Why are webinar software programs so important? The simple answer is webinars are extremely effective in generating leads and converting them into closings. Over 80% of marketers currently use webins on a regular basis and most businesses utilize webinars at least part of their marketing campaign. However, before you decide to throw down hundreds of dollars on webinar advertising you should be aware of some potential red flags that you need to lookout for when choosing the right webinar software for you business.

 

Does your host live events? - Webinar software programs are great but they are not going to work unless your webinar software program has some kind of support for hosting live events. Some of the newest tools come with built-in customer support which can provide help if attendees encounter any problems or find that the product is not as they expected. In fact, many of the new systems today offer some sort of tech support built right in as standard or can be purchased as add-on products. If you do not have customer support built in you should seriously consider purchasing separate add-on products.

 

Are there enough advanced features? - Webinars are becoming more advanced and automated. Many companies are building very sophisticated marketing tools that allow attendees to interact with the host or download pre-recorded webinar segments. Unfortunately, some of these tools are still limited and require more work from the attendee.

What are the Pros and Cons of Webinar Software?

 

Do you offer analytics? - It's smart to include analytics in your system but it's even smarter to have them integrated with your auto responder. Most auto responders today integrate with Google Analytics and Yahoo! Answers and with webinar automation systems this is incredibly easy. Your attendee can sign up for your list and submit their information for you to capture later, you can then run advanced analytics and reporting on your own, or you can email all of your customers and send out personalized emails afterwards.

 

Do you offer screen sharing capabilities? - Some exhibitors offer screen sharing functionality on their registration pages. This is an incredibly powerful feature that allows you to capture a slide presentation and share it with up to 5 other attendees who can then view it simultaneously. It can instantly skyrocket your conversion rates, if the audience can easily see how your system works and get involved. Use this functionality to capture names and email addresses of customers who did not RSVP and to encourage them to return.

 

Do you have multiple presenters? - Have you tried running a webinar with only one presenter and several attendees? Chances are that you had a lot of people show up with absolutely no interest in what you have to say. Sometimes the presentation was badly set up, the audio was lousy, and many attendees did not understand what the panelists were trying to say. If you can reduce the number of presenters on your panel, you will be able to provide more value to your customers because multiple presenters may not have been necessary.

 

What are some of the pros and cons of using this platform? - The advantages of using a webinar software solution include the reduction in cost, lower risk, reduced time investment, multiple presenters without the need for hosting, and immediate feedback from multiple attendees. However, there are also some cons associated with this. You need to be sure you are ready for the upfront costs of purchasing and maintaining a webinar software platform. While there are many free solutions available, like Google Appium, you should expect to pay quite a bit for a hosted solution, especially if you are using a heavy commercial option.

 

Are there any other pros and cons? - Webinars are very convenient because you do not have to physically be at your computer when your audience is attending your webinar. This is especially useful if your audience lives in another state or even another country. Since the presentations are automated on-demand, there is no more need for staff members to physically be at the conference table, allowing you to save on employee payroll and benefits.

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