How to Choose Webinar Software (2023 Guide)
With so many webinar software platforms on the market, it can be tough to decide which one is right for you and your business.
The best webinar software platform should be easy to use, have great features and support, and offer pricing options that work for your business.
While the right webinar tool for you might be different from what’s commonly used in your industry, you can only know what’s right by looking at various platforms’ features and capabilities.
In this article, I’ll give you an overview of the different types of webinar software available and things to consider when choosing a webinar platform for your business.
Let’s get right into it.
What Exactly Is Webinar Software?
Knowing what a webinar is, and how a webinar platform can help you, is a great place to start.
Webinars are online meetings that allow participants to see and hear each other in real-time, share important information, and sell products and services in a one-to-many environment.
Depending on the webinar platform, these online events can be public or private.
Your Webinar Goals And Objectives
With as many as 95% of companies believing webinars can help their business achieve its goals, it’s essential to figure out these goals.
Some common goals for webinars include:
- Increasing brand awareness
- Nurturing leads and prospects
- Generating sales or revenue
- Engaging customers
- Onboarding new employees or clients
- Providing product or service training
- Conducting market research
- Building relationships with VIP customers or partners
- Hosting a virtual event or conference
You’ll want to decide your goals for hosting a webinar before you start looking at different webinar software platforms.
This will help you narrow down your choices and find the best tool for your specific needs.
The Various Types Of Webinars You Can Run
There are various types of webinars you can run- live and evergreen.
- Automated webinars: These are webinars that you create once and can be run multiple times. The webinar platform you choose will need to have automation capabilities to support this type of webinar.
- Live webinars: Many webinar attendees prefer live webinars since they connect more personally with the presenter. Live webinars also allow attendees to ask questions in real-time.
- Evergreen webinars: Having a webinar presentation that’s always available is helpful if you want to generate leads or sales on autopilot. Once you create an evergreen webinar, it can run continuously without you having to be there live.
- Hybrid webinars: The best webinar platforms offer hybrid capabilities, which means you can have both a live and automated webinar running simultaneously. This is ideal for engaging with attendees in real-time while still generating leads or sales on autopilot.
- On-demand webinars: A webinar event recorded and made available for anyone to view. These recorded webinars can be a great lead generation tool since one can watch them at a time that works best for the person.
What Features Do You Need In Webinar Software?
The right webinar software for your business will depend on the type of webinars you want to run and the features you need to support your goals.
The key features to look for in webinar platforms include the following.
Hosting Webinars
The webinar platform you choose should allow you to host the various types of webinars previously mentioned.
Many webinar tools offer additional features like polling, surveys, quizzes, and video conferencing capabilities.
Screen Sharing
One of the critical webinar features hosts look for is the ability to share their screens.
This allows everyone to see what is being discussed in real-time, which can be helpful for things like product demonstrations or training sessions.
During live events, the ability to share documents and other resources can also be helpful.
Webinar Registration Pages And Lead Generation
As part of the marketing tools at your disposal, you’ll want to be able to create beautiful registration pages that match your brand image.
The best webinar platforms will offer customizable registration forms and pages so you can collect the information you need from your attendees.
Having registration forms that are easily integrated with your website and email marketing software can help you quickly build a list of potential leads.
When considered as part of your marketing strategy, webinars can be a great way to attract new customers and generate more leads for your business.
Landing Page Builder
In addition to just creating a landing page, the ability to create beautiful and professional pages to promote your webinars can make all the difference in getting people to sign up.
Look for a platform that offers templates that are easy to customize and match your brand.
The ability to A/B test different landing pages can also help determine which pages lead to the most registrations, allowing you to get a higher ROI.
Email Marketing Platform
The webinar software platform should also come with an email marketing tool. This will allow you to cultivate your list of webinar attendees and drive more registrations.
A platform that can send email reminders to your email list when a webinar is about to start can also help get people to show up to your event.
The ability to deliver timely pop-ups and notifications to attendees who have missed the live event can also be valuable.
Also, integration with an email marketing platform (such as Aweber, GetResponse, etc.) will allow you to track your webinar funnel and the effectiveness of your campaigns.
Customer Support
Sometimes, even during live events, you may need help with technical issues or have questions about setting up your webinars.
Choosing a webinar platform that offers 24/7 customer support is essential if you need assistance outside of regular business hours.
The Proper Attendees Limit
While having an attendee limit set by the webinar solution is normal, it is essential to consider the number of attendees involved when setting out your goals.
Are you looking for a large webinar host with many spaces for live attendees, or do you need a higher limit for the number of registrants who will access the on-demand recording?
If you are unsure, it is always best to start with a package that allows for more attendees than you think you will need, rather than one that limits the number of attendees.
Integration With Online Courses
Some platforms really help online marketers with a growth plan for their business.
These platforms can include integration with your online courses, so you can host a webinar and automatically send attendees to an online course sales funnel once it’s done.
This will make the whole experience seamless for anyone that goes through it.
The Ability To Embed Your Virtual Events On Any Site
Delivering a webinar live on your site (just by adding a few lines of code) can be beneficial in some situations.
