Having a dedicated app for your course can significantly enhance the learner’s experience, boost engagement, and increase retention rates. But building an app from scratch can be daunting—especially for course creators who may not have a technical background.
Fortunately, there are various tools out there to facilitate the process of creating an app for your eLearning site. In this article, we’ll focus on tools specifically designed for course websites built with LearnDash LMS—one of our clients’ favorite platforms—enabling you to turn your courses into fully functional mobile apps.
Tools for Building a Mobile App with LearnDash
BuddyBoss App
The BuddyBoss App is an exceptional choice for creating online course applications tailored for LearnDash users. With a direct partnership between BuddyBoss and LearnDash, you can be confident that your app will seamlessly integrate with your website. Leveraging the React Native framework—widely recognized as the leading mobile app development tool—BuddyBoss ensures quality and performance.
To get started, all you need is a WordPress installation, LearnDash, and the BuddyBoss Platform plugin, allowing you to easily build and manage your app. The BuddyBoss App mirrors your entire website, providing students with an outstanding mobile experience. They can access lessons, topics, quizzes, student profiles, and certificates wherever they are, with real-time synchronization of activities across devices.
For added convenience, the app offers offline access to downloadable lessons and facilitates in-app purchases for subscriptions, memberships, and courses.
The BuddyBoss App is available for $179 per month, billed annually. If you prefer assistance with branding, implementation, and marketing design, you can opt for a one-time setup fee of $1,999.
AppMySite
AppMySite allows you to create an app from scratch using their app builder or convert an existing WordPress site into an App. The tool supports eLearning WordPress sites, meaning it is a great option for those using either LearnDash or other LMS plugins like LifterLMS or TutorLMS.
Their WordPress App solution allows you to link your site with their App Creating dashboard. From here, you’ll have the freedom to customize your app’s icon, general design, and screens, allowing you to preview along the way.
Appresser
AppPresser is a tool for building mobile apps that fully replicate WordPress sites. It offers a high degree of flexibility and customization, enabling users to create apps tailored to their specific needs, whether it’s for eLearning, eCommerce, or membership sites. For LearnDash or other LMS users, AppPresser supports plugin features like course progress, quizzes, and user profiles directly within the app. It leverages WordPress’s native functionalities, making it an ideal choice for users who want to keep their existing setup while extending their reach to mobile users.
Additionally, AppPresser includes support for features like push notifications, offline content, and social logins, ensuring your mobile app not only mirrors your website but also enhances the user experience.
Mobiloud
MobiLoud promises to turn your LearnDash site into a native mobile app with professional results in under two weeks. It takes your existing WordPress setup—including all your functionality and plugins—and transforms it into a mobile app that feels just like your website. This isn’t limited to LearnDash; it works with any WordPress site and other LMS plugins.
With MobiLoud, you can easily manage features like loading animations, tab menus, and more from their simple dashboard. Once live, your app can be installed by users across iOS and Android. It will work just like any other app, with push notifications and a unique home screen icon.
Why use a tool instead of getting an app custom-developed?
While it’s certainly not the right path for everyone, using website-to-app user-friendly tools is an ideal solution for many course creators. These solutions generally require a much lower investment than hiring a development team, which can be significantly expensive. Additionally, these tools often give you access to ongoing support and updates, reducing the long-term maintenance expenses associated with hiring a team of developers to maintain your app long-term, which can not only be expensive but also get you into a bottleneck, dependant on their availability.
Speed of deployment is another factor, especially if you already have a successful course, and offering a mobile app is a pressing task in your scalability roadmap. Tools designed for integration with platforms like LearnDash allow for quick setup and launch, enabling you to get your app to market faster than if you were to develop a custom solution.
However, do keep in mind that there are downsides to using these tools that should be considered. For example, in terms of customization, you might be more restricted in your options for tailoring the app or implementing unique features.+
Benefits Of Having An App For Your Online Course Site
Having a mobile app for your online course site can significantly enhance the user experience and improve engagement rates. Mobile apps provide a more seamless and immersive learning experience, with features like offline access, push notifications, and a native interface that feels intuitive to users. This can be particularly beneficial for learners who prefer consuming content on-the-go or want the flexibility to learn without being tethered to a desktop.
Additionally, a mobile app offers a more direct line of communication with your students through personalized notifications. You can notify them about new course launches, updates, or reminders to continue with their lessons, which can lead to higher course completion rates. Apps also allow for deeper branding opportunities, letting you design an experience that resonates more strongly with your audience compared to a mobile-responsive website.
Conclusion
While using a tool to convert your WordPress site into an app might not offer the same level of customization as a custom-built solution, it is often the smarter choice for many course creators due to its cost-efficiency, speed, and ease of use. The tools covered in this article come equipped with all the essential features needed to offer a top-notch mobile experience without the hassle and expense of a custom development project. However, if your app requires highly specialized functionalities or a unique design, you may still need to explore custom development. Ultimately, the right path depends on your budget, time constraints, and the specific needs of your course and audience.
