Designing Online Training Intro Screens: 6 Do’s And Don’ts

Designing Online Training Intro Screens: Do’s And Don’ts
Jacob Lund/Shutterstock.com
Summary: Intro screens can set the tone for an entire online training course. What does yours say about the online training experience that follows? In this article, I’ll explore 6 do’s and don’ts of developing online training course introductions.

6 Do’s And Don’ts Of Designing Online Training Intro Screens

We are often warned not to judge a book by its cover. It seems like sage advice, inviting us to look beyond the surface. When you think about it though, what else would you use to evaluate? Your intro screen is your book cover. It could draw your corporate learners deeper or make them dismiss the online training course instantly. This is why you need to hook them right from the start and prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it’s a worthwhile experience. Here are 6 do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when developing online training intro screens.

1. Do Make It Interactive

Static screens don’t excite interest, especially in the internet age where you can make a gif out of anything. Incorporate multimedia into your online training intro screens to hold your corporate learners’ attention, but be tasteful and appropriate. Select your soundtrack carefully, so that it creates the right mood. You could use the intro to pull corporate learners straight into the online training course, using clickable prompts and breadcrumbs. List the main topics using rich text or icons. When corporate learners click or mouse over, they can be redirected to a lightbox summary. They could even be navigated to a more detailed subject-specific intro screen that will whet their appetite for the online training course.

2. Don’t Include Unnecessary Details

You may feel like this is your one chance to shine. This could tempt you to sneak every possible bit of information onto that one online training intro screen. However, this is likely to overwhelm your corporate learners. You don’t want them being paralyzed by choice and abandoning the online training course altogether. You don’t need a table of contents on the first slide. As mentioned above, you can use pop-ups to offer more detail, if you must. This allows the online training intro screen to remain clean and minimal until and unless users choose to engage. However, even with pop-ups, don’t overdo it. Too much dazzle could hurt an online learner’s eyes and ears, putting them off the online training course.

3. Do Summarize The Online Training Course In Simple Language

This may seem contradictory, but it’s not. No, it’s not a good idea to include a summary of every chapter right on the ‘cover’. But you can give an overview of the online training course. List the main discussion points, preferably in a bullet list or in an eye-catching infographic. You can also mention any qualification or certification they’ll receive upon completion. As much as possible, avoid large chunks of static text. They’ll put your readers and buyers to sleep. Use a conversational tone. Think of it as explaining to a friend rather than expressing a high-end synopsis. You don’t want to scare them off by making the online training course seem beyond them. Another great way to offer corporate learners a sneak preview of what’s to come is to create an intro video summary. For example, an animated presenter showcases all the key takeaways and how they relate to the learning objectives.

4. Don’t Exaggerate

In the same way, you may be tempted to dig in with jargon and make the online training content seem grandiose or exaggerate claims. Unfortunately, your quest to impress might end up alienating your employees instead. Yes, all online training courses require some form of technical language. However, this belongs in the appendices, not on the intro screen. Think of it as meeting someone in an elevator. If you want to get to know them, you don’t list all your credentials. Instead, you appeal to them on a human level. They’re more likely to engage with someone that makes them smile than someone with big titles. The same rule applies to online training intro screens. Tell them what they can expect from the online training course without making it seem like a sales pitch or testimonial.

5. Do Tie It Into Real-World Benefits

Employees have one crucial question in mind when they log in to the LMS: what am I going to get from the online training experience? Am I going to be able to achieve my goals by completing this online training course? Will it help me land that promotion? Thus, you need to tie everything into real-world benefits and applications. Tell them how the online training course will improve workplace performance and facilitate goal achievement. Be specific, but not to the point that you exclude certain members of your audience. For example, “improving your monthly sales figures” may not appeal to your customer service employees. You can also take the opportunity to highlight skills they’ll acquire or hone through active participation.

6. Don’t Make It Generic

We’ve all encountered one-size-fits-all intro screens that lacked even the slightest hint of personalization. It highlighted generic benefits that didn’t really apply to any practical goals or objectives, nor did it address any challenges that we faced in our everyday lives. Don’t make the same mistake with your online training intro screen. Customize it based on learner preferences, challenges, and job requirements. You can even develop different online training intro screens for different departments, positions, or groups and then use the LMS role assignment feature. Thus, the system will automatically deliver the most suitable introduction to provide that personal touch.

Your online training intro screen is the first interaction that your corporate learners or potential buyers have with your online training course. It could ramp them up to dive into the online training course or it could put them off completely and they’ll end up not even purchasing/participating in the online training course. A multimedia screen can razzle and dazzle trainees, capturing their interest. Only include relevant details though, don’t flood them with an aim to impress. Use simple, everyday language in your summary. No jargon required. Tap into their emotions, but don’t make unfounded superfluous claims. You don’t have much room in your online training intro screen, so, make every word and pixel count.

Do you want more tips and tricks to create online training intro screens that grab your corporate learners’ attention? Read the article 7 Tips To Create An Attention-Grabbing eLearning Course Introduction to discover 7 insider secrets to hook your audience so that they get maximum benefit from your eLearning course.

Originally published on March 13, 2019