What to Look for When Choosing a Learning Management System

Not all learning management systems (LMS) are the same. Each LMS and e-learning course might promise engaging learning, user-friendly interfaces, and insightful analytics, but the platform doesn’t always meet your expectations. Choosing the wrong LMS can lead to low engagement, wasted resources, and poor learning outcomes.

If you’ve been asking:

• How do I choose an LMS?

• What are the features of a Learning Management System that actually matter?

• What are the must-have LMS features before committing to a platform?

Then you’re in the right place. Below, we go through the key features of an LMS, what to ask about, and what to avoid. Let’s get started.

In this post we'll discuss:

• How to Choose an LMS

• Features of an LMS That Really Matter

• Ready to Choose the Right LMS

How to Choose an LMS: Key Questions to Ask

Choosing the right LMS isn’t just about the LMS itself, it’s about your company’s needs. Before you browse, consider who’ll be using it, what they’ll need, and what other features you’re after.

Here are a few sensible questions:

• Who will be using this platform every day?

• What learning formats are required?

• Will the system scale as your business grows?

• How important are reporting, compliance, and branding?

• What support will you need post-launch?

• What courses are available?

Once you’ve got a clear understanding of your requirements, you can look for an LMS that’s not just “good,” but good for you.

What Are the Features of an LMS That Really Matter?

These are the features that matter to your specific team, industry and compliance requirements. You also want courses and an LMS that colleagues actually want to use and learn from.

It Must Have a User-Friendly Interface

There’s nothing worse than an LMS that's confusing to use. Your employees sit down to complete a module and can’t even work out where it’s found.

An intuitive, easy-to-navigate platform is a must. Not only does it improve adoption among learners and administrators, but it also reduces the training time needed to use the system. Everyone can sign up and start learning.

That’s crucial for user accessibility, especially for people with limited technical experience or neurodiverse employees.

Check for Customisation and Branding Options

You might not want an LMS covered with someone else’s colours and branding. Sure, you want to buy something ready to go or license the courses. But you need it to be your LMS.

That’s where white labelling comes in. Check that you can add company or institution logos, alter the colour, and have your own domain. It might seem cosmetic, but it helps personalise the learning experience with your organisation’s identity.

The best LMS platforms go a step further, offering a customisable dashboard, learning paths, and course layouts. flick provides clients with tailored content and branding, and even purpose-made courses and modules designed for your company.

Does the LMS Offer Mobile Accessibility for Remote Learning?

Mobile accessibility is increasingly important. Learners need access to training anytime, anywhere, so that even if they’re working remotely, they can still log in.

Mobile accessibility doesn’t just support remote and hybrid learning models; it increases overall engagement and completion rates. If people can learn via their phone, they can complete courses whenever they have a spare moment.

How Efficient Are the Content Management Features?

An LMS should make managing training easy, not complicated. When you’re deciding how to choose an LMS, pay close attention to how easily you can create, upload, and organise learning materials. A good system lets you build modules, structure programmes, and rearrange content without the complexity.

Your LMS should handle:

• Videos

• PDFs and documents

• Quizzes and assessments

• Interactive lessons and multimedia content

On the flip side, when content is old or outdated, it should be simple to update or retire it. flick actually handles a lot of this ourselves. We have a team that follows the latest news and updates on numerous topics, adjusting our course materials or creating new courses when necessary.

What Reporting and Analytics Are Available?

There’s no good in using an LMS if you can’t actually see if anyone is learning. You want to track each learner’s progress, completion rates, and assessment scores, especially for legal requirements. For example, if you’re a school offering safeguarding courses to staff.

Reporting and analytics also provide insights into courses. Which courses are being completed? Where are learners dropping off? Are certain modules causing confusion? Good reporting helps you spot issues early and improve content over time.

The right LMS should offer clear dashboards, downloadable reports, and simple ways to monitor performance across teams. Without this visibility, you’re guessing. With it, you can actually make informed decisions.

Are the Security and Compliance Features Strong Enough?

Collecting learning data from staff and other team members raises data security concerns. Regulations like GDPR and sector-specific standards are incredibly stringent. Learners must know what’s being collected, how it’s stored and then be able to request its deletion.

Always ask an LMS provider about the secure storage of learner data and activity records. That should include role-based access to protect sensitive information. After all, you don’t want other learners logging in to see other learners’ scores.

Can It Grow With Your Business?

A one-size-fits-all platform might work for today, but what about tomorrow? You need an LMS that works just as well when you have 10 employees as when you have 100.

flick offers a simple pricing structure: a flat fee per user. Each user has complete access to all flick courses within our system at no extra cost. You can choose to pay monthly or annually. Plus, with every subscription, you also get LiveChat support, free re-sits, reports, and certificates.

What Support Is Available After Launch?

You don’t want to choose an LMS only to get an issue. You need continual vendor support for onboarding, troubleshooting, and managing updates.

A good LMS provider should offer reliable customer support, access to training resources, and clear guidance when problems arise. Whether it’s a technical fault or a “how do I do this?” question, help should be easy to reach and quick to respond.

Strong support keeps your platform running smoothly and saves your team time and frustration. It’s also a good sign that the provider is invested in your long-term success, not just the initial sale.

Ready to Choose the Right LMS?

If you’re serious about getting training right, choosing your LMS can’t be a gamble.

flick gives you all the must-have learning management system features in one place: mobile access, course management, reporting, compliance, and ongoing content updates. We support everyone from small teams to large, corporate organisations.

Explore flick today and find out if it’s the right fit for your team.

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