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Best E-commerce and Digital Marketing Courses | inSyte Blog

Mastering the Art: Discover the Best E-commerce and Digital Marketing Courses

Whether you’re a business owner or an aspiring marketer, there’s never been a better time to get into digital marketing.

The industry is booming, and there are literally thousands of good courses out there to teach you the skills you need to join in.

So if you want to further your education in E-Commerce and Digital Marketing, the question is which do you choose?

We’re going to go over the 5 best digital marketing courses you should consider taking to teach you the essential skills you need to get started. 

Another great thing about digital marketing education is that there’s a wide breadth of content out there.

The best stuff is usually behind a paywall, but there are also some great free resources out there.

That’s why we’ve arranged them in order of lowest to highest cost, starting with two amazing free resources anyone can check out.

So you can decide how much you want to pay for a start. 

Whatever you choose, make sure it matches your needs in terms of price, duration and the content inside. 

If you’re confused about the lingo at any point, check out our e-commerce marketing dictionary for help. 

Best Free SEO Course: Moz – Beginner’s Guide to SEO

About: 

Software company Moz originally launched as SEOmoz, a community built around some of the first SEO experts in the world.

This is also when they launched the first iteration of this guide, the Beginner’s Guide to SEO.

Since then they’ve grown to become one of the leading providers of software designed to aid in SEO strategies, but they still maintain the guide as one of the best free resources for learning the basics of SEO on the internet. 

Cost: 

Free! 

Duration: 

Variable (go at your own pace). 

Topics Covered: 

  • SEO 101 
  • How Search Engines Work
  • Keyword Research
  • On-site Optimisation
  • Technical SEO
  • Link Building and Establishing Authority
  • Measuring, Prioritising and Executing SEO

Who It’s For: 

If you’re looking for a free foundation on the topic of SEO, it’s hard to beat this guide by Moz. 

It goes over the fundamentals of SEO in an easily understandable way that can serve as a great foundation on the topic to let you take on a harder course, or get started experimenting yourself. 

You’re also able to set your own pace because it’s a self-learning resource. 

You can quickly read through the entire course for a basic education, or do a deep dive into all the additional resources they suggest reading.

It’s up to you.

Whatever you do, it’s hard to beat the incredible value offering of free resources like the Beginner’s Guide to SEO by Moz. 

Best Free Certified Courses: HubSpot Academy

About:

HubSpot is another software company that puts out great free resources for digital marketers. 

Their focus is on providing a variety of different short courses on digital marketing that let you earn certifications on some of them. 

They’re great because the courses are all very professionally put together, and you can’t beat the price.

The fact that you have something to show for it at the end is just an added bonus. 

The courses may not be as comprehensive as the paid options, but they all serve as great entry points into the topics they cover. 

They also have a lot of courses for learning Hubspot’s own software programs, if that’s something you’re interested in using. 

Cost:

Free!

Duration: 

Around 1 – 4 hours per course.

Topics Covered: 

  • Inbound Marketing
  • SEO
  • Email Marketing
  • Hubspot Software Training
  • Business Analytics
  • Content Strategy
  • Digital Advertising
  • And More. 

Who It’s For:

If you want a great free foundation in a variety of digital marketing topics, look no further than HubSpot Academy.  

It lets you earn a variety of free certifications which can serve as a great foundation for any digital marketing education. 

The courses are self-contained and can all be done in a single day, depending on how you manage your time, so there’s really no downside to taking one or two. 

Check it out and see if they have a course on a topic you’re interested in. 

Best Flexible Paid Course: Coursera – Digital Marketing Specialization

About:

Coursera is an online learning platform that lets you take a variety of university certified courses remotely through their platform. 

They offer a great course on digital marketing created by the University of Illinois in the USA. 

We like this program in particular because it’s practically minded and ends with the opportunity to apply your new skills to a project based on a real-world business scenario.

Coursera is the most flexible of all the paid options on this list, as their payment model is subscription-based.

You’re free to take the modules at your own pace, and you can even cancel your subscription if you’re going to be unable to take classes for a while.

This course in particular also forms part of a larger degree offered by the University of Illinois, the Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

So it’s a great choice if you want to get a head start on your online MBA one day. 

