Using Ontraport with LearnDash

By: Justin Ferriman • February 27, 2018
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Combining a powerful CRM with WordPress and LearnDash allows you to create an engaging learning platform.

Ontraport has long been a staple CRM for small and medium businesses all over the world. Its feature-set allows business owners the ability to create automation funnels, develop proactive email campaigns, collect payments, create sales pages, and so much more.

The great thing is that this same functionality can be applied to a LearnDash powered learning program. Whether you have one course or multiple, you can leverage the power of Ontraport to create a dynamic and cohesive course experience for your learners. Adding learners to different automation paths based on their course activity (or inactivity) is just one example of what you can do when connecting Ontraport to LearnDash.

But this begs the question: how do you connect Ontraport to LearnDash?

Connecting Ontraport and LearnDash

While we don’t have a built-in connection to Ontraport, you can achieve an integration in a similar way that LearnDash can connect to Infusionsoft.

In this case you have the following options:

The first option doesn’t connect directly to LearnDash, but it will allow you to sell membership levels (that connect to Ontraport), and in turn you can use these membership levels to protect LearnDash created content. It’s a similar way that LearnDash can be used with Wishlist Member. Depending on your needs this type of integration might be enough. The upside is that PilotPress itself is free so getting started is just a matter of installing.

The second option (WPFusion) will give you the most flexibility in how you wish to connect the two platforms. It supports communication going from and coming into LearnDash. For those who require that LearnDash and Ontraport have a tight connection then this is the option that you should choose.

Using Zapier is the last option. It supports a one-way relationship between LearnDash and Ontraport. This means that you can select a trigger in LearnDash (for instance, completing a lesson) and then make that trigger “do” something in Ontraport (such as add a user to an email series). The benefit of using this option is that you don’t need any other membership plugins. Just LearnDash and a Zapier account.

Should you use Ontraport with LearnDash?

If you are already using Ontraport for your business then you should definitely take a serious look at connecting its functionality to your LearnDash courses. Your critical applications should ideally speak to one another as it allows you to make intelligent, data-base decisions in your business.

However, on the other hand it’s possible that you just don’t need to connect the two. This could be the case if you are only using Ontraport to a small degree in your business. We have a list of free add-ons available that you may be able to use instead, such as the Notifications add-on.

If you currently have Ontraport then my recommendation would be to start “small” and built-up from there as needed. Create your LearnDash courses and then see if there are areas where it makes sense to have a tight connection. If so, then one of the options discussed will be the way to go.

Justin Ferriman

Justin started LearnDash, the WordPress LMS trusted by Fortune 500 companies, major universities, training organizations, and entrepreneurs worldwide. He is currently founder & CEO of GapScout. Justin’s Homepage | GapScout | Twitter