10 Steps on How To Choose The Right LMS: A Complete Guide

or most people or organizations, manually managing their online courses is an overwhelming task, especially as the number of participants grows. At this point, it makes sense to use a solution that lets you teach, communicate, manage users, and store content all in one place. 

Learning Management Systems are usually the answer in this situation. They enhance the entire learning experience, from onboarding to managing certifications, compliance training, and skills development. And considering that their market is expected to hit $51.9 billion by 2028, there’s never a shortage of options for these tools. However, knowing how to choose the right LMS is key to maximizing their benefits.

This article discusses the steps you should follow to make the right choice for your organization. Read on for insights!

How to choose an LMS: 10 main steps

LMS selection is an intentional process. You have to really understand your team, set clear goals, and figure out what features matter most. Then comes evaluating vendors and making the final call. The aim is to find a system that perfectly fits your team’s work style, learning culture, size, and future plans.

Let’s discuss these points in detail.

#1. Define your audience and set clear goals

The first step in choosing a Learning Management System is defining your audience. Are you implementing it for employees, customers, or partners? In other words, what are your learner personas? These details are essential for determining the key requirements for your LMS checklist. 

When defining your audience, keep the following three factors in mind:

1. Demographic. What age group does your target audience belong to? If most of your employees are Gen Z, going for a visually appealing and fast product is essential. Why is this important? Current studies indicate that at least 60% of Gen Z will have nothing to do with slow and cumbersome software.
2. Number of users. In your LMS software selection process, consider the number of people who will be using the platform. Of course, if you’re a small enterprise, you may be able to use a platform with limited seats. However, scalability is a crucial concern. You want a platform that can comfortably handle your growing workforce.
3. Skill sets of users. This is another crucial factor. For example, if you compare people born in the 70s and 80s with Gen Z, the latter are digital natives and much more tech-savvy. However, it’s still a good idea to have a user-friendly platform to accommodate a wider audience.

Now that you’ve figured out who your audience is, it’s time to think about what you want to accomplish. Getting clear on your goals helps zero in on the features that’ll help you meet your needs.

#2. Identify the type of LMS you need

Once you’ve defined your audience and goals, the next step is determining the type of LMS that best fits your organization. There are quite a few of them on the market —  SaaS or on-premise, open-source, proprietary, or even white-label. 

However, keep in mind that if you want your own branded platform without the headache of building it from scratch, a white-label LMS is the way to go. Let’s briefly explore some of these deployment types.

• White-label LMS

A white-label LMS is like a blank canvas, designed to be fully customizable so you can make it your own.

It gives you the freedom to use tailored features like putting your own stamp on it with logos, images, and more. It’s the perfect choice if you want a learning platform that feels 100% yours without having to build it from the ground up. 

• SaaS (Cloud-based LMS)

A SaaS LMS is hosted in the cloud. It’s quick to set up, and all the heavy lifting —  like hosting and updates – is handled by the vendor.

But this approach isn’t for everyone. You’ll have to rely on your service provider for updates and support, meaning you have little control over customization. 

• Open-source LMS

This type of LMS is flexible and easy on the wallet, making it perfect for working on a shoestring budget. It also gives you the freedom to fully customize and have complete control of the system.

But you’ll also have to be responsible for IT setup and maintenance. Plus, there’s always the risk the platform could be retired down the road, leaving you with an unsupported system. 

• Proprietary LMS

A proprietary LMS is almost the opposite of open-source. It’s created, sold, and maintained by a vendor.

Choose this if you want a ready-made solution that you simply start using with little or no modifications. However, when choosing an LMS vendor, also consider support, scalability, and costs. This option can be pricey.

#3. Prioritize the LMS features you require

Next, focus on the features that really matter to you. Sure, every platform should have the essentials —  customization, content creation, smooth integration with other tools, and a user-friendly interface. But what will make the biggest difference for your organization? You have to figure out what you need before you hit the ground running. 

