Choosing Webinar Software

With webinars increasing in usage and profile, you might be confused about how to choose from all the different webinar software out there. Is it all basically the same? No, there are differences between the different webinar hosting vendors and their software. So you do indeed need to know what to look for.

Always look for desktop sharing in any webinar software. This is in fact one of the absolute most important parts of any webinar presentation. Desktop sharing lets you take control of another audience member's computer desktop and open folders or move objects, and likewise they can do the same with you. All of this is predicated upon the idea that you as the host will allow it; what's important is that you have that option. Webinars are supposed to be dynamic.

Your chosen webinar hosting vendor should also be able to integrate with all of the hottest communications and applications software like the latest and greatest IM and VoIP and e-mail programs' options. You should not have to reinvent the wheel to get a webinar hosting vendor on your desktop. They are supposed to cater to you, remember.

You are supposed to be involved with webinars partly because of flexibility. You should be able to host a meeting at any time throughout the world. If you have a vendor who is saying that you have any limits on time of hosting or limits of global reach, you should drop them and get another vendor.

Some business owners decide to take price-per-minute deals that offer freedom from flat rates or contracts in hosting their webinars. These deals might work, but only for people who are unsure how to integrate webinars into their existing business model or people who just don't plan to use them much. In other words, these deals have their place, but the odds are not with you. Flat rates paid up-front come with the benefit of lower cost in the long run if you use the webinar hosting service with any frequency; and if you're not going to use it with frequency you should probably ask yourself why you are using it in the first place. Yes, webinars are pretty much an all-or-nothing thing.

Let's be very clear: any webinar service that doesn't offer full audio-visual integration and support is not a service that you want to be paying for. Webinars are supposed to be multimedia sensations, not just time-lagged visual post-productions or audio-dominated. You should be hearing everyone in real-time and seeing all in conjunction with all else. Do you want to be in the 21st century or not?

Webinar software should also be not only easy to use, but easy to install as well. The whole point of this technology is to make things easier, faster, and cheaper. It doesn't do any good if this stuff is impossible to install or understand. If the software is not easy to use, it's likely that it's not worth using in the first place. Don't bother with it.

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Connect With Companions Using Video Calls

Over the last few years the popularity of video calling has grown, mainly because increased broadband use has made video calls more practical and effective. As a point of information, standard phone lines tend to lack the bandwidth to support stable and clear video calls meaning the picture could be grainy and audio fuzzy.

Video calling is a means of using your broadband connection to make free video calls using "Voice over IP" (VoIP). It also allows you to make inexpensive phone calls to landline numbers as well as mobiles so there really is no excuse not to investigate further.

Now that more and more homes use higher bandwidth broadband services, video calling is possible in higher quality and with some video calling providers offering specialised high quality, video options its possible to upgrade and benefit from the crispest and sharpest imaging possible.

Clear picture and sound aren't the only benefits of video calling; in fact there may even be a few you haven't thought of. The main advantage is the ability to see your friends and family as you talk to them. You can send a smile, blow a kiss and webcam a wave, all helping to make your video conversations a little more personal.

Instead of explaining what you're seeing or doing you can instantly show your video call companions. Whether you're showcasing the latest dance moves you've learnt or modelling your new haircut, you can be sure video calling will help share your reality with someone else. Furthermore, an extra occasion to use video calling is on birthdays. If you've sent your special someone a birthday gift but can't be there in person to share the fun then why not set up a video call so you can see their face as they open your present. It's the closest thing to actually being there yourself.

Another advantage of video calling is the cost, or lack of it! Video calls are free so seeing your friends won't cost a penny, no matter where in the world they happen to be from Honolulu to Holland. Perhaps you can put the money you save towards booking a trip to see your globe-trotting buddies.

The ease of set-up and use of video calling technology is a benefit in itself and can be used by everyone, even the technophobes out there. All you need to get started making video calls is a webcam, broadband connection and pc/laptop. Specific webcams are required for high quality video calling so check the specifications before flashing your cash.

