With the vast amount of service providers that are available today, it’s not always easy to find the one that best fills the bill for your particular web conferencing needs.  Each one claims to be the biggest, best or least expensive, and all will try to convince you that their particular plan is the one that makes the most sense for your business.  Sometimes you’ll be the victim of a hard sell by those who are skilled in the art of diverting the attention away from your questions and, before you know it, the focus is on a set of features that you may have no use for at all.

In other cases, there are hidden fees that are peppered throughout the contract which you might not readily notice until you’ve fallen into the buy-in trap.  How, then, are you supposed to find the best service provider to handle your web conferencing?  Here are some handy tips that you should keep in mind when you go shopping for such services.

Multiple Location Participants - If you have key people in distant lands that will need to come into the web conferencing loop, remember to keep this in mind when shopping for a web conferencing package.  If a service provider attempts to impose strict limitations on this type of scenario, then this isn’t the one for you.

Compare Prices - Since most web conferencing providers utilize the same software or equipment from the same manufacturers, it stands to reason that the pricing structures should be similar.  If one or more of them come in way above the mark, this should tell you something about the integrity of the company.  In short, move on to another provider.

Review Pricing Plans - Though many providers require to be paid on a rate-per-person schedule, there are those who will offer the same web conferencing services for a flat rate.  This is ideal for companies with a number of participants.  If you’re given the option of paying a flat monthly fee for unlimited web conferences, so much the better.

Investigate the Features Being Offered - Whether your needs include online presentations that don�t need to be interactive, or interactive online meetings/webinars, the right service provider can meet those needs.  Check to see what other features are offered, as well, before committing to making a decision.

Many companies, for instance, have the need for features such as multiple presenters, polling and surveys, desktop remote control, live video, online chat with questions and answers, documentation presentation, application sharing, record and playback features and browser sharing.  Service providers who don’t offer any of these commonly used features should be put aside in favor of those who are less technologically challenged.

The best approach to taken when shopping for a web conferencing service provider is to go armed with a list of relevant questions and a detailed description of which features are pertinent to your business.  Keeping in mind that you may have to investigate a number of providers in order to find the one that best suits your needs, exercise patience and don�t be too quick to jump on the web conferencing bandwagon by choosing one that’s simply popular or has the catchiest advertisements.  There are plenty of good providers out there - it’s just a matter of finding the one that has what you need, for the best possible price.

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Copyright - 2008 Octocat Ltd
Mike Spencer reviews various business services to help small and home office businesses get the best value for money in communicating with the outside world. Read more about Mikes reviews ay his iste here: http://www.web-conference-reviews.com

Tags: webinar, web conferencing, service provider

Webinars is a new way of marketing on the internet. It has currently replaced Seminars. It is called a webinar because it is actually a seminar conducted on the web - online.

To hold a webinar, the following items are needed. A telephone line, an internet access, a web conference software, and of course your computer.

Each of the persons logging on to the webinar must download the web conference software in order to be able to view slides and actions performed online from the webinar host.

Setting up a webinar for marketing is one of the most effective ways to sell products in your home business. However, before a webinar is set up, there are things that must be in place first.

- The need for an advance preparation

Before a webinar is conducted, the host should be fully prepared to set up all the tools needed to make it a success. There are associated costs to run a webinar and these costs will be applied to the people coming for the home business webinar.

The materials for use on the webinar date should be fully absorbed and the host should be ready to effectively present the slides on the internet as he talks. Usually, a webinar is good for a “how to” course or just for product demonstration.

- There must be a list

Webinars are usually performed if you already have an email list of people that you have built a relationship with. These people can only turn up if they believe you have the solution to the problem they have and you must have built up their interest to the point of their spending money to be on the webinar.

- Webinars are used for selling high ticket products.

Usually, most webinars are conducted when there is a need to sell a high ticket products such as products that costs as much as $297 and above. When you talk to people using a product demonstration, your chances of getting a lot of people to buy the products in question is increased.

To host a webinar, you have to set up a page for it where people will register their interest. You need to do this many days ahead of the webinar date.

Follow up and send email to the people who registered for the call and send them email a day before the webinar. On the webinar date, send an email few hours to the time to remind them to turn up.

It is usually good to charge a little fee for the webinar, this will help in offsetting some of the costs of setting up the webinar. Since the purpose of the webinar is to sell products, it is better to charge very little or make it free for all those who will be attending.
About the Author

To learn more, download my free report, “How to build a quick downline” here: Build A Downline!
Joe Okoro is an accomplished networker who has successfully used internet marketing to grow his downline for 3 years now.

