**Create an eLearning Website: 8-Step Guide**

If you have the correct resources, constructing an online course website has become quite simple. Our primary obstacle in developing our own video membership site was not the content creation, but rather locating a platform that could provide lessons, manage student data, and process registrations efficiently.

Like many, we thought developing an eLearning site would demand months of specialized development. Fortunately, that is not true anymore.

With WordPress and MemberPress, you can launch a professional-looking course platform in just a few hours—even if it’s your first website.

We have assisted numerous educators and creators in developing successful online learning sites. This guide provides a step-by-step process to create your own polished and user-friendly site designed for expansion. 📈

Why Should You Create an eLearning Website?

Developing an eLearning website presents numerous opportunities for sharing knowledge, expanding your audience, and potentially earning income online.

Whether you’re a teacher, business owner, or content creator, an online learning platform lets you connect with students from anywhere around the world.

It also offers a cost-effective means of providing valuable resources. You can create online courses available at any time, instead of paying for classroom space or printed materials.

Plus, you’ll have complete control over the design, branding, and content of your learning hub, making it easy to build a website that reflects your vision.

Step-by-Step Instructions: Launching an eLearning Site via WordPress

While third-party platforms such as Teachable or Skillshare may seem appealing for hosting your online courses, we strongly suggest opting for WordPress instead.

WordPress, a widely used website creation tool, simplifies the process of building your own eLearning hub. It ensures you retain complete authority over your content and revenue.

Furthermore, WordPress, with its versatile learning management system (LMS) plugins and educational themes, streamlines the creation of a polished website catering to both instructors and learners.

Additionally, you don’t needextensive technical skills to operate WordPress. It equips you with the essential resources to develop a website without requiring coding knowledge.

Bear in mind that our reference to WordPress pertains to WordPress.org, an open-source platform granting you total command over your site, enabling feature customization and expansion as desired.

Refer to our thorough comparison of WordPress.com versus WordPress.org for a deeper understanding.

Prior to proceeding, let’s address the prerequisites for initiating your WordPress journey.

Initiating Your eLearning Platform

You’ll require a domain name and a web hosting service to establish a WordPress site.

A domain name serves as your website’s distinct online identifier, similar to learnsphere.com or growacademy.com. This is the address customers use in their browsers to access your site.

Web hosting provides the necessary online space for your website to exist. For an eLearning platform, verify that your hosting provider supports the platform’s required tools. Consider features like webinar capabilities, secure access, and the capacity to handle increasing student numbers.

To simplify the selection process, explore our carefully chosen list of top-rated WordPress hosting solutions.

Although WordPress is free, domain registration and hosting involve costs. Expect to pay around $14.99 annually for a domain and at least $7.99 monthly for hosting. This represents a notable investment.

Fortunately, Bluehost offers a special deal for our audience. As a leading global hosting provider and a WordPress-recommended partner, Bluehost is a dependable option.

Alongside exceptional web hosting, you will receive both a free domain name and an SSL certificate for the discounted price of just $2.99 each month.

An SSL certificate secures your eLearning platform by encrypting all data transmitted between your site and its users. This is vital when processing payments or handling confidential data, such as login credentials.

Upon purchasing a Bluehost subscription, the setup wizard walks you through checkout. This includes domain selection, account setup, and the option to add extra features.

In the next sections, we’ll show you how to create a fully functional eLearning website using WordPress. Here’s a quick overview of all the steps we’re going to cover:

Now, let’s get started!

Step 1. Install WordPress

The first step is to install WordPress so that you can create an eLearning website. Most of the process should be automatic, though it depends on your web host.

For example, after you sign up for a web hosting plan with Bluehost, you’ll be taken to the control panel, where WordPress is automatically installed on your domain name.

For step-by-step instructions, you can check out our comprehensive guide on how to install WordPress. It includes detailed installation steps for some of the most popular WordPress hosting providers, including Bluehost.

Step 2. Find a Good eLearning Website Theme

Website themes, sometimes called layouts or templates, control the look and feel of your site. Your eLearning website needs a WordPress theme that not only looks great but also supports the functionality you need for courses, lessons, and student engagement.

Consider these methods to identify an appropriate theme for your new site.