Another few handy tips for webcam use include avoiding standing directly in front of a window or light source during the call as you will likely appear as a dark shadow on the other recipients screen. If possible, face the light to achieve a clear view for those on the other end of the line. A final point of interest is that it's also a good idea to remain fairly still to avoid creating a jerky image when making your free video calls.

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The Many Advantages of Webinars

Webinars are one of the miracles of 21st century technology and the Internet. Webinars allow you to conduct intensive meetings with full audiovisual and action features with anywhere from two to 1000 or more people anywhere in the world. All that is required is for you to be a client of an online meeting technology provider and for you and anyone who wishes to attend your meeting to have a fast Internet connection and either conference-call-enabled telephones or VoIP (voice-over Internet protocol).

With webinar meetings, you can share your desktop files and your computer's applications with any and all participants, and you can even allow them to move objects around on your computer desktop--and you can do the same with them. (They cannot open or access any file or application that you don't permit, so all is quite secure.). Everything is seen and heard in real-time, and anyone can record the meeting in full from any point. This includes PowerPoint presentations if you are using one.

Webinars also permit co-browsing, so that two or more people can do the same Internet look-up at the same time--again, in real time. This is perfect for walking people through a website for training or research purposes.

Webinar technology also allows for and features a virtual "white board", just like the erasable white boards in the traditional conference room. Different participants can write on and erase things from the virtual white board that all see, as long as the meeting's host (you) gives them individual access. If the nature of the meeting is such that you need to be in full control, you can make yourself the only one who can write on or erase things from the white board, although everybody will always be able to see it in, yes, real-time.

Polling and surveying just got much, much easier and more thorough with webinar technology. Participants can easily and quickly respond to poll or survey questions right from their own computer and their feedback is instantly recorded and, if you want, charted or graphed. This technology also facilitates more targeted audiences in the future, as one meeting's results can be used to send out invitations on a more targeted basis the next time. This makes webinar technology a powerful sales and marketing tool.

As long as you enable it, your webinar is fully recorded and can be played back whenever you need or want, and of course you can fast forward, pause, and rewind. Anyone who participated can be given a copy of the recorded meeting, too. If the webinar was something like a special "teleseminar" in which you shared special expertise, you could even sell the recorded meetings as a product to anyone who participated or anyone whom they tell about your amazing teleseminar.

Before the webinar, you assemble the materials you'll be presenting and/or sharing. These are situated on your computer's desktop. Then you send out electronic invitations; whoever clicks to accept can attend the meeting and be given the URL to access it, and they don't need the webinar technology. Once all is tested and (let's assume) working properly, the guests start showing up; they enter a generated pass-code to gain access to your meeting. You can set up some kind of indicator to let you know a new guest has just arrived. Communications throghout the meeting may include teleconference, VoIP, IM, and webinar program chat. Also, web cameras can be used to allow everyone to gain real-time visual access to people who are currently speaking or writing, depending on settings. It's all really that easy.

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Bridge the Gap With Video Calls

Staying close to those who matter most can be difficult if they live far away or even in a different country. Telephone, email and good old fashioned letters are all great ways to keep in touch but wouldn't it be even better if you could see the face that goes with the voice?

Video calling is a fairly recent development that makes this possibility a reality and is now being used by millions of people worldwide. The features of video calls mean you can use your computer to have conversations with your nearest and dearest whilst seeing them on screen as well. It's the next best thing to having them there beside you.

Whether you want to introduce your new baby to 'Auntie Aileen in Australia', show off new shoes to friends near and far or get in touch with long lost school mates and see how they look now, video calling is the catalyst that allows you to do so.

Is it difficult to set up and use you may wonder. The answer is no, even the most extreme technophobes will be able to master video calling with relative ease. As video calls are increasing in popularity, usability has been tailored for the masses so you spend less time configuring and more time talking.

