This course is about building your own course platform using Bricks Builder. Essentially, it’s about building a course inside WordPress without an LMS plugin!
Building an online course platform doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With Bricks Builder, you can create a sleek, functional course library without needing costly and heavy-duty Learning Management Systems (LMS) like LearnDash, Thinkific or Teachable.
You can leverage the built-in features of WordPress and Bricks Builder to develop a custom online course platform that’s simple, flexible, and cost-effective. Here’s a guide to setting up your own course platform without relying on expensive or bloated LMS plugins.
Why Create Your Own E-Learning Platform Without an LMS?
LMS solutions like LearnDash often have features you may not need, such as quizzes, assignments, and progress tracking. These extra features can usually complicate the course creation process, especially if your main goal is to create video content and provide resources. By choosing Bricks Builder instead of a traditional LMS, you’ll reduce bloat, improve site speed, and save money by eliminating the need for expensive subscriptions.
If you want a straightforward, easy-to-manage course setup inside WordPress, Bricks Builder, combined with a few additional tools, can be an ideal solution. With Bricks Builder, it’s very easy to build your own course or lesson template.
Free Learning Series On How To Build Your Course Platform
To help you get started, I’ve created a learning series that walks you through building the exact course platform featured in this post. This series consists of about 10 short videos, each explaining a step in the process. You’ll gain hands-on experience as you build the platform hosting this course.
Look for the hamburger icon at top left of this page to explore the series. I’ll be adding to this weekly, so bookmark it or, even better, subscribe to my new YouTube channel (I need subscribers and would love you to join – all free, of course).
Most of the content in this course is free except for just two downloadables. Those include the Bricks Builder Template, which you can import, and the Course Progress Plugin. Pricing will come soon, but it will be affordable for anyone. Eventually, I may even include an affordable option to install it and host your course with your domain. Ask me about that if you are interested.
Cost Comparison – Traditional Course Platforms vs. Building Your Own
Here’s a breakdown of the cost comparison between popular course platforms and building your own course platform using Bricks Builder and some recommended plugins:
| Platform | Cost per Year | Total Cost Over 2 Years |
|---|---|---|
| LearnDash (Basic) | $199 | $398 |
| Teachable (Basic) | $348 | $696 |
| Thinkific (Basic) | $396 | $792 |
| Building Your DIY Course (Presto Player (Pro Optional) + Sure Members + Sure Cart) | $69- $188 | $138-$376 |
As you can see, building your own course can be significantly more cost-effective, especially when using tools like Presto Player, Sure Members, and Sure Cart. But the main advantage is that you have complete control over the template. Your SEO will benefit as well:
Hosting Your Own Course Is Great For SEO
The SEO benefit is one of the most significant advantages of building your own course platform. Hosting your course directly on your website gives you full control over the content and how search engines index it. Traditional course builders often have limitations in terms of SEO flexibility, which can prevent your courses from ranking well in search engines. For example, platforms like Teachable and Thinkific often have content locked behind a subdomain or restricted to internal pages, which limits their visibility to search engines.
On the other hand, by hosting your course on your own domain, you can integrate SEO-friendly features such as:
- Custom URLs: Use SEO-friendly URLs that reflect the course name or topic.
- Meta Tags & Descriptions: Easily add custom meta tags for better search engine indexing.
- Internal Linking: Link course content to blog posts, other courses, or product pages to boost internal SEO.
- Content Control: You can add custom content (like blog posts, free lessons, and other resources) that help send more organic traffic to your course.
For example, if you’re running a free introductory lesson for your course, you can promote it via blog posts or landing pages on your main website. This boosts your SEO and helps drive traffic to your paid courses.
Steps to Build Your Own Course Platform with Bricks Builder
Here’s a simplified step-by-step guide to creating a course platform using Bricks Builder:
- Familiarize Yourself with Bricks Builder
Start by getting comfortable with Bricks Builder, the powerful page builder for WordPress that will help you design and structure your course platform. - Create a Layout for Your Course
Begin by designing your course layout. You can include sections for video lessons, text, downloadable resources, and more. Plan how you want the content to be organized for an easy learning experience. - Convert This Layout into a Template
Once you’ve finalized your course layout, save it as a template in Bricks Builder. This allows you to reuse the layout for additional courses, saving you time. - Create Custom Fields with ACF
Install and configure Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) to add specific fields for your course content, such as central points in videos, references, links, and downloadable materials. - Insert Custom Fields into Your Template
Incorporate these custom fields into your course template. For example, organize videos and their corresponding content, like key takeaways or downloadable resources, using your created fields. - Add Schema for Course and Individual Lessons
I’ll show you how to add structured data (schema) to the course and lessons pages using custom fields (ACF). This will help improve visibility and boost SEO by making our lesson content easier to find. - Protect Content with a Membership Plugin
If you plan to offer paid courses, use a membership plugin to restrict content access based on subscription level, ensuring that only paying users can access premium materials. - Integrate Checkout for Paid Courses
Connecting your membership plugin to the checkout system ensures a seamless checkout process. This will make the purchase experience smooth and efficient for your customers. - Add Extra Components
I’ll walk you through how to add quizzes and a progress tracker that will work with our slide-in navigation. These will make the learning process more engaging. - Create a Public Buy Page
Using the same template, design a public page where potential customers can quickly learn more about your course and make a purchase.
I’m Releasing A Plugin to Track Course Progress
Alongside the learning series, I’ve developed a plugin to track students’ progress throughout the course. This plugin will be available in the coming weeks and will offer an interactive and engaging experience for your users, making it easier to manage and track student progress. More details are coming soon on this!
Do You Really Need All the Features in an Expensive LMS?
For many course creators, LMS plugins come with features that may not be necessary. Building your course platform with Bricks Builder might be all you need if your course doesn’t require quizzes, assignments, or complex grading systems. With custom post types and custom fields, you can easily organize and present your content simply yet effectively.
Is This DIY Setup Right for You?
This approach is perfect if your courses are short, straightforward, and focused on providing clear, actionable content. It’s especially ideal for membership sites with a smaller course library that doesn’t need all the additional features of a traditional LMS.
If you want a platform that’s easy to manage, doesn’t overwhelm your users with unnecessary features, and doesn’t come with the high costs of an LMS, this approach is the perfect solution for you.
A Final Word And A Little About Me
Building your own e-learning platform with Bricks Builder offers a cost-effective, flexible solution for course creators. Whether you’re just starting with a single course or planning to expand over time, this method helps you create a professional and streamlined learning experience without the bloat and overhead of traditional LMS plugins.
Start with my free learning series today, and watch as I build this course platform. I’ve been building websites since even before WordPress was a thing. I started with Moveabletype building full websites – anyone out there remember this? Please ask me if you have questions or need help building a course platform.