How To Build An Online Language Learning Website Like Verbling– Business Model & Key Features

How To Build An Online Language Learning Website Like Verbling– Business Model & Key Features

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Last Updated: 20 November, 2024

In this age of globalization, learning a foreign language is no longer difficult and many individuals are interested in learning new languages. According to reports, the number of language learners has steadily increased all over the world, with over 1.5 billion individuals actively learning a foreign language, this number is anticipated to grow even more in the coming future. 

Online language learning platforms are gaining massive popularity among learners as they help them connect with expert native speakers in the comfort of their homes. Many language learning platforms including Verbling, italki, Preply, Cambly, Livemocha, Babbel, Busuu, Memrise, Fluento, Mondly, LingQ, Anki, HelloTalk, Lingoda, and so on have gained huge popularity in the industry. 

Building a similar language learning platform presents lucrative opportunities for aspiring education entrepreneurs. In this blog, we provide a complete guide on how to build an online language-learning website like Verbling. But first, let’s gain information about the key players in the online language learning industry.

Top Players in the Online Language Learning Market 

Preply 

Preply is an online language learning platform that successfully connects learners with language experts worldwide. More than 44,000 experienced tutors teach on this platform in 120+ subjects across 180+ nations.

Country- United States

Revenue- $1.6 billion per year

Total Funding- $100 million

Rating- 4.8 star

italki

Is another online language learning platform that connects native speakers with learners in a one-on-one learning environment. Italki offers one-on-one and group sessions in more than 150+ languages.

Country- Hong Kong, China

Revenue- $15 Million as of August 2024

Total Funding- As of August 2024, italki has raised a funding of $3M.

Rating- 4.5 star

Lingoda

Lingoda provides online language learning classes by connecting learners with native speaker teachers in small group classes or private lessons.

Country- Berlin, Germany

Revenue- $89.1 million per year

Total Funding- The latest funding round was raised on April 15, 2021, for $68 million

Rating- 4.3 star

VIPkid

An online platform that connects children with English-speaking tutors in-real-time for immersive, one-on-one language learning sessions.

Country- Asia-Pacific region

Revenue- $1.5 billion

Total Funding- Raised a total funding of $975 million over 8 rounds

Rating- 3.9 star

Cambly

Cambly is an on-demand English tutoring platform that caters to learners of all levels. It connects them to native speakers via video chat.

Country- United States

Revenue- $ 61.0 million in 2023 

Total Funding- Raised a total funding of $60.3 million in over 3 rounds 

Rating- 2.3 star

Verbling 

Is a leading online language learning marketplace that pairs individuals with teachers for language learning.

Country- United States

Revenue- $ 135.5 million per year

Total Funding- $41.7 million

Rating- 4 star

Further, in this blog, we discuss the success story of Verbling, Verbling’s method, how it works, possible revenue streams, and the steps to build an online language learning website like Verbling.

Success Story Of Verbling

Headquartered in San Francisco, US, the company was founded in 2011 by Jake Jolis, Mikael Bernstein, and Gustav Rydstedt. The initial platform – Verbling Friends connected users who were interested in learning each other’s language via video chat. It was backed by Y combinator and in 2015, the company raised $2.7 million in series A round funding.

In October 2016, Verbling Enterprise was launched. It is a platform that is designed for corporates to upskill their workforce, i.e. employees can take language lessons online. Further, in 2017, Verbling launched iOS and Android apps. Currently, the platform has over 10,000 teachers in more than 70 languages. Besides some common languages like English, French, Spanish, and so on, there are some not-so-common languages like Turkish, Portuguese, and more.

Verbling’s Method

Verbling provides individuals looking to learn a language with unparalleled convenience and for a fraction of the price in-house tutors or brick-and-mortar schools provide. Mainly, Verbling involves one-to-one sessions with native speakers of the chosen language. Learners can use Google Hangouts-powered chat to resolve their queries.

Interested in Building a Language Learning Platform like Verbling?

