Recently, I have been doing a considerable amount of research on diverse online learning management systems in WordPress, and amongst the plugins my personal favorite is LearnDash.
No, it’s not because I am biased towards LearnDash!
It’s just that the system caters to a myriad of users. For instance, LearnDash has been integrated with WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads as well as Jigoshop. So, irrespective of where your preferences lie in terms of an eCommerce system you can use LearnDash to fulfill your online LMS requirements.
Let’s explore today how to improve your LearnDash website by using out of the box features provided by various WordPress plugins.
But before I list out the plugins it is important to understand the reason for using the plugins and how they will help you improve your LearnDash website
Create Course Bundles
A common trend that has been often observed in the online world is that customers prefer buying bundled products as it reduces their effort of reviewing and purchasing various products while often saving on expenses. This trend can be leveraged by online education providers by bundling relevant courses together and offering the bundle at a reduced price. This approach can significantly help improve course signups which will have a direct effect on the revenue from the LearnDash website. Let’s take a look at how you can bundle products using various plugins.
WooCommerce
If your preferences lie with WooCommerce then the WooCommerce Custom Product Boxes is an ideal extension to use for bundling courses on your website as students can create an purchase a bundle of their choice. And what could be better than shifting the power in the hands of the consumers.
Jigoshop
Jigoshop, unfortunately, doesn’t have an extension that provides this feature 🙁
Easy Digital Downloads
While EDD does not provide potential students with a feature to create their own bundle the USP of this eCommerce system is that it provides the website admin with the product bundling feature as part of the core plugin instead of an extension which does not add to the website development cost.
Use a Course Enquiry Form
A must have on every online LMS is an inquiry form on every course offered on the LearnDash website. An enquiry form not only provides prospective students with an avenue to clear their doubts regarding courses in an effortless manner but it also allows you as a online education provider to understand student requirements, improve your course material as well as website content based on these enquiries and maintain an easy to navigate repository of all enquiries coming from the website. So, in principle this serves as a win-win situation for everyone concerned. The following are the plugins available in the three e Commerce systems mentioned above to fulfill this requirement.
WooCommerce
With an Enquiry button on every course page and a well organized back end Product Enquiry Pro for WooCommerce is an extension that serves the purpose of fetching enquiries from potential students effectively thereby providing a channel of communication between you and your students.
Jigoshop
If you are using Jigoshop and are trying to incorporate this functionality then the Product Enquiry Form plugin is what you are looking for. With easy back end settings and a neat enquiry form this fulfills your requirement well. What’s more! It also provides an optional reCaptcha option for those of you who might want to include it.
Easy Digital Downloads
Surprisingly enough there isn’t an enquiry form plugin for EDD!!
Send Newsletters
Not only are Newsletters a cost effective way of marketing courses offered on your LearnDash website but they also help in improving both branding as well as the student base on your eLearning website. It helps you to linger in the minds of both already enrolled students and users who might have expressed interest in the courses on your website at some point of time. For this reason Newsletters become a practical solution to improve your LearnDash website and that’s where the Newsletter plugins come to your rescue.
WooCommerce
If you are using MailChimp or CampaignMonitor email marketing service then the Newsletter Subscription extension provided by WooThemes allows you to integrate these services with WooCommerce through custom settings in the admin dashboard.
Jigoshop
Jigoshop provides two separate extensions to integrate WooCommerce with MailChimp and MailPoet using which an intuitive subscribe option will be displayed on the website.
Easy Digital Downloads
Just like Jigoshop EDD also provides extensions for MailChimp and MailPoet which let you automatically subscribe customers to specific lists based on what they purchased, and allow customers to opt themselves into a list during checkout.
Offer Discounts on Courses
Discounts are a tried and tested method in improving sales in both traditional selling as well as online selling. When used in a suitable way it can definitely be one of the factors that help you improve your LearnDash website in terms of sales as well as revenue. Offering discounts around festive occasions or on certain special products is an always welcome move from the perspective of a prospective student. Also, any discounts offered can be publicized through the Newsletter plugins mentioned in the previous points. Let’s run through the discount plugins offered by the various eCommerce systems
WooCommerce
With its diverse features, SmartCoupons extension by WooThemes provides easy to use settings to create coupon codes and offer discounts on courses offered in your online LMS
Jigoshop
If WooCommerce has its extension for providing discounts, then Jigoshop was not about to be left behind. Smart Coupons is a comprehensive plugin albeit in the Jigoshop environment.
Easy Digital Downloads
The Discount Code Generator Plugin provided by easy digital downloads gives the website admin with an option to generate unlimited coupon codes and manage various settings for the coupon codes generated thereby allowing you to offer discounts as per your requirements in the EDD ecosystem.
Offer a Subscription Pricing Model
The subscription pricing model has always gained popularity amongst consumers as it gives them the benefit of convenient payments. As an online education provider this model becomes a source for recurring revenue and plays a substantial role in the retention rate of existing students. It also often become a factor which prompts skeptical users to get converted into enrolled students. In such a scenario existing plugins should definitely be leveraged to improve your LearnDash website.
WooCommerce
If you want to utilize the benefits of a subscription pricing model in the WooCommerce environment then what you are looking for is the WooCommerce Subscriptions extension which allows you to fulfill this requirement with absolute ease following a one-click installation.
Jigoshop
Jigoshop users can offer subscription products and garner a loyal base of students through the Subscriptions extension with easy to use dashboard settings.
Easy Digital Downloads
And if you are an EDD customer worry not! They too have an extension, they just choose to call it Recurring Payments
All the above-mentioned plugins are mostly marketing centric. They can collectively help you improve your LearnDash website and have a drastic impact on the website revenue. However, the plugins should be used cautiously as otherwise, it can have a negative impact on your online LMS. For example, sending incessant Newsletters to subscribed users can vex most users and have a reverse effect on them leading to a reduction in the number of courses signups.
Don’t shy away from using the plugins though due to the fear of going wrong. I encourage you to use the plugins as in the case anything does go wrong there is always room for improvement.
If you have any questions before you start using any plugin just start typing in the comments section below and I’ll get back to you asap!
Until then Adios 🙂
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