Choosing a Platform for Webinars: What to Look for?
Everyone who is going to organize a webinar, in addition to mastering the technology itself, is faced with the question – of which platform to use which service. Choosing a site for a webinar is further complicated by the fact that there is now a wide range of portals on the market where you can host an online seminar or conference. Therefore, you need to figure out what to pay attention to and what quality indicators to put at the forefront. Let’s try to answer these questions here in this article.
Main Criteria for a Webinar Platform
Initially, it is important to understand for what purposes a webinar platform such as iMind is needed: for education, training, or online courses, and what kind of audience you will have to face. This approach allows you to determine the evaluation criteria, the necessary functionality, and those additional services that may be needed.
The cost of renting a webinar site
The first thing everyone looks at is the price. The tariff scales of most sites are calculated either by the time of broadcasting, or by the number of participants in the online seminar, and also depending on the functionality provided. Usually, you can rent a conference venue for a month or more. On good portals, a system of discounts is provided, depending on the rental period.
When deciding on a tariff, it is important to understand what audience you are counting on. After all, gathering even 200 people for your event is not an easy task, and therefore it makes no sense to overpay for a more “crowded” tariff. On average, the adequate cost of renting a site varies between $30-40 per month. There are also free webinar sites on the network, however, the functionality and quality of communication there leave much to be desired.
The functionality of the online platform
Next, pay attention to the possibilities provided by the service. The set of functions, of course, depends on the tariff you choose, but their standard list on a good webinar site looks something like this:
- Materials. Demonstration of any accompanying video and audio materials, images, and slides. Possibility to provide files for download.
- Polls. The teacher can conduct online surveys on any topic during a webinar or conference.
- Multiscreen. This function allows you to connect several presenters to an online event at the same time.
- Drawing board. Demonstrate the way to solve the problem, writing down the main theses of the seminar on the board.
- Chat. Listeners use text chat, it is possible to connect audio and video communication.
Ease of registration and entry to the webinar
You yourself have probably come across the need for long and boring registrations on the web more than once, wandering around the sites in search of the right button. Let’s face it – the occupation is not particularly exciting. Therefore, do not condemn your listeners to this. On a good portal, everything is simple – after registration, the user receives an email with a reminder of the date and time of the webinar, as well as a link that allows you to immediately get to the right room.
