Introducing A New, Modern Way To Buy Your LMS

Introducing A New, Modern Way To Buy Your LMS
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Summary: iCohere has launched a detailed LMS product information portal with instant online demos and pricing.

What's A New, Modern Way To Buy Your LMS?

Imagine going to a website and shopping for a new cell phone or camcorder or TV. You read the description for the product you’re interested in, and there is good general marketing information—but no pricing, no videos, no client reviews, and no way to demo or buy the product.

How long would you stay on that website?

How likely would you be to purchase that product?

I know I’d be outta there in seconds and onto a modern buying site.

Well, that’s the situation today with almost all Learning Management Systems (LMS) and community platforms. Buyers need to know if the LMS provides the top LMS functions they need for their program and learners, however, the vendor websites are similar to product brochures which do not provide the level of detail buyers need to make an informed decision.

When I became CEO of iCohere in December of 2017, we were getting ready to launch iCohere 18, a major upgrade to our "unified learning" platform. My challenge to our team: let’s create a new product information portal that provides the same level of "breakthrough" as the product! Let’s allow potential buyers to dig into our product features, take a test drive, see our complete pricing, access dozens of unpaid, non-sponsored client reviews—and give them the ability to buy our products from their desktop or phone with a 90-day money-back guarantee.

Association Industry Struggles With LMS Demo Fatigue

Associations make up a large buying audience of Learning Management Systems. A recent discussion among association leaders on the ASAE collaborate center revealed that many associations struggle with defining the requirements list for an LMS. Then, once they have the list, it’s an even bigger challenge to know where to begin the LMS search.

The demo process can lead to what is being labeled as "demo fatigue", with most demos lasting at least 1 hour. For associations with multiple people on the decision-making team and multiple demos scheduled, that can lead up to a costly amount of employee time. LMS demos are necessary to make a sound buying decision, but often the process is more focused on the vendor than the buyer.

Our team took complaints about the LMS buying process to heart. We looked at the biggest struggles faced by people trying to compare LMS and community platforms against their program needs. What we found was that, outside of information available on a few LMS review sites, there has been no way for buyers to simply go online and get detailed information about product functionality, features and limitations, package options, product support and training, and detailed pricing—all of which are necessary for the buying decision. Even rarer is the opportunity to demo a product instantly online or to be able to buy online. Until now.

iCohere 18 Brings LMS And Community Buying Into The Modern Age

Our team has launched what we believe is the first detailed LMS product information portal at iCohere. We designed the portal to provide potential buyers with a deep level of product detail, and our pricing detail is comparable to what you would find in a response to a Request for Proposals (RFP). And there’s more:

  • Over 20 detailed product videos highlighting features and functionality
  • Instant access to live demo sites of a classroom LMS and online community
  • Detailed video demo of a virtual conference
  • Documented interfaces for integration
  • Full product list, all features with explanations of what the features do
  • Instant quote pricing—no hidden fees or add-ons
  • Online chat and phone chat for questions from buyers

Our goal with the new iCohere product information portal is to offer complete transparency, but don’t just take my word for it. We know it’s surprising to think that what we’ve created is truly different than any business in the industry. So we asked an independent industry consultant to evaluate iCohere.com, and our top competitors’ websites against 12 key attributes that all buyers need to know about an LMS or Community product. The result: the first-ever Vendor Transparency Report Card publication which the consultant will be updating on a regular basis.

Visit iCohere.com and let me know what you think. Over the past 18 years the iCohere team has revolutionized eLearning and collaboration, now let’s work together to revolutionize the buying process.

eBook Release: iCohere All-in-One
iCohere All-in-One
The iCohere All-in-One provides an LMS, live webinars, courses, and online communities - all from one platform. Your subscription also includes multiple iCohere sites, exclusive features and a 1,000 seat WebEx meeting room at no extra charge.