In today’s solo episode, I break down the five key shifts we all need to make to successfully market and sell our online businesses in 2026. The online space has changed dramatically, and what worked a few years ago simply isn’t enough anymore. I share what I’m doing in my own business, what I’m seeing across the industry, and the practical steps you can start implementing right away.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

 

1. Relationships Over Broadcasting

I explain why connection now outperforms content volume — and how focusing on real conversations builds trust and momentum.

 

1. Community Over Courses

People want belonging, not just information. I share how I’m reshaping my offers to create deeper community experiences.

 

1. Adapting to How People Find You

Search and discovery are shifting thanks to AI. I talk about the small tweaks I’m making to show up where my audience is actually looking.

 

1. A Better Launch Experience

Launches need to feel more personal and supportive. I cover simple ways to elevate your launch without overwhelming yourself.

 

1. Showing Up as a Real Human

Authenticity matters more than ever. I share how being more open and human has transformed the way my audience connects with me.

 

LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE

Connect with Teresa on Website, (Grow, Launch, Sell), Sign up to Teresa's email list,  Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook, Subscribe to my Youtube, Ep 427

 

Transcript

The online space is changing, and the way we used to launch back in 2020 and 2021 has shifted massively, and some of those things are not working anymore. So if you are trying to sell a course, a membership, or a group coaching program in 2026, then you are going to want to know these five shifts that you can make in your business and your marketing, and how you show up in order to help sell your online offers.

My name's Teresa Heath Wareing and I have worked with hundreds and hundreds of online business owners, helping them grow their online business with confidence and without burning out. The online world has changed back in 2020, back in 2021. The online world went through a real boom, and it was honestly as easy as being able to put something out there and people would buy it, and you could do a webinar or a quick challenge and you would have hundreds and hundreds of people come through your launch experience, regardless of the size of your [00:01:00 ] audience.

But it's changed. And actually I am happy that it's changed because during that time, lots of people created content and created courses and memberships and programs. That were just not where they should have been. And people ended up buying them and getting their fingers burned, basically buying things that they thought they were getting that would help and they didn't help.

So consumers in the world of AI and online world, and now in the world we're in currently with AI and tech and online. We are becoming much more discerning as consumers, and that is a good thing. Even though it's getting harder for people to sell online and to be as successful as maybe people want, it's actually a good thing.

'cause it means that when people do buy, they're making those decisions correctly. They're not being forced into them, and hopefully they are buying something that they know what they're going to get and they feel good about that [00:02:00 ] purchase and that's what we want. I have been in the online space for about nine years now, and during that time, I have had only ever one person ask for a refund in every single thing that I have sold, and that one person asked for a refund because it was COVID, and they couldn't put into practice the things that I had actually told them to do.

I very politely declined. And said that I would offer them some more calls in order to help them when the world opened up again. But I think there's a really good reason why I don't get refunds. I don't get people asking for their money back, and I don't get people necessarily saying things online about me and my offers because I am much slower in the way I sell and the way I market to them.

And some of the things that I'm going to talk about, some of these shifts I have already been doing, and yes. I could have probably grown my business a lot faster if I showed up differently, but I would've had way more refunds. I've had a, would've had way more people angry on the internet about me, and those things just [00:03:00 ] haven't happened.

So I am very happy to take the slower route to grow more organically and not have to deal with that side of the online world. Anyway, that wasn't necessarily what I came on here to talk about, but it is kind of relevant because of the fact of I want you to create an online business that feels good for you, feels good for your audience, and is something that you can sustain for the long term.

'cause if you are here watching me, I know you are very passionate about the thing that you are trying to help people with, and you are not in it for get rich quick. 'cause if you were, you wouldn't be resonating with me. So I'm gonna take you through these five shifts that you need to. Think about and to make in your business and in your marketing, in order for you to succeed and grow your online business in 2026.

Shift number one is relationships over broadcasting. Previously, and I still stand by this, we need an audience. If you want a successful online business, people have to know who you are. [00:04:00 ] It's not just about getting the size of that audience, it's about having that connection with your audience. You can be wildly successful with a smaller audience if you have a really strong and good connection with them, and one of the ways in which you are going to do this, which I have been.

An advocate for, for a long time, and I teach on is becoming the go-to expert in your industry, is becoming the face that people see and is hearing you as a trusted voice in their industry. And one of the ways that you're gonna be able to do that is by putting yourself out as that trusted person, getting on podcasts, getting on stages, having people see you.

On the stage, on the podcast, hearing what you've got to say and building that relationship over time. Now, interestingly enough, I had a conversation with someone who is in my world, who I work with recently, and they were really frustrated that they were getting on podcasts, and it just wasn't working quick enough for [00:05:00 ] them.

They weren't seeing the results immediately for the podcast they'd been on. This is a slow burn. This isn't going to be a super fast thing. You're not gonna do one podcast and then suddenly your business is gonna boom. There are definitely some podcasts out there. If you can get on them, then that might happen.

But on the whole, if you're not being invited on diary, the CEO, for instance, then you are going to need to do quite a few podcasts. You are going to need to do this consistently, but this is a good thing because you are building the trust organically, and when you build that organically, the time it takes to build, it means it's so hard to lose.

You have to do something really stupid to lose that trust, so that isn't a bad thing. I know it's going to take time, but getting yourself out there as the expert, putting yourself on podcast, putting yourself on stages is going to be the strongest way in which you can build that relationship over just building an audience for each of these shifts, I want to give you a couple of really practical examples that I want you to go away and do.

One of the most important things [00:06:00 ] in my world is about taking action. Gone are the days where we've done all the courses, we've been in all the programs where we just hope that being there by osmosis will make us successful. The people that I see have the most success are taking action. So this is my hope for you that for each of these things, I'm going to give you something to take action.

So for the first shift, what I want you to do is I want you to pitch to go and speak on two or three podcasts. Or pitch to go and speak and train in other people's groups if someone has a group. So for instance, I deal with online business owners. So if I know someone who has a group that is aimed at online business owners, then I might offer to go and do a session about something.

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