Tags: sell products, conversion, webinar, business

As more businesses look for creative ways to reach new customers
as well as cut costs of communicating, the subject of webinars
often comes up. What is a webinar, and what benefits can it
generate for a company?

To answer the question of “what is a webinar?” one need only
look to a resource that has become common to businesses of all
sizes during the past ten years: the Internet. The basic answer
to “what is a webinar?” is that it is simply utilizing the
Internet to share visual presentations and other documents with
persons who are in various physical positions around the country
or even around the world. The word webinar is derived from two
root words: web and seminar. A webinar is a seminar using the
web and web conferencing software. When a web conference is
partnered with an audio conference call, the result is a
powerful communications tool that can change the way your
company does business.

A webinar can be a very simple affair that is used to convey
information from corporate level to outlying locations. It may
also be something much more complex that involves the ability
for persons to work together on a common document, interact on a
common project, or stream data out to a large number of
locations.

It is important to think in terms of what this can do for your
business. One of the most immediate benefits of a webinar is
that it can eliminate a large portion of your company’s travel
budget. While there will always be those occasions when a face
to face meeting is a necessity, many business exchanges within
your company can be handled with the use of a web conference.
Meetings that once required travel by jet can now be handled via
a web conference. A web conference can also be used to connect
with potential clients who are physically at a distance from
your location. Even if your suggestion of holding the meeting
via the Internet is first met with the question “what is a
webinar?” a quick assurance that it is easy and would require
less expense on their part will impress your customer. After
all, you are using cutting edge technology to communicate with
them and you are doing so with an eye to being respectful of
their busy schedules. This is a win/win situation and it is an
opportunity to raise their opinion of you and your company.

Webinars are an easy way to hold an ad hoc meeting with people
in many different locations with almost no advance notice. As an
example, assume you have a client that has just encountered a
major problem. You know your company can bring them a solution.
You simply prepare the necessary documents quickly, gather all
relevant persons together for a webinar, and walk them through
the solution. While this could be done with an audio conference
alone, the added impact of visuals will often help drive home
the effectiveness of your solution and allow your client to
authorize your solution much more quickly. This could give you
another opportunity to strengthen your presence with your
customer.

Webinars are a tool that allows you to take persons on a tour of
any web site you choose. Often, when you want to connect with a
potential client who is too busy to set aside a couple of hours
for a face to face meeting, you can get thirty minutes on an
audio call and a session on the web. You can prepare some slides
or a document to illustrate what your company can do for them;
or if you have a really informative company web site, take your
prospect to your company web site and point out a few facts that
are prominently posted.

While we are several years away from a time when people will no
longer ask “what is a webinar?” the answer will always vary,
depending on what types of communication are most desirable to
the person who makes the query. If it is documentation, then
that is the main thrust of the response. If it is finding
information on the web, the web-touring feature will be part of
the answer. Should the main concern be finding time for
meetings, then the time efficiency and cost savings of webinars
will come to the fore. Whatever the need that is foremost in the
mind of the person asking the question, there will be found the
most appropriate answer to the question “what is a webinar?”

About the author:
Greg Roy is a communications specialist. To find out more about
the advantages and benefits of href="http://webinar-s.com">Webinars, please visit
http://webinar-s.com.

Tags: internet, webinar

Another article discussing the benefits of web conferencing.  This article gives a basic introduction to web conferencing and webinars.  It provides insight to those that are just starting out on their research into webinars, but to one who has already done some research, there won’t be much new information.

Web Conferencing is the new way of interaction over internet and
giving live presentations. In this kind of conference system,
each delegate has to sit with a computer connected with internet
and through it one can interact with other people. If telephone
is also used, VoIP technology is used else we use only chats.
This technology is very cheap and saves time as well as cost and
is very environmental friendly as well.

Web conferencing provides easiest method to stay connected
without spending lots of money. Web conferencing is of many
types such as web meeting, Webcast, the Webinar, online
presenting, and online collaboration. The choice depends on the
specific needs. It can be a audio, video or text-based
conversation that is conducted in real time.

Usually organizations that have global presence, use this
technology to remain connected. Using this technology, any
person can be working at one geographical location while being
connected with other far away offices etc.

Web conferencing is used as it cuts traveling costs,
accommodation costs and save time also.

It’s just not business that derives benefits from web
conferencing. If you and your family live apart and can not meet
often, this can form an excellent form of communication with
them.

When you are sitting in web conference, there are certain
etiquettes that need to be followed. One must speak slowly and
always try to be clear. Listening to other person attentively is
important so that they do not have to repeat themselves.

