Corporate training programs and online education would be nowhere without custom eLearning.
Custom eLearning Training is so powerful that the demand for it continuously increases. So what is it if we are being precise? What are its main benefits, and how to custom eLearning course? Well, keep reading to find out more.
So, if you are ready, let’s start!
The following article covers:
Custom eLearning as a type of eLearning
How custom eLearning benefits your training
5 steps to create a customized eLearning course
Custom eLearning vs. Off-the-shelf eLearning
Custom eLearning as a type of eLearning
First of all, let’s get clear on the definition.
Custom eLearning is a popular type of eLearning. As the keyword “Custom” tells us, it is all about the customized theme of the course or training. The primary purpose is to design a course or training program unique to your organization.
Custom eLearning is mostly implemented by corporations for employee training and is designed based on various factors such as organizations’ needs, job roles, etc.
Check 6 types of virtual training.
How custom eLearning benefits your training
Now, it is time to review how custom eLearning can benefit your training program.
Well, there are several benefits you will gain. The main ones are presented down below:
- Increased levels of engagement. Custom eLearning provides participants with a customized & personalized approach to training that contributes to higher engagement levels.
- Low investment costs. Virtual training and other forms of eLearning always come in handy with the benefit of lower investment costs. As the tools utilized online to enhance the user experience usually cost less than those for offline training programs. Plus, you don't have to worry about renting a space.
- A customized course that you own and the one that best fits organizations’ needs.
- High demand. Many corporations are looking for virtual trainers to design training programs that fit their organizations’ needs. So, if you are a professional and deliver high quality, there are many collaboration opportunities.
- Gives employees and participants flexibility. Custom eLearning courses and training programs can usually be accessed anywhere and anytime.
- Better focus. In custom eLearning, every training focuses on a subject matter or a skill that an employee may need. Meanwhile, the online course tends to cover a wider range of topics and aims to equip with multiple skills. So, in order to save employees time yet increase efficiency, the best decision is to offer custom eLearning courses.
So, as you can see, there are multiple benefits for everyone, for corporations, employees, and, of course, you as a virtual trainer.
Custom eLearning training is proven to be efficient and enjoys good demand on the market.
5 steps to create a customized eLearning course
It is time to take a look at the practical steps you can complete to create a customized eLearning course.
Note that it is vital to have a portfolio of 1 or 2 if you want to get hired by bugger corporations to design training for their employees. Plus, you can sell the training you create as live training or pre-recorded courses (off-the-shelf e-learning) on a specific platform and still make income as a self-employed person.
So, let’s get started!
Step 1 - Niche Down
The first step to complete is to niche down. This means understanding who is your target audience.
Knowing your target audience well allows you to design highly customized eLearning course that meets the needs of your target client. Doing so will greatly help with sales.
But how to find your target audience? Well, here are a few tips for you.
- Conduct Market Research through surveys, focus groups, interviews, polls, and forums.
- Analyze your competitors, including their target audience and the strategies they implement
- Create buyer personas
- Utilize tools such as Google Analytics, SemRush, and others to analyze market trends, keywords, and SEO-optimization tactics
- Keep evaluating collected data and testing.
Putting these tips into practice will take the course to the next level and help you reach marketing goals faster.
Step 2 - Create an Outline & Write Learning Objectives
Next step, after you are clear on the audience and topic of the course that will be suitable for your target client, it is time to create the outline.
But before you get to the outline, establish learning objectives. This will help you to create an efficient outline to meet the learning objectives. Plus, having clear objectives will help market the course. You can include those in the course description as a practical motivating factor.
So, how to write learning objectives?
- Brainstorm the main aspects of your course
- Outline the key benefits & skills participants will gain
- Implement copywriting technique features as benefits and formulate clear objectives
Here are the main steps you should complete to have a good course outline:
- Write down learning goals
- Organize course agenda/syllabus
- Plan the order of the topics
- Make sure the chosen topics are related to learning objectives
- Plan tests, quizzes & assignments you will have throughout the course
Step 3 - Decide on Visuals & Styles
The next step in designing a custom eLearning course is to decide on visuals and styles. Make sure that presentations and other aspects of visuals represent & communicate the uniqueness of your business.