In order to make video calls you will need a computer, broadband internet connection and webcam. You will also need to choose which provider you want to use for your video calls and then register/sign-up with them. It's essential you and your video call companions have broadband as video calls need the bandwidth it provides to function properly. Dial-up internet simply doesn't have the capability of supporting video calling functions so there's no point even trying to set it up this way.

Presuming you have a computer and broadband the next thing you need to do is set up your webcam, depending on the format of your computer, this is basically a simple video camera that either sits on top of your desk top computer monitor or is built into your laptop. These nifty devices allow you to share real life in real time and vary from standard to enhanced quality.

Overall, setting up your webcam is not a difficult process at all; it's usually just a matter of plugging the camera into your computer and running an installation CD.

Standard webcams should give a reasonably clear image and audible sound whilst more advanced models that are capable of giving you higher quality video calls will have additional features. Noise cancelling microphones block any unwanted background sounds like traffic, whilst auto focus helps create a clearer image of you. Cameras capable of panning, tilting and face tracking move with you, so you don't have to remain still when actually video chatting.

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How to Create Webinars

Creating a webinar is something that you should take seriously if you're going to do it at all. You want to be creative and use plenty of multimedia. Of course, you also want to make your point or main theme crystal clear. Done right, a webinar is a masterful piece of selling or communications art.

So, like all creative minds, you have to do heavy planning before you host your webinar. Come up with possible speakers or co-presenters; a general format; "events" such as flash media or a soundtrack; a registration and promotion process; a budget; and objectives of the webinar that you can later use to review it and determine how successful it was and how you could improve future webinars.

One great way to put together a highly effective webinar is to conduct a survey in advance. When you start sending out the e-invitations, ask a question such as "What to you is the most important thing that you would want to know about with regard to [the webinar's general topic]?" You'll get some different answers back. Organize these answers and grade them on a scale. Make the number one answer the main theme of your webinar; use the other top answers as talking points and transitional points within the webinar. People want to hear about what they want to hear about. They want to be shown things that are important to them, not necessarily the most important things to you. Also, test market some different themes to see what would work best. When you find a tagline, a message, a theme, a phrase that is catching great feedback from people, build your webinar around it and incorporate the top survey responses into that campaign.

Once you know what you are going to give the webinar about, create a targeted marketing strategy. By knowing what people on your list want to learn about and by then targeting the people on your list who are most likely to come to a webinar about that something, you are greatly increasing the effectiveness of your webinar. There's no point in going through the expense and time to put together a webinar that most people will not be gripped by. Note: always give people on your list the option of inviting a friend or work colleague to sit in on the webinar, too. All businesses thrive on repeat business and referrals.

Your whole sales and marketing team should at least be asked for input into creating every webinar. They are professionals at reaching people and they know your list. When you create the webinar, allow for as much audience participation as you can without losing control. And always include a Q&A session at the end. This is extremely important; this session is going to help you create your next webinar, your next multimedia marketing campaign, and perhaps your next product or service.

Practice your webinar as if you were rehearsing to go on Broadway. Practice makes perfect, and your webinar has to be as nearly perfect as you can get it. Always be prepared for something to go wrong. Rehearse every webinar the same day that it is to be given to do a "soundcheck" and see if anything needs troubleshooting. Do not let anyone who is going to be a speaker or presenter use a cell phone. Land lines or VoIP are necessary and their hands need to be free (use headsets or mics). The webinar has to run smooth even if there is a technical problem.

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The Cost of Webinars

The cost of hosting a webinar can vary widely. It can vary widely not only from company to company, it can vary widely just from one company program to another. Good webinar hosting vendors offer a range of programs so that different businesses can choose those that best match their needs, niche, size, and marketing bank account.

Due to the fact that they are considered one of the cream of the crop of webinar hosting vendors, let's look at the different costs for different programs offered by Webex.

