The eLearning provider market is on the rise, there’s no doubt about it. Experts have predicted that the industry will grow by 13% per year until 2017. Many organizations have already opted for online corporate training for employee development. Indeed, more than 77% of US companies now offer online training to their employees.
Of course, there are many options and many online training companies in the market and it’s very important to find a quality supplier for eLearning solutions. Spending time looking at the different training programs and researching different options could be the difference between offering your employees or students an excellent resource or not.
So how can you be sure you are choosing the right one?
Here are 4 key things you need to know when selection an eLearning training provider:
# 1. Ask yourself, “What do I need from my eLearning provider?”
The most important thing to consider before making a decision is to analyze your own business needs, since most providers offer many features that are not useful for your business model or vision. Therefore, it is essential to know what your needs are and what you want to achieve with your eLearning training program. If, for example, you are looking for an online training provider with an advanced LMS to incorporate in a computer lab or computer training for your staff, you should take into account the flexibility of the courses offered by the eLearning provider. If they are multi-device, if they really are effective, if progress and development of their employees can be monitored and analyzed, etc. Ask these questions in order to ensure that the eLearning provider you choose is the one that offers the best solution to better fit your needs.
# 2. Investigate your eLearning provider
Invest a few hours in researching different providers in depths can pay off big time in the long run. Getting the perfect eLearning content provider or learning management system/LMS provider on the first try will avoid many headaches in later administration. Essential information about the vendor should be carefully researched and analyzed, such as awards won and special recognition obtained via nationally and internationally recognized organizations and associations.
# 3. Look at comments and reviews about the eLearning provider
The internet has made it easier than ever to access real customers all over the world; this can be of great value when it comes to choosing an eLearning provider or LMS supplier because clients from all over the globe can leave testimonials and reviews about their experience with the provider’s products and services. Pay special attention to eLearning providers who have positive reviews and especially to those who have user reviews or customers with the same kind of needs and expectations as your organization. Don’t ignore negative reviews, some customers have exaggerate a misunderstanding and knock down the whole organization but some can provide honest, serious concerns that you should know about before making a business decision. The experience of these customers can give you a firsthand look into what your experience will be.
# 4. Check for compatibility with your eLearning provider
It may seem obvious, but compatibility is something that is often overlooked. Whether you’re looking for an eLearning provider or LMS supplier, it is very important to consider how they will fit with the layout of your organization. Keep in mind it’s very important to consider possible technical issues such as: will the new eLearning provider supplying online training be implemented within an existing LMS or not? It is also advisable to consider learner compatibility: will the eLearning provider be able to offer appropriate online training without any face to face training? Will this model of training fit into the culture of your company and employees?
It really is important to accept and understand that not all eLearning providers or LMS suppliers offer the same quality of service. Many times, a company should not have pay more for better quality services, however, an excessively low budget could be a solution of poor quality. Adjust your budget when shuffling all your options and worth.
Do you feel more comfortable about choosing an eLearning provider for your organization? Take a look at all that we have to offer as a provider with more than 35 years of experience in the eLearning field.
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