By Cursum 
Are you on the lookout for a new online learning platform to house your online academy? Finding the right e-learning platform can take a while. Because what is the best online learning platform really?
An online learning platform should support your existing processes and integrate with your existing systems. But you might also have other specific requirements for your e-learning platform.
In recent years, many new e-learning platforms have surfaced. Having many choices to choose from is great, but many options can also make it difficult to figure out what the best option for your business is.
Hopefully this blog post will make your search for the right online learning platform easier. Below we suggest what you need to pay attention to when choosing your new platform.
Choose an online learning platform that matches your needs
The right e-learning platform for you is not necessarily equal to the best one on the market. In fact, finding the right online learning platform means choosing a platform that matches your criteria and needs.
In the following, we’ve listed a few things you should be aware of when choosing your new learning platform. Use below items as a guideline, but start by establishing which elements from the list are most important to your business.
What is an online learning platform, and what should it contain?
Before you start looking for a new online learning platform, ask yourself what exactly you’ll be using it for.
Your e-learning platform must, of course, contain all your online courses. At the same time, it’s also your best means to create a good and engaging learning experience for course participants such as employees or business partners.
In a previous blog post about online learning platforms we suggest your platform should always aid you in the primary processes of:
In most forms of online learning, courses are the main essence. So, focus on this part of the e-learning platform when you start your research. It’s important to know that your platform will allow you to create exactly the type of course you need.
Is it, for example, possible to create your own courses from scratch? Or does the platform come with ready-to-sell content? And can you create the exact structure and visualization of your courses that you want?
Of other elements worth considering in addition to course creation, we can also mention:
- A high level of user-friendliness
- White labeling of the e-learning platform
- Data and results overview options
- Gamification and similar learning content compatibility
User-friendliness, user-friendliness, user-friendliness
We cannot stress it enough: user-friendliness is the main ingredient in a good online learning platform.
Smart features are superfluous if neither you nor your users can figure out how to use the platform. Above all, an e-learning platform must be easy to use for everyone.
When you haven’t yet experienced the platform in real life, it can of course be difficult to know how user-friendly it is. One solution, however, is to request a demo of the platform before making your decision. This way, you can assess whether it’s easy to navigate or not.
Make your online learning platform recognizable and personal
Regardless of whether your online learning platform is to be used internally or externally, the option of white labeling the platform can be an important criterion.
White labeling gives you the opportunity to personalize your platform. For example, upload your logo and let your brand colors shine through your course content as well as other parts of the platform.
This is a great way to make yourself recognizable and build trust between you and your course participants and business partners. And at the same time, white labeling also gives your partners the opportunity to transfer their brand design to their learning.
Manage your data
A steep learning curve is always preferred. But for this to be possible, it’s important to keep an eye on both data and results.
An optimal online learning platform should therefore preferably provide a good user data overview. So, be sure to look into whether the e-learning platform allows you to manage and follow the development of your employees or trainees through reporting tools.
This is especially important if you want to continuously improve your online academy and the overall learning experience – and we strongly recommend you to do so.
Choose a learning platform that can enhance the learning experience
Many smart features and available add-on modules aren’t enough reason to choose a specific online learning platform. Instead, figure out which features best benefit your course material and participants. And only select add-on modules that, you know, will make a difference to your users’ learning experience. When it comes to good and engaging learning, gamification is in many cases a sure winner.
With gamification, you can introduce game elements to your courses to create greater engagement and motivation among your course participants. However, not all e-learning platforms give you the option to add gamification. So, be sure to take this into consideration as well.
Can the e-learning platform be easily integrated?
Last but not least, the most important thing is that all practical aspects of your platform are in order.
Your online learning platform should be easy to integrate into your organization, current processes, and with your current systems. For the vast majority of platforms, this is a matter of course. But how easily a platform integrates varies.
An easy integration and a smooth interaction with your other systems and processes is, however, important for a smooth beginning. So, ask about integrations before signing the contract.
Are you ready to choose?
Are you still not sure what the best online learning platform is for you? At Cursum, we offer a platform that can be tailored to your exact needs. And we’re always ready if you need advice or sparring.
We also always offer a free demo of our platform in order for you to experience it in real life before deciding.
All that’s left to do now is to wish you a good platform-hunt!
