How and How Often Should You Update Your Online Course?

Many of us create online courses because we hear they're "passive income," but as you might have discovered (possibly the hard way), they're not quite as hands-off as some would suggest. While courses are certainly more leveraged than one-to-one services, they still require significant upfront work—and more importantly, ongoing maintenance to ensure they continue to deliver the transformation you promised.

Let's talk about how to approach course updates strategically and what schedule makes sense based on where you are in your course journey.

How Often Should You Update Your Course?

The frequency of your course updates depends largely on what stage your course is in:

For Established, Proven Courses

If your course has gone through multiple iterations and refinements, and you have solid evidence it's working well for students, you're likely in maintenance mode. For these mature courses:

• Schedule a thorough content review once or twice per year
• Check that all information remains current and accurate
• Review student analytics to confirm engagement remains strong
• Look for any shifts in your own perspective that might warrant updates
• Assess student feedback for patterns that might suggest improvements

For Newer or "Work-in-Progress" Courses

If your course is in its early stages—perhaps you pre-sold it, ran it as a beta, or quickly assembled it from existing materials—you'll need to be much more hands-on:

• Conduct quarterly deep dives into your analytics
• Actively solicit and review student feedback after each module or completion
• Pay close attention to where students might be dropping off
• Reach out directly to students to understand their experience
• Monitor questions that come in (both inside and outside your course)

This more attentive approach is necessary until you have proof your course consistently delivers the transformation it promises. Only then can you shift to a more maintenance-focused update schedule.

Read more: How to Get Students to Actually Give You Feedback on Your Online Course

Creating Your Course Update System

Regardless of your update frequency, you need a system to capture insights between review periods:

1. Create a dedicated "course improvements" document where you collect:

   • Student questions and points of confusion
   • Direct feedback from students
   • Analytics insights about engagement and completion
   • Your own ideas for improvements
   • Content that needs updating due to industry changes
   • Questions people ask outside your course that should be addressed inside it

2. Schedule dedicated review periods in your project management system so they don't get overlooked

3. Block off implementation time in your calendar—many course creators make time to create the course initially but don't allocate time for necessary updates

Remember: Those first few iterations of your course require significant attention. Don't expect to "set it and forget it" until you have clear evidence your course is effectively delivering results.

What Types of Updates Can You Make?

Course updates range from quick fixes to complete revamps. Here's a breakdown of your options:

Quick Wins and Minor Updates

These smaller changes can often be implemented without rebuilding your entire course:

Optimize the Text in Your Course Portal

• Add compelling lesson descriptions to entice students to click play
• Include keywords that make lessons searchable (if your platform allows)
• Create checklists of action steps related to each lesson
• Add notes about any recent changes or updates to the content

Enhance Video Playback Features

• Enable playback speed adjustments
• Add closed captions (beneficial not just for accessibility but for all learning styles)
• Ensure mobile optimization

Update Supplemental Resources

• Add new worksheets or templates
• Update existing resources with current information
• Add notes about changes since the video was recorded

Read more: The Top Mistakes Course Creators Make With Supplemental Resources (And How to Fix Them)

Edit, Add, or Remove Individual Lessons

• Update a lesson that contains outdated information
• Add a new lesson to address a gap identified through student questions
• Remove content that's no longer relevant or is causing confusion

If you update individual lessons, try to maintain consistency with your existing content. Use similar slide templates, audio quality, and teaching style to avoid a jarring experience for students.

Reorganize Lesson Order

• Move lessons to create a more logical learning progression
• Be careful if you reference "the next lesson" or "the previous lesson" in your videos
• Add explanatory notes when needed to help students navigate changes

These smaller updates can help improve your course incrementally without requiring a full revamp. They're particularly useful for addressing specific issues that arise between larger update projects.

When It's Time for a Complete Course Revamp

Sometimes, the collection of needed changes becomes so significant that a full revamp is necessary. Here's what you need to know about course revamps:

Don't Underestimate the Project Scale

Many course creators assume revamping an existing course will be easier than creating a new one from scratch. This is rarely the case.

In fact, revamps often require as much—or more—time than creating a new course because:

• You have to filter through existing content to determine what stays and what goes
• Being too close to your content makes it harder to see structural issues
• You may have to untangle complex interdependencies between lessons
• Maintaining consistency while making significant improvements is challenging

When planning a revamp, approach it as you would a new course creation project. Block off adequate time, set realistic deadlines, and don't try to squeeze it in between other major initiatives.

Getting Outside Perspective

When you've been immersed in your course content, it becomes almost impossible to see it with fresh eyes. This is where outside help becomes invaluable:

• Consider getting a professional course audit to identify structural issues and opportunities
• Collect and analyze patterns in student feedback
• Ask trusted colleagues to review portions of your content
• Consider working with a curriculum specialist who can see what you might miss

An objective perspective helps ensure your revamp addresses the root causes of any issues, not just the symptoms.

Making Your Revamp Count

If you're investing the time and energy into a complete course revamp, make it count:

• Create a comprehensive plan before you begin
• Prioritize changes that will have the biggest impact on student transformation
• Focus on moving toward a more polished, cohesive version of your course
• Don't change things just for the sake of change
• Address fundamental issues in content organization and structure

The goal of each revamp should be to move your course significantly closer to its ideal form—a learning experience that delivers consistent, meaningful transformation for your students.

The Bottom Line: Your Course Is Never Truly "Done"

The most successful course creators understand that their courses are never truly complete. Rather than seeing updates as a burden, they approach them as opportunities to deepen the value they provide and strengthen their connection with students.

By establishing regular review periods, collecting ongoing feedback, and being strategic about both small updates and larger revamps, you can ensure your course continues to deliver the transformation you promised—while also reflecting your evolving expertise and perspective.

Remember: The work you put into maintaining and improving your course doesn't just benefit your students. It solidifies your reputation as someone who genuinely cares about student success and stands behind the educational experiences you create.

Ready to take your course to the next level? My Course Audit service provides expert eyes on your curriculum, identifying specific opportunities to enhance your student experience and results. Book your audit today and transform your course into a learning experience that truly delivers.