Ensuring Ongoing Participation

The success of a WBT program will be measured both by its initial impact and by ongoing use of the site. After the training program is introduced, the challenge is to maintain interest in the site and what it offers and to ensure that the training content meets the ongoing and changing needs of the organization. Here are several actions that can be taken to encourage ongoing participation:

• Changing the visuals seasonally: Over time, users tire of the same visuals, and that leads to a corresponding decrease in motivation to use the site. Updating the visual design on a regular basis increases users’ perceptions that the site is both dynamic and up-to-date, and it raises their motivation to access the site even if simply to see what has changed. If the visuals never change, it is harder to see how the content is changing to reflect the evolving needs of the users.