Webinar Platform is the Best Weapon
Webinar software remains one of the best weapons a company has in its arsenal of tools, as it allows businesses to connect with others in an easy-to-use format. However, with many platforms to select from, business owners often question which will best meet their needs. Numerous factors determine the answer to this question, from the purpose of the webinar platform to the price.
The best way to test a webinar software platform is to hold a meeting using the program. Doing so provides users with the opportunity to compare features, try the different settings, and see how user-friendly the program truly is. What criteria should be used when comparing each of these products to find the best webinar platform?
Webinar Platform Criteria to Look For When Making a Purchase
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Marketing Features IS The Way To Win
Good marketing features remain essential in a webinar platform along with engagement features. What many individuals new to webinars assume is attending a webinar resembles watching a long video or movie. Nothing is further from the truth. Webinars need to be live, interactive, and engaging. However, the most essential tool in any webinar platform is a live chat feature.
Landing Pages Can Be Game Changer
Additional features to consider when comparing webinar platforms include the ability to build different pages for specific purposes, such as a confirmation page and a registration page. An excellent program offers this feature, is visually appealing, and is customizable to meet the business owner’s unique needs.
Automated and Evergreen Webinars
Consider investing in a program that offers automation or evergreen features. Programs of this type allow the user to create a webinar that looks and feels as if it is live, engaging, and interactive when it is actually automated. Business owners love how helpful this feature is in marketing funnels.
Additional Factors to Take Into Account When Making this Choice
Price plays a role in any business purchase, and this includes webinar platforms. Finally, don’t overlook stream quality and reliability when making a choice. Businesses and other institutions such as schools and Universities want large crowds to benefit from the webinar, and the program must be able to accommodate these large numbers. As such, room size becomes of great importance when comparing programs to ensure all planned webinars can be held on the selected platform.
Participants should easily be able to join the webinar, see and hear the speaker, and have good quality videos when doing so. Screen sharing remains crucial in these meetings, and users shouldn’t find it difficult to download or install the program and features or refresh their browsers regularly.
Price of Webinar Platforms
While this should never be the deciding factor when choosing a webinar platform, it must factor in the decision-making process. However, individuals often struggle with comparing platforms based on this aspect. Pricing plans typically vary based on room size, and business owners should anticipate paying more to accommodate larger groups.
Expect to pay approximately $15 a month for Zoom Meetings, the cheapest option available of the programs analyzed, although this does not include Zoom Webinars. Individuals with a budget of around $50 find options such as Webinar Ninja and Zoom Webinars are offered. For $80, additional options open up, including Easy Webinar and Big Marker. There are most costly offerings, including Demio for $99 a month.
GotoWebinar stands as the most expensive option of the ones examined. Sadly, users find they truly don’t get much for the price they are paying. While Goto Webinar is reliable, that is one of the very few things that the program has going for it. For this reason, it’s best to research other options, with Big Marker being a favorite with most.
Must have Features of a Webinar Software
Webinar platforms only benefit a company if they offer the features the company needs. For this reason, many companies focus on ClickMeeting initially thanks to its countless features. The platform truly excels in this area, but it continues to lag behind other programs in every other area. For instance, the reliability and stream quality of the produced webinars are less than stellar.
Webinar participants often cannot see or hear the speaker, and some find they have to constantly refresh the site. This becomes frustrating as the participant may be missing out on vital information and isn’t getting their money’s worth by taking part in the webinar. This explains why it is critical to take each platform on a test run before making a commitment.
Webinar Ninja had similar issues and lacks implementation when it comes to the program’s engagement and marketing features. Sadly, this platform has an even bigger issue that most business owners find is difficult to overcome.
Technical issues plague this platform, ranging from extremely poor stream quality of the video to unusability of the finished product. Users won’t want to stay for the remainder of the webinar if they encounter technical problems that cannot be easily resolved, and they won’t want to return in the future to see another webinar. One bad experience is enough to make a person look elsewhere for the products and services they need.
Programs That Fail to Deliver in Most Cases
Individuals frequently find Webinar Easy to be promising at first glance, especially those looking for a platform capable of accommodating large groups. Once they begin digging, however, they discover it is lacking in a variety of ways as well. Not only are the landing pages outdated in terms of their appearance, but the program overall also isn’t user friendly. Demio, another program many business owners consider, lacks the features needed to justify its high price.
Zoom is great for those in need of a budget webinar platform but don’t expect engagement or marketing features. While it is reliable, the user interface isn’t friendly, and the overall feel of the platform is very corporate.
Crowdcast focuses on social engagement, and users looking for a webinar platform with marketing features will find this option doesn’t meet their needs as a result. The same is true of those looking to host webinars for hundreds of people. Users looking for a platform geared to teaching or coaching, however, will like this one.
Outstanding Choices for Webinar Platforms
Big Marker, in contrast, offers the features most users want and need at a price they will love. This platform works for sales webinars, group coaching, one-on-one meetings, and more. In addition, automation features come standard with the program. While Big Marker doesn’t excel in any one particular area, it’s great at all aspects of webinars and meetings. This makes it the ideal choice for most.
WebinarJam offers the features businesses want and need when it comes to marketing and conversions. Multiple offers may be presented at various times throughout the event, and users can incorporate scarcity factors along with countdown timers to encourage action on the part of the participant. These are only some of the many features business owners might find to be of help to them, and the platform also allows users to do on-boarding and coaching webinars, among others. However, this company doesn’t offer payment plans, which might make it unaffordable for countless businesses.
Why Big Marker?
When it comes down to it, WebinarJam and Big Marker remain the two best options for most business users. However, in a head-to-head matchup, Big Marker comes out on top. Why is this the case? What does it have that WebinarJam doesn’t?
Big Marker offers meeting room capability along with text/email chat interaction. Businesses find this to be of great help when they need to respond quickly and ensure their clients or customers receive help in a timely manner. However, these are only two of the features found in Big Marker that are lacking in WebinarJam.
Imagine being able to collect emails from FBLive or import a time-stamped chat. Both features exist in Big Marker but are missing in WebinarJam. With the help of Evergreen, Big Marker users find they can choose a future date or add “Just in Time” to their webinars and meetings.
During the event, Big Marker attendees may connect via phone or computer and the player screen can come with no branding. These options aren’t available with Webinar Jam. Nevertheless, the lack of these features isn’t enough to make many companies turn away from WebinarJam and choose Big Marker. It’s the support options offered with Big Marker that ultimately lead many businesses to choose this platform over the others available today.
Companies choosing Big Marker discover they can access support through live chat, phone, email tickets, and remote IT support. In addition, the provider offers live and video training options. Compare this to WebinarJam which offers limited support options. In the event a client needs assistance when using this platform, they must obtain it through live chat or an email ticket. Although WebinarJam does offer video training, live training is not available at this time.
Conclusion
More companies today find they need to interact with suppliers, clients, employees, and more using available technology. Face-to-face meetings simply aren’t possible for a variety of reasons, and companies must ensure they can communicate with others in a timely manner. Webinar platforms make this possible, but only when the right platform is selected for the needs of the particular business. Using the information above, a company finds it can choose a platform that allows them to grow and thrive during difficult times.
If there is any uncertainty as to which platform to use, Big Marker is the answer. It offers features not found in many competitors at a price any user will love. Check it out today while still researching the others, as doing so ensures you find a platform you love and will want to use now and in the future.
Additional Information
Shane Melaugh from Active Growth made a great video comparison of the key players in webinar software market. Well worth watching.