Working of a Language Learning Website like Verbling

Understanding the working of an online language learning platform is crucial before building an online learning website like Verbling. An online language-learning marketplace has three main entities –

  • Admin
  • Tutor
  • Learner
  1. The tutor creates a profile on the platform and a request is sent to the admin for approval.
  2. The admin after verifying all the information approves/disapproves the profile. The approved profiles get listed on the platform.
  3. The learner browses the platform for tutors using filters such as specialization, experience, price, language, and so on, and a list of all the relevant tutors is displayed.
  4. The learner then selects a tutor and checks his/her availability calendar for the online session.
  5. After making the payment, the learner then books a session with the tutor. The payment of the lesson is however kept in the platform’s escrow account.
  6. Once the lesson is completed successfully, the system releases the payment of the tutor after adjusting the commission.

Revenue Generation Streams of Online Language Learning Platforms like Verbling

Offering online language learning to individuals and organizations is a growing opportunity for revenue generation for businesses like Verbling. In this section, we have curated a list of all the possible revenue streams so that new entrants can have an advantage over the existing ones.

  • A commission cut from the fee students pay to the tutors
  • A monthly subscription for students to access classes on the website out of which a percentage will be distributed among the tutors
  • Monthly subscription for tutors to feature, manage, and conduct their language learning courses on the website
  • On-site promotion for tutors
  • Banner ads

Steps to Build an Online Language Learning Platform like Verbling

Building and launching an online language learning platform like Verbling may seem to be a cumbersome task. However, with the right planning, strategy, and information, this can be done seamlessly. Follow the below-mentioned steps to successfully launch your online language learning platform.

Steps At A Glance

  1. Conduct market research
  2. Choose the right niche
  3. Identify the right technology to build your online language-learning platform
  4. Choose the right set of features
  5. Consider other impeccable features to stand out from competitors
  6. Include important pages in the language learning platform
  7. Different approaches to launch your online language learning platform
  8. Market your platform

1. Conduct Market Research

Before you delve into the development process of building an online language learning platform like Verbling, it’s pivotal to understand the market by conducting thorough market research. Identify the potential competitors, their strategies, and potential gaps in the market that your language learning platform can fulfill. Also, determine your target audience based on:

  • Demographics
  • Age
  • Language Proficiency Level
  • Preferred Learning Methods

2. Choose the Right Niche

Based on the market research, select a particular niche that your language learning platform will target. This could include a particular language catering to a specific type of learner like beginners, advanced learners, business professionals, or individuals simply seeking to learn a particular language dialect. Additionally, you can decide on the type of sessions you are going to offer like one-on-one tutoring, group classes, and so on to cater to different learning styles and preferences.

3. Identify the Right Technology to Build Your Online Language Learning Platform

Identifying the right technology stack is crucial for the success of an online language learning platform. Consider front-end and back-end development technologies, along with a robust database management system.

4. Choose the Right Set of Features

This is an essential step as selecting the right set of features will determine the usability of the online language learning platform. Here is the list of important features of an online language learning website. 

  • Audio/video chat feature enables the tutors and students to interact with one another. There are various third-party APIs to integrate this functionality in an online language learning platform such as AtomChat, Lessonspace, Zoom, and more.
  • Screen sharing feature in online language learning offers the flexibility to present lessons, assignments, and learning materials to everyone present in the online classroom.
  • Real-time translation of text messages helps the students and tutors save time and effort and enhances the communication between them. 
  • Virtual whiteboards, screen recording, and discussion forums are some of the collaborative features that facilitate interactive learning. 
  • Calendar availability functionality enables learners to seamlessly book sessions with the tutors as per their availability. 
  • Ratings and reviews functionality make it easy for the learners to leave feedback for the tutors and it also helps the platform in building credibility in the market. 
  • Multiple payment options facilitate easy payment processing and provide convenience to the learners while buying their sessions.
  • Advanced search filters make it convenient for learners to find what they are searching for on the platform. Moreover, different search filter criteria narrow down their search and save a lot of their time.

5. Consider Other Impeccable Features to Stand Out From Competitors

There are some other impeccable features that enable learners to get trained in a versatile environment and increase productivity to a greater extent. Let’s discuss.

