So you’ve decided to pursue an online marketing career, but where should you start? Should you get a technical degree in web design, or should you develop your talents on the side? There are plenty of options for those who want to learn the ropes of online marketing. However, with so much information online, it can be hard to know where to start.

Fortunately, you can start by taking online courses from the best educators in the industry. With so many choices, it’s hard to know which one-on-one online marketing course is right for you. If you’re looking for an overview of the subject, check out these top five courses, which you can take online.

Top 5 Online Courses For 2016

Here are the top five online courses for 2016, as rated by Course Rankings.com.

1. Digital Marketing & E-commerce Strategy

The first step to taking an online course is to find a reputable institution that offers the course you’re interested in. This way, you can be sure that you’ll be learning from the best. After you’ve found the course you want to take, you can begin researching the various topics covered in the course. You can also look into the various prerequisites for the course, as some courses cover more information than others. Once you know what you’re getting into, you can begin preparing for the various tests and assessments that may be included in the course.

2. Online Marketing & Digital PR

According to Course Rankings.com, one of the most in-demand courses in online marketing is Digital Marketing & E-commerce Strategy. With so much competition in today’s digital world, entrepreneurs and businesses need to find ways to stand out from the crowd. That’s where digital marketing comes in. As the name would suggest, this course will teach you everything you need to know about marketing on the internet, where most people are searching for information rather than buying a product. You’ll learn about SEO and content strategy, along with the various platforms like social media and email marketing. This is a great option for those who want to continue their education in digital marketing but don’t have the time to commit to a full-time program. Since this is one of the most popular courses among learners, it’s a good idea to enroll in an accredited institution to get the best possible results.

3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

One of the most in-demand courses in SEO is Search Engine Optimization. This is a combination of marketing and technology, which makes it a unique course. That’s because marketing and technology courses usually go hand-in-hand. However, with SEO, you’ll be learning how to optimize websites for the major search engines like Google and Bing. You’ll learn the various metrics, including keyword research, which make up a successful SEO campaign. This is a great option for those looking to kickstart their career in SEO or for anyone who wants to learn this crucial marketing technique. Many marketers consider SEO to be the basis of all online marketing, because it’s so integral to driving traffic to your website.

4. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

Sometimes, all a website needs is a good bounce rate (the percentage of visitors who only visit one page on your site and then leave). For those looking to increase their conversions (the percentage of visitors who complete a specific task or action after hitting your site), they can try conversion rate optimization. In other words, you can train your visitors to behave in a certain way or buy a certain product through various methods, including search engine marketing, email marketing, and social media. This means you’ll be learning how to drive traffic to your site and encouraging them to take a specific action. For example, if you want to learn how to increase the odds that your visitors will make a purchase, you can take a course in conversion rate optimization. This type of course will introduce you to marketing automation, such as email marketing and landing pages.

5. Social Media Marketing (SMM)

For those who want to get started on the right foot in social media marketing, they can take the Specialty Program in Social Media Marketing. This is one of the top five courses in online marketing because it teaches you the basics of social media management. That means you’ll be learning how to create a social media strategy, build a following on different platforms, and use marketing analytics to track the effectiveness of your campaign.

More Than Meets the Eye

The above courses are among the top five in online marketing because they’re among the most in-demand courses in the subject. However, that doesn’t mean that they’re the only options out there. In fact, there are plenty of other courses available to those who want to dive into the field. For example, if you’re looking for a full-stack option, you could take a course in web application development or a marketing analytics course. With so much information available online, you can learn just about anything you want to learn, whenever you want to learn it. The choice is entirely up to you.

Enrolling in an online course is a great way to learn digital marketing. However, make sure that the institution you choose is reputable and has a good standing in the industry. Moreover, make sure that the curriculum is up-to-date and that the instructors have plenty of real-world experience. With so much competition, it’s imperative to be sure that you’re learning from the best.