Thinkific Updates Worth Noticing (Even If You Don’t Use Thinkific)

I don’t often write posts that highlight a specific platform vendor, but I think it is worth noting a couple of updates that Thinkific has made to its platform recently.

One addresses an issue I get asked about all the time by readers. Another supports what I think is probably the biggest revenue opportunity for many course sellers.

Both of these Thinkific updates speak to where I think platforms – and businesses – are headed in the edupreneur market.

Thinkific Groups

First, Thinkific introduced a “Groups” feature. This is designed to make it easier to sell online courses to organizations as packages (including reporting) and to sell to cohorts within your own audience based on criteria like date.

Selling to organizations had been one of the biggest wins for my clients in recent years. There’s a lot to be said for selling a whole bunch of seats at once (i.e., for all or a major chunk of a company’s employees), rather than one by one. And, I think that being able to run focused cohorts of learners is a great way to add value – and, of course, raise prices.

Thinkific Site Builder

Second, Thinkific introduced a new Site Builder feature. Basically, this amount to much stronger tools for using Thinkific to create your main website.

A lot of people write to me looking for this kind of solution. I used to recommend Rainmaker, but that’s now only accessible with a service contract that is beyond what most course sellers need. Kajabi is what I now recommend, but it’s course capabilities really aren’t anywhere near as strong as Thinkific’s. Finally, WordPress is a great option, but you have to know what you or doing (or have a staffer or contractor who does.)

So, the new Thinkific Site Builder functionality looks like a very solid option for those who want an “all-in-one” solution for their course business. You won’t get the full flexibility that you get with a WordPress site, but you do get what you need to put together an attractive web presence to support your course business. (One key drawback: there does not appear to be a blogging capability.)

I mentioned that even those who do not use Thinkific should be aware of these changes. Partly that’s because you may want to consider switching at some point in the future. In general, though, I think it is important to be aware of where the online course business is headed. I think all-in-one capabilities (website/marketing/course platform) and organizational selling are going to be a bigger and bigger deal in this segment of the market. Thinkific is investing in the right ways – definitely a sign you want to see in a platform provider.

Abandoned Cart Recovery Feature

Thinkific’s TCommerce has been enhanced with the new Abandoned Cart email remarketing feature, created to effortlessly boost your sales and engagement.

Here’s why this addition is a must-have for course creators:

• Recover Lost Sales Automatically: Nearly 70% of online shoppers abandon their carts, but this feature helps you recover potential revenue by sending automated follow-up emails to remind customers to complete their purchases.
• Personalize and Optimize Your Emails: Customise your email subject lines and headings to reflect your brand’s unique voice. Plus, leverage Thinkific’s built-in email marketing tools to test and refine your messages for maximum effectiveness.
• Access Valuable Lead Data: With Thinkific, tracking and re-engaging potential customers is straightforward, thanks to easily accessible contact information that ensures you never miss a chance to convert a lead.
• Boost Your Email Marketing Impact: Add a consent box at checkout so your audience is ready for future marketing communications, giving you an edge in building a loyal customer base.
• Track Your Email Performance: Assess the impact of your campaigns with essential metrics like click-through rates (CTR) and click-to-open rates (CTOR) in Thinkific’s email dashboard for data-driven optimisation.

These powerful new features mean you’ll never have to worry about abandoned carts cutting into your sales again.

Important Note: Thinkific pricing recently changed as well so make sure to check out their new plans.

So, you may want to check out these new capabilities and Thinkific in general. And, if you are already using them or start using them, please comment to share your experience.

Jeff

See also:

• Thinkific Review: Our Top All-Around Pick
• Thinkific Pricing: Is it Worth it?

P.S. – If you are having a great (or not so great) experience with Thinkific or any other platform, please take a moment to share a review with your fellow course sellers at ReviewMyLMS. You’ll get free access to all current and future reviews of learning management systems (LMSs) that are good for edupreneurs.

Jeff Cobb, Founder of Learning Revolution

Jeff Cobb is an expert in online education and the business of adult lifelong learning. Over the past 20+ years he has built a thriving career based on that expertise – as an entrepreneur, a consultant, an author, and a speaker. Learning Revolution is a place where Jeff curates tips, insights, and resources to help you build a thriving expertise-based business. Learn more about Jeff Cobb here.