Before an organisation can develop its marketing strategy, it needs to carry out a thorough marketing analysis in order to understand the customers and trends, and evaluate external environmental forces. This paper seeks to identify and discuss the external environmental forces affecting: e‐learning providers, including market demand; political and legal forces; social and ethical influences; technology; and competition. The e‐learning provider has little, or no, control over the external environmental forces affecting the market in which it operates, and so it is necessary continually to forecast, monitor and assess this environment and to adapt its e‐learning product or services accordingly.