Choosing an LMS for WordPress: The Ultimate Guide

Are you considering creating and selling online courses? Are you also considering using WordPress as the CMS? If so, you’ll need a reliable Learning Management System (LMS) to manage and deliver your courses effectively. With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to choose the right LMS for your needs. In this ultimate guide, we will explore the key factors you should consider when choosing an LMS for WordPress.

We are going to assume you are using WordPress as your platform and base for your LMS. A few reasons to choose WordPress over other LMS Tools like Thinkific, Teachable or Kajabi are:

• Complete control over the entire site
• Complete control over your content
• Complete control over your own backups
• Complete control over the look and feel of your site
• Complete control of SEO and Site Speed
• Complete control of integrations
• Ability to customize everything and anything on your site

I realize that its almost like comparing apples and oranges by comparing LMS services like Kajabi and WordPress, however, using WordPress as the basis for your platform makes setting up an LMS plugin like WP Courseware so much more flexible and powerful.

Assuming you are going with WordPress as your content management system of choice, what should you look for in a WordPress LMS plugin?

Here are the most important factors you should consider:

Ease of Use

One of the most important factors to consider is the ease of use. As a course creator, you want a user-friendly LMS that doesn’t require extensive technical skills to set up and manage. Look for a system that offers an intuitive interface and provides clear instructions for course creation, student management, and other essential tasks.

It’s true what they say, “Sometimes less is more”. Have you ever been to a restaurant where the menu is around 10 pages long? Yikes! 😱 The problem is that making a selection for dinner will likely take 3 hours. There are too many options! When choosing an LMS, make sure it has the the essential features, and make sure that the user interface is as easy as drag and drop. You shouldn’t have to earn a PhD in order to use the LMS.

Some of the big names like Kajabi and Thinkific have hundreds of features that spill into marketing, promotion, CRM, however, an LMS should really do one thing well. That one thing is to deliver courses that drive student learning and success.

Interactive Elements

Interactive elements are crucial for engaging learners and promoting active participation. Look for an LMS that allows you to incorporate quizzes, surveys and interactive multimedia elements into your courses. These features will help keep your students motivated and ensure a meaningful learning experience.

Quizzes are a great way to help students to retain information because it forces students to study and engage with the course material. You could have short quizzes after each course unit, or perhaps one quiz at the end of each module or both. In any case, this will help your student retain information and better understand what they learned. This in turn drives confidence and motivation.

Surveys are a great way for you to engage your students for feedback. This feedback can then be used to improve your course content, teaching style, resources and much more. The survey can always be issued at the end of the course.

Using various types of media like audio, and video will promote engagement and participation in your course. Video has become a very popular medium over the past several years because of social media giants like Instagram and YouTube. Students have already been conditioned to receive information on a video platform. Due to this trend of social media video, one thing that has be come apparent is that students love short form content, because they have been conditioned to it. In elearning, this is referred to as microlearning and is becoming more and more popular.

Content Drip and Scheduling

Are you a Netflix binge watcher? Depending on the show, I can easily become hooked on a show and binge watch to quickly get through a season of episodes. The problem with moving through content so fast is that you are likely not going to retain much information. I know this because now when I watch an old episode, I sometimes don’t remember watching it. Maybe it’s a bad memory? No, it’s just information overload.

It’s no different with online courses. Some students are so eager to learn a subject that they want to jump in and consume it in a furry. We call this behavior, cramming information. I think we’ve all done it. Cramming for that math test the night before because we are really good procrastinators, am I right? The problem is that students will be less likely to retain the information long term.

Content drip and scheduling are essential for delivering your course content in a structured and timely manner. This feature allows you to release course units gradually over a specified period. It helps to manage the pace of learning and prevents overwhelming students with too much information at once while allowing the student to process what they have learned. This truly gives your student a healthy learning experience and will benefit them in the long run.

Grading and Feedback

When choosing an LMS for WordPress, it should provide grading and feedback methods that enable you to assess your students’ progress accurately. Some LMSs will provide a method to provide feedback after taking a quiz. Feedback is a great way to help boost students learning as well as identify areas that need improvement. It’s very important for the instructor to provide feedback in a way that does not discourage or deflate the student in anyway. Providing positive or neutral feed back is the goal in order to help the student achieve success and improve performance.

