How to Choose a Webinar Provider

Whether it's called video or web conferencing, choose your webinar provider carefully.

Small businesses on the Internet often use the services of a webinar provider to reach a broad base of clients. Choosing the webinar provider that's right for you and your clients depends on what you want from the service and how you wish to pay. Some services offer a payment-by-participant, while others offer monthly service fees and contracts.

Instructions

1. Review your clientele and purchase the webinar service based upon the clients who will use the system to access the webinar. If the majority of your clients are not technologically savvy, then you want to find a user-friendly webinar provider. On the other hand, if conducting a webinar for people who are more comfortable with technology, then a more advanced system would be acceptable.

2. Calculate the budget for the event. While a webinar will bring in money, if you don't charge enough, you could end up on the losing side of the proposition. If you choose a service that has a $15 per participant fee and you have 100 participants, the cost will be $1,500. To re-coup your webinar costs, ensure the fee covers the cost of the webinar, your time and allows room for profit.

3. Repeated monthly webinars may warrant a service that provides a monthly rate. If you plan to conduct one or two webinars per month, this might be a better option for your business. Pick the webinar plan that meets your needs and still allows a profit.

4. Become familiar with the software and webinar requirements in order to host a glitch-free event. There's nothing worse than hosting an event that no one can access. Check the reliability of the webinar hosting service and review recommendations from other users.

5. Check free trials from a variety of webinar providers and practice using their services. Some providers offer freely weekly or monthly trials. Match your webinar needs with the provider for a better overall experience.

6. Select a company that includes a replay feature in the webinar you offer your clients for those who pay for the webinar but may not be able to make it on the scheduled date. This allows clients to download the webinar on their schedule and is a nice feature if users can't access the system.

7. Verify the provider can handle the amount of users planned for your webinar. Many webinar services crash when offering live streaming access and too many users try to log on. Ask providers for the contacts of other customers that could talk about their experiences with the company.

Tips & Warnings

• Spend time practicing with the webinar system so you don't experience any hiccups during your live event. Check all of the services the webinar provider lists to ensure you get the most bang for your buck. Document sharing, synchronized Web browsing and live replay are all features to consider when purchasing webinar services.

References

• Exceptional Webinars; How to Choose a Webinar Platform Provider; Dr. Sarah Eaton; April 2011
• Small Biz Trends: 26 Webinar Tools for Small Business Owners; TJ McCue; April 2010
• Webinar.com; Why You Should Choose a Webinar Provider That Offers the Live Replay Feature; April 2011
• Microsoft: Marketing through Web Presentations

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Go To Meeting: Homepage
• Web Ex: Homepage
• Adobe Connect: Homepage