Many WordPress site owners want to offer online courses, but worry that the process may be too complicated or disrupt their existing website. Adding an LMS can feel risky if your site is live and working well.
You might be concerned about whether it will break your layout, slow down your site, or cause other technical problems. These concerns often prevent people from moving forward.
The solution is, you don’t need to rebuild anything. With the right setup, you can easily add courses to your website without affecting its performance or design.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how it works and what you need to know. Need help getting started? Feel free to schedule our free consultation today!
Check Your Current WordPress Setup
Before installing anything, take a moment to review your website:
Theme Compatibility: Make sure your WordPress theme works well with learning plugins. Themes designed for online courses or LMS support usually provide better layout and readability.
Plugin Conflicts: Review your active plugins to avoid conflicts. If you’re using tools such as page builders, membership plugins, or custom scripts, test compatibility first.
Hosting Resources: Online learning adds an extra load to your site. Ensure your hosting plan can handle videos, quizzes, and multiple users at once. Reliable shared or cloud hosting usually works, but check your provider’s limits.
Purchase and download LearnDash from the official website when you’re ready.
Install the Plugin: Navigate to plugins inside your WordPress dashboard → then select Add New → Upload Plugin. Select the ZIP file and click, then select “Install Now.”
Activate It: After installing it, click “Activate” to start using LearnDash.
Now your site is ready to create courses.
Set Up Basic Settings
Once activated, go to the LearnDash settings area:
General Settings: Choose your currency, set PayPal or Stripe for payments, and allow user signups.
Course Settings: You can decide how lessons should flow—free navigation or step-by-step—and set up quiz rules.
User Roles: Assign roles like instructors, admins, and students to control who can do what on your site.
Create Your Course Content
Now it’s time to build:
Course Builder: LearnDash begins with a drag-and-drop builder that allows you to create courses, lessons, topics, and quizzes without coding.
Use Media: Add videos, audio, or images to make your lessons more engaging and easy to follow.
Drip Content: If you want to release lessons gradually, you can schedule them using the drip feature.
Test Everything Before You Launch
Before going live:
Preview Your Course: Check each lesson and quiz to ensure everything looks right.
Test Like a Student: Try enrolling and check the course to see the process from the learner’s view.
Check Performance: Make sure your site runs smoothly. A slow site can frustrate users and make difficult learning.
Go Live: Publish your courses and share them on your website or by email and social media.
Collect Feedback: Ask your learners what’s working and what could be better. This helps you improve the course experience.
Keep Plugins Updated: Always update LearnDash and other plugins to stay secure and bug-free.
Need help setting up LearnDash on your site? Join us now and get 70% off the original LearnDash license, create your course site with full support and ease.
Babar Ali, CEO of our LearnDash solutions, specializes in LMS setup, automation, and customization to enhance online learning. With expertise in WordPress and digital education, he ensures seamless and efficient e-learning experiences.
