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Teaching is a busy and demanding profession and most educators look forward to achieving a work-life balance as soon as possible. What if we tell you that you can start an online business that will help you do exactly that? With an online website that sells educational content, you can supplement your income, cultivate a loyal audience, and retire from teaching, all while helping other educators.
Educational Websites for Income
In a world that’s rapidly evolving and a digital space that is booming, the story of Amanda Woods stands as a testament to Australian teachers who want to start an online website and retire from teaching. Amanda is a self-published author, copywriter, and astute digital investor. She has several educational websites and works as a Science tutor. She is also the Director of ‘Book Muffin’ BookMuffin.com, a new platform that helps authors get reviews for their KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) books.
Amanda’s metamorphosis into a digital powerhouse didn’t happen overnight. Fuelled by her passion for education and a knack for seizing emerging trends, she embarked on a venture that would not only transform her career but also her entire lifestyle. With a string of educational websites under her belt, Amanda has masterfully navigated the world of online business, paving the way for her eventual retirement.
Digital Investors Program
Amanda’s ascent to digital stardom was greatly influenced by her participation in the esteemed Digital Investors program with the Ebusiness Institute. She explained to the Exit Stage Teach team that this program has proven to be a game-changer in her online investing journey. Amanda has also achieved a remarkable track record on platforms like Flippa.com buying and selling websites. Her consistent 100% positive reviews from over 20 transactions display her expertise and unwavering dedication to the digital space.
Amanda has kindly agreed to share her secrets with our Exit Stage Teach community, so you too, can start an online website and retire from teaching. We thank Amanda for her time and expertise and greatly appreciate her sharing her knowledge with us.
Read on to learn more: 5 Steps to creating your own Educational Website:
Step 1: Choose a Niche
Your website should offer something unique and valuable to your target audience. You could focus on a specific educational subject, age group, or grade level. Or you could offer materials that align with specific teaching methods or address areas of the Australian or American curriculum. The more specific your niche, the easier it may be to establish yourself as an expert, create content, and attract followers. You should research what materials are already selling and read their feedback to get ideas.
Step 2: Create High-quality Content
You need to produce content that is genuinely helpful for parents or students. Your website will only be as good as the content you offer. Whether you create lesson plans, worksheets, or digital resources, make sure it’s original, engaging, and useful. You could include multimedia elements like videos, animations, and podcasts to make your content more interactive and engaging. Ensure you offer a variety of content types like printables, eBooks, videos, and online courses to cater to different learning styles. Get reviews about how helpful your materials are.
Step 3: Build an Audience
Once you have created your content, your next step is to find people who need it. One tactic is to use social media to promote your website. Share your posts, and use trending hashtags to increase visibility. This will help you get to know your audience and build a loyal following.
Partnerships work: Another tactic is to collaborate with other websites or blogs within your operating field to add credibility and attract a different audience.
Step 4: Monetize your Content
Lastly, sell your educational resources online. You can set up your online store with popular e-commerce platforms, including eBay, Etsy, or a WordPress website with Woocommerce or Shopify plugins. We recommend WordPress as it’s better for your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Ensure your website is easy for your customers to make their orders online like providing secure payment gateways. You can also set up a subscription model where teachers can access your content with a monthly fee, providing you with a steady stream of income.
Step 5: Consider your End Game
- What are your goals for your website in the long term?
- Are you going on maternity leave soon and want to start or buy a side hustle in the educational space?
- Is it a side hustle to supplement your teaching income?
- Is it a full-time career that can help you retire from teaching eventually?
- Can you create a business that you can sell in a few years?
Knowing your goals will help you plan and make decisions that align with those goals.
Starting an online website selling educational content is a great way to build an audience, help families or other teachers, and make some extra income. With a specific niche, high-quality content, and a loyal following, you can enjoy the financial freedom that comes with owning a successful online business. By following these ideas, you can help yourself and fellow educators on the way to a successful online business.
A little bit about the Ebusiness Institute
Amanda was greatly influenced by her participation in the esteemed Digital Investors program with the Ebusiness Institute. The Ebusiness Institute offers a range of different courses and provides specific digital training that allows students to generate income online anywhere – anytime. The WebDev program is a popular one to get started as it teaches you the basics of how to build a WordPress website and the SEO behind it. There are several teachers in the Exit Stage Teach currently doing Ebusiness Institute courses and the feedback has been phenomenal. Members of the Exit Stage Teach team have completed the WebDev Course as well and have used this knowledge to create our fabulous website. Please take a look below for more information about the WebDev program with the Ebusiness Institute.