Explore the WordPress Theme Directory

If you’re watching your budget, the WordPress theme directory provides an excellent starting point. It offers numerous free themes that install easily from your WordPress dashboard.

Navigate to Appearance » Themes and select ‘Add New.’ There, utilize the ‘Search Themes’ function to locate themes with designs and features appropriate for educational sites.

Also, our article on the best WordPress education themes for teachers offers hand-picked suggestions.

Check Out Premium Theme Marketplaces

If you want more advanced features and unique designs, premium theme marketplaces like ThemeIsle or Themify offer a wide range of options.

Typically, these themes come with extras such as enhanced customization options, superior support, and pre-designed layouts specifically suited for eLearning websites.

Use SeedProd for Total Customization

For maximum flexibility in designing your web pages, we suggest utilizing SeedProd.

It is a drag-and-drop website builder that lets you design your site from scratch or use ready-made templates. You can customize everything, from fonts to layouts, without writing a single line of code.

Several partner brands have employed this page builder to develop entire websites for selling their software, with outstanding results. Because our readers often inquire about SeedProd, we routinely test it ourselves.

Consult our comprehensive SeedProd review for detailed information.

Moreover, SeedProd integrates smoothly with WordPress, simplifying the process of incorporating elements like course signup or payment methods.

SeedProd’s AI Theme Builder can also construct complete websites for you in under a minute.

Refer to our guide on creating a custom WordPress theme for detailed instructions.

Each choice has advantages. Free themes offer a fast setup, premium themes provide refined aesthetics, and SeedProd empowers you to craft a one-of-a-kind design.

Once you’ve chosen an eLearning theme, you can follow our guide on how to install a WordPress theme.

Remember that you can always change your WordPress theme, so you aren’t permanently bound to the initial look.

Step 3. Create Your eLearning Home Page 

After installing your selected theme, proceed to design a homepage for your eLearning platform.

Utilize the WordPress block editor for this task. Start your homepage by including a title and tagline. Click the corresponding blocks and input your text.

Consider adding a hero image subsequently.

The hero image is a prominent visual at the top of your homepage. Because it’s among the first things visitors see, it’s an ideal place to showcase your site’s purpose.

For an online course platform, the hero image might depict students learning, collaborating, or interacting with course material.

Next, incorporate text elements. Consider including these essential components on your eLearning homepage:

• Course HighlightsShowcase your best or most popular courses with engaging visuals, concise descriptions, and clear enrollment buttons.
• About SectionProvide a short introduction to yourself or your eLearning platform to establish trust with visitors.
• TestimonialsDisplay student reviews and feedback to build confidence and enhance your brand’s reputation. See our guide on adding rotating testimonials for details.

Inspirational quotes from respected figures can also motivate visitors and establish an emotional connection.

When you’re satisfied with the layout, you can just click the ‘Publish’ button in the block editor.

This is how our customized homepage appears:

For more information, consult our guide on creating a custom WordPress homepage.

Step 4. Install and Set Up MemberPress LMS

You’ll soon be ready to develop your learning content. First, you must implement a Learning Management System (LMS) to provide lessons or courses accessible via membership, monetizing your expertise.

A membership platform fosters community, enabling user interaction, questions, and idea sharing, enhancing the overall learning process.

Among the LMS plugins evaluated, MemberPress, especially its Classroom Mode, excels. It has add-ons for assignments, grade books, and quizzes, letting you monitor student advancement from the WordPress admin area.

While this may seem complex, the setup is fairly straightforward. We have experience in this area, including creating a complimentary membership website for our WordPress courses.

MemberPress streamlines the creation of an intuitive learning environment. Consult our in-depth MemberPress analysis for additional information.

Begin by installing and activating the MemberPress plugin. Refer to our WordPress plugin installation tutorial if needed.

After activation, the MemberPress menu will appear on your dashboard. Click it to start the setup process.

Next, you should set up your payment options. To accomplish this, go toMemberPress » Settings and switch to the ‘Payments’ tab.

After that, select the ‘+ Add Payment Method’ option to begin configuring your payment processors.

With payment information configured, you are now ready to develop your initial online courses.

