How to Choose the Right eLearning Provider

Most organisations don’t struggle to find eLearning providers. They struggle to find one that delivers results.

On paper, they all look the same; sleek platforms, big content libraries, and promises of engagement. But underneath the marketing, there’s a big difference between a provider that sells courses and one that drives performance improvement.

In my experience, the right eLearning partner doesn’t just give you access to learning. They help you build capability, consistency, and confidence across your teams. That’s a much higher bar.

Choosing the right provider isn’t about who has the most content. It’s about who can prove they’ve helped other organisations solve real business problems; faster, smarter, and at scale.

After helping thousands of companies design and deliver digital learning, here’s exactly what I look for when evaluating an eLearning provider.

1. Start with the business challenge, not the content

Most organisations start the buying process with the wrong question:

“What courses do you offer?”

It’s the easiest question to ask, but also the least useful.

The right starting point is:

“What business problem do we need to solve?”

Maybe your managers aren’t giving feedback. Maybe your customer service team struggles to handle complaints. Or maybe new starters take too long to become productive.

Until you define the business challenge, no amount of content will matter. The best providers will help you translate that challenge into learning goals. They’ll ask:

What’s currently happening that shouldn’t?
What do you want people to do differently?
How will you measure success once it happens?

If a provider can’t help you answer those questions, they’re not a partner, they’re a library.

A strong eLearning provider starts with outcomes, not modules. They design from the problem backwards, not the course forwards.

2. Look for behaviour change, not completion rates

Many providers will proudly tell you their average course completion rate. It sounds impressive until you realise completion doesn’t equal improvement.

A learner finishing a course doesn’t mean they’ve changed how they work. It just means they reached the end of a video.

Instead, focus on whether the provider can show how their learning leads to visible changes in behaviour and performance. Ask for proof.

For example:

Did sales improve after the training?
Are managers holding more one-to-ones?
Have customer satisfaction scores gone up?

At our company, we track these types of metrics through reflection data, follow-up coaching, and real-world application tracking. That’s what executives care about; evidence of impact, not access to information.

The best providers will show you data that connects learning to performance. They’ll prove that people aren’t just logging in, they’re levelling up.

3. Test the platform for usability (not just features)

It’s easy to get distracted by the long feature lists providers showcase in demos — dashboards, gamification, leaderboards, AI recommendations. But none of it matters if people don’t want to use the platform.

The real test is how it feels for the learner.

How fast is it to log in and start learning?
Can users find what they need without clicking through endless menus?
Does it work smoothly on mobile?
Are the modules short enough to complete in a coffee break?

If you need an onboarding manual to use the system, it’s too complicated.

We’ve tested hundreds of platforms over the years. The ones that win are simple, fast, and intuitive. They make learning feel easy like scrolling social media, not studying.

When employees can dip in, learn, and get back to work in minutes, that’s when engagement takes care of itself.

If you want to see which platforms genuinely deliver this kind of simple, high quality learner experience, here is The Best eLearning Platforms in the UK for a clear comparison of the strongest options.

4. Evaluate the content, not the catalogue

The size of a provider’s library doesn’t mean much. What matters is whether the content connects with your people.

Ask to see examples that match your audience. Watch them as if you were one of your learners. Does it sound real? Does it hold your attention? Would you watch another one?

Great eLearning content has three traits:

It’s short. Under 10 minutes, ideally under 5.
It’s practical. Real-world examples, not theory.
It’s engaging. Delivered by someone credible, not robotic.

If you hear corporate jargon or see stock footage of overly enthusiastic actors pretending to have “authentic” conversations, keep searching.

Your learners deserve better.

In our experience, when content feels human, relevant, and direct, learners don’t just consume it, they talk about it. That’s how you know it’s working.

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5. Check for learning reinforcement tools

Most training fails not because the content is bad, but because it isn’t reinforced. People forget what they’ve learned within days.

The best eLearning providers design for reinforcement from day one. Look for features that keep learning alive, such as:

Reflection questions after each module
Follow-up reminders or nudges
Integration with coaching or on-the-job actions
Learning pathways that build one skill at a time

These small touches make a huge difference. They turn a one-off experience into a learning habit.

For example, one client used our platform to deliver a 10-minute leadership microcourse each week, followed by a reflection task and a quick coaching discussion. After six weeks, they’d built more consistency in how managers communicated than in the previous year of workshops.

That’s what happens when learning doesn’t stop at completion.

6. Ask how they measure impact

If a provider can’t tell you how they measure impact, they’re guessing.

Strong providers will show you their framework for tracking results. They’ll have a clear process for linking learning activity to behaviour and performance outcomes.

Ask questions like:

How do you measure success beyond completion?
Can you show examples of before-and-after results?
Do you track reflection, behaviour change, or business metrics?

At Skillshub, for example, our IMPACTS model measures how digital learning influences behaviour and performance over time. It focuses on what changed, not what was delivered.

That’s the level of visibility every L&D leader should expect.

