It’s harder and harder to carve out a profitable niche among the millions of sites populating the web today, but one option that has stood the test of time is the tutorial website. Based on a constantly evolving knowledge base, innovative presentation styles, and overall profitability, tutorial websites may be the one website in which supply can’t keep up with demand, even as they continue to proliferate.
Of course, like any other profitable website, you need to find ways to help yours stand out from the pack in terms of visual appeal, content quality, and innovation. Whether you’re just starting up or you’re redesigning a tutorial website, these 3 strategies may help your site outperform the competition.
Choose A Niche – Or Don’t
One of the great things about developing a tutorial-driven website is that you have the option of focusing on a narrow range of topics or keeping things broad – and each approach has advantages and disadvantages.
Narrower topic choices are perfect for those who offer tutoring online. A popular work from home option, tutoring websites only need to feature information on the academic topics in question. That might include math, foreign languages, or the sciences. You might also remain within the world of academic tutoring by outsourcing course material production for topics beyond of your own area of expertise. Even within a fairly narrow niche, your options are extensive.
Websites that eschew the traditional notion of “niche” can develop tutorial content for any topic, ranging from software tips to home improvement. If you can provide the necessary insights in a digital format, then you can offer a tutorial.
Transform The Format
Niche may determine the breadth of your audience, but the format of your tutorials is the factor that really keeps people engaged. If you pick an approach to presentation that stands out from the bulk of tutorial videos online, you’ll have your market made.
One underutilized option for tutorial websites is remote control software. Remote control software could work for websites that offer one-on-one tutorial sessions, as it allows the person receiving the tutorial to learn a digital process or how to fix a variety of computer problems as though they were manipulating the screen themselves. The only difference is that the provider is running the show, explaining the procedure. A remote support software can even enable the tutor to download and export files onto the other system, if needed. Pair this with a screen recorder program and the user can watch their tutorial session over and over again until they master the task.
Screen recorder software is also ideal for mass produced tutorials, allowing site designers to record a process and post it as a tutorial video on the page. The recorder, lets you go in-depth, no matter what you’re demonstrating.
Stay Current
No matter what topics your tutorial site covers, the most important thing you can do if you want to build a popular, profitable page is to stay up-to-date, especially when it comes to digital trends. The best teachers know how to take screenshots on an Apple Watch and can tell you about the best web animation tools available online. They’re the designers who have access to new software on or before the launch date and are ready to show you how to use it. Timeliness is key.
Tutorial websites need to have a constant flow of new, innovative content, whether you’re producing it all yourself, outsourcing production, or offering one-on-one tutorials with content built for the session. Luckily, there’s always something new to learn – for you and for your audience.
