When To Use Services Like Lynda.com

By: Justin Ferriman • May 2, 2016
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calculatorAt this point it’s probably safe to say that every organization knows that having an elearning program in place is beneficial to their employees and to the bottom-line.

Still, not everyone has “taken the plunge”.

There could be a few reasons why this is the case but probably the most cited reason is cost of implementation.

Yes, elearning has many benefits, but it isn’t free.

Actually the investment for an elearning program can be quite hefty.

For a small company that lacks an elearning program they can expect to spend a considerable amount of time doing research and development.

At the very least they’ll need to:

  • Develop program objectives
  • Research learning management solutions that are in-line with those objectives
  • Create a curriculum outline
  • Develop course content
  • Implement a communication strategy
  • Monitor and modify as needed

Each one of these steps along can take months. It may require a few full-time employees or consultants to get the job done and the total cost can easily reach into six figures.

Not every organization can afford elearning even though it’s shown to be quite beneficial in the long-run.

In situations like this it’s often better for organizations to consider alternatives to a home grown elearning program. One viable option is to use a program like Lynda.com.

The setup is pretty simple: you pay a monthly fee in order to grant your employees access to Lynda.com’s course catalog.

You don’t need to worry about a learning management system or creating the course content. It’s all done for you.

This is a great way for organizations of any size to dip their toe into the “elearning pool”.

The downside to this approach is that you ultimately give up a bit of creative control over the entire setup. Also, while the quality of the course content is pretty high, it is still generic in that it’s not tailored to your organization.

If you have been putting off an elearning program at your company, then programs like Lynda.com can help you get started relatively quickly and in a cost-effective manner.

Justin Ferriman

Justin started LearnDash, the WordPress LMS trusted by Fortune 500 companies, major universities, training organizations, and entrepreneurs worldwide. He is currently founder & CEO of GapScout. Justin’s Homepage | GapScout | Twitter