Before you start a web conference it’s a good idea to check the
equipment. Always test the system before the conference starts
so that there is no interruption in the middle of conference.
Check variables like lighting, seating arrangements and
microphone position, background etc. Keep an extra monitor with
you so that the conference participants can see themselves on
the screen.

Proper care must be used when organizing the conference, as some
people may be in different time zones. Remember to press the
mute button when not talking, in order to prevent echo. If a
problem of echo is there, consider using echo cancellers. It’s
possible that the audio or video quality may be poor at the
beginning of the conference. Try adjusting the microphone
position, lighting etc. This may fix the problem. If things do
not improve, hanging up and redialing or even rebooting the
system may be necessary. If there are issues at one end, always
information should be passed on to all the other parties so that
they are not troubled due to disruption.

Although setting up a full fledged studio might be expensive,
it pays over a period of time. If it is felt that costs will not
justify returns consider renting the equipment. Lot of firms
will easily provide good technicians as well as equipment for
good conferencing service.

Web conferencing has made life easier for us be it business or
personal lives. It is a great way of exchanging information and
keeping in touch as well.

About the author:
#1 Internet Conferencing Resource
Web conferencing
technology.
http://www.conferencingguide.com

Tags: online collaboration, webcast, webinar, web conferencing

Now web conferencing is not brand new, but this was actually my
first personal experience with it, and it got me thinking about
how fast things have changed. Just a few years ago I was
travelling all over the world to accomplish similar things. The
travel was interesting, but I think the days of hopping planes
to install software are over…or soon to be. The ease with
which the task was accomplished with nobody leaving their desks
was amazing. I think once you experience this, you won’t be able
to imagine why anyone would do this any other way.

Of course, installing software is only one of the things that
such conferencing allows you to do. Meetings, training, sales
presentations, and collaborations of any sort fit right in, and
corporate workplaces are not the only venue in which such tools
can be used. Internet marketers are starting to realize the
power of the approach. Teleconferences have been a popular
marketing tool for sometime, and webcasts and webinars are
becoming more and more popular. A webcast usually refers to a
one-way broadcast from presenter to audience, while a webinar
usually involves two way communication - the audience can
respond - typically through a telephone, although many service
providers are starting to bundle in voice communication with
their web services.

Imagine you’re marketing an information product on the web. Want
to demonstrate it’s virtues to your leads? Well, it’s very easy
to do. Purchase a one-time meeting package from the vendor of
your choice, send the web address of the meeting page to your
leads, set up voice access either with the vendor, or through
another teleconferencing service, and off you go! Your leads can
ask questions and watch on their computer while you wax eloquent
about your product…think that might boost sales?

The web conferencing vendor I used for the software upgrade
provides a hosted solution, which means that there is no
software to install locally and no servers to maintain - all you
need is a web browser and a telephone. You can have a shared
screen meeting anytime you want to with virtually no local set
up work at all. In fact, during our software upgrade, a question
came up that required the knowledge of one of the programmers
that wrote the system, who happened to work in different state.
One phone call, and he joined the online meeting from his
computer, took a look at the problem, fixed it, and off we went.

Recall that I mentioned above that most services allow the
“presenter” to take control of the desktops of the “audience”.
Imagine how simple this makes it to show your audience how a
software product works - think of the travel and accommodation
expenses that can be eliminated. Some corporations report saving
literally millions of dollars each year by reducing travel
expenses with web conferencing.

If your company hasn’t taken the plunge yet, it’s time you took
a look. If you’re selling on the Internet, think about how these
tools can affect your bottom line.

About the author:
Peter Cullen runs http://www.Web-Conference-Info.com where web
conferencing software is reviewed and relevant articles are
posted.
web conferencing, webcast, teleconference

Tags: webcast, web conferencing, teleconference

Simply put, web conferencing is conducting meetings using the
internet. And a webinar is using web conferencing to conduct a
seminar.

With webinars, attendees can see presentations and other
contents of the speakers desktop right on their computer. This
type of collaboration can be extremely effective for
demonstrations to large, scattered groups, saving travel time
and related expenses. Web conferencing usually includes
interactive chat, Powerpoint presentations, streaming audio and
video, and other implements.

Let’s say we both want to meet to talk about a very important
topic. I live in New Zealand while you in Canada. Instead of
spending thousands of dollars on travel cost alone, we can have
a cheap and highly productive meeting right here, right now. How?

Go to your computer. Connect to the internet. Join a meeting.
And that’s it! We’re already conferencing. It’s that easy.
Anytime two persons or more hold a meeting over the internet,
that’s what we call web conferencing.

It all starts with software that the webinar host downloads and
installs on his computer. For a powerful piece of communication
software, web conferencing programs nowadays are amazingly small
and unnoticeable. They will continue to get smaller as the
months go by.