Webex were one of the first companies to get into the webinar game. As a result they have considerable experience with webinars and therefore they can be expected to have competitive pricing on relevant webinar packages.

One of their packages is the Special Meetings Plus package. They advertise that this begins as low as $59 per month. If you take this package, you can get: unlimited numbers of hosted monthly webinars from your computer to which you can invite up to 25 people each; the ability to webcam, share presentations and docs, and demo applications with your attending audience; and have VoIP or telecoms included in the price. Different other features can be added for additional cost. Webex advertises that this program is $59 per month is you pay for a year up front.

To this plan can be added a service that might be extremely important to many business owners: WebEx Support Center. With this, you can get a Technical Support Representative (TSR) who can remotely view, diagnose, and solve problems for you online. These TSRs can also transfer customer files for off-line analysis, or, with permission, control the customer's desktop to download patches and updates. You can order anywhere from one to four TSR "seats" to service you. Depending on how many TSRs you ask for and whether or not you pay for one quarter or a full year in advance, this WebEx Support Center service will cost you anywhere from $149 per month to $689 per month.

With WebEx MeetMeNow, you can pay just $49 per month or, for a one-year contract, just $39 per month to get unlimited monthly meetings that may include up to 15 people at once in a WebEx Meeting Center webinar.

For those who are afraid of commitment, there's the WebEx Pay-Per-Use program, which permits you to use WebEx Meeting Center on an as-needed basis with no minimum cost. For this, you'll pay $0.33 per minute per participant and an additional $0.20 per minute flat rate for live integration of audio, video, and data sharing.

WebEx also offers a PCNow service that permits you to access your computer and everything on it remotely. This can be highly useful for a one-on-one web meeting. This costs $12.95 per month.

Sales and promotional services, help with marketing and putting together webinars, and the Webex Training Center are all available to be had as add-on services for additional cost.

So, as you can see, the cost of webinars varies widely and your particular needs and objectives have to be taken into consideration.

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The Advantages of Hosting a Webinar

Webinars are ways of reaching out to people--prospects, leads, work colleagues, staff--without having to go anywhere; yet they offer a very dynamic and totally interactive way of having people from possibly all over the globe come together mentally and emotionally if not bodily. They are a great embodiment of what some would call a more "spiritual" reality, where people can meet together without having to go anywhere.

Of course, in a business sense, webinars offer the ability to save buckets of money on travel and other related meeting expenses while still having a full experience. Webinars are a far cry beyond the large-screen TV meetings that seemed so cutting edge a decade ago but never went all that far. They are even farther beyond teleconferences where there is just talk between several different people in just a couple of locations without any ability to see each other or interact with each other. Once upon a time these things were all seen as great meeting options, yet expensive travel and expensive lodging to meet together in person still was the state of the art.

Now, our fuel costs and other travel costs have risen dramatically; and people are busier than ever and are seeking ways to not need to be so far away from home so much of the time. They are more than willing, in many cases, to cut their hours and their pay in exchange for more personal freedom. One solution to these expenses and this love of liberty that has arisen is the virtual office, where business can be conducted by an entire company via cell phones and PCs or Macs or laptops. The webinar has arisen as part of this new 21st century business culture.

If a person can take part dynamically in an important meeting for training or product and service learning while sitting in the comfort of his own office, or his den, or his favorite restaurant, with no worry about plane tickets, car rentals, gas bills, tolls, hotel rooms, getting his suit cleaned and pressed, spending nights away from his wife...why would he not do this instead of travel far and wide? The Internet and webinar have made this once upon a time dream a tangible and pragmatic reality.

The webinar can be an amazing sales and marketing tool. But it can also allow for collaboration on a project or important document, an important marketing department meeting, or a corporate training session. One person can reach out to any satellite location that has a high-speed Internet connection with which to get "tuned in" and connect. Customer solutions can be come up with and implemented in real time, too. A company that makes use of webinars can make itself a powerful presence in the business lives of its clients.

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