Hi! I’m Mai-sensei.
I am a Japanese tutor on Preply, but I believe the same ideas apply to English teachers as well. That’s why I’ve translated this article, originally written in Japanese, into English.
Actually, I used Preply for a long time as a student before becoming a tutor.
That’s why I clearly understand what students look for when choosing a teacher.
So I’ll start with the conclusion.
Try using Preply as a student first!! 😄👇👇👇
⭐ Why using Preply as a student really helps
There’s another big benefit to this.
Students usually assume that all tutors fully understand how Preply works.
They often ask questions like:
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What payment methods are available?
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How can I take lessons on fixed days each week?
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Is Preply subscription-only?
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What should I do if I want to take a break for a while?
These questions come up all the time.
Of course, the “correct” answer might be,
“Please contact Preply support.”
But because I used Preply very actively as a student, I’ve never had a question from a student that I couldn’t answer on the spot.
When a tutor can answer immediately, students tend to feel,
“This teacher is reliable.”
That alone builds trust.
So again, I really recommend using Preply as a student.
⭐ What students actually care about
When you’re registered as a tutor, you tend to focus on things like:
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Search ranking
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How many lessons other tutors have
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How many students you currently teach
And when bookings don’t come in, it’s easy to panic and lower your price.
This is a bad cycle.
Because I use Preply as a student, I try to remember what I look at when choosing a tutor.
I went through a lot of trial and error myself, so I’ll share the points I personally focus on.
⭐ Low prices are NOT as important as you think
I feel many online tutors fall into this trap.
Of course, when a tutor has zero teaching history, students may feel unsure.
(That said, I’m a bit unusual. Sometimes I preferred choosing a newer tutor and growing together with them rather than picking a super experienced one. 😄 There are all kinds of students out there, so opportunities are endless.)
However, attracting students only by lowering your price is risky.
Setting a very low price might work for the first 50–100 lessons.
Cheap lessons usually get bookings, but many bookings do not equal popularity.
Here’s why:
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Students who prefer very cheap lessons are often casual learners
→ they quit after a few lessons or aren’t very committed -
Some students jump from tutor to tutor
→ I noticed this through conversations with students -
Many students just want a few lessons before traveling
→ they also quit quickly -
You get many bookings but earn very little
→ you slowly burn out (at first, the excitement hides the fatigue 😅)
On top of that, on Preply, the first lesson fee goes entirely to the platform.
So if a student only takes a trial or quits after a few lessons, it hurts.
The real challenge is this:
Can you keep getting bookings even when your price is higher than average?
If yes, that means students see value beyond price.
They think, “This tutor is worth paying more for.”
When students choose you, not just your price, they tend to stay longer.
Of course, if your profile looks exactly the same as cheaper tutors, students will choose the cheaper one. That’s natural.
Just like products: if the same item is sold at a dollar store, most people will buy it there.
When students choose you because you’re cheap, the main factor is the price, not you.
That’s not ideal.
So it’s important to graduate from the “cheap price zone” as soon as possible by finding something unique about yourself.
It doesn’t have to be anything big:
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You’re great at morning lessons or late-night lessons
→ less competition -
People often ask you for directions
→ you look approachable! Show that in your photo -
You’re rarely sick
→ fewer lesson changes build trust
(I catch colds a lot, though 😅)
Small things are enough.
Recognize your strengths and highlight them.
This builds trust not only with new students but also with long-term ones.
⭐ Time slots are extremely important
Even if a tutor is perfect, if their lessons are only open while students are sleeping, bookings won’t happen.
I experienced this many times as a student and felt disappointed.
You don’t need to push yourself too hard, especially if teaching is a side job.
But if you only match your schedule, you may miss many opportunities.
I live in Japan, so my situation may differ, but for reference:
I open my schedule from 10 a.m. to late night (Japan time), and there are clear time slots where bookings happen more often.
When you’re starting out, I recommend opening as many time slots as possible and observing patterns.
For English teachers, Asia is a huge market, so consider time zones carefully.
⭐ Invest in a professional profile photo
Your profile photo is extremely important.
Unfortunately, appearance matters a lot on online platforms.
But this doesn’t mean only young or “good-looking” teachers succeed.
Some students prefer older teachers, calm teachers, or kind-looking teachers.
What matters is not your looks, but whether your strengths
(smile, kindness, brightness, calmness) are clearly shown.
A professional photographer can help with that.
I hired a professional photographer and even asked others,
“Does this look like a language teacher?”
Then I chose the best photo.
Editing apps are easy to use now, but over-editing to look “beautiful” usually backfires. It looks unnatural.
A warm person should look warm.
A cheerful person should look cheerful.
On search pages, information is limited.
Your photo is the first thing students see.
No matter how great your profile text or qualifications are, if students don’t click your profile, they won’t see any of it.
Personally, when choosing a tutor, I look at things in this order:
Photo → Price → Video → Profile text
If the overall value feels high, I book even if the price is slightly above my budget.
One more thing:
Some tutors look kind in photos but sound cold or scary in videos.
I skip them immediately.
That’s why I recorded my video with lots of energy 😄
Smile so much your face hurts. That’s about right.
⭐ Language ability matters more than you think
Do you think being a native speaker is enough to be a language tutor?
Or that having a teaching certificate guarantees bookings?
Online lessons are:
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One-on-one
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Limited to audio and video
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Often with beginners who can’t communicate well in English
In this environment, lessons conducted only in English can be very stressful for many students.
Online lessons are different from language schools for international students.
Students can quit very easily.
If they feel, “This lesson isn’t good,” they leave.
Several of my students told me they tried other tutors but couldn’t communicate, so the lesson didn’t work at all.
Improving your language skills overnight is hard.
But on online platforms, changing tutors is extremely easy.
On Preply, students can even transfer remaining credits to another tutor.
So I strongly recommend improving your own language skills with this mindset:
“I’ll grow together with my students.”
⭐ Final thoughts
Today, I wrote about what to do when bookings don’t come in.
When things don’t go well, it’s easy to lose the student’s perspective.
Of course, some things like algorithms are out of our control.
But if you improve one thing at a time, results will come.
I know this because it worked for me.
If you try learning Japanese or Chinese as a student yourself, you may discover many new insights.
If you’re struggling with bookings on Preply, why not try becoming a student once?
If you sign up for Preply as a student through the logo below, you can get 30% off your trial lesson!👇👇👇
Thank you very much for reading!