  • Easy-To-Use Interface: User-friendliness helps in enhancing the user experience and satisfaction on the platform. Create an online language learning website that is easy to navigate and users are easily able to find what they are looking for on the platform. This will contribute significantly to the future growth of your online language learning platform.
  • Multilingual/Multicurrency: As the language learning platform will have users from around the world, it is important to integrate the multilingual and multi-currency features. It allows the users to be comfortable under their own skin, explore more conveniently, and develop their learning/teaching skills. Localization features improve communication and clarity in learning, eventually increasing the engagement rate.
  • SEO Friendly: The best way to get users to your language learning platform is through a solid search engine optimization strategy. It is essential for the visibility of your business, especially when you are part of a saturated market like online language learning.
  • Secure: Users these days are exceedingly concerned about their privacy and security which makes it essential for language learning platforms to comply with the GDPR policies. Having a GDPR-compliant platform builds the trust of the customers in the platform and improves brand positioning.
  • PWA: Users these days are burned out by all the necessary apps that are available in app stores. Having a PWA of the language learning platform will eliminate the hassle of downloading the app from the app store. In reality, PWAs are web pages that act like apps on mobile devices. They use offline push notifications and can be added to the homepage on mobile devices.  

Build a Feature-Packed Language Learning Platform

6. Include Important Pages in the Language Learning Platform

Before actually starting to build a language learning platform, it is essential to keep in mind that the design of the platform is key to providing learners with the best learning experience possible. Discussed below are some prominent pages that should be included in the language learning platform along with how they should be designed.

  • Homepage

The homepage of a language learning website should have a simplified and intuitive design so that all the offerings are conveyed in an effortless manner. The best shot in this context is an eye-catching and informative first-fold area that allows visitors to navigate the website further. Some suggestions on how the home page should look like:

  • Place important links such as classes, tutors, signup, etc. in the top navigation bar.
  • Put on a catchy message on the website banner.
  • Use a background image in the banner to make it more attractive.
  • Implement a ‘Get Started’ button that leads a user to the signup page. Then ask users which language they are fluent in and which languages they want to learn.
  • Feature popular language learning classes, top teachers, and testimonials of learners.
  • Other than that, the footer area should feature quick links to various content-based pages like FAQs, about us, blog, and social media handles.
  • Classes Page

As for the layout and design of the Classes landing page, it should unlock a whole new range of options for learners. Below is a list of suggestions that you need to pay attention to while designing this page:

  • The page right away should tell learners about the classes, their types, and access level.
  • Live sessions should be featured at the top of the page.
  • Other classes (for private lessons) can be featured below.
  • There should be an option to filter results based on the language they want to learn, level of difficulty, and tutor of their choice.
  • Classes results should be featured with useful information such as class name, language, difficulty level, lesson description, tutor’s name, and class timings.

In addition to this, the language learning platform should support different types of classes. Here are the most common types of language learning classes.

  • Live Sessions: Live online classes for the most popular languages that users can access but cannot join.
  • Private Classes: Private sessions that tutor and learner schedule beforehand.
  • Class Recordings: Recordings of past sessions that can be accessed by learners once a tutor provides them the access.
  •  Tutors’ Page

This page will feature the tutors listed on the website. Like the classes page, the tutors’ page should also list tutors with a brief introduction and relevant filtering and sorting options. Here are the elements that the tutors’ page shouldn’t miss:

  • Filter tutor results based on the language(s) they speak and teach, price, and availability.
  • Sorting options based on popularity and price.
  • View general information about teachers like name, a short introduction, rating, nationality, language expertise, etc.
  • Options to visit tutor profiles, book a demo class, and message them.

In addition to this, a tutor profile page in a language learning platform should offer detailed information about the tutor helping learners make an informed decision while choosing a tutor. A tutor profile page should have elements somewhat similar to this:

  • Tutor’s resume highlighting his/her career achievements.
  • Tutor’s demo video.
  • Tutor’s general information like nationality, total experience, overall rating, etc.
  • Option to recommend the tutor to a friend via social media (Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn) or through email.
  • Tutor’s private lessons fee.
  • Option to book a lesson by the tutor (trial/paid).
  • Tutor’s availability calendar to book a session.
  • Tutor’s reviews and ratings from past students.
  •  Tutor Signup Page

The page for tutors to signup on a language learning platform should be simple consisting of the following elements:

  • Benefits of tutoring on the website
  • Testimonials by existing tutors
  • FAQ section that addresses general queries a user may have when becoming a tutor; for instance, how tutors get paid, how to create a class, etc.
  • And, a registration form to apply to teach.

The registration form for becoming a tutor should include the following details:

  • Personal and contact information
  • Languages they want to teach
  • A demo video
  • Professional experience and certifications

PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM FOR LISTING ONESELF AS A LANGUAGE TEACHER ON AN ONLINE LANGUAGE LEARNING PLATFORM

  • Learners’ Page

The language learning platform should have the following value-added features for the learners.

