Don't get lost in the sea of options: Turn wandering website visitors into valuable online learners

By Christine Oh

Your organization’s website is arguably the most important marketing tool to attract new online learners and generate sales. Your organization has full control of the website content and you don’t have to pay advertising fees like you would externally. Best of all, you already have potential learners right where you want them—at a computer and receptive to information about your organization’s programs. Don’t let them slip through the cracks! There are simple things you can do to seamlessly convert wandering website visitors into valuable online learners.

Take a minute to read through this checklist of things you can do to optimize your website’s marketing power.

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Checklist: Are you doing a good job of marketing your online learning programs through your website?

Takes one click to move from the following pages of your website to the learning portal

• Homepage -> Learning portal
• Education page -> Learning portal
• Events page -> Learning portal

Visuals of the learning portal (e.g. screenshots of the course) are clearly noticeable when people first enter your website

• Website visitors should not have to scroll or click anything to see the visuals
• If you have a rotating slideshow on your homepage, make the learning platform the first slide

Sidebar advertisements

• Automatically scroll down along with the page
• One-click link to the learning portal

In the Education section of your website (If you don’t have one, create one!)

• Education should be one of the main menu options of your website
• List of courses available online with descriptions
• If applicable, state the number of continuing education credits (CLE, CME, CPE, PD, etc.) that can be completed online
• One-click link to the learning portal
  

At the end of all event-related news and/or coverage (if you have recorded speakers from an in-person event)

• State that online versions of the sessions are available
• One-click link to the learning portal

If you have a News or Blog section on your website

• Multiple articles and/or posts about your online learning programs from different angles
• Spotlight and/or interview prominent figures (e.g. Executive Director, Education Director, and/or course instructors)
• Why the course topic(s) are important and why your organization felt it was important to take online