The WebDev Program
Unleash your potential with a comprehensive web design and SEO foundations course. Designed for beginners, this signature online training empowers you to take control of your future. Learn the art of building profitable websites through easy-to-follow guidance from the eBusiness Institute.
Once you enrol in the WebDev program, you’ll need to have access to a starter website for hands-on practice. You will then customise and renovate it while putting your skills into practice.
Amanda has a starter website that she has created and it’s For Sale. If anyone is interested in investing in a low-cost starter site that needs some tender loving care and is passionate about teaching phonics then this would be a great opportunity to start your web design journey. We also recommend if you are serious about this to look at doing the WebDev program simultaneously as this will set you up for the greatest success.
Phonics Website For Sale
I am currently selling a starter website that is several years old and is generating traffic because Google likes it and it has an aged domain with backlinks. It needs a teacher to take it over and create something amazing! It is ranking for decodable readers, hooked on phonics and info about teaching phonics. I am currently sending traffic through to Amazon and earning commissions.
I am a self-published author and also working as a digital marketing consultant & copywriter and want to sell it because I have too many websites to focus on.
Here is a link to my Flippa listing:
Amanda also has another website for sale about learning to play a digital piano, which also includes reviews.
About the ‘New Phonics Website’
A 1 1/2 year old Education WordPress website with 18 articles and a store in a low competition niche and more recent content added in 2023. This site would be perfect for a teacher!
Key Highlights
- This site has 18 posts and is a balanced mix of educational articles about helping your child learn to read using phonics, phonetic awareness and various learning techniques e.g. Hooked on Phonics.
- I bought this expired domain in 2021, which was first registered in 2012 and has 105 backlinks and 16 referring domains.
- I am selling it as a starter site as it only received low Amazon commissions into my shared affiliate account and so it is hard to calculate the sales.
- It’s a passion project website. A popular educational niche for young children who need help with their reading.
- This includes a new store which sells phonics worksheets and posters.
Operations of Website
The website reviews currently operate as an Amazon Affiliate website. It uses a shared affiliate tracking ID so it is hard to give exact profits but to be fair it is probably above $3 a month.
It is currently hosted on Namecheap in a shared hosting account and approx. costs are $1-2 a month. It was previously hosted in my Australian hosting account so traffic was lower for the first year. It could be hosted in an Australian account and be changed to Australian products.
Great Opportunity for Teachers
The site needs renovating and improving the layout. Then expanding with new content from someone who understands this niche or using and going for long tail keywords with low to medium competition.
Expanding and updating review articles will increase the conversion rate on Amazon.
Some Ideas to Improve Income from the Website:
1. Subscription Model – Offer different subscription plans for users to access the website with varying levels of access and content in exchange for a monthly or yearly fee. Produce content for parents and homeschoolers who are looking for worksheets and activity pages related to phonics.
2. Affiliate Marketing – Promote more products or services related to phonics on your website and earn commissions from each sale completed as a result of customers clicking through from your site.
E.g. Hooked on Phonics has an affiliate program and pays US$20 per signup in the USA. I never signed up for this and just linked to their store on Amazon.
3. Advertising – Reach out to various companies and brands who may be interested in advertising their products or services on your website, thus enabling you to earn income while providing value to your visitors by introducing them to education providers and services they may not have known about otherwise.
4. Content Upgrades & Offers – Offer additional e-books or audio downloads about learning to read.
5. Premium Content – Create premium content that requires users to pay a fee to access it. This could include anything from an audiobook or e-book to an online course or webinar series for parents who want to help their child read at home or homeschoolers.
6. E-commerce Store – Expand the Set online store where visitors can purchase physical products related to phonics, such as flashcards, books, and educational games. Or electronic content for parents and homeschoolers are looking for worksheets and activity pages related to phonics.
7. Coaching & Consulting – Offer one-on-one learning sessions, either online or in person, for students who are struggling with reading or parents looking for guidance on how best to help their child learn phonics.
8. Sponsorship – Reach out to businesses or organisations that may be interested in sponsoring the website as a way of gaining visibility and brand awareness among your audience.
9. Live Events & Workshops – Host webinars, workshops, seminars and other live events related to phonics, either in-person or online.
10. Set up social media accounts: To help parents or teachers and promote the website and resources.
We thank Amanda for her generosity and sharing of her hard-earned insights with the Exit Stage Teach community. Her journey to digital success is a roadmap for others to follow, a guide that leads toward the creation of educational websites and the realisation that Australian teachers can live the dream of retirement through building educational websites. If you would like any further information regarding the Ebusiness Institute courses or Amanda’s Phonics website please don’t hesitate to contact us.
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