How to Create an eLearning Website In 2021
One of the big questions academic institutions, small businesses, and corporate training organizations usually face in the eLearning field has to do with how to create their eLearning website.
The cost involved in creating your own learning management system from scratch is usually more than most companies are ready or willing to incur.
In our age of information, this doesn’t need to be a limitation as multiple options exist to solve this very challenge.
Some of these options come free of charge and can be leveraged to stay in the competitive content delivery market.
The eLearning industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. According to Forbes, the global eLearning Industry will triple in revenue to an estimated value of $325 Billion by the year 2025 from $107 Billion in 2015.
Whether your interest in content delivery is academic, corporate training or other, leveraging online learning has become a necessity.
With the recent covid-19 pandemic, the online learning market has seen a significant boost as most academic institutions have resorted to adopting the mode of content delivery either temporarily or as a permanent addition to their traditional classroom learning.
Although the market trend shows continuous growth in this industry, the research process involved in deciding a business model and software development restrictions can sometimes become a limitation to entry into this space.
This article elaborates on some of the best options available and provides insight into how you can successfully create your online learning website.
Check out our articles on the best microphones and the best camera for creating your online course.
Creating an eLearning website doesn’t need to be a complicated matter. With or without the software development expertise, creating an eLearning website is possible with options available on the market.
These options include:
- Open-source platforms
- Content management systems
- To custom application development
These options include most of the basic functionalities of an online learning platform like:
- Integrated virtual classroom
- Customizable
- Course management
- Reports
- Communication management
- SCORM compatibility
- Data storage
- Assessment creation & management
- Ecommerce
There are thousands of options available for creating your online learning platform but these are some of the simplest that require the least amount of investment.
This means they require little to no programming skills, free or freemium.
Using Learning Management Systems to Create Your eLearning Website
There are multiple open-source learning management systems available on the market which can be leveraged to create an eLearning website with or without coding or programming expertise.
Moodle is arguably the most popular open-source learning management system with hundreds of millions of users worldwide.
Moodle has been around for years and made a name for itself in the online learning space.
It is supported by an active international community, a team of dedicated full-time developers, and a network of certified moodle partners.
Demo: available
Type: Open source Or Moodle partners
Stack: PHP
Moodle can be self-hosted or hosted with the help of moodle partners.
It is based on PHP programming language and the code can be modified with the right programming skills.
This doesn’t mean non-programmers cannot use and make changes to Moodle.
Moodle is a full-featured Learning Management System (LMS) and most settings can be modified through the interface.
Pros of Moodle Learning Management System (LMS)
- Frequent updates
- Great community
- Feature-rich with hundreds of plugins available
- Customizable
- Free
- Learning analytics tools
Cons of Moodle Learning Management System (LMS)
- Requires a high learning curve
- User-interface issues (not the most user-friendly LMS)
- Scalability issues
Like most learning management systems, Moodle has its advantages and disadvantages.
From my experience serving as an administrator with a company that leveraged moodle, the learning curve and user interface are two of the biggest challenges.
The huge advantage to moodle is that it is feature-rich and has a great community supporting it.
Unfortunately, I wouldn’t advise leveraging moodle without some PHP programming experience as the code can be difficult to modify.
Another option is reaching out to moodle partners and leveraging the best offer available to successfully deliver your lessons without the added technical inconvenience.
These Moodle partners can tailor a custom solution to suit the needs of your organization. This includes:
- Hosting
- Integration
- Customization
- Support & Training
- Consultancy
- Implementation
- Reporting/Analytics
- Courseware
SAKAI is a robust open-source learning management system (LMS) created by higher education for higher education.
It has been around and been used by multiple organizations to create eLearning websites or platforms.
Like Moodle, the LMS is free to use and as such can be self-hosted. It can also be hosted with the help of Longsight (Sakai’s leading commercial affiliate)
Demo: available
Type: Open source Or Longsight
Stack: Java
Sakai can be self-hosted but requires web application development knowledge to successfully host.
It is written in Java programming language and can be hosted through any hosting provider with a Tomcat webserver.
Once hosted, Sakai presents a fully-featured LMS that can be customized through the user-interface.