Let’s explore the features that every LMS should have. 

1. Customization options

Customization is where you make the platform truly yours. The small changes you make go a long way in making the platform feel like a natural extension of your organization. For example, choose a platform that gives you the ability to: 

• Play around with fonts and colors to match your brand;
• Personalize the login and registration pages so they feel like they belong to you;
• Add your own domain for easy, direct access;
• Upload your logo to keep everything consistent with your branding.

2. Content creation and management

You want a system that makes uploading and organizing your content straightforward. The easier it is to manage your materials, the more time you can spend creating content that really clicks with your learners.

3. Progress tracking and reporting

The ability to keep an eye on learner progress is essential. With advanced tracking and reporting, you’ll know what’s working and where to fine-tune things. 

4. Assessment and grading

Quizzes, tests, and grading should be a breeze. You want a tool that lets you check in on how well your learners are getting the material without making it feel like a chore.

5. Integrations

When choosing an LMS, make sure it works with your other tools —  whether it's HR software or your favorite communication platform. You shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to get everything connected.

6. Mobile accessibility

Your learners should be able to dive into their training easily from any device. A mobile-friendly platform means they can learn on the go, whether they’re at home, on the train, or grabbing a coffee.

7. Intuitive user interface

The tool should be easy and natural to navigate, making learning a smooth experience. You want clear, organized menus and plenty of white space to keep things looking clean. Also, you want a personalized dashboard and a reliable search bar to find what you’re looking for quickly.

A bad interface, on the other hand —  cluttered menus, confusing labels, and a cramped layout — - will make everything harder. At 51%, poor user experience is one of the barriers to LMS adoption, so you definitely don’t want a platform with a poor UI.

#4. Establish your budget

LMS pricing is an important LMS selection criteria. It should fit your budget to avoid a bad deal. You can pick a pay-per-active-user model, where you pay based on usage, or a flat subscription with a fixed price. There’s also a free, open-source option, but you manage hosting and maintenance.

Also, key questions to ask before choosing an LMS are: 

1. Will there be extra fees for upgrades or added features?
2. Are there charges for setup, training, and ongoing maintenance? 

These expenses can add up quickly, so it’s important to know them in advance.

#5. Research and compare LMS providers

At this stage of the LMS software selection process, it’s time to dig into vendor research. Whether your interest is learning how to choose the best LMS for engineers, academics, or corporate training, you need to do a thorough job on this one.

Compare the vendor’s pricing options and product features as discussed before, then look at their reputation and industry experience. You want a company with a strong track record. Look for case studies and actual user reviews on platforms like G2 or Trust Pilot. And where possible, ask former/existing customers about their experience with the vendors.

Moreover, when choosing an LMS vendor, consider customer support! Make sure they offer good support – ideally 24/7. 

Let’s review a few platforms you can consider when doing your research.

▪️EducateMe — Best corporate training LMS 

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EducateMe offers a white-label LMS platform that can be tailored for corporate training, academies, boot camps, and accelerators. With a mix of AI course creation and engaging tools, it encourages interactive learning and automates tasks like grading and tracking. 

The platform is highly customizable, allowing full branding and smooth integration with external tools like CRMs and payment gateways. Additionally, real-time analytics and the opportunity to set up custom reports help improve the educational processes and track learning outcomes easily. 

‍▪️Moodle —  Best LMS for schools

Moodle is an open-source LMS that can be tailored to fit your exact needs. It’s packed with plugins, letting you easily customize everything from course content and assessments to interactive tools that support personalized learning. If you're wondering how to choose the best LMS for startups, consider these features that Moodle delivers.

💡Note: However, while it has plenty of powerful features, getting it set up the way you want might need some technical skills.

▪️Disco - Best LMS for building community 

Disco is the perfect choice for building active learning communities. It's ideal for beginners or those who prefer working together because it offers an interactive platform with live feeds and customizable spaces. 