7. Review support and partnership, not just product

Buying an eLearning solution isn’t a one-off transaction. You’re entering a partnership. The right provider won’t disappear after implementation.

They’ll guide you through setup, help with adoption, and work alongside your L&D team to keep things improving.

Ask these questions:

What support do we get after launch?
Will you help us promote the platform internally?
Do we get regular account reviews and data insights?

You’ll quickly see which providers care about long-term success versus short-term sales.

In our experience, ongoing partnership makes or breaks a digital learning rollout. The technology is only half the story; the relationship makes the rest happen.

8. Check credibility and experience

eLearning is full of new entrants and tech-first startups. Some are excellent, but many have little experience of how learning works in practice.

Look for providers who’ve spent years working directly with organisations, not just building software. They’ll understand what managers, sales teams, and leaders really need from learning.

Ask your potential provider to share real case studies, testimonials, and metrics. See if they’ve worked with companies like yours. Proven results should always speak louder than promises.

9. Compare cost and value, not price tags

Price matters, but value matters more. Too many organisations treat eLearning as a commodity, a “per user, per year” line on a spreadsheet. A cheap system that nobody uses costs far more than a premium one that transforms behaviour.

When you compare providers, dig into what’s included.

Ask:

Does the licence include support and onboarding?
Are updates, new content, and integrations part of the package?
Is there a limit on admin or reporting users?

Low upfront costs can hide high ongoing fees. The best providers are transparent about total cost of ownership, not just the licence fee.

The real question to ask is: What return could this generate?

If better learning reduces onboarding time, improves leadership performance, or raises sales conversion by even a few percent, the investment pays for itself quickly. That’s where the right provider earns their value.

Our clients often tell us they moved from platforms that were “cheap” to ones that were used. The difference in engagement, culture, and performance was worth every penny.

10. Check how it integrates with your existing systems

eLearning doesn’t exist in isolation. It needs to fit smoothly within your tech stack — HR, LMS, CRM, communication tools, and performance systems.

Ask every provider:

Can it integrate with our HR system for automatic user updates?
Does it sync with Microsoft Teams, Slack, or other workplace tools?
Can we report on usage alongside performance data?

A great platform should blend seamlessly into your existing workflow. If learning lives where people already work, engagement multiplies. If it sits in a separate system nobody opens, it becomes forgotten.

The best providers also make integrations simple. No complex APIs, no six-week implementation. You should be able to connect data and tools quickly without needing an in-house developer.

At Skillshub, we designed our platform to integrate easily with the tools businesses already use. It’s about reducing friction, not adding another system people have to remember.

11. Spot the red flags early

Not every provider is a good fit and the warning signs usually appear before you sign anything.

Here are some common red flags to look out for:

They talk more about “features” than outcomes.
They can’t explain how success is measured.
Their content looks dated or generic.
They dodge questions about user adoption or completion rates.
They make everything sound easy with no mention of support or setup.

If a provider can’t be specific about how they’ll help you succeed, walk away. A vague promise today becomes a headache later.

You want a partner who challenges your thinking, not one who agrees with everything to close a sale.

12. Involve stakeholders early

Choosing an eLearning provider shouldn’t be done in isolation. Get input from the people who will use it like managers, HR, IT, and a small group of learners.

Their feedback will save you time and money. They’ll spot usability issues, highlight missing content, and give you early buy-in.

A quick pilot or trial group can reveal more about a provider than any demo. Watch how people interact with the platform over a few weeks. If they use it naturally and talk about it positively, you’re on the right track.

Remember, adoption is emotional as much as technical. People support what they help to build.

13. Think long-term: from training to transformation

The right eLearning provider isn’t just a vendor. They’re a partner who grows with you.

Your organisation will change as new priorities, new systems, and new skills are required. The best providers evolve alongside that. They’ll keep updating content, refining analytics, and suggesting new ways to improve performance.

When we partner with a business, we don’t just focus on the platform. We help them embed learning into the culture with short, consistent, measurable learning that improves performance year after year. That’s when eLearning stops being a project and becomes part of how the business operates.

If you find a provider who cares as much about results as you do, hold onto them.

Making your final choice

When you’ve shortlisted a few providers, come back to three simple questions:

Will our people use it?
Will it improve how they perform at work?
Can the provider prove it?

If the answer isn’t a confident yes to all three, keep looking.

A strong eLearning provider will feel less like a supplier and more like an extension of your team. They’ll challenge you, support you, and measure success with you. That’s how you know you’ve found the right fit.

Your next step

If you’re exploring what great digital learning really looks like, you can start by reading our full breakdown of the best eLearning platforms in the UK. It’s a straightforward comparison of the top options and what sets them apart.

Or, if you’re ready to see how our platform could fit your organisation, visit our eLearning provider page to learn more about how we help companies turn learning into measurable results.

Sean McPheat

Sean is the CEO of Skillshub. He’s a published author and has been featured on CNN, BBC and ITV as a leading authority in the learning and development industry. Sean is responsible for the vision and strategy at Skillshub, helping to ensure innovation within the company.