Choosing to utilize Learning Management System software, whether it is for online education or employee training, is one of the best decisions you can make. You can provide your learners with many useful benefits and enable them to learn and train at their own pace, while monitoring their progress and assessing them with the goal of making sure they acquire the highest level of knowledge they need.
However, in order to choose the best cloud-based LMS software, you should focus on the software features, as they are the key to providing a seamless eLearning experience. Here is a list of the most essential features that every top-notch LMS software should have, so read on to explore them.
1. Free and simple to use
The price shouldn’t be something that should influence your decision because, more often than not, you get what you pay for. However, there are a lot of effective LMS software that offers amazing features and are completely free, so you should definitely narrow down your list by looking for a cheaper or a free option.
The software you choose should also be very simple to use, without the need for HTML experience or software downloads. Speaking of HTML, you should be able to design your eLearning courses later without it, so make sure your software can be used easily and doesn’t require coding.
2. Reliable security controls
Security is crucial, especially if you are going to use LMS software for employee training. Everyone’s privacy is important but if your company is at stake, a security breach can lead to a business disaster. You need to make sure that your eLearning materials and everything else related to your courses are safe and secure at all times.
This is why you need to make sure that you are provided with excellent privacy controls and reliable password settings. Those will help you keep your courses and all the information regarding you and your learners private and secure.
3. Superb analytics
Analytics is also very important when it comes to eLearning. You need to be kept in the loop at all times and have a clear insight into how your learners are performing so that you can know their strengths and weaknesses and address them appropriately.
Analytics will enable you to provide your learners with the best possible eLearning experience, so it is yet another key feature to look for when choosing your LMS software. It will show you insightful and detailed reports of pending and in-progress attempts of your learners as well as all of the completed ones.
4. No hosting hassles
When you are using any kind of software, you are perhaps not so excited about dealing with all the hosting hassles. Don’t worry, because there are a lot of LMS software types that can free you of all the bits and pieces of hosting.
If you choose such a software, your hosting provider will handle data backups, maintenance, and all the updates and upgrades to the system. This is why you should choose a cloud-based LMS software that requires no software installation and no server integration.
5. Anytime and anywhere access
The main idea behind eLearning is to provide your learners with the convenience of acquiring information at their own pace. They should be able to sit in the comfort of their own homes and study the materials you give them. Therefore, your LMS software needs to provide them with 24/7 access so that they can engage in your courses anytime they want.
The software with this feature will enable them to even learn on-the-go, so you need to make sure that it works across all devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops) as well as across all operating systems.
6. Excellent support and service
Support is also an essential feature of good cloud-based LMS software because you need to make sure that you are available to your learners whenever they need help with anything regarding your courses. Finding the software that offers excellent support and service will allow your learners to easily get in touch with you whenever they come across a problem that you can help resolve.
Therefore, make sure the software you choose provides dedicated phone and chat support. It would be great if it offers email support and includes FAQs and videos.
7. Scalable LMS system
Perhaps you don’t need a scalable Learning Management System right now, but you may need it after a while because you never know how much your educational institution or your company could grow. This is especially true for the latter since businesses can sometimes grow quicker than you can imagine, so the key is to be prepared in advance.
The advancement in technology are also never-ending so you should definitely make sure that your software provides an evolving LMS that can effectively meet those technological advances and ensure that you and your learners don’t fall behind.
8. Custom branding
Whether you decide to utilize LMS software to train your employees or educate your students, you need to make sure that you truly engage them in your eLearning courses. One of the ways to accomplish that is to leverage your own brand.
You need to maintain brand consistency, which is why you should make sure that the chosen LMS software allows you to customize the design of your courses, including your logo and theme. You should also be able to embed it on your website, as well as create custom pages and customize your domain.
9. Training certification
Yet another one of the key features of a top-notch LMS software solution is the option to provide training certificates to everyone taking your eLearning courses. Whenever a learner completes your course, you should be able to create and deliver a training completion certificate to them and, thus, provide them with proof of their acquired knowledge and perfected skills. It will certainly serve as a motivation to push them forward and always work on improving their skills.
Conclusion
These are the key features that you need to look for when choosing the best cloud-based LMS software, so make sure you take them into account.
