There are few surefire ways of knowing whether your eLearning software will sweep the online education market by storm. However, gauging market sentiments before going live with your course is a good way to hedge your risk. This way, you can always go back to your course management software and stitch in any changes you feel may appeal to your captive market.

The majority of technologies today allow you to pilot your eLearning software on a sample set to determine traction. Pinlearn, one of the most popular online learning technologies, is a good example of this. This turnkey framework is equipped to broadcast live and recorded videos, giving you a superior content building experience with the online course software.

Before you begin validating your eLearning course, design a test roster that works for you and your brand. If you’re wondering which route to take, here are ten that you can choose from.

Route 1. Search Engine Searches

Oh, yes. There’s nothing better than scouring a search engine to see how well your course stacks up on the first few pages of search results. Google can also shed light on how best you should coin your course title. For instance, if you’ve been contemplating calling your course ‘Watercolour Basics’ whereas the maximum returns point to ‘An Introduction to Watercolour’, it’s a good idea to change the name of your course to match search queries. Make a note of related searches that users are entering. This could open up a world of metatags and marketing tools for you. Also, assess the number of videos that turn up when you enter a search query. If your eLearning software is video-driven, a large volume of videos is a good sign.

Route 2. Online Book Stores

There are dozens of online bookstores that you could browse through to determine how many books related to your course content exist. Take your pick between Google Play Books, Kindle, and iBooks! A digital bookstore will let you in on topics that are selling and will shine a light on whether your content is relevant. It will also indicate the potential of your content amongst your audience. A quantifiable yardstick you could use is product ranking. On most digital bookstores, you are able to see how well a book has done by the number of stars and reviews it has received.

Route 3. Online eLearning Software

There’s no better way to delve into market analytics and consumer preferences than browsing other eLearning software. Udemy and Coursera, which is a global online learning platform that has over 76.6 million accounts registered around the world, are time-served benchmarks when it comes to online course software.  Enter relevant words from your course title and content into the search bar on these sites and see what turns up. You may find that like Google, courses here are worded differently from yours. And for all you know, there may be a scientific logic to it. Looking up courses on other eLearning software will serve as a keyhole to the work of other course creators. You may even be inspired to include specific topics that you hadn’t considered earlier. The good thing about using a turnkey eLearning software like Pinlearn is that you can always infuse more content as you go along. There’s always flexibility with online course software.

Route 4. Business Blog

A well-managed blog can serve as a fantastic centrepiece in your marketing plan. A blog can pair well with social media and other elements of your communication strategy. But what it can also do is point to which topics are most sought after. By rolling out a blog well before your online course launch, you can monitor posts to see which ones generate the most views, engagement, comments and likes. This is an organic indicator of which topics will do well.  Building a blog is not an overnight affair. It takes effort and great content to propel it to the right audience. However, if there’s a time to start, it’s now.

Route 5. Behavioral Intelligence

As your digital communication footprint grows, it’s important to keep a track of the kind of traction you are receiving on various forums. Whether it’s your website, blog, social media or guest posts on other websites, it’s worthwhile to acquire intelligence that will tie your analytics together. Google Analytics is the prime analytics tool out there and worth every cent. With analytics, you’ll be able to see how long users are staying on your page, where they’re accessing from and which topics are flying. You can also go on to connect your dashboard to your course once it’s live.

Route 6. Specialised Digital Forums

Online discussion forums are great when you want ideas and insights. There are specialised forums for virtually any field on the internet, so whether you’re an art enthusiast or an avid baker, there’s likely something out there for you. The advantage with forums is that discussions are fuelled by genuine, like-minded people who can provide authentic suggestions. If you aren’t sure which forums are pertinent for your area of expertise, enter a quick search query on Google with your domain, suffixed by the word ‘institute’ or ‘association’. You need to also ensure that you look carefully for all the relevant aspects of best elearning software.

Route 7. Focus Group Discussions

Focus group discussions can provide you with a spectrum of views pertaining to your online course software. Usually, these discussions involve multiple people debating a specific subject. There are many agencies that provide focus group discussions for brands that need it. Make sure you provide your prerequisites including age group, interests, domains and other criteria that you’re targeting. Alternatively, if you’re strapped for funds and want to go the low-budget route, gather your friends over a group video call and observe the discussion to see how it flows.

Route 8. Online Surveys

There’s so much you can do from the comfort of your home when it comes to gaining consumer insights with the help of best elearning software. Online surveys are excellent tools to gain anonymous views and opinions. Create a free online survey using a tool like SurveyMonkey and distribute it to your friends and acquaintances. This feedback can be gold in the weeks leading up to your launch. Remember, when you do create your survey, it’s essential that you keep your questions closed-ended and concise. Otherwise, you also have a risk of respondents dropping out halfway through.

Validating your online course before your launch gives you time to remodel your modules, if required in the course management software. And an effective framework like Pinlearn lets you can weave your iterations in at any time. By addressing and responding to user feedback, you can build a more relevant, personalized eLearning software.