When it comes to an eLearning platform and what it is going to cost you, while there are a number of pricing models offered by platform vendors, there are two primary pricing options available from most vendors:

• Shared Revenue. Depending on who your provider is, shared revenue pricing models can include your platform vendor being paid a percentage of course sales or you paying the vendor per number of users (whether a flat number of users, registered or active users) using your eLearning platform. Shared revenue pricing may also include a combination of these elements.
• Flat Fee. eLearning platform vendors who offer platform licensing as a flat fee provide their LMS solution to you regardless of the number of students you have or what your course revenue is any given month. Often, this pricing model comes in a contract which is inclusive of predetermined features included in your platform’s service plan.

How does your eLearning platform vendor’s pricing model affect your business’s ROI?

This honestly depends on the stage of growth of your eLearning business, specifically what you are earning and also what pricing model your platform vendor uses. Over the long term, there is an inverse correlation that can be seen between the stages of revenue growth of an eLearning business and the ROI of the business in relation to the platform’s pricing model:

As can be seen, in the early stages of your eLearning business you may enjoy stronger ROI growth due to the nature of revenue share pricing, but will likely begin to see your ROI diminish as the revenue share you pay your platform vendor rises in tandem with your increased profits. On the inverse, if you opt upfront to utilize a flat fee priced platform you will likely see a lower ROI at the start of your business, but as sales increase, will experience a stronger ROI due to your platform’s fixed, flat fee cost.

Given the likely long term impact of utilizing a revenue share-based eLearning platform and how that affects your bottom line, whenever possible we always recommend partnering with an eLearning platform vendor who offers flat fee pricing.

Top 5 Reasons you should use a Flat Fee eLearning Platform

1. Predictable, fixed costs.

Being able to provide your eCourses in an eLearning platform at a fixed cost, you benefit ahead of time knowing your monthly or annual expenditures. This allows for defined and predictable operating costs, which is very important for anyone just beginning to grow their business. While at the beginning of starting an eLearning business the higher upfront costs associated with a flat fee pricing model may seem prohibitive (making the shared revenue option attractive to those wanting to lower their initial upfront costs), be aware that as your business grows and earnings increase, the amount you pay your platform vendor will increase (quite possibly no end in sight). While shared revenue platform pricing may seem appealing at the start of your eLearning business, know that in the long term the ends may not justify the means for revenue shared pricing model as your market stake and profits increase (and what you pay your vendor keeps increasing with it).

2. Your profits and ROI INCREASE as your business grows!

The benefits of flat fee pricing when choosing an eLearning platform solution are clear: being a predictable cost flat fee pricing increases your ROI over time while also raising your financial solvency. It is best to think about a flat fee-based platform as an investment in the long term financial health of your business: while it may cost more in the beginning than a revenue share platform, the long term benefits of a flat fee priced platform are compounded by the growth of your eLearning business.

3. You keep the money you earn.

Normally sharing is considered a virtue, right? But when it comes to your eLearning courses and any money you earn from them, wouldn’t you prefer to keep your own hard earned money instead of sharing it? This is where a flat free pricing model comes in, allowing you to keep all of your own money without having to worry about how much of it will go to anyone else.

4. Your platform vendor is focused on the quality of the platform, not the revenue of their clients.

Using a flat fee eLearning platform gives you peace of mind in knowing that your platform vendor is not focused on revenue of their clients. This translates into better quality software as well as improved customer service. Instead of being focused on their share of clients’ earning, your vendor’s business is actually driven by wanting to provide a high-quality platform solution for its customers.

5. Shopping for an eLearning platform is easier!

While no one likes platform migration, the cost of a new platform is a major determining factor when choosing whether to move to a new eLearning platform. If the platform you are migrating from has a flat free cost, when you shop around and compare new platforms you will spend more time comparing each platform’s features (which is what really matters) and less time comparing how much they will cost you.

Academy Of Mine’s pricing philosophy as an eLearning Platform provider (and why it benefits you!)

First and foremost as an eLearning platform vendor, Academy Of Mine’s mission is to do everything we can to help our customers succeed. “Success” can have different meanings to different people, with financial success being an important benchmark for most people. Because it benefits our clients’ bottom line and also makes us a better platform vendor, Academy Of Mine is proud to only offers flat fee pricing plans to our customers.

We believe strongly in our flat fee pricing and offer it for a number of reasons:

• You earned it! We don’t want your hard earned money. Having flat fee pricing allows us to not worry about tracking our revenue share of clients’ earnings or focusing on how large our clients are. First and foremost as an eLearning platform provider we want to focus on supporting our clients and continually improving our platform, not taking a piece of your revenue.
• If our clients succeed, we succeed. Flat fee pricing helps our clients succeed! Having a fixed monthly or annual cost for your platform allows you to increase your ROI over time as your business grows and also conveniently track your expenses. If our clients’ businesses are doing well, likely so are we.
• When you don’t spend time worrying about shared revenue, you can spend more time growing your sales. You should be spending your time growing your business and increasing your sales, not wasting valuable energy thinking about how shared revenue will impact your current and long term profits and the ROI of your LMS solution. With flat fee pricing, this isn’t something you even have to think about, allowing you to invest your valuable time in your business.

Have more questions about customizing your own eLearning platform or on the advantages of our Flat Fee Pricing? If you have questions or would like to know more about our LMS solution, please see our Contact Page or email us at hello@academyofmine.com.