Creating free trials for your LearnDash courses is an excellent way to attract potential students and showcase the quality of your educational content. Offering free trials not only builds trust but also encourages users to commit to a full course purchase. Here are five effective methods to create free trials for your LearnDash courses.
1. Course Access Expiration
One of the simplest ways to offer a free trial for your LearnDash (affiliate link) course is to set a course access expiration. This method allows users to access the full course for a limited time before they need to purchase it to continue.
How to Set Up Course Access Expiration:
- Create the Course: Set up your course as usual in LearnDash.
- Access Settings: Go to the course settings and set the “Course Access Expiration” date.
- Trial Period: Determine how long you want the free trial period to be (e.g., 7 days).
- Notify Users: Inform your users that their access will expire after the trial period, prompting them to purchase the course if they wish to continue.
Pros:
- Full access to course content
- Encourages a sense of urgency to purchase
Cons:
- Users may forget to complete the trial within the period
- Requires monitoring of expiration dates
2. Sample Lessons
Offering a sample lesson is another effective way to provide a free trial. This method allows users to get a taste of your course content without committing to the entire course.
How to Create Sample Lessons:
- Select a Lesson: Choose a lesson that best represents your course content.
- Free Access: Set the lesson to be publicly accessible without requiring enrollment.
- Promote the Sample: Highlight the sample lesson on your course landing page and marketing materials.
Pros:
- Easy to set up
- Provides a clear example of course quality
Cons:
- Limited exposure to full course content
- Might not be sufficient for all potential students
3. WooCommerce Trial Subscriptions
If you’re using WooCommerce to manage your course sales, you can create free trial subscriptions to entice potential students. This method integrates seamlessly with LearnDash and WooCommerce Subscriptions.
How to Set Up WooCommerce Trial Subscriptions:
- Install WooCommerce Subscriptions: Ensure you have the WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin installed and activated.
- Create a Subscription Product: Set up a subscription product in WooCommerce with a free trial period (e.g., 14 days).
- Link to LearnDash: Connect the subscription product to your LearnDash course.
- Promote the Trial: Advertise the free trial on your website and through email marketing.
Pros:
- Automated billing after trial period
- Easy integration with WooCommerce
Cons:
- Requires WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin (additional cost)
- Users need to provide payment details upfront
4. Automated Free Trials for Groups
Automated free trials for groups (affiliate link) can be a great way to offer a free trial to multiple users at once. This method is ideal for organizations or schools that want to evaluate your course for their students or employees.
How to Set Up Automated Free Trials for Groups:
- Create a Group: Set up a group in LearnDash.
- Group Access: Assign the course to the group and set an access expiration date.
- Automate Enrollments: Use an automation tool to automate the process of enrolling users into the group for a limited time.
- Notify Group Admins: Inform group admins of the trial period and encourage them to monitor their members’ progress.
Pros:
- Efficient for bulk enrollments
- Attracts organizational clients
Cons:
- More complex setup
- Requires an automation tool
5. Uncanny Automator
This is a powerful tool that can help streamline the process of offering free trials. This plugin allows you to create automated workflows that can handle trial enrollments and expirations seamlessly.
How to Use Uncanny Automator for Free Trials:
- Install Uncanny Automator: Ensure the plugin is installed and activated on your WordPress site.
- Create Automation Recipes: Set up recipes that trigger when a user signs up for a trial, granting them temporary access to the course.
- Set Expiration Actions: Add actions to automatically revoke access after the trial period ends and send reminders to users.
Pros:
- Highly customizable automation
- Saves time on manual processes
Cons:
- Requires additional plugin (additional cost)
- Learning curve for setting up recipes
Conclusion
Offering free trials for your LearnDash courses is a strategic way to attract potential students and demonstrate the value of your educational content. Whether you choose to set course access expiration, offer sample lessons, use WooCommerce trial subscriptions, automate free trials for groups, or leverage Uncanny Automator, each method has its own set of advantages and challenges.
By carefully selecting and implementing the right free trial strategy for your LearnDash courses, you can increase your course enrollments and build a loyal student base. Remember, the key to a successful free trial is to provide enough value and engagement to encourage users to convert into paying students.
Do you have issues with how to do this? Let us know; we might be able to help you!