eLearning is becoming routine after Covid’19. Whether you’re an institution, school or simply a teacher, eLearning is crucial for the upcoming years. There’re countless benefits of eLearning! Few of them are cost-effectiveness, productivity, adaptability, and collaboration.

You might wonder how you will get into eLearning! With WordPress, anyone can start online/virtual classrooms for their students.

There are even options for giving or revoking permissions! Want to learn more how you could empower your students’ eLearning with WordPress? Then, this article is for you!

I have divided this article into five parts. So, it can be understood by a newbie as well! Let’s dive into it.

You’ll require robust web hosting platform

Every web development process starts with domain and hosting. Both are crucial! Domain, you can choose yourself, you like! Robust hosting is required for smooth operation of your virtual class.

That’s because your virtual class would be full of students, live interactions, and heavy server requests! And no one can afford the loss of students’ attention!

There’re many hosting platforms out there! You can simply go in the plan & pricing section and get the details you want! Some of the most robust platforms are BlueHost, A2 Hosting, SiteGround, and WP Engine.

These platforms offer annual and triannual plans to give you more flexibility. Want more advice regarding hosting? Check out this blog.

For domain name, you can choose either .org or .edu. Because it gives a sense of teaching, and make sure it is not much longer. Because many times, there’re chances of spelling mistakes by users.

Plan what you require in virtual classroom

Before getting into the development or design phase, a plan must be ready. Your plan includes functionalities, themes, and future updates.

First thing first! You need to determine which business model approach; you want to go for. It might be subscription-based, affiliate-based, paid courses, or paid certificates.

After that, select the right CMS or build customized one! Mostly WordPress is a suitable CMS for eLearning platform. Because it can give you extended functionalities and more control over other platforms. You can even build customized ones in WordPress.

Get your brand identity ready! Brand identity is crucial because it helps your platform become memorable and stand out from the rest. Make sure your brand theme is professional, looks good, and is relatable.

Make digital marketing strategy! Without digital marketing, it is difficult to get students. SEO, Google Ads, social media, and email marketing are among the most effective channels to get more exposure.

Start building it with WordPress

There’re many ways you can build using WordPress. Mostly eLearning platforms are custom WordPress development sites to give more control and flexibility to you.

You can still have option to select a theme such as Divi, The Thinker, and Astra. I’m going to give you brief overview of developing virtual classrooms here. You need a professional developer or full-stack development company to develop a flawless eLearning platform.

First thing first! Install WordPress and select theme designed for eLearning platforms. Above mentioned themes are multipurpose with add-on functionality of creating a membership website.

Furthermore, if you don’t want to invest in creating one. You can still go for platforms that are dedicated to creating eLearning experiences.

After selecting theme, you’ll require to install LMS plugin. It helps develop an eLearning platform fast and efficiently. LearnDash, MemberPress, Sensei, and LifterLMS.

Set up LMS with all the prerequisite details you have. You can add courses, monetization, restrict access, and many more.

Create a complete digital marketing plan and execute it

Creating and executing digital strategies is distinct from traditional digital marketing. It should be well-planned and executed by experts.

Every marketing starts with audience research. Make sure you aim to solve pain points of students in audience research process.

After that, competitor analysis is also an important part of digital marketing. You can use tools like SEMrush and SpyFu for it. With the help of competitive analysis, you can measure and improve your strategy.

Identifying the right channels is the next step. In most cases, strategizing and aligning right channels is crucial for eLearning platform’s success. Some of the most successful channels are SEO, social media, Google Ads, and email marketing.

Execution and analysis are crucial to improve performance. Check here for tested tips to make and improve robust digital strategy.

Engage with your students

To empower your eLearning platform, engagement and interactions with your students are of utmost importance. With WordPress bbPress plugin, you can create a forum for Q&A and solve students’ pain points.

You can even integrate Zoom with WordPress to live interact during Zoom meetings. Furthermore, you can also incorporate email marketing into your marketing strategy. It helps students with updates.

Facebook and WhatsApp groups are good options, but emails are one of the best ways to retain students.

Student collaboration is an important part of virtual classroom. With forums, groups, and WhatsApp, you can encourage students to collaborate and learn from each other.

Conclusively, eLearning with WordPress is easier than ever. Thanks to bunch of functionalities and plugins!