This will make the whole process more streamlined for anyone that wants to attend – all without the need to open up multiple browser windows.
High-Quality Video Streams
Having the proper audience engagement depends on the quality of your video stream.
You’ll want a platform that offers high-quality video streams so you can engage with your attendees and ensure that they have a good experience.
The best webinar software platforms ensure that no matter what kind of internet connection a person has, they will be able to see and hear you as you deliver your webinar.
Marketing Automation
Real-time marketing automation has become a significant trend in digital marketing.
This can include triggering personalized emails and other sequences of events after somebody signs up for your webinar.
Another example of marketing automation is the ability to keep track of all webinar attendees and their interactions with your brand.
This data can be used to create targeted marketing campaigns that will lead to more conversions down the line.
Moderators
Some platforms will also have people who can help moderate your live events to ensure that things run smoothly and everyone has a good experience.
This can be especially helpful:
- If your webinars are long in duration
- Involve many people
- If you’re new to hosting online events
- Simply want someone to take care of this aspect of your webinar.
Mobile Device Compatibility
A vital part of any marketing strategy will be to ensure that your target audience can view your content on their mobile devices.
With most people now using smartphones and other mobile devices, it is essential to ensure that you have a webinar platform that supports mobile viewing.
Webinar marketing on a mobile phone is also a great way to increase engagement and participation, as people can attend your event from anywhere.
Whiteboard Features
The webinar room should also have an easy-to-use whiteboard feature so that you can share critical information or ideas with your attendees in real-time.
The best webinar software platforms offer various tools and features that will help you engage with your audience and maximize your results.
In addition, sharing handouts, slideshows, and other important information can help you increase your sales and grow your online following.
Webinar Metrics
Having a live video streaming platform that offers comprehensive webinar metrics is a great way to track the performance of your events and make any necessary adjustments for future webinars.
In addition, having a well-organized user interface that shows you precisely what is happening during your event is also essential.
This allows you to make any changes on the fly if you need to.
Easy Integration With Social Media
You’ll want a webinar platform that makes it easy to integrate your events with social media.
This will help with promotion and make it easy for people to share your content with their followers.
Customization Features
Having a customizable webinar room can also be helpful, as you’ll be able to create an environment that matches your brand and helps you stand out from the competition.
A Great User Experience
Having a user-friendly webinar provider that is easy to use and navigate is essential, especially if you are new to hosting webinars.
The best webinar platforms will have various features that are easy to use and that will help you engage with your audience.
In addition, it will also provide your audience with easy access to various controls they need to engage with whatever’s happening during the webinar.
CRM Integration
While not as common as it could be, some webinar platforms will also offer CRM integration.
This might also include onboarding software that can take your attendees through a series of questions to help you segment them into the correct category for your business.
The ability to follow up with your attendees can also tie with a CRM.
When it comes to sales automation, this can help you nurture your leads in the right way.
Testing Out Platforms
The pricing for webinar software can vary widely depending on the features and functionality you need.
Going through both a free trial and product demos is a great way to test out a platform and see if it is the right fit for your needs.
With a typical 15 or 30-day free trial, you’ll be able to access all of the platform’s features and see if it is easy to use and navigate.
Keep in mind that a free plan might typically come with fewer features and fewer customization options, so you’ll want to ensure that the platform includes all the features you need.
Also, with many webinar providers, there are typically various pricing plans that can accommodate different budgets and levels of usage.
A premium plan will typically offer more advanced features, such as those previously discussed.
How To Choose Webinar Software – FAQ
What Are Some Of The Best Webinar Platforms?
These include Demio, Clickmeeting, GotoWebinar, Livestorm, BigMarker, WebinarNinja, EasyWebinar, EverWebinar, Adobe Connect, etc.
What Are Webinar Plugins?
Webinar plugins are tools or software that one can add to a website or web platform to help facilitate online events and live streaming.
They typically include video conferencing, screen sharing, polling, chat functions, Q&A sessions, etc.
Many platforms also offer comprehensive webinar metrics and other reporting tools to help you track the performance of your events and make data-driven decisions for future webinars.
Are YouTube Live and Facebook Live good webinar platforms?
Yes, one can use both YouTube Live and Facebook Live for webinars.
They are both free to use and offer a good range of features to help you engage with your audience.
However, keep in mind that they do not provide the same customization, features, or reporting tools as some other platforms on this list that have pro features included.
Wrap Up.
From small businesses to enterprises, a great webinar experience can be an effective way to engage your audience and promote various products or services.
After that, having a webinar recording (in high video quality) that your target audience can consume at their convenience is a valuable asset.
Choosing the best webinar platform for your needs doesn’t have to be complicated.
By considering the factors discussed in this article, you’ll be well on your way to finding the perfect solution for your business.
Further reading on AdamEnfroy.com: Want a more in-depth look at some of the platforms you can use for your webinar?
Check out this in-depth Webinar Jam Review.
Alternatively, here are some Zoom alternatives you can use to host your next webinar.
Last Updated on December 8, 2022 by Adam Enfroy