Functionality includes many of the features common to most learning management systems.
Pros of Sakai Learning Management System (LMS)
- Scalable and robust
- Customizable
- Great community
- Free
- Frequent updates
Cons of Sakai Learning Management System (LMS)
- Lack of user experience design
- Can be slow for larger class sizes
- Inefficient UI requires many clicks to perform simple actions
- Requires a high learning curve
Like most learning management systems, Sakai has its advantages and disadvantages.
It comes with many of the necessary features required for a successful LMS implementation.
It is built with educational institutions in mind and therefore provides most of the necessary features.
Unfortunately, its interface and user experience can feel behind on the current trends making it difficult to use without some tweaks.
Nonetheless, Sakai is still one of the most well-respected learning management systems (LMS) currently leveraged by numerous institutions across the globe.
Its user interface can be customized to suit the needs of your organization.
Its stability makes it a great option for larger educational institutions and other organizations.
Using Content Management Systems To Create An eLearning Website
There are many options available when creating an eLearning website. One such option is leveraging content management systems (CMS).
I’m sure you may have heard of content management systems. Examples include WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Magento, PrestaShop, and many more.
Although content management systems serve specific purposes from blogging to eCommerce, some have been extended to perform various tasks, in some cases going far beyond their intended purposes.
Content management systems can be leveraged to create some of the best learning management systems.
With the availability of millions of plugins, creating a learning management system (LMS) based on a content management system (CMS) is easy.
Leveraging CMSs means that little to no coding is required and administering can be done by anyone with or without programming experience.
Some of the more popular LMSs built on top of a content management system can be found below
How To Use Free WordPress LMS Plugins To Create An eLearning Website
WordPress plugins are available to create incredible full-featured learning management systems.
Most of these free plugins still require premium features that can be purchased to enable some features.
When thinking about creating an eLearning website, these free options enable you to take these for a test drive, install them and check out the features.
Some also have an online demo where you can check their interface, functionality, and more.
LearnPress can easily be installed on any WordPress installation.
Installing WordPress is simple and the LearnPress plugin can easily be installed in the same way any plugin is installed in WordPress.
The added advantage to being based on WordPress is that there are plenty of tutorials to guide you in installing a WordPress plugin.
Although the free version comes with plenty of features that will enable you to create a simple learning management system, the premium features provide more flexibility and options to make your work easier.
Features like additional payment gateways like Stripe and their specialized themes for LearnPress are only available in the premium versions of the plugin.
Pros of LearnPress WordPress LMS plugin
- The core plugin is free
- Familiar WordPress dashboard
- Paypal payment integration for the free version
- Nice themes available
- Easy to use
Cons of LearnPress WordPress LMS plugin
- Some features only available in premium purchase
- Being based on WordPress, it can be slow when there are thousands of users
- Limited support
Although the plugin is free, features like quiz options are limited in the free version.
This is not to say you can’t create quizzes but some types of quizzes are only available to premium users.
My experience with the plugin hasn’t been negative but mostly because I did not use the plugin for a long time.
It is worthy of note that some users have complained about the limited support when they encounter an issue.
If you are familiar with WordPress, this plugin could be one of the options to consider keeping in mind both advantages and disadvantages.
Their premium features are not expensive and could help you deliver your content to your target market.
WP Learn Manager WordPress LMS plugin is an extensive feature-rich and comprehensive learning management system for WordPress.
This is the new kid on block so it’s still being tested by quite a few people. It comes with a free version and a pro version.
Compared to the more experienced players in this market, WP Learn Manager is relatively new but wants its share of the learning management system market. Like most WordPress plugins, it is easy to install.
Although I am yet to personally try this plugin, I believe it may be worth a try since it has over 3000 installs.
Demo: available
Type: free / pro version
Stack: WordPress, PHP
Although worth a try, it would be advisable to use the free version to ascertain its value and whether it meets your learning management needs before making a financial commitment.
It is easy to set up and most importantly has a familiar WordPress dashboard.
The free version has most of the features necessary to set up your eLearning platform but a pro version is required for additional features.
SENSEI LMS is another great option to consider when creating a learning management system based on WordPress.
It is free to use but requires a paid version if you want to sell courses.
