There are many platforms regarding learning management systems (LMS) out there but which one is the best? Although I argue it depends on your needs, I’m going to say WordPress can be a safe bet.
Now, keep in mind I am not necessarily talking about a traditional training platform where you have to take one lesson before the next is unlocked. But I am talking about training your followers. This can be as simple as the training portal I provided on this blog.
But as you scale, you don’t want to necessarily give away the farm. You want to have some monetisation happening and that means locking down your training platform as a membership site.
Here are some reasons why WordPress makes for a great training system.
- Many people are very familiar with WordPress
- There are many free starter plugins to work with
- You are not paying extra for a 3rd party provider
- You have a firm control over your settings
- Your content is not being held to ransom
Let’s look at these in turn.
Many people are very familiar with WordPress
Let’s say your training platform grows in size, to an extent you need to scale and leverage the time of others. Maybe you need a virtual assistant to respond to feedback and manage learners.
The beauty of using WordPress is that it is so recognised that most VAs, who work with websites, will understand it and they’ll be no shortage of finding a freelancer or assistant to help manage it.
There are many free starter plugins to work with
If you are starting out, and maybe on a stricter budget, you can be sure to find the proper plugins to protect and deliver your content. I know it’s not always about using free tools, but sometimes a mix of free and paid is a must. And WordPress allows for many free options.
You are not paying extra for a 3rd party provider
Monthly subscriptions can get fairly expensive. Particularly if you are paying to have something hosted like an online course. This can be $67 upwards per month. Not only are you paying for this, but you also have to pay for your hosting of your WordPress site anyway.
I’m not pushing aside the possibility of having an online platform to host your courses, and there are many great ones like value addon. However, when starting out; funds can be limited. Using your own site can be a good solution. It also helps with branding.
You have a firm control over your settings
Let’s assume you did go with a third party service. The problem here is that you are not in full control of your settings. I currently have a client who wants to make some custom code and design alterations but his 3rd party platform denies such privilege.
Also, as mentioned, WordPress is almost universally known and experienced users will intuitively know how to work around the settings in most cases.
Your content is not being held to ransom
The biggest benefit is you are in full control and ownership of your content. Sometimes 3rd party providers have clauses of exclusivity etc. Other times, they have sneaky terms that claim ownership over your work.
And on the flipside, they may be lenient with ownership; but what if the platform disappears or you break their terms of use? For example, imagine if Facebook closed down. What about all the groups hosted there?
Okay, so Facebook isn’t likely going anywhere, but it’s food for thought.
Are there any disadvantages?
Of course!
WordPress has not always been known to be scalable. As it gets bigger, it can get bogged down without the proper care and maintenance. WordPress is also fairly vulnerable to security onslaughts.
Part of the services I provide do include security and performance / optimisation maintenance. If you’d like to request my assistance, advice or help either reach out for me on my contact form or leave a comment below.
Now I’d love to pass it to you and discover whether you are creating trainings for your clients and if so, what platform are you using. If you are using WordPress, then what plugins?
Let’s hear it!
