How to Create an Effective E-Learning Strategy for the Retail Industry
The retail industry is extremely dynamic, constantly evolving to meet the needs of changing customers. As such, businesses must adopt strategies that enable them to keep up with these rapid changes and continue to meet customer demands.
E-learning can be an effective tool for doing so, especially in reducing costs while simultaneously producing training materials that are engaging and interactive.
An e-learning strategy is a company’s plan for how they will use e-learning to support their business goals.
An effective e-learning strategy should not only focus on how you will implement e-learning throughout your organization but also why you’re implementing it.
These two elements are essential in creating a cohesive and successful implementation of e-learning within your business.
What Is an Effective E-Learning Strategy?
An effective e-learning strategy includes everything from the types of e-learning you choose to the way in which you implement those e-learning modalities throughout your organization.
An effective e-learning strategy does not only focus on how you will implement e-learning throughout your organization but also why you’re implementing it.
It’s important to understand the reasoning behind your e-learning implementation because this will greatly affect how you approach the entire process.
An effective e-learning strategy will allow you to support your business goals while also addressing any pain points that might have led you to implement e-learning to begin with.
It’s important to remember that e-learning is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Different types of e-learning will have varying impacts on different segments of your audience.
An effective e-learning strategy will take these differences into account as you’re developing your e-learning content.
Why Create an E-Learning Strategy?
Creating an e-learning strategy is an excellent opportunity to make sure that you’re investing in the right types of e-learning.
It can also help you avoid wasting time and money by implementing the wrong types of e-learning. This is especially true for businesses in the retail industry.
Retailers must constantly adapt to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving industry. This is especially true for retailers in an increasingly digital world.
This shift towards digital has led to an increase in online shopping, which has in turn created new challenges for retailers in creating engaging customer experiences that encourage online shoppers to choose them instead of a retailer
Identify Your Business Objectives
Before you jump into creating an e-learning strategy, you must first identify the business objectives you hope to achieve through e-learning.
Doing so will help you focus your efforts on creating an e-learning strategy that will result in actual business growth. Business objectives you may want to consider include:
Reduced Training Costs
E-learning can help reduce training costs due to the fact that it is cheaper to create and maintain online courses than it is to manually train employees.
Improved Employee Retention
Retaining high-quality employees can be challenging for the retail industry, especially in face of increased competition for talent. Employers can use e-learning to help reduce the time it takes for employees to be productive, making the job more enjoyable and rewarding.
Improved Customer Experience.
In the present day and age, customers expect a certain level of convenience from retailers. If a customer is unable to quickly and easily navigate your website, complete a purchase, or return or exchange an item, they will likely take their business elsewhere. E-learning can help you train employees to meet and exceed these expectations.
Improved Reputation.
Online reviews and rankings are crucial to the success of retail businesses. If your website has a high bounce rate or low-quality reviews, customer satisfaction will likely suffer. E-learning can help you train employees to be customer-centric, creating an enjoyable and positive experience for customers.
Challenges facing the retail industry
Retailers are facing a number of challenges that make implementing an effective e-learning strategy essential.
These challenges include:
A Rise in Competition.
The retail industry is extremely competitive, but technology has made competing in this industry even more challenging. Retailers are facing increased competition from online retailers, as well as from other businesses that are increasingly accepting online payments.
Changing Consumer Expectations.
Customers expect retailers to be easily accessible and offer a variety of convenient payment options. They also expect fast shipping and delivery, as well as a high-quality customer experience. E-learning can help retailers meet these expectations and succeed in this industry.
Rise in Digital Transformation.
Retailers are investing in digital transformation strategies that enable them to better serve customers and increase sales.
More Demanding Customers.
Customers now have access to a wider array of product reviews and information, which has prompted them to be more critical and demanding.
Determine the Type of e-Learning You’ll Use
An important step in creating an e-learning strategy is determining the type of e-learning you will implement.
Although there are many different types of e-learning, not all of them are appropriate for the retail industry. When determining the type of e-learning you will use, keep these things in mind:
Learner Needs
Before selecting a type of e-learning, evaluate the needs of your learners, paying special attention to their: Skill level - Employees in the retail industry may have varying skill levels, making it important to select an e-learning type that will benefit all learners.
Time Constraints
E-learning that is self-paced may be more appropriate for employees who have regular work hours and limited time to complete training.
Adopt Microlearning
Microlearning is one type of e-learning that is particularly beneficial for retailers. Microlearning refers to short, modular lessons that are designed to fit into employees’ busy schedules.
It may sound counterintuitive, but this type of e-learning actually helps reinforce the information that learners have learned.
While traditional e-learning courses may require several hours of consecutive studying, microlearning can be completed in as little as five minutes per module.
Because microlearning is shorter and more concise, it requires less time and energy from learners. This, in turn, means a reduced workload for instructional designers, who will likely need to create fewer modules than they would for a traditional e-learning course.
Although microlearning is beneficial for employees and businesses, it may be more challenging for instructional designers to create.
Because the modules are shorter, instructional designers must be especially focused on getting to the point. They must also utilize visual and auditory elements more effectively, as there is less time for textual content.
Embrace Video-based learning
Another type of e-learning that may be appropriate for retailers is video-based learning.
Video-based e-learning can be especially beneficial when creating training materials for topics that are controversial or that may generate emotional responses from learners.
Video Assessment
Video tutorial
Video Quiz
Video Coaching
Interactive Video
And more…
Customers may be more willing to accept information on controversial topics when it is delivered via video. Additionally, video-based e-learning can be very effective in creating a positive customer experience.
Video-based e-learning is not more expensive to create than other types of e-learning. Additionally, it is not more difficult to track learner progress.
Be Learner Centric
An important step in creating an e-learning strategy is being learner-centric.
When you are learner-centric, you put the needs and desires of your employees at the forefront of your e-learning strategy. This can be done in a variety of ways, including:
Identify Pain Points
Before creating training modules, it is important to take the time to identify pain points that your employees have in their daily workflows. You can then use this information to design e-learning modules that address these issues.
Be Customer Centric
A customer-centric approach to e-learning means creating training that is tailored to meet the needs and expectations of your employees. Employees want to learn relevant, useful information; they don’t want to spend hours struggling through unnecessary content.
Be Collaborative
Collaboration can be beneficial for e-learning in a variety of ways. Incorporating teaming and collaboration into e-learning can help encourage communication and collaboration among employees.
Choose the Right Learning Platform
Once you’ve determined the type of e-learning you want to implement, it’s time to choose the right elearning platform.
An elearning platform is a software system that hosts your e-learning content and makes it accessible to employees.
There are a number of factors to consider when choosing a learning platform, including:
Functionalities
Ask for an authoring tool, automatic translation, learning path, project management tool integrated, video first solution and fully brandable solution.
Ease of Use
It’s important for the learning platform to be easy to use. A platform that is difficult to navigate will likely cause employees to become frustrated and give up on their e-learning.
Technology Integrations
If your business uses certain technology, such as a CRM or SSO, it’s important to choose a learning platform that integrates with these systems. This will help employees easily transition from e-learning to the job.
Summing up
An e-learning strategy provides direction and guidance in the implementation of e-learning throughout your organization.
An effective e-learning strategy will account for the type of e-learning being implemented as well as the learning platform being used. It is crucial that these two elements work together to create engaging and effective e-learning.
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