How To Choose Your SMB Learning Management System: 5 Things To Consider
Getting the best Learning Management System for your small to medium-sized business takes careful research. You need to consider a variety of factors when researching LMSs. These criteria will guide you in your pursuit of the Learning Management System that works best for your business. Throughout your research, you might discover that some of your usual online training pain points are easy to solve using these LMSs. Take some time to answer these 5 all-important questions to find the SMB Learning Management System that's worthy of your investment.
1. What Do You Want Your Employees To Learn?
You know that your employees need online training, but there is more to it than that. What are you specifically trying to achieve? Do your employees need particular certifications in order to fulfill their roles? If they need certifications or must complete certain competency tests, then you will need to consider that first. Certain Learning Management Systems are especially effective for this type of learning. Or your goal might be different; perhaps giving employees a fun and interactive way to learn aspects of the job. In this case, you will need to find an LMS that is dynamic and supports engaging online training content. For example, adding video elements or graphics will enhance the online training content you present.
2. What Are Your Must-Have Features?
This is a great time to make a list of which LMS features you want your SMB Learning Management System to include. A lot of your feature list will depend on how you plan on using it and your online training goals. There are a few key features that you should absolutely have, such as the ability to access online training content on mobile devices or create quizzes with ease. You will also likely come up with some more nuanced needs that relate to your business and employees’ requirements. When you get a features list planned out, pick the top 5 or so features that you can’t live without. Find a few Learning Management Systems that match these requirements, and work from there.
3. What Is Your eLearning Budget?
This might seem obvious, but it can’t be overstated. You need to find an SMB Learning Management System that works for your eLearning budget. Online training can be costly using the traditional methods. So, first calculate how much you normally spend. You need to know what your usual eLearning budget is in order to get some perspective on what is "reasonable" for your organization. A Learning Management System might seem expensive at first. However, if you break down how much you actually spend to train employees it will start to seem a lot more cost-effective. It is also important to consider how much you'll have to pay to create the online training content. A big benefit of Learning Management Systems is they are pretty easy to update. This will help you to keep training costs lower in the future when there are changes, instead of creating all new physical materials.
4. Who Will Be Developing The Online Training Content?
You probably already have some online training materials on hand. Still, now is a great time to review what you have and what you need. Talk to your current employees about what training they would find helpful. You are likely to find gaps that you will need to develop new online training content for in order to make online training comprehensive. Now you will need to figure out who will be developing this online training content. Will you develop the online training material or will someone else do it on your behalf? You may task your Subject Matter Expert with this, or you might find it best to employ an eLearning content developer or specialist. This content creation plan needs to be factored into the LMS that you choose. If you are going to seek the assistance of a specialist, you will be able to select a more complex SMB Learning Management System. They will help you to get the most out of the LMS features and avoid issues. If you keep it in house, you might need to choose a SMB Learning Management System that makes it simpler to build your online training content.
5. Will Your Employees Need Personalized Online Training?
Will you require tailored online training to match certain roles or will everyone receive the same information? You should figure out what the scope of the online training is before you settle on a SMB Learning Management System. This detail could impact the type of online training courses you decide to integrate into your online training. Some LMSs are more supportive of adaptive learning, while others do not make this function simple. If you plan on having specific online training for different roles, you need to ensure that your SMB Learning Management System will support this goal. For example, it gives employees the power to pick-and-choose their online training activities from a catalog, or it's able to accommodate personalized online training paths and clickable eLearning course maps.
A SMB Learning Management System can take your online training to new heights. Putting careful thought into these 5 points will put you on the right track. Refer back to your considerations whenever you find a LMS that you think might work. If it is indeed in line with your initial goals and features wish-list, test it out with a free trial or demo. Remember to check with your employees too, as they will likely have valuable input and recommendations. Finding the right Learning Management System often boils down to careful planning and a thorough evaluation of your current LMS and your future needs.
Thinking about making the switch to online training? Are you in the market for a new SMB Learning Management System? Download our Free eBook: The Ultimate Guide To Find The Ideal LMS For Small And Medium Businesses (SMBs) to discover tips on choosing the right LMS platform, deploying your online training content, and tracking online training effectiveness.
