Would it surprise you to learn that in this exciting digital age of learning, less than 10% of people actually finish an online course they've paid for?

That's right; people left and right are plunking down hard-earned money to take courses they don't complete.

Maybe you can relate.

Are you guilty of signing up for a course you didn't finish?

Is your hard drive full of courses you paid $50 for when they were offered as a special deal, and you just KNEW they would help you understand that thing that everyone else seems to know but that you can't quite get? Things like growing your email list, leveraging Instagram, SEO, how to batch-create a month’s worth of content in 3 hours, building an online community, how to get followers, or how to 10x your conversion rate?

The pressure to learn it all is intense.

And course creators know how to sell you a shortcut to success. So many people you’ve never heard of are selling you “proven systems.”

If you've been on Facebook, you have, no doubt, seen a crazy amount of sponsored ads promising insane results from digital courses. Everybody (and possibly their dog) is offering to teach you something these days.

But even courses offered by renowned experts and thought leaders aren't immune to high dropout rates.

Business marketing icon Seth Godin even revealed in 2016 that he experienced a dropout rate of 80% for his highly sought-after online courses.

So, why don’t most people finish online courses?

The problem with online courses is there’s no accountability. 

You're on Your Own, Lady!

According to HR Future, commitment and accountability are crucial for online course success.

Lack of accountability is like trying to hit the gym without a buddy - it's just not gonna happen! Without someone to poke your butt into gear, you'll be stuck on lesson 1 forever and probably feeling pretty guilty about your lack of progress.

As Rise to Lead podcast host, Regina Huber notes "We judge and blame ourselves for not being farther ahead. This throttles our enthusiasm, it kills our self-esteem and confidence, and it stifles our initial drive, however big it may have been. Eventually we get too frustrated and give up."

Learning at your own pace without someone to keep you on track is extremely hard.

The problem with online courses is they create a false sense of progress.

Our brains are liars. Buying an online course feels like taking a step towards our goals but clicking “Buy Now” isn’t the same as actually doing the work.

It's part of our "completion bias." This phenomenon creates temporary satisfaction from checking an item off our list. Think of it like a participation trophy for adults: "Hey, you clicked 'buy'! Good job! You must be a real go-getter!" And then we get to bask in the temporary glow of accomplishment... until reality sets in and the course we just bought sits there in our inbox waiting for us to find “free time” to complete it.

The problem with online courses is they have to fit in between our work and our life and most people are already struggling to find enough time for just those two things. 

"I bought it, I clicked on it, I... um... totally forgot about it"

Sound about right?

You had the best intentions but now you have no idea when you can fit it in? Between Netflix binges and cat videos?? Your schedule is like a jam-packed clown car.

Plus, you’re knee-deep in editing photos, you have a huge product order to unpack, and your kid just called to be picked up early from school. It's no wonder you can't get anything done!

The Time Crunch: Where Procrastination Goes to Party

Self-Paced? More Like Self-Torture.

Those videos, tutorials, and downloads are like the homework assignments you left to the last minute then had your bestie do for you in the 10th grade. It’s not that you want to be a procrastinator, of course, it’s that time management is ridiculously hard (particularly if you have an ADHD brain like many creatives).

Life is busy, with a never-ending to-do list. There will always be fires to put out and must-do items competing for your attention. Delaying "non-urgent" items may seem less like a choice and more like the only way to survive days already filled to the brim.

The problem with online courses is the investment is too low to matter.

Odds are you bought that online course on a whim.

It seemed like something you’d regret not getting. It seemed like a bargain.

The Price is Right...Maybe Too Right?

"You get what you pay for" is a nice way of saying "you're gonna cheap out and regret it".

Free or super cheap stuff can make us think it's not worth much, says behavioral scientist Dan Ariely. Spending some cash makes us go "oh, this is important!"

Even still, shelling out a heap of cash on a fancy course isn’t a bulletproof way to ensure you complete it. However, it is a hard-earned lesson that might make it far less likely that you’ll waste more time and money on online courses you won’t complete.

The problem with online courses is they generalize.

The Power of Personalized Learning

One Size Fits None.

Online courses are like a "one-size-fits-all" t-shirt - it might fit your cousin, but not you. They lack the depth and customization you need for your unique business quirks.

Having general information about a topic doesn't actually help you understand how to best apply it to your individual business.

And it doesn't help you sort through your thoughts and make decisions with clarity. Online courses offer knowledge without application.

The Solution: Get Personal!

Ditch the generic online courses and get a business or brand audit by a live human instead. It's the key to unlocking your business's full potential (no big deal).

Online Courses: Good Intentions, Bad Execution

Let's face it, using online courses, downloads and freebies from self-described “experts” to fill in your knowledge gaps about your specific business is like trying to understand why your 2-year old ragdoll cat, Mittens, won’t use her fancy litterbox by reading a Garfield cartoon - a waste of time and energy.

Want an effective strategy for businesses growth that won’t have you hating Mondays? Invest your time and money in relationships.

Hiring a professional who can either do that thing for you or who will work one-on-one with you to ensure you actually accomplish your goals is the key to overcoming whatever has you searching the internet for online courses.

The Bottom Line

The problem with online courses is:

• there’s no accountability (are you REALLY the 10% of people who will finish an online course or are you fooling yourself?)

• they create a false sense of progress (you are not doing the thing, it just feels like you might)

• your life is too busy to DIY everything (your overflowing craft supply cupboard needs you to look in the mirror right now)

• if you invest nothing, you’ll get nothing but also…the cost of the course doesn’t guarantee you’ll finish it (ask Seth Godin)

• they can’t understand your specific needs (unless you’re building a copy of someone else’s business)  

PLUS:

• they can't dig in with you and talk you through the hard stuff when you're unsure  

• they can't sit on your couch, drink root beer floats, and hold you accountable for how and where you are spending your time that week

• they can't answer your stressed-out email on a Saturday or encourage you when you are questioning yourself

Online courses can't cheer for you, celebrate your wins, leave you the best IG comments and tell all their friends about you.

Online courses can't invest in YOU.

The problem with online courses is they are a poor substitute for the kind of life-changing growth that can happen when you invest in people who will walk WITH you as you learn and grow instead of leaving you to figure it all out on your own.