Ask Questions: Zenler's Educational Live Support Desk - 23rd October, 2025

Welcome to our comprehensive recap of this week's Zenler Educational Live Support Desk session!

Every Thursday at 4:00 PM UK time, we open our doors for live Q&A where platform users can get real-time help with their courses, memberships, and technical challenges.

Can't make it live? Don't worry - all sessions are recorded and available on our YouTube channel, and transcripts are provided so you can easily find answers to your questions.

Key Topics Covered This Week

1. Setting Up Membership Models for Maximum Engagement

Question from Dan: How do I create a low-friction one-page membership for a weekly ESL conversation club?

The Solution: Dan wanted to offer a $10/month recurring subscription for his weekly English conversation practice sessions. The one-page membership model proved ideal because:

Simplicity: Students access content directly without navigating complex curriculum structures
Flexibility: Can add curriculum blocks later as the program grows
Easy access: Perfect for recurring live classes where students drop in and out

Handling Subscriptions and Cancellations:

Failed payments automatically unenroll students
Create a help page showing users how to manage their subscriptions
Transparency builds trust - make cancellation easy to find
Automated emails notify users of payment issues

Pro Tip: Send reminder emails strategically. While two reminders (24 hours and 1 hour before) work initially, you can reduce frequency once attendance becomes habitual. Ask your community what works best for them!

2. Cross-Linking WordPress and Zenler Sites

Question from Pavla: How do I connect my WordPress homepage with my Zenler courses and community?

The Strategy: Many creators maintain WordPress sites for their main homepage while hosting courses on Zenler using a subdomain. Here's how to create seamless navigation:

On WordPress:

Add navigation menu items for "Courses," "Blog," and "Community"
Link these to your Zenler subdomain (e.g., courses.yourdomain.com)
Set community links to open in new tabs to avoid losing visitors from your main site

On Zenler:

Create menu items linking back to your WordPress homepage
Match the design aesthetic between both platforms
Use consistent branding to avoid confusing visitors

Critical Reminder: Keep your visual branding consistent across both platforms. Dramatic design differences can make visitors question legitimacy and reduce trust.

3. Email Authentication for Better Deliverability

Question from Phillip: Why aren't my test emails from Zenler arriving in inboxes?

The Answer: Email authentication is crucial for ensuring your messages reach students. Here's what you need to know:

Best Practices:

Use a professional email address matching your domain (hello@yourdomain.com, NOT Gmail)
Set up DMARC records through your domain host
Access authentication settings: Site Settings → Integrations → Email Domain Authentication
Check spam, junk, AND promotional folders

Why It Matters: Email providers are increasingly strict about spam prevention. Authentication proves you're a legitimate sender, dramatically improving deliverability rates.

4. Adding Custom Fields to Checkout Pages

Question from Lyric: Can I collect additional information (guild names) during course checkout?

The Workaround: While custom checkout fields are limited, you can repurpose existing fields:

Enable "Phone Number" field in checkout settings
Navigate to: Settings → Language → Basic Settings
Change "Phone" label to your custom field (e.g., "Guild Name")
Note: This changes the label site-wide

Alternative Solutions:

Use pre-checkout forms to collect information before purchase
Send post-purchase forms for additional details
Implement coupon codes for group purchases to track usage

Feature Request: Custom checkout fields are on the development roadmap - many creators need this functionality!

5. Migrating from Multiple Platforms to Zenler

Question from Lyric: What's the best order of operations when consolidating from WordPress, Shopify, Podia, and Mailchimp to Zenler?

The Migration Strategy:

Step 1: Build First

Construct your full Zenler site before changing domains
Recreate pages with matching URL slugs where possible
Test all functionality thoroughly

Step 2: Preserve SEO

Keep high-traffic blogs on WordPress subdomain
Decades of SEO value shouldn't be abandoned
Use subdomain structure (blog.yourdomain.com)

Step 3: Domain Transfer Last

Move your primary domain only after everything is built
Set up 301 redirects for URLs that don't match exactly
Update your sitemap to help search engines find new URLs

Step 4: Redirect Strategy

WordPress post slugs may differ from Zenler
Create redirects for mismatched URLs
Search engines will eventually update to new URLs

Recommended Domain Registrars:

Namecheap
Porkbun
Namesilo
Spaceship (great first-year pricing)
Cloudflare (for complete consolidation)

6. Managing Dynamic Header Menus

Question from Zoe: How do I make my community section open in a new tab from the header menu?

The Fix: While the community menu should appear automatically in header settings, here's the workaround if it doesn't:

Hide the default community menu
Add a new menu item
Copy your community URL
Use an alternative name (system blocks the word "community")
Enable "open in new tab" option

Note: If you're not seeing expected menu options, contact support - this could indicate a technical issue.

7. Domain and Email Best Practices

A recurring theme throughout the session: keep everything clean and consistent.

Red Flags to Avoid:

Using email addresses from different domains than your website
Excessive redirects between multiple sites
Mismatched branding across platforms
Gmail addresses for professional courses

Why It Matters: Search engines and email providers flag inconsistencies as potential fraud. Clean setup means:

Better email deliverability
Improved SEO rankings
Increased user trust
Fewer technical headaches

Coming Soon: Exciting Platform Updates

Our team shared sneak peeks of upcoming features:

Gamification System

Point-based reward system
Leaderboards for community engagement
Level unlocks with visual celebrations
Reward capabilities for achieving milestones

Live Streaming Integration

Three-click live streaming to community
Cloud recordings automatically saved
No content deletion (unlike Facebook)
Seamless integration with existing courses

Additional Requested Features

Custom checkout fields
24-hour clock format option
Time zone converters for international audiences
Scheduled blog post publishing
Enhanced community moderation tools

Common Technical Challenges Solved

Invisible Blocks in Page Builder

Issue: Accidental empty blocks creating spacing issues Solution: While they don't affect page display, contact support to clean up code if problematic

Subscription Date Management

Issue: Migrating members with different renewal dates Solution: Members must re-subscribe when changing platforms - automation between platforms is limited

Failed Payment Handling

Issue: What happens when recurring payments fail? Solution: Zenler automatically unenrolls students after failed payments and sends notification emails

Join Us for Live Support

Have questions about building your online course business? Need help with technical setup? Want to optimize your student experience?

Join us every Thursday at 4:00 PM UK time for live support where you can:

Get personalized answers to your questions
Share your screen for real-time troubleshooting
Learn from other creators' challenges
Access expert guidance from our team

Join the next live session →

Can't attend live? All sessions are recorded and available with full transcripts on our YouTube channel, making it easy to search for answers to specific questions.

Your Questions Matter

The Live Support Desk exists because your success matters. Whether you're just getting started or optimizing an established course business, our Thursday sessions provide the guidance you need to move forward with confidence.

See you next Thursday at 4:00 PM UK time - bring your questions, challenges, and let's build something amazing together!

Have a question before the next session? Join our Facebook community or check out our extensive tutorial library for immediate answers.

Categories: : Live Support Desk