💡Note: While it works well for community development, it may not be suitable for many organizations' purposes.

▪️Docebo - Best AI LMS

Powered by AI and machine learning, Docebo provides tailored learning experiences that range from course recommendations to predicting learner requirements. It integrates well with other corporate applications. 

💡Note: But please note that its setup and usage can get a bit tricky, and they do have not transparent pricing policies.

▪️Blackboard – Best for higher education 

Blackboard is a great option if you're choosing learning management system higher education. It provides a mix of synchronous and asynchronous tools suitable for the typical traditional learning contexts. 

You’ve access to live video, collaborative whiteboards, on-demand lessons, and course creation powered by AI. 

💡Note: Blackboard is, however, pricey and requires extensive training for all users.

If you're looking for an intuitive, flexible, and scalable LMS platform, look no further than EducateMe. Book a demo today!

#6. Plan for scalability and future needs

In your LMS vendor selection journey, it’s important to think about your plans for the future. Even if you’ve got a small organization with ten workers today, think about what happens when you hit 1000 employees. Can the platform handle this many people? Can you add the extra features you need to accommodate your growing workforce? How much will all these cost? 

Also, if your company goes international, how do you manage training for foreign employees and stakeholders? All these questions are critical when considering how to choose LMS. You want a platform that can meet these evolving needs.

#7. Ensure integration capabilities

You don’t want a platform that works as a silo, but something that can integrate well with the other systems —  HR/CRM/CMS — you already use. 

It’s, therefore, important that you choose LMS with API functionality & Zapier integrations so that you can easily work with business-critical third-party applications. Smooth integration means less admin work so that you can focus on creating and delivering engaging lessons.

#8. Verify security and compliance standards

Any LMS guide will tell you that security is a critical factor in your decision-making. This is especially true when dealing with sensitive employee or student data. To this end, consider the following before committing  to any LMS software:

1. Compliance with regulations. Ensure that it complies with relevant regulations. By complying, you protect your organization from potential legal issues.
2. Security features. Look for security features such as data encryption, user authentication, and secure access controls to safeguard sensitive information.

#9. Test the LMS with a demo or free trial

At this stage, you've probably whittled down your list of vendors to a shortlist of three or five. Before making a final decision, though, test the platform yourself. Most providers offer free demos or trials. Take the time to explore the system to ensure that it meets your feature requirements.

​​During this step, feel free to reach out to support for more details or if you need extra customization options to fit your needs.

#10. Go live and launch your first course

Congratulations on getting to the end of this ‘How to Choose a Learning Management System’ guide! Now comes the exciting part: going live! Begin by launching a pilot course to see how the platform performs in real-world conditions. 

This is your chance to gather feedback from learners, observe their experiences, and make any tweaks needed. With careful planning and insights gained from the pilot, you’ll be well-prepared to confidently roll out proper courses across your organization.

Why EducateMe is the right LMS for your organization

As you can see, there are many different factors to consider when shopping for the right LMS. However, if you want an advanced platform with a rich suite of features, then EducateMe is right for you.

Let’s highlight some of its primary capabilities:

• Extended course creation and management automation;
• Powerful analytics and feedback tools for tracking learner progress;
• Smooth integration with tools like Zoom, Notion, and Google Calendar;
• White-label LMS to match the platform’s look and feel with your brand;

Engagement content options like bite-sized modules, lessons, webinars, quizzes, assignments, and peer reviews. Whether you’re a small organization, a large enterprise, or even an educational institution, EducateMe brings all the features you need to deliver the best learning experience in one place.

Experience it firsthand. Sign up for a free 14 days trial.

Final thoughts

A Learning Management System can be a game-changer for your organization if you want to boost workforce development and simplify training. 

However, the bottom line is that you must take the time to look for one that fits both your immediate and long-term needs. Hopefully, the points covered in this LMS buyers guide will give you the information you need to select a platform that drives your organization's learning culture and helps you meet your training goals.