppose you are passionate about fitness and understand physical exercise routines, personal training, and overall fitness well. In that case, the fitness niche can be a great opportunity to make money selling your knowledge.

Fitness is a popular niche that attracts a large audience and has a strong demand for online courses.

People are always looking for ways to improve their health and fitness and are willing to invest in courses to help them achieve their goals.

Many different sub-niches within the fitness niche include:

• Bodybuilding
• Home workouts
• Pilates
• Weight loss
• Muscle building
• Self-defense
• Swimming
• Running
• Sports
• Yoga
• Martial arts
• Survival skills

You can choose a sub-niche you are passionate about and create a course that provides value to your audience.

Related: Is Personal Training a High-income Skill?

8. Art & & Crafts Niche

Creating an information product in this niche could be a great opportunity if you are passionate about art.

Art is a broad category that includes a variety of sub-niches, such as:

• Drawing
• Painting
• Calligraphy
• Knitting
• Sewing
• Carpentry
• Sculpture
• Silversmithing
• Digital art
• Photography
• Web design
• Graphic design
• User experience
• Game design
• Fashion
• Architecture
• Interior design
• Animation

One of the benefits of creating an online course in the art niche is that it can be a visual and interactive experience for your students.

You can use video tutorials, images, and other multimedia elements to help your students learn and engage with your content. This can be especially helpful for teaching techniques or demonstrating specific skills.

Another advantage of the art niche is that it can be a very personal and creative subject.

You can use your unique style and perspective to create a course that stands out from the competition. This can help you attract a loyal following of students who appreciate your approach to teaching art.

9. Cooking Niche

With the increasing interest in cooking and baking, there is a growing demand for courses that teach people how to cook and bake like professionals.

If you are passionate about cooking and have expertise in this area, you can create online courses that teach people how to cook various dishes and cuisines.

There are many sub-niches within the cooking niche that you can explore.

For example, you can create courses on healthy cooking, vegan cooking, gluten-free cooking, regional cuisines, and more. You can also create courses focusing on cooking techniques such as baking, grilling, or sous-vide cooking.

One advantage of the cooking niche is that it is a visual and hands-on subject.

You can create engaging video content demonstrating how to prepare and cook dishes. To complement your courses, you can also create downloadable resources such as recipes, shopping lists, and meal plans.

Related: Is Cooking a High-income Skill?

10. Career and Leadership Niche

The Career and Leadership niche is a great option if you are looking for a niche with a wide audience. These courses focus on developing professional skills, leadership, and career advancement, which are essential for anyone wanting to grow.

Creating online courses in this niche is a great way to help people develop the skills they need to succeed in their careers.

For example, you can create courses on project management, communication, time management, and leadership skills. These skills are in high demand in today’s job market, and people are willing to pay for quality courses that can help them improve in these areas.

Courses in this niche can help people develop their skills and advance in their careers.

For instance, you can create courses that teach people how to network effectively, negotiate their salary, and build a personal brand. These skills are essential for anyone wanting to advance in their career, and people are willing to pay for courses to help them achieve their goals.

11. Personal Finance Niche

You know, everyone wants to learn to manage their money better, save more, and invest wisely. The personal finance niche can be a great choice if you are a potential course creator looking to build and sell courses online.

There are many sub-niches within personal finance that you can focus on, such as:

• Budgeting
• Saving
• Investing
• Retirement planning
• Debt management and more

By creating a course that targets a specific sub-niche, you can provide valuable information and insights to your audience and establish yourself as an expert in the field.

One effective way to structure your personal finance course is to provide step-by-step guidance on achieving specific financial goals.

For example, you could create a course that teaches people how to save for a down payment on a house, pay off credit card debt, or build an emergency fund.

By breaking down complex financial concepts into actionable steps, you can help your audience achieve their goals and build confidence in managing their finances.

Another way to create a successful personal finance course is to provide case studies and real-life examples.

People often learn best by seeing how others have successfully managed their money. By sharing stories of people who have achieved financial success, you can inspire and motivate your audience to take action and make positive changes in their financial lives.

12. Relationships and Dating Niche

The relationships and dating niche is one of the in-demand online courses worth considering if you are looking for a profitable industry to explore. With the rise of online dating apps and platforms, more people are looking for advice on navigating the world of dating and relationships.