This means the plugin is free to use if you want your courses to be available to your students for free but a paid version is necessary to sell courses.
The plugin provides most of the functionalities of fully functional learning management.
It works with most WordPress themes which means you can use your preferred themes to create the interface of your choice.
It has a stable WooCommerce integration since both are made by the same company.
This makes it easy to offer online courses and also manage payment processes.
Demo: available
Type: Free / Paid
Stack: WordPress, PHP
Although Sensei LMS allows the use of custom themes, its integration can become quite tricky with some themes and may require a bit of a learning curve to successfully manage this.
Pros of Sensei Learning Management System
- WooCommerce integration
- The core plugin is free
- Easy to use
- WordPress dashboard
Cons of Sensei Learning Management System
- Payment integration only available with the paid version
- Being based on WordPress, it can be slow when there are thousands of users
- Poor integration with WordPress themes
- Requires WooCommerce and several expensive extensions to enable some functionalities
This plugin has its limitations as the purchase of extensions can increase the total yearly cost.
Its WooCommerce integration is a huge advantage and could be a good reason to use this plugin. In this case, this would mean that a paid version is a must.
Masterstudy WordPress plugin for learning management system is a flexible and innovative software to create and sell courses online.
This LMS is the ultimate choice for universities, professional trainers, entrepreneurs, and starters for building LMS websites and eLearning platforms.
It was created by Stylemix Themes which is responsible for the creation of some of the most popular WordPress niche themes.
Masterstudy, therefore, pairs perfectly with some of their education-focused themes geared towards bringing you the learning management system look and feel that you love like Udemy and Coursera.
Demo: available
Type: free / Premium
Stack: WordPress, PHP, Vue.Js
The free version of the plugin comes with most of the features necessary to create your favorite learning management system.
Its premium version on the other hand comes with advanced payment integrations and other advanced features geared towards making your learning management system experience enjoyable for your customers/learners.
If you are someone who wants to provide some of the best user experience, then this plugin could be what you need.
After trying out their various themes for their plugin, I believe it provides some of the best interfaces I’ve experienced with a learning management system.
Pros of Masterstudy WordPress LMS plugin
- The Core plugin is free
- Affordable lifetime license
- Dedicated and beautiful themes available for the plugin
Cons of Masterstudy WordPress LMS plugin
- Requires a bit of a learning curve if you are not used to WordPress
- Front-end course builder only available for premium
- Advanced payment integration only available for premium
Tutor LMS is a completely UI-based WordPress LMS plugin that comes with many of the learning management systems features needs you may need for your institution.
It is a free WordPress LMS plugin with premium high-quality add-ons that can be added to empower the core plugin more. These enable features like certificates, e-mail notifications, and many more.
Demo: available
Type: free / premium
Stack: WordPress, PHP
Like most of the free options on this list, the free version comes with most of the necessary features but requires the premium version to enable the premium features.
Pros of Tutor learning management system
- Easy to set up
- The Core plugin is free
- Good documentation
Cons of Tutor learning management system
- Limited page customizations
- Advanced payment integration only available in premium
Namaste LMS is a free learning management system for WordPress. Just like most of the WordPress learning management system, Namaste LMS provides a free version and a Pro version which expands on the capabilities of the free version.
Namaste LMS provides their plugin for free but the Pro version is needed to sell courses. This means most of the free features can be leveraged to provide your clients access to your courses.
Demo: Not available
Type: free / premium
Stack: WordPress, PHP
Unfortunately, the free version is quite limited in functionality but fortunately, the pro version which contains most features is cheaper than most of the options available on the market.
All pro packages have a one-time fee with no recurring payments attached.
Pros of Namaste learning management system plugin
- Free version
- Pro version is affordable with no hidden charges
- One-time payment
- Easy to use
- Stable
Cons of Namaste learning management system plugin
- The user interface could use some upgrade
- Requires too many actions to perform a simple task
Premium WordPress LMS plugins
Paid or premium WordPress learning management system plugins are also available.
Some are less expensive than others but based on your needs and budget, most of these will fit into or serve as great options for your eLearning platform.
A few of these include:
MemberPress is a WordPress membership and Learning Management System plugin. It comes with most of the features you expect from a learning management system.