Then the host begins inviting participants to attend the
webinar. Most, if not all, web conferencing services I’ve seen
have a built-in system of announcing to attendees in advance
thru email.

To participate in a webinar, each attendee should first download
and install a little program of their own, at times even smaller
than what the host is using. Alternatively, some setups don’t
even require attendees including the host to download and
install any kind of software on their computers. These programs
are web browser-based.

Generally, once all the partakers have done their part in
setting up their computers for the webinar, what’s left is for
each partaker to type in a few keystrokes, click the mouse
button and begin conferencing. Typically, the entire process of
setting up the technical aspects of a webinar from ground zero
will take around 15 minutes for the host and about 10 minutes
for each member. After the one-time setup, subsequent meetings
will commence in less than 5 minutes for everyone.

Basic webinars allow you to “text chat” with any or all of the
attendees. If that’s not enough, you can use toll-free lines to
add voice communication for that all-important clarity of
thought. Yes, you read it right. There are companies offering
toll-free lines just for conferencing.

But even voice connection can be web-based too. It’s possible
thru VoIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol. This technology uses
the internet, not regular phone lines, as it delivers your voice
to one or all participants.

Although webinars may never totally replace face-to-face
seminars, you should at least explore its practical uses for you
and your organization. Give it a test run and see for yourself
the benefits and cost savings that webinars have to offer.

About the author:
Greg Roy is a communications specialist. To find out more about
the advantages and benefits of
Webinars, please visit
http://webinar-s.com.

webinar, web conference, web conferencing

Tags: web conference, webinar, web conferencing

Theoretically speaking, meetings and conferences done over the
Internet are a great concept. Web conferencing allows you to
save a bundle on business travel and still keep far-flung
clients and employees engaged and up to speed. But once you
place this concept into practice, you will find that most of the
web conferencing tools available at there are still too
expensive for small businesses to afford. What’s worse, many of
these involve complicated set up procedures and systems that are
just hard to master, thus contributing to increased frustration
with the product.

And this is where affordable web conferencing tools come in. The
term “cheap” might cause you to be skeptical as most “cheap”
products available are either bootlegs of other highly
successful commercial products or only include the bare
essentials of a decent conferencing tool. However, it is
important to realize that besides the industry giants in web
conferencing, such as WebEx, Macromedia, and Microsoft, there
are other developers out there that are dedicated to providing
you with affordable web conferencing solutions.

One of these companies is Citrix Online, introducing its
GoToMeeting software application. GoToMeeting is an affordable
web conferencing solution hosted on a server which is managed
and controlled by Citrix Online. If you notice, Citrix Online is
the same people who brought you the extraordinarily effective
and simple GoToMyPC that is a program that lets you access your
PC from any Web browser. Using basically the same technology,
Citrix Online allows you to access affordable web conferencing
tool that is as cheap as it is simple.

Another very affordable web conferencing solution is the very
Popular “Hot Conference” This software is quickly becoming the
web conference software of choice for the small biz on-line en-
trepreneur, as well as business people who need a way to
communicate with their colleagues, because it is easy to use,
and so affordable that even the smallest on-line entrepreneurs
can take advantage of bringing their websites live to the net.
You can get more details about Hot Conference at
http://www.hotconference.com/members/myhomebizprofits/

What does affordable Web Conferencing Software do?

Most people use affordable web conferencing software for
presentations, product demonstrations (i.e. software) and
collaboration. But besides these stated uses, a majority of
affordable web conferencing system’s potentials remain largely
untapped.

A study conducted by the Yankee Group found that 89 per cent of
affordable web conferencing solutions are used for application
sharing, 12 per cent of annotation, and four per cent for white
boarding. That doesn’t even remotely touch the wide array of
uses that affordable web conferencing has. It can be used to
facilitate distance learning, assist in training sessions,
present ideas to the board, etc. etc.

“When it comes to web conferencing, less is more,” says senior
vice-president of products and services, Brian Donahoo of Citrix
Online. “We’ve stripped out the non-essential bells and
whistles, making GoToMeeting easier to use.” The simplicity of
their affordable web conferencing products allows for more
customer confidence building because they can now master the
service quickly, allowing for less frustration and letting them
use it more.

*****************************************************************
Debbie Gragg is owner and operator of
http://www.homebizprofits.com

a Crafts Home-Small Biz On-line Community since 1998

You may use this article in your e-zines, websites, or blogs as
long As this resource box is left intact.
*****************************************************************

Tags: citrix, gotomeeting, web conferencing, hot conference

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