Start with the Experience, Not the Tool: How to Choose the Perfect Learning Platform

Imagine this: you buy a small car because it’s cheap, shiny, and fits perfectly in your garage. But months later, you decide you want to tow a caravan for a cross-country holiday or drive along sandy beaches. Suddenly, your little car isn’t up to the task. You’re left frustrated because the vehicle you chose doesn’t match the experience you now want. This scenario mirrors what happens when coaches, consultants, and experts select a learning platform before clarifying their learning experience, audience, and business model.?

Selecting the right learning platform isn’t just about choosing a tool—it’s about crafting the ideal learning experience and ensuring the platform can support it. Let’s explore the critical factors to consider and why relying on community recommendations might steer you off course.?

Start with the Learning Experience and Audience?

The most important question to ask is: What experience am I trying to create??

Do you want learners to actively engage with your content through quizzes, discussions, and interactive elements? Or do you envision a more straightforward approach with video and downloadable PDFs? Your desired learning experience will determine the tools and features required.?

Equally important is understanding your audience. Are you creating a program for busy professionals who need mobile-friendly access and bite-sized modules? Is your course geared toward fostering collaboration and interaction between learners? Or are you delivering a premium, in-depth learning journey that requires personalized touchpoints like live coaching calls??

How learners interact with your course—whether individually, as part of a community, or in a blended program—should guide your platform choice. The right platform is one that complements how your audience learns and engages, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable experience from start to finish.?

Be Wary of Crowd-Sourced Recommendations?

It’s natural to reach out to your community for advice when choosing a learning platform. After all, many coaches, consultants, and experts have been through the process before, so why not benefit from their experience? But relying too heavily on community recommendations can lead to missteps. Why? Because their preferences reflect their specific needs, goals, and audiences, which might be very different from yours.?

Think of it like asking your neighbours what car to buy. Someone might rave about their convertible because it’s perfect for their Sunday drives, while another swears by their minivan because it fits their family’s lifestyle. Both may genuinely love their vehicles—but neither would be ideal if you’re planning to tow a caravan or drive on rough terrain.?

The same is true for learning platforms. Someone who runs a simple video-based course might recommend one platform because it meets their straightforward needs. Another person running a thriving membership community might praise a different platform for its community-first design. While their advice can offer helpful insights into how platforms work, it’s important to remember that what works perfectly for their business may fall short for yours.?

Instead of relying solely on community recommendations, consider speaking with an expert in learning design and learning technologies. These professionals can help you analyse your goals, audience, and content needs to identify the best platform for your unique situation.?

Not All Platforms Are Created Equal?

Some platforms have limited learning design capabilities, offering basic video and text uploads but little else. While these may seem attractive for their simplicity, they can lead to a dull, passive learning experience. Engaging learners often requires features like interactive content, gamification, or social learning tools—capabilities not available on all platforms.?

On the flip side, some platforms provide rich learning design features, allowing for varied content formats and high levels of engagement. For example, if you want learners to collaborate or participate in group discussions, you’ll need a platform that supports community building. The key is to match the platform’s capabilities to the kind of learning experience you want to create—not limit your vision to what the platform offers.?

Community vs. Content-Centric Platforms?

Platforms generally fall into two categories:?

1. Community-Centric: These prioritize building a sense of connection among learners, with courses often embedded as part of a broader community experience. They’re ideal if you want to foster ongoing interaction or a membership model.?

1. Content-Centric: These focus on course delivery, with community features often as an add-on. They work well for standalone courses where interaction isn’t central.?

Knowing which model fits your business is essential. For example, if you’re nurturing an engaged community of professionals, platforms like Circle or Mighty Networks might be a better fit than a course-centric tool like LearnWorlds.?

The Challenge of All-in-One Platforms?

Many platforms are designed with specific use cases in mind, and no platform excels at everything.??

All-in-one platforms promise convenience by bundling course creation, community tools, and marketing features but may fall short in delivering exceptional performance in any single area. The trade-off is often mediocrity.?

For instance, their course-building features may lack the flexibility or sophistication you need, while their marketing tools might not integrate seamlessly with your existing systems. If you need high-quality functionality across all areas, a modular approach—choosing the best tools for each purpose—might serve you better.?

That said, all-in-one platforms can still be an excellent choice in certain situations. If you’re not aiming to create a highly interactive or advanced learning experience—or if your business model aligns beautifully with the convenience they offer—they may be ideal. For example, if your course relies on straightforward delivery with minimal customization, or if you value the simplicity of managing everything in one place, an all-in-one solution might save you time and effort.?

The key is knowing what you’re prioritizing. If convenience and streamlined management are more critical to your business than creating a standout, deeply engaging learning experience, all-in-one platforms could be the perfect fit.?

Hosting and Data Concerns for Corporate Clients?

If you’re selling expertise to large corporate clients, be aware that many companies prefer courses hosted on their internal learning management systems (LMS). Third-party platforms can raise concerns about data security, privacy, and control.?

In these cases, you may need to create content in external authoring tools like Articulate or Adobe Captivate, which allow you to export courses as SCORM or xAPI files. These formats are compatible with most corporate LMS platforms, giving you the flexibility to deliver content wherever your client needs it.?

Integration and Ecosystem Fit?

Your learning platform is part of a broader business ecosystem. Consider how it integrates with your existing tools:?

• Does it work with your CRM to manage enrolments and customer data??

• Can it connect to your marketing tools for seamless course promotion??

• Does it support external content authoring tools for more advanced design capabilities??

If you already have a strong digital ecosystem, the platform should complement it—not disrupt it.?

Budget and Pricing Models?

Platforms come with varying pricing models, from pay-per-user systems to flat-rate subscriptions. Be clear about your budget and how pricing aligns with your business model. For example, if your course is designed for a small, high-ticket audience, a platform that charges per user might be manageable. But if you’re scaling to hundreds or thousands of learners, flat-rate pricing might make more sense.?

Final Thoughts: Experience First, Platform Second?

The mistake many make is choosing a platform based on features, price, or popularity—then trying to squeeze their course into it. Instead, think of your platform as the vehicle that carries your learning experience.?

While reaching out to your community for general business advice can be valuable, selecting a learning platform requires a more strategic approach. Consulting an expert in learning design and technologies can save you time, money, and frustration. They’ll help you evaluate your needs, clarify your goals, and select a platform that supports your vision.?

Start with the learning experience you want to deliver, and choose a platform that aligns with your audience, business goals, and desired outcomes. When done right, your platform becomes a powerful tool for creating transformational learning experiences that truly engage and inspire your learners.?

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