Nowadays, design has become easier than ever. You can watch YouTube tutorials to create amazing PowerPoint presentations or utilize Canva’s ready templates yet customize them to fit your style. There is also a tool such as Google Slides with which you can customize pre-made Google Slides templates or create completely new presentations.
Essentially, you should decide on colors, fonts, presentation styles, and animations.
Step 4 - Develop Materials for the Training
When you know your audience, goals, and overall idea on design & outline, it is time to develop the materials for your course.
So, get clear on what materials you want to include based on client needs. Those materials can be:
- E-books
- Audio Books or audio materials
- Third-party resources
- Presentations
- Additional Readings list and many others
A proficient custom eLearning course is to the point and niche-specific, yet it ensures a rich learning experience.
Step 5 - Choose a Platform to Get Started
The last step is to choose a platform.
The right platform will give you lots of benefits, including:
- Save time by providing automation tools for routine tasks
- Allow you to control various aspects of your business from a single place
- Third-party integrations
- Helps with better management & accurate delivery of materials
By following all these steps, you can create custom eLearning based on a client or group’s needs for live training programs or create a pre-recorded course to sell.
Also, a Pro Tip for you is to share testimonials and previous customer reviews.
Custom eLearning vs. Off-the-shelf eLearning
What is the main difference between custom eLearning and off-the-shelf eLearning?
Difference
The main difference is that custom eLearning is hosted virtually as live training. It is designed based on the client or group of clients’ needs. In case you are hired by a corporation based on the corporation’s needs.
Meanwhile, off-the-shelf eLearning is about pre-recorded courses and training programs. These usually cover a wider range of topics and are less niche-specific than custom eLearning programs. Plus, those can be created once and repeatedly sold until the content is relevant.
So, off-the-shelf eLearning is an incredible opportunity for passive income.
How to Choose?
But the question is: How to choose between these two?
Well, let’s take a look at the Pros & Cons of both.
Custom eLearning
So, the main benefits and drawbacks of custom eLearning are:
Pros
- It can be accessed anywhere, with no location barriers
- Specifically designed for the client’s needs
- An efficient learning experience that meets clients’ expectations
- The higher satisfaction rate of the client
Cons
- Takes more time to create and start
- Requires real-time (online) presence of the instructor
- It is not as flexible as pre-recorded classes
Off-the-shelf eLearning
The Pros & Cons of off-the-shelf courses are:
Pros
- More demand
- Time flexibility
- It can be accessed anywhere, anytime
- Cheaper and less time-consuming to create
- Incredible source of passive income. Create a product once and keep making money regularly.
Cons
- Can run out of relevancy
- Lots of competition, harder to promote
At the end of the day, you do not have to choose because you can provide both types of training.
You can outline in the services section of your website that you deliver custom eLearning live training programs. While also publishing off-the-shelf eLearning courses for anyone to access and purchase anytime they want.
How to choose your eLearning training solution
We have briefly covered the vitality of the right platform and its benefits. Now, it is time to take a deeper look at how to choose your eLearning solution.
So, here are the main steps to complete and factors to consider:
- Do some research. Various platforms will allow you to host eLearning training successfully, yet you have to find the one that best works for you.
- Consider factors such as pricing, main features, and money-back guarantee options.
- With mLearning gaining popularity, ensure that the platform of your choice also provides an app for smartphones.
- Look at the analytics feature. Analytics is an important tool for further growth and strategy building. Therefore, make sure that the platform of your choice offers a powerful analytics tool.
- End-to-end live functionality. One of the first platforms offering this option is Uteach.
- Customization features. You want to ensure that the platform of your choice comes in handy with enough customization features. These will allow you to design a unique form of custom eLearning training and stand out from the rest.
- Website Building & Course Building opportunities are also vital to consider when making the final decision.
Results won’t keep you waiting!
If you follow the tips mentioned in the article, you can be sure that you won’t have to wait for success for too long.
Also, another vital aspect that makes up a huge part of success is the right platform choice. To save you time, we can recommend Uteach.
Uteach is potent automation that will allow you to control every aspect of your business from one dashboard.
So, stop hesitating and start right away. It is your time to automate income streams and live a financially abundant life by running your own business.