  • A dashboard to have a visual display of all the important links like lessons (upcoming, scheduled, unscheduled, canceled, completed), previous tutors, and much more at a glance.
  • Students should be able to browse and search for tutors as per their requirements by applying various filters such as language, price, proficiency level, accent, experience, gender, etc.
  • There should be an online wallet for the students to make the process of purchasing lessons/Giftcards a hassle-free one.
  • The students should be able to mark their favorite teachers.
  • Most importantly, students should be able to edit/update their profile information like personal information, avatar, email, password, and much more.

PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM FOR BOOKING & SCHEDULING A CLASS

  • Powerful User-Level Dashboards

In addition to the pages mentioned above, there should be powerful user-level dashboards as they act as a centralized place to see information such as progress, classes scheduled, classes completed, goals met, and so on. The three interactive dashboards include a learner dashboard (mentioned above), a tutor dashboard, and an admin dashboard.

  • Learner Dashboard: Displays the wallet balance, number of classes, number of lessons scheduled, upcoming lessons with the options for canceling, rescheduling, entering the classroom, and so on.
  • Tutor Dashboard: Displays total earnings via charts, upcoming lessons, availability calendar, and so on. It also features history, account settings, discussion forums, and more.
  • Admin Dashboard: Displays the stats for total revenue, admin earnings, total lessons, completed lessons, canceled lessons, total users, top-class languages, and so on. Using the dashboard admin gets complete control to manage the language learning platform. It also features user management, order management, CMS management, settings management, reports and analytics, and so much more.

7. Different Approaches to Launch Your Online Language Learning Platform 

The next step is to develop and launch the language learning platform. Primarily there are two approaches:

  • Custom Development

Custom development involves building your online language learning website from scratch. A team of developers and designers would implement your business idea and would launch your marketplace in the industry. In this development process, a high financial investment is required. Moreover, the time of development may vary from a few months to even years. 

  • Ready-made Software Solution

These are off-the-shelf software solutions that have in-built industry-specific features and functionalities. Ready-made software solutions are highly efficient and cost-effective. Moreover, they have quick time-to-market and provide a competitive advantage in the industry. Yo!Coach is one such popular and reliable ready-made software available in the industry that you can consider to launch your online language learning website.

8. Market the Platform 

Marketing after the launch of a language learning platform is pivotal. It helps in building brand awareness to attract both language tutors and learners. Several marketing channels can be utilized such as:

  • Social media
  • SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
  • Email marketing
  • Advertisements

Cost To Build a Language Learning Website Like Verbling

The cost involved in building a language learning website like Verbling may vary depending on various factors such as development approach (custom development or ready-made software), feature requirements, customization requirements (if any), design complexity, API integrations, and more.  

However, the cost involved in development is the major part of the financial investment you would make. If you choose custom development, the cost of developing your online language learning website may vary in the range of $40,000-$300,000+. On the other hand, if you opt for ready-made software, the total investment may vary from $5,000 to $100,000.

Moreover, some other charges such as hosting fees, application subscriptions, maintenance fees, and more may also be incurred by platform owners after the platform is launched. 

How Yo!Coach Can Help In Launching The Website Cost-Effectively

Yo!Coach is a popular ready-made software that helps you launch your online language learning website effortlessly and cost-effectively. It is a fully customizable and highly scalable software. Yo!Coach has served around 1000+ clients worldwide and has an overall rating of 4 out of 5 at various software advising platforms. 

Reasons Why Yo!Coach is a Cost-Effective Ready-Made Software:

White-label Ready-made software: Yo!Coach is a white-label ready-made software that makes it easy to design your online learning website as per your branding needs. You can easily add logo designs, and change color and themes as per your needs without investing separately. 

One-time purchase: Purchase Yo!Coach by paying once and you are ready to launch your online language learning website in the market. No need to pay any recurring charges. 

Lifetime license: Once you purchase this ready-made software you can own your online language-learning platform for a lifetime. 

Pre-Integrated APIs: Yo!Coach comes pre-integrated with 10+ APIs including video conferencing tools, payment gateway APIs, currency conversion APIs, translator APIs, and more. Pre-integrated applications help avoid the hassle and reduce the cost involved with API integration. 

