Courses online are easy (or at least easier) than their face-to-face counterparts.

This is not correct, since for the online courses, the exact same objectives are incorporated into the class, and the same learning expectations exist for the enrolled students. It is not a different course. It is the same class moved to a different delivery mode. What will change? The pedagogical tools will be different. You may go about teaching a concept using different resources and a different style, but you are still teaching the same concept. You may assess student outcomes in a different way, but you are still expecting the same outcomes that match the same objectives. The only easier part of the process is the asynchronous nature of the class. The requirement, for the most part, to be together as a class in one place at one time is not present.

Teaching online takes less effort on the part of the instructor.

If you think you won't be involved in getting to know your students, answering questions, etc., think again. Much of the outcome of a class is a direct result of the involvement of the instructor. Email will be a major tool for making this happen, and writing coherent email does take time. You may not be preparing a lecture for each class period since the instruction is already online, but you will be preparing answers, grading work, participating in discussions, and responding to email almost daily, or in some cases, daily. This is part of the reasoning for keeping the enrollment of these courses quite limited. Administration often thinks that since it is online, and we don't have to provide a physical seat in a room, the course size can be unlimited. If quality is the goal, the size must be limited. Take time to read "I'm Your Teacher - Not Your Internet Service Provider" by Ellen Laird on her experiences in being an online teacher.