Before continuing, remember that while MemberPress functions well for developing eLearning platforms, several other plugins provide viable alternatives:

• Thrive Apprentice presents a strong choice for instructors seeking robust reporting features and customized content delivery. Consult our Thrive Themes Suite review for more details.
• WishList Member enhances course participation through gamification mechanics. Our comprehensive WishList Member review details our testing experiences.
• AccessAlly enables the construction of robust online courses and member-exclusive content, including group learning and communities.
• Courses for MemberMouse is well-suited for instructors requiring a comprehensive membership and course solution. Our in-depth MemberMouse review offers additional platform information.

Step 5. Build Your First Online Learning Materials

Now, it’s time to begin developing your online learning materials. MemberPress provides every tool to ensure your courses are exceptional.

Effortlessly design lessons, integrate quizzes, and reward students with certificates. All essential functions are built-in, allowing you to concentrate on teaching instead of complex configurations.

Begin by activating the MemberPress Courses add-on, which can be found by going toMemberPress » Courses page, and you’ll find a button to install and activate the add-on.

Once activated, a new ‘MP Courses’ menu item will appear in your WordPress dashboard.

Proceed by clicking the ‘Add New Course’ button.

This will open the MemberPress course builder.

You might notice that the MemberPress course builder uses the default WordPress block editor. With its drag-and-drop interface, you can easily add and customize blocks to create engaging course layouts without needing any coding skills.

You can now explore the builder and begin designing your first course. Refer to our comprehensive guide on creating and selling online courses in WordPress for more in-depth instructions.

If you plan to provide online coaching, consider utilizing the CoachKit™ addon.

CoachKit allows the creation of unlimited coaching programs. You can also define milestones to maintain client motivation, plus synchronize your site with Calendly for scheduling personal coaching sessions.

To begin using CoachKit, install and activate it by going toMemberPress » CoachKit™.

This action generates an ‘MP CoachKit™’ menu in your WordPress dashboard. Configuration of some settings is required before program creation.

By default, MemberPress establishes a ‘Coaching’ page for managing clients and monitoring progress. Review this page by navigating toMemberPress » Settings and switching to the ‘Pages’ tab.

In the designated ‘MemberPress Coaching Page’ section, the ‘Auto Create New Page’ option should be pre-selected in the dropdown.

Proceed to the ‘CoachKit™’ tab for the subsequent configurations.

Enabling the live chat ‘Messaging’ feature on your eLearning platform facilitates direct interaction with your clients, which is highly recommended.

After completing the above steps, you’re ready to develop your initial online coaching program.

Let’s navigate to ‘MP CoachKit™’ and click the ‘Add New Program’ button.

For further information, refer to our tutorial on launching an online coaching business.

Step 6. Restrict Access to eLearning Materials

With your courses now configured, you can establish rules defining access permissions to your learning content. MemberPress excels in this area.

This plugin empowers you to establish varied membership tiers, controlling access to particular lessons or materials based on these levels. You can also restrict content based on categories, tags, or even individual lessons.

Creating Membership Levels

To begin, you’ll need to establish your membership tiers. Navigate to theMemberPress » Memberships page and click the ‘Add New’ button.

An editor will appear, allowing you to customize all the key settings for your membership.

Here, you’ll specify details such as the membership name, a descriptive overview, and pricing details like cost and billing frequency.

Upon completion, click the ‘Publish’ button to finalize your membership plan. Repeat this process to create all necessary membership levels.

Adding Membership Rules

Next, navigate toMemberPress » Rulesand select ‘Add New’.

On the subsequent screen, in the ‘Protected Content’ area, designate the content you wish to secure. Following this, establish the access parameters.

For example, we’ve configured content tagged as premium to be exclusively accessible to elite members.

Remember to save your settings by clicking ‘Save Rule’.

Creating User Login Forms

With your memberships and rules configured, you must enable student logins and logouts.

You can use the MemberPress shortcode; it builds a login form including all key elements.

Create a new page, or edit an existing one, to embed your login form using the block editor.

After that, find the ‘MemberPress Settings’ section located at the editor’s bottom.

Select ‘Manually place the login form on the page’ to display the login shortcode.

Copy this shortcode and paste it into the editor.