Built-in Payment Gateways

To monetize your courses effectively, you’ll need a built-in payment gateway that makes it easy for your students to make payments securely. Look for an LMS that integrates with popular payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, or WooCommerce. These integrations will ensure smooth and secure transactions not to mention they can process payments from just about anywhere around the globe which allows you to market and sell your course globally. With these types of payment systems you don’t have to worry about securely storing credit card information. Most payment gateways charge a small percentage for each transaction, but it’s just the cost of doing business.

Supported Content Types

When choosing an Learning Management System for WordPress, consider the types of content you plan to include in your courses. Look for an LMS that supports various content types, such as:

• Text
• Images
• Videos
• Audio files
• Downloadable PDFs
• Interactive multimedia

This flexibility will allow you to create engaging and versatile course materials for your students.

Various Enrollment Options

To cater to different types of learners, an LMS should offer various enrollment options. Look for a system that allows you to offer:

• Free courses
• One-time payment
• Installment plans
• Subscriptions

Providing flexible enrollment options will attract a wider range of students and increase your revenue potential. Using an MRR (monthly recurring revenue) or ARR (annual recurring revenue) model will allow you to scale and sustain your business over a longer period of time. Using a recurring revenue model means you will need to step up your game and make sure that you are providing valuable content to keep your subscribers longterm.

Certificates

If you plan to offer certificates of completion for your courses, ensure that the LMS you choose has built-in certification capabilities. Look for a system that allows you to customize and generate certificates automatically once students meet the course requirements. Certificates add value to your courses and can motivate learners to complete the course successfully.

Customer Support

Reliable customer support is essential when choosing an LMS for your WordPress site. Look for a provider that offers responsive and knowledgeable support through various channels, support articles, or a support ticket system. This support will help you troubleshoot any technical issues or answer any questions you may have along the way.

Integrations

Consider the integrations you may need to enhance the functionality of your LMS. For example, if you plan to use email marketing software or CRM systems to manage your student communication, ensure that your chosen LMS integrates smoothly with these tools. Integrations will streamline your workflow, automate your business and improve your overall course management process.

Gamification

Gamification elements, such as points, badges, leaderboards, and progress tracking, can make the learning experience more fun and engaging for students. Some LMSs offer native gamification and others have integrations with gamification plugins. These gamification features can boost motivation and encourage healthy competition among your students. Ultimately this feature is one that motivates and drives your student to complete the course.

Cost and Payment Model

Lastly, you need to consider the cost of the LMS and its payment model. Different LMS providers have various pricing structures. The payment model can include pay-per-learner, pay-per-active user, pay-per-course, license fees, or subscription plans. Evaluate how these models align with your course infrastructure, budget and expected revenue. Keep in mind that while cost is a factor, it should not be the sole determinant of your choice. Consider the value and features offered by each LMS to make an informed decision.

The Best WordPress LMS Solution For You

Choosing an LMS for WordPress requires careful consideration of several key factors. Looking at factors such as ease of use, interactive elements, content drip and scheduling, grading and feedback, payment gateways, supported content types, enrollment options, certifications, customer support, integrations, gamification, and the cost and payment model. By thoroughly evaluating these factors, you can select an LMS that best suits your needs as an online course creator.

Our Recommendation

Yes, we are biased, but we are biased for a good reason. We’ve built online courses, we’ve spent time with course creators, we’ve surveyed course creators and we’ve put all this knowledge into what we believe is a top-of-the-line LMS. The primary reason for this is because our loyal customers have provided us with valuable feedback that has gone directly into the development of WP Courseware.

WP Courseware has taken all of these factors into consideration. It has one of the easiest user interfaces, so much so that you can literally build and launch a course in one day assuming you have course curriculum already prepared. WP Courseware is very robust, yet simple enough that you build your and launch your course very quickly. It is feature rich with features like drip feed, membership functionality, quizzes, certificates, built in gamification, course notes, Stripe & PayPal payment gateways, excellent support and much more. We truly believe WP Courseware can contribute to your success and the success of your students.

Take WP Courseware for a Spin

Feel free to try out WP Courseware for FREE. 🙌 Just click the demo button below to spin up a temporary WordPress site with WP Courseware loaded up and ready for use.