This presents an excellent opportunity for potential or existing course creators and info-marketers who want to build and sell courses online.

The relationships and dating niche cover many topics, including online dating, attracting a partner, communication skills, maintaining healthy relationships, and more.

By creating a course in this niche, you can help people improve their dating and relationship skills, leading to more fulfilling and successful relationships.

Another advantage of this niche is that it is relatively easy to create content for.

You can create courses based on your own experiences and expertise, or you can interview experts in the field and create courses based on their insights and advice. Use case studies and real-life examples to illustrate your points and make your courses more engaging and practical.

13. Religion and Spirituality Niche

This is another really weird – but profitable – niche for course creators.

Many people seek guidance and support in their spiritual journeys, and an online course or info product can provide them with the resources and tools they need to deepen their understanding and connection with their faith or spirituality.

Another reason is that there are many different sub-niches within religion and spirituality that you can focus on.

For example, you could create a course on meditating, praying, reading and interpreting religious texts, or living a more spiritual life. You could also focus on a specific religion or spiritual tradition, such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, or Hinduism.

Identifying Your Audience

To create a successful online course or information product, you need to identify your audience. By understanding your target audience, you can tailor your content to meet their needs and preferences.

Here are some steps to help you identify your audience.

Understanding Market Demand

Before creating an online course or info product, it’s important to understand the market demand. You can use tools like Google Trends to see if there is a growing interest in your niche. This will help you determine if there is a demand for your product and if it’s worth investing your time and resources.

Analyzing Competition

Analyzing your competition is another important step in identifying your audience.

Look at what your competitors offer and how they market their products. This will help you understand what works and doesn’t in your niche. You can also use this information to differentiate yourself from your competition and offer something unique to your audience.

Leveraging Demographics and Behavior

Understanding your target audience’s demographics and behavior is crucial in creating a successful online course or info product.

You can use tools like Google Analytics to gather data on your audience’s age, gender, location, and interests. This will help you tailor your content to their preferences and ensure you offer something they want.

Utilizing Feedback and Engagement

Engaging with your audience and gathering feedback is also important in identifying your audience.

You can use surveys and social media to gather feedback on your content and see what your audience is interested in. This will help you improve your product and meet your target audience’s needs.

My Final Thoughts

Learning has rapidly evolved from the traditional classroom setting to digital platforms. Online courses are now in demand and will be around for a long time.

In other words, this industry will not be going away soon!

When choosing a profitable niche for your online course, there are a few essential points you need to remember:

• Start with what you are passionate about. This ensures that you are invested in your course.
• Stick with where your strength lies. Find that sweet spot where you are passionate about the topic and have the skills to deliver results for your students.
• Decide how much you can invest in your course. What’s your budget for creation, marketing, and educating yourself?
• Define the target audience for your course and create a customer avatar.
• Decide on the platform you will use to create/host your online courses. Make sure it is on your domain so that you have full control and access to the profits.
• Learn to adapt to change. Your market will not always be as it is today, and your knowledge on the subject will also evolve. Learn to listen to your audience and keep up with the times, and your new online education business will be around for the long haul!

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best platform for building and hosting my online courses?

The best platform for building and hosting online courses depends on your needs and budget. Some popular options include Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, and Udemy. Each platform has its features and pricing plans, so it’s important to research and compare them before deciding.

How can I identify a profitable niche for my next online course?

To identify a profitable niche for your next online course, start by researching popular topics and trends in your industry. Look for gaps in the market where you can provide unique value and expertise. Consider surveying your audience or conducting keyword research to see what people are searching for online. Finally, ensure the niche has enough demand and revenue potential to make it worth your time and effort.

What are the top trending niches for creating online courses?

Some top trending niches for creating online courses include business and entrepreneurship, personal development, health and wellness, and technology. These niches have consistently high demand and offer various subtopics and target audiences.

Which niches are showing the highest demand for information products this year?

According to recent research, some niches showing the highest demand for information products this year include digital marketing, personal finance, online education, and self-improvement. These niches have seen significant growth in the past few years and are expected to continue to be popular.

What topics are currently dominating the online education market?

Some topics currently dominating the online education market include coding and programming, data science and analytics, digital marketing, and graphic design. These topics are in high demand due to their practical applications in the job market and offer various career opportunities for learners.

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