Here’s how a MemberPress login page looks on a live website:

For details on configuring membership tiers, limiting content access, and embedding login forms, read our complete guide to membership site creation.

Step 7. Display an Online Contact Us Form

Having a ‘Contact Us’ form on your eLearning website is super important. It gives your visitors an easy way to reach out if they have questions, feedback, or need support. So, we recommend adding one as the next step.

The good news is that creating a contact form is simple and doesn’t require any coding skills. The best tool to use for this is WPForms. It’s easy to use, even for beginners, and offers lots of helpful features like AI tools, spam protection, and the ability to customize your form fields.

We have lots of firsthand experience with WPForms, and it’s become one of our favorite tools. We use it for our contact forms, website migration forms, and annual user surveys. You can learn more about it in our complete WPForms review.

With WPForms, you can create a contact form in just a few minutes, and your potential students or clients will have a direct way to reach you for any inquiries.

To set one up, let’s install and activate the WPForms plugin. If you need help, you can see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Then, you can follow through our step-by-step instructions on how to create a contact form.

Step 8. Add and Adjust the Navigation Menu

Now, you’re very close to finalizing your eLearning website.

In this final step, you’ll set up an easy-to-follow navigation menu to help visitors find their way around your platform. Plus, if you created a custom homepage, then you might not have a navigation bar yet.

A clear and simple menu helps your visitors find what they’re looking for, be it your online courses, coaching programs, or contact page.

Luckily, WordPress makes it easy to create menus and sub-menus no matter what theme you’re using.

For step-by-step guidance, you can go ahead and check out our beginner’s guide on how to add a navigation menu in WordPress.

Bonus Tip: How to Grow Your New eLearning Website

Building your eLearning website is just the first step. Now, it’s time to attract students and grow your online presence. Here are some practical tips to help you get started:

1. Start Blogging About Your Niche: Writing blog posts about topics relevant to your eLearning niche can improve your authority. Blogging helps you connect with your audience and boosts your website’s visibility in search engines. Not sure where to start? Check out our guide on how to start a blog.
2. Optimize Your Site for SEO: To attract organic traffic, make sure your website is optimized for search engines. Tools like All in One SEO can make this super easy. Plus, our ultimate WordPress SEO guide has everything you need to know on how to get started with SEO, even if you’re a beginner.
3. Share eBooks to Grow Your Email List: Offering free lead magnets like eBooks is a smart way to generate leads. You can then create popups or forms that encourage visitors to download your eBook in exchange for their email addresses. You may also wish to see our guide on how to sell eBooks if you wish to make money from them.
4. Start Email Marketing: On top of all that, you’ll want to stay connected with your audience through email marketing. Sending newsletters, course updates, and exclusive offers is a great way to keep your students engaged. Don’t miss our guide on email marketing 101 for step-by-step instructions.

When you follow these tips, you can grow your eLearning website and create a loyal audience that keeps coming back for more.

How to Create an eLearning Website FAQs

Below, we’ve answered some of the most common questions about how to create an eLearning website to help you get started.

Is creating an online course easy?

Creating an online course can be straightforward, but it depends on your content and goals. With the right tools and platform, you can build an engaging and educational course. One of the best options is MemberPress with its Courses and CoachKit™ add-ons.

Which are the best platforms for building an eLearning portal?

Some of the best platforms for building an eLearning portal include WordPress with an LMS plugin like MemberPress, AccessAlly, or LearnDash. These platforms provide various features to help you create and manage your courses.

Can I create a Learning management system using Wix?

Wix is mainly a website builder, so you might find a template kit for creating a basic eLearning site. However, if you need more advanced features for your online courses, platforms like WordPress integrated with MemberPress Courses and CoachKit™ might be a better choice.

How much does it cost to create an eLearning website?

The cost of creating an eLearning website can vary. For basic setups, you may only need to cover platform fees, which can start at $0-$50/month. For more advanced features, you can expect to spend on hosting, premium plugins, and course development, potentially totaling $200-$500+ per year.

We hope this guide has helped you learn how to create an eLearning website. Next up, you might want to see our guide on how to run a virtual classroom online with WordPress and our expert picks of the best WordPress LMS plugins compared.

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