You don’t need programming skills to use MemberPress. Creating courses with this plugin is easy.
MemberPress integrates fully into your existing WordPress website and is robust but also easy to use.
Demo: Not available
Type: Paid
Stack: WordPress, PHP
Pros of MemberPress WordPress learning management plugin
- Powerful access control rules
- Payment gateway integration
- Generate coupons to run promotions
- Excellent support
Cons of MemberPress WordPress learning management plugin
- Requires a bit of a learning curve
- Pricing packages are a bit high
- UI could use some improvement
Like most learning management systems, MemberPress has its pros and cons.
Although the payment options could be more, it provides Paypal, Stripe, Offline, and Authorize.net payment integrations.
Unfortunately, 3rd party gateways are unsupported.
Although the UI is improving, it could be faster to provide it with a more modern interface comparable with some of the more gorgeous plugins on this list.
LearnDash is one of the most popular LMS plugins for WordPress. They claim to be the only learning management system created by eLearning experts.
It comes with most of the features necessary to successfully deliver your content to your target market.
My personal experience with LearnDash has been positive. It comes with several free and premium add-ons that improve your experience with the product.
What I love most about this plugin was the BuddyBoss theme add-on.
LearnDash already comes with a pretty cool look but the BuddyBoss theme for LearnDash transforms it outright into the most gorgeous learning management system interface I’ve seen on the market.
Demo: available
Type: paid
Stack: WordPress, PHP
Although the BuddyBoss theme gives LearnDash a unique look, the LearnDash plugin already comes with a very cool interface.
Pros of LearnDash learning management system plugin
- WordPress dashboard
- Easy to use
- Clean interface
- Free plugins
Cons of LearnDash learning management system plugin
- Pricing packages are a bit high
- 3rd Party integrations cost extra and can be very expensive
Although what you get for your money is worth it, some of the 3rd party integrations could be less expensive and not turned into a yearly subscription.
I wouldn’t advise subscribing to some of the premium and 3rd party add-ons as they may be nice-to-have features.
To sum up, LearnDash is a great plugin for creating a learning management software but hidden costs associated with necessary premium and 3rd party add-ons can be a deterrent.
This can still be managed as most of the 3rd party add-ons may not be necessary for your platform.
Drupal CMS - Using Drupal CMS To Create An eLearning Website
Drupal is one of the most popular content management systems on the market with millions of users.
With loads of plugins available, it is easy to use and can be administered without any programming knowledge.
Opigno
OPIGNO is one of the best learning management systems based on the Drupal content management system.
Opigno is open source and has been around for about 12 years and has had plenty of time to grow and develop into a great learning management system.
My first time using Opigno LMS was in 2014 and it served me well. Additionally, Opigno is free and can easily be self-hosted.
It requires knowledge of the use of the Drupal content management system to successfully use this plugin.
The software can also be hosted by the company as a sub-domain once you register for their demo.
Demo: available
Type: free Or hosted
Stack: Drupal, PHP
The demo will provide you with the full features of the Opigno platform with your customized subdomain which can be accessed any time so long as you keep it activated monthly.
Pros of Opigno learning management system plugin
- Free
- Easy to use
- Strong support
- Clean user interface
Cons of Opigno learning management system plugin
- Limited theming options
The plugin has grown and comes with most of the functionality required of a fully functional learning management system.
The biggest drawback for me was that the interface is limited to Opigno’s theme.
Although the theme comes with options to edit colors and some interface items, it has its limitation and therefore difficult to use your preferred theme to produce the interface you want.
They also have premium support packages available for purchase.
Conclusion
Learning how to create an eLearning website for your institution doesn’t need to be difficult.
Irrespective of the niche, be it a marketplace, educational institution, or corporate training, an eLearning website can easily be created without the need to spend thousands.
In this age of competition, various options are available for each unique need.
Keep in mind that whichever option you choose to go with should meet your technical and financial needs and most importantly, it should be able to serve your target market.
The options mentioned in this article are some of the most affordable and stable products available in the field of online learning.
Whether you want to create an interface like Udemy for your marketplace or your own personalized look for your LMS, the options mentioned in this article have you covered.