Pre-Built advanced industry-specific features: This is an advanced software solution that comes pre-integrated with a vast array of industry-specific features and functionalities. No need to integrate any other features as Yo!Coach already comprises of latest features that are essential for effectively running an online language learning platform. Overall, you can take advantage of the rich functionalities and capabilities of Yo!Coach without breaking the bank. 

Intuitive design: Yo!Coach offers an intuitive and user-friendly UX/UI design without the need to invest anything extra in the design of the platform. The pre-built design is already a streamlined and easy-to-use design. 

Explore The Rich Functionalities Of Yo!Coach With Our Experts

Language Learning Platforms Built with Yo!Coach 

Yo!Coach has served 1000+ clients all over the world. It can cater to 10+ business models and 15+ online learning niches. Many education entrepreneurs have successfully entered this highly competitive industry by launching their online learning platform with Yo!Coach. Here are some of the successful online language learning platforms built with Yo!Coach. 

Valingo – USA 

Valingo is a French and English learning platform built with Yo!Coach. By leveraging Yo!Coach’s advanced capabilities, Valingo is efficiently catering to language learners. Since its launch, numerous learners have used this platform for their language learning needs. 

Language Center of Congo – USA 

This US-based language learning platform enables individuals to learn any language spoken in DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) from anywhere around the world.  Built with Yo!Coach, Language Center of Congo platform is successfully catering to the needs of the learners. 

Language Explorer – Italy

Powered by Yo!Coach, Language Explorer team can allow its users to effectively communicate and collaborate with tutors for their language learning needs. They are successfully offering an interactive learning environment for users on the platform. 

Syllable Space – USA 

Syllable Space is an online language learning platform that helps learners connect with experienced language learning instructors. Leveraging the features such as advanced search filters, video conferencing, session booking and scheduling, discussion forum, and more, they could offer an intuitive experience on the platform. 

Client Testimonials: Building Trust From The Ground Up

Yo!Coach offers the best to its clients and it shows! Watch this video to know what Yo!Coach’s clients have to say about the software and services offered by them.

Closing Thoughts

Building a unique language learning portal requires in-depth planning about key features. There is no need to compete with the already existing language learning businesses like Verbling, as they are already established in the market. All a new business needs to do is discover the untapped potential and create a solution for it. The best solution is to come up with an MVP and validate the business idea. This is where Yo!Coach can come into play.

Yo!Coach enables entrepreneurs to build an online language learning platform with all the advanced features mentioned above. The software is open to customizations and can be tailored as per the business requirements. Its live demo is also available to get hands-on experience. Explore how Yo!Coach has helped its clients in transforming their business ideas into profitable ventures. View Portfolio

Want To Know more about Yo!Coach?

FAQ’s 

Q1. What are other top platforms similar to Verbling? Can Yo!Coach be customized to build similar online language learning platforms?

Ans. Some of the top platforms similar to Verbling are:

  • Cambly
  • Preply
  • Italki
  • Memrise
  • Mango Languages

Yo!Coach is already a feature-rich ready-made software to launch your online language learning platform. However, if you have any specific requirements and need feature integration then Yo!Coach team can implement those enhancements seamlessly.

Q2. Is Yo!Coach scalable?

Ans. Indeed. Yo!Coach is a highly scalable software and it can efficiently cater to your future growth. Moreover, there is no limitation on number of users that you can onboard on your platform with Yo!Coach.

Q3. Do we get source code ownership with Yo!Coach?

Ans. Yes. Yo!Coach provides source code ownership which helps platform owners easily make any future enhancements on their platform if required.

Q4. Does Yo!Coach offer ready-made whitelabel language learning apps?

Ans. Yes, Yo!Coach offers a user-friendly, and feature-rich language learning app for learners that facilitates learning on the go.

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Comments (5)
shahin naghizadeh

hi ,
i want an online language learning video chat platform for mobile applications (ios/android) and website .
can you help me ?

Web Designing Company Denver, CO

Thanks for sharing such an amazing blog. I must say you are doing a great job. Keep doing such hard work. Your blogs are really very informative. Keep posting! Good Luck for your upcoming updates.

Joe

Different interfaces for different user types is a smart idea. Also, I have used CometChat so I believe that integrating it on your website can develop a viable online tutoring store (only if the tutors keep the pricing right).