Online Training Software That Actually Gets Used: Designing Courses Employees Want to Finish

Most companies already have online training software. The real problem?Employees start courses, click “Next” a few times… and never come back.

If you want higher completion rates and real behaviour change, the answer isn’t “more features.” It’s better course design—built around how people actually work and learn.

This guide walks through practical ways to design online training that employees want to finish, not just “have” to finish.

Start with one clear outcome per course

The fastest way to lose learners is to cram everything into one long, unfocused module.

Before you open your authoring tool, ask:

• What should someone be able to do after this course?

  • Handle a specific customer complaint

  • Follow a safety process correctly

  • Use a feature in your product

Then:

• Make that one outcome the title and focus of the course

• Keep supporting content tight and relevant

• Move “nice to know” content into separate micro-courses or resources

When employees see that a course solves a specific problem they have, they’re far more likely to start—and finish—it.

Keep lessons short and bingeable

Your online training software should make it easy to build short, stackable lessons, not 60-minute marathons.

Aim for:

• 5–10 minutes per lesson

• 20–30 minutes total per course (broken into chunks)

• A clear progress bar so learners see how far they’ve come

Think “learning episodes,” not “training day.” Short lessons fit between meetings, during quiet periods, or at the start of a shift—so people don’t need to block out an entire afternoon to learn.

Use real-world scenarios, not just slides

People don’t log in to training to read policy paragraphs. They log in to figure out what to do in real situations.

Turn your content into scenarios:

• “A customer is angry about a delayed order. What do you say first?”

• “You notice a safety hazard on site. Which step comes next?”

• “You’re entering data into the system and get this error. What should you check?”

Inside your online training software, you can:

• Use branching questions where different choices lead to different outcomes

• Provide feedback that explains why an answer is right or wrong

• Show “best practice” examples after each scenario

Scenarios make training feel practical and relevant, not abstract theory.

Design for mobile and low-friction access

Even the best content fails if people can’t easily access it.

Make sure your online training software:

• Works smoothly on mobile and tablet (responsive design)

• Has a simple login flow or single sign-on (SSO)

• Can be launched from tools employees already use (intranet, chat, email link)

Minimise clicks from “Open email” to “Start learning.” The fewer barriers, the more completions you’ll see.

Mix formats to keep attention

Different people prefer different formats—so use your platform’s flexibility:

• Short videos for “show me how” tasks

• Text + images for step-by-step instructions and policies

• Interactive elements (drag-and-drop, hotspots, branching) for engagement

• Downloadable checklists or job aids for real-world use

Your online training software should let you combine these inside a single course, so learners never feel stuck in an endless slideshow.

Build quick wins into every course

Motivation spikes when people feel progress.

Add quick wins such as:

• A short quiz after the first lesson (easy but meaningful)

• Badges or completion certificates for key courses

• A visible “Completed” or “100%” state learners can screenshot or share internally

You can also use your LMS or training platform to:

• Send automated “Nice work!” emails on completion

• Notify managers when team members finish a critical course

Recognition—even small—encourages people to complete the next one.

Use data to improve courses, not just report them

Most organisations under use the analytics inside their online training software.

Look at:

• Drop-off points – where do learners stop?

• Question-level performance – which questions are most often missed?

• Completion times – are lessons longer than you expected?

Then:

• Shorten or split lessons that cause drop-offs

• Clarify content around commonly missed questions

• Remove or simplify confusing slides and instructions

Treat every course as a living product you improve over time, not a static file you upload once.

Ask employees what they need next

Finally, use your online training software to keep learning demand-driven:

• Add short surveys at the end of courses:

  • “Was this useful?”

  • “What else would you like to learn?”

• Review comments and requests regularly

• Prioritise new modules that solve the most common problems

When people see courses being updated based on their input, they’re more likely to engage with the next one.