Cost: 

$79 per month (Approximately R1 300 at the time of writing). 

Duration: 

Approximately 8 months at 5 hours per week. 

Topics Covered: 

  • Marketing in a Digital World
  • Digital Marketing Analytics in Theory
  • Digital Marketing Analytics in Practice
  • Digital Media and Marketing Principles
  • Digital Media and Marketing Strategies
  • Marketing in and Analogue World
  • Digital Marketing Capstone

Who It’s For: 

If you’re looking for a good paid resource with formal evaluations, and the opportunity to earn a formal degree later down the line, look no further than the Coursera Digital Marketing Specialisation.

It’s a great choice for when you’ve exhausted what free resources can give you, and you want a flexible paid option. 

Best Overall Beginner Paid Course: Simplilearn – Digital Marketing Specialist Master’s Program

About:

Simplilearn is an online education platform targeted at professionals looking to learn new skills and become certified in them. 

This program is rather pricey, but it’s the most comprehensive and professional option on this list by far.

You get formal certificates for each course of the program you complete and at the end, you have an impressive library of digital marketing skills that can translate into real-world value for you. 

It’s definitely not for beginners, it’s aimed at people who already have a solid understanding of the basics of digital marketing and want to become full digital marketing professionals. 

It’s a great choice if you want a formal qualification to back up your digital marketing skills.

You should note that despite the terminology it is not a formal Master’s degree. 

While it is expensive, it’s still nowhere near the price of a university degree for a comparable quality of education. 

Overall it’sone of the best digital marketing courses you can take if you don’t mind paying for it.

Cost: 

$1500 (Approximately R25 000 at the time of writing). 

Duration: 

1 year. 

Topics Covered: 

  • Mastering SEO, PPC, Content Marketing and Digital Analytics
  • Mastering Social Media, Mobile Marketing and Digital Strategy
  • Advanced Web Analytics
  • Advanced SEO
  • Advanced PPC Certification Program
  • Advanced Social Media

Who It’s For: 

If you have a solid foundation in digital marketing and you want to take your career or education to the next level, it’s hard to find better value for money than the Simplilearn Digital Marketing Specialist Master’s Program. 

It’s a comprehensive university-quality course at a fraction of the cost and you can finish it in only a year. 

If you want the best value for money formal qualification, this might be it. 

Best Digital Marketing Masters Degree: Digital Marketing Institute – Certified Digital Marketing Master

About: 

The Digital Marketing Institute (DMI) is an online education platform focused exclusively on digital marketing education. 

They offer a wide variety of accreditation and degrees in the field and are quickly becoming one of the premier choices for digital marketing education. 

The degree we’ve highlighted is a masters degree in digital marketing, designed to teach you skills to be at the very top of your field.

It is a formal Master’s degree, so you do need some form of an undergraduate degree and at least 1 year of digital marketing experience to take it. 

It’s also by far the most expensive option on this list, but for the price, you get one of the most prestigious and high-level qualifications in digital marketing possible.

Once you’ve mastered everything else, this is your final step in being at the top of your game. 

Cost: 

$11 515 (Approximately R190 000 at the time of writing). 

Duration: 

2 years. 

Topics Covered: 

  • Communications and Consumer
  • Search Marketing
  • Mobile Marketing
  • Social Media Marketing
  • eCommerce and Email
  • Digital Strategy and Planning 

Who It’s For: 

If you’ve already got a degree and experience in digital marketing, and you’re looking to stand out from the crowd this is a great way to formalise your expertise in the field. 

The DMI Certified Digital Marketing Master programme is among the most prestigious high-level digital marketing degrees you can take, so it’s sure to boost your skills above the competition. 

Conclusion

We hope that helped you decide the best digital marketing courses you should take to further your education next year.

Whether you’re an e-commerce store owner or a professional marketer, it’s always worth furthering your own learning on the subject to get a leg up over the competition. 

This article was brought to you by Syte. We’re e-commerce digital marketing specialists obsessed with driving up your bottom line. If you’d like to get in touch with us, feel free to reach out with the form below. 

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