In the age of Industry 4.0, no business can sustain growth without training, reskilling, and upskilling its workforce effectively. In addition to running multiple learning and development (L&D) programs, every company or startup must encourage and motivate employees to acquire new skills and refine existing skills after working hours.
Cloud-based learning management systems (LMSs) enable small businesses and startups to drive reskilling and upskilling initiatives by overcoming budget constraints. A small business can leverage the cloud-based eLearning tool without incurring infrastructural costs.
Also, he can implement, customize, integrate, and maintain the software despite no in-house IT teams. However, leading cloud-based LMSs differ from each other in many aspects, including user-friendliness, features, and accessibility. Hence, decision-makers like you must consider an array of factors to implement the best LMS for small business.
13 Factors You Must Consider to Select the Best LMS for Small Business
Cross-Platform UX
Software’s user experience (UI) impacts its effectiveness in delivering relevant and meaningful experiences to end users. While shortlisting LMSs, you must remember that most employees will access the eLearning tools using mobile devices. Hence, you must enable self-paced learning by ensuring that the software delivers optimal UX across desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets.
Intuitive UI
The user interface (UI) of the learning management software impacts the way end-users interact with it. Both instructors and learners can make the most out of the LMS software only when they can interact with the UI without requiring training or assistance. You must use UI as a key parameter while evaluating leading LMSs for small businesses.
Complimentary Digital Library
Your organization cannot run multiple L&D programs successfully without accelerating eLearning content creation. Also, your strategy must focus on creating eLearning content in multiple formats – eBooks, videos, audio, simulations, and quizzes. It becomes easier for you to curtail content creation time and costs when the LMS comes with a complimentary digital library. However, you need to ensure that the digital library software must enable each learner to access content in the preferred way.
Curated Content
Your L&D strategy must focus on making employees familiar with emerging technology and industry trends. Leading LMS systems these days curate content from external and internal sources using intelligence technologies. Furthermore, they share curated content with a learner as he accesses specific eLearning content. Curated content sharing is essential to help employees understand the latest trends and updates.
Content Authoring Tools
While comparing Learning Management Systems for small business, you must create opportunities for instructors or trainers to create in-house eLearning content. Trainers need user-friendly tools to create content in multiple formats. Likewise, they can accelerate content creation using tools that simplify content repurposing. Your organization must opt for an LMS that comes with built-in eLearning content authoring tools.
Dashboard
Your L&D strategy must define KPIs to measure the performance of training programs and learners. As an information management tool, dashboards help trainers and employees view real-time information in seconds. Also, the dashboard enables L&D managers to generate custom reports based on real-time eLearning data. Hence, you need to prioritize LMS software that simplifies the monitoring of lessons, courses, assignments, and tests by featuring an intuitive dashboard.
Learner Engagement
Your business needs an LMS that makes employees acquire and hone skills after working hours by keeping them engaged. You should prioritize learning management software that facilitates learner collaboration by featuring leaderboards, online forums, chat, and query corners. At the same time, you must ensure that the software gamifies learning experiences by providing popular features like virtual coins, scorecards, and badges.
Built-in Learning Analytics
You can boost L&D initiatives only by understanding what is working and what is not. Learning analytics tools share actionable insights with you regularly by analyzing large volumes of eLearning data automatically. You can leverage the data-driven insights to engage and motivate employees to acquire and hone skills. Likewise, the insights will help you refine the virtual learning environment according to emerging trends. Hence, your organization needs an LMS that features built-in data analytics solutions.
24/7 Tech Support
As noted earlier, the cloud-based LMS will be maintained and managed by the provider. Your team has to resolve issues by interacting with the tech support executives deployed by the provider. Hence, you must partner with an LMS vendor who provides 24/7 technical support across channels. The omnichannel support will make it easier for your team to resolve various issues by connecting with an executive by sending emails, making phone calls, or using voice/video chat.
Integration APIs
The LMS will help you create, deliver, manage, and monitor multiple L&D programs. Hence, you should focus on meeting your organization’s L&D needs by building a unified learning platform. It becomes easier for your business to implement an integrated learning platform when you can integrate the LMS with other eLearning tools using application programming interfaces (APIs). Hence, you should prioritize LMS systems that come with
Pricing Options
Your business can access a cloud-based LMS based on the pay-as-you-go pricing model. Leading vendors further allow you to choose from multiple pricing and subscription options. However, you must save money by comparing LMS prices by requesting quotes. At the same time, you should ensure that the vendor allows you to scale up or down the eLearning solution on demand by switching to another pricing option.
Customer Reviews
Customer reviews and testimonials help you evaluate an LMS based on user-generated content. Many entrepreneurs and managers these days review LMS system on various online forums and websites. You must read the reviews and testimonials while comparing LMSs popular with small businesses and startups. However, you must explore ways to gather additional information by connecting with the reviewer on the online forum or social network.
Awards and Recognitions
Many LMSs these days stand out from the crowd by winning eLearning excellence awards. The international recognition depicts how the software optimizes user experiences by leveraging Industry 4.0 technologies. Hence, you must prioritize learning management software that has won prestigious awards and obtained industry certifications.
Conclusion
While looking for the best LMS for small business, you must focus on building a unified learning platform. The unified or integrated learning platform will meet your organization’s L&D needs by providing a slew of eLearning solutions, including an LMS. Also, you must prioritize LMS that simplifies eLearning content creation by enabling off-the-shelf content access and sharing curated content.
About Mintbook
Mintbook helps small businesses reskill and upskill employees by launching a unified learning platform. The unified learning platform provides essential eLearning tools like LMS, a digital library, and online classroom software. Also, a business can customize and scale the cloud-based eLearning tools on demand according to its precise L&D needs.
