{"id":4566,"date":"2017-02-21T10:28:36","date_gmt":"2017-02-21T17:28:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meetingone.eu\/eu-en\/?p=4566"},"modified":"2018-11-30T10:30:15","modified_gmt":"2018-11-30T17:30:15","slug":"what-i-want-from-the-best-web-conferencing-platforms-and-you-should-too","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meetingone.com\/eu-en\/blog\/what-i-want-from-the-best-web-conferencing-platforms-and-you-should-too\/","title":{"rendered":"What I Want from the Best Web Conferencing Platforms (and You Should Too)"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s amazing how much you learn after working in web conferencing for one year. \u00a0I know I’ve certainly gained a lot of experience.<\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n

Before I joined MeetingOne, I thought \u201cSkyping\u201d could be used interchangeably with other industry terms. \u00a0So, so na\u00efve.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In this short time, I\u2019ve played many roles: participant, meeting host, presenter, and webinar producer. \u00a0I\u2019ve also participated in a variety of online events: meetings, trainings, and webinars. \u00a0Most importantly, I\u2019ve had encounters with four leading platforms: Adobe Connect, GoToMeeting, WebEx,\u00a0and Zoom.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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I\u2019ve had good experiences.\u00a0 I\u2019ve had bad experiences. \u00a0 I’ve had experiences that were downright “ugly.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

My understanding of the field has grown significantly as a result. \u00a0And I want to share some thoughts with you, partner.
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My hope is that my ample\u00a0exposure\u00a0will inform your decisions when evaluating the best web conferencing practices &\u00a0platforms.<\/span><\/h4>\n
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<\/h4>\n

The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly of Web Conferencing\"The<\/a><\/span><\/h2>\n

Having been on all sides of web conferencing events, I want to share with you what I think can help or hinder your conferences.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Good\u201d<\/strong> <\/span>will focus on strategies &\u00a0platform components<\/strong> that make hosting, producing or leading online meetings, trainings, and webinars, easy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Bad\u201d & \u201cThe Ugly\u201d<\/span><\/strong> sections will put more emphasis on participants\u2019 experience.<\/strong>\u00a0 (Don’t worry. \u00a0There will still be plenty of valuable tips for you!)<\/p>\n

Each section will address both virtual events and leading web conferencing platforms.<\/p>\n

<\/h6>\n

The Good: What Makes for the Best Web Conferencing<\/span><\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

\"best<\/a>Virtual Events – Winning Design<\/span><\/h4>\n

In my opinion, the best web conferencing occurs when the platform is geared for design.\u00a0<\/strong> For example, when I prepare for meetings in Adobe Connect, I will format my Layouts to encourage conversation. \u00a0I’ll include a poll, a chat, and an area for notes to drive discussion.
\n<\/span><\/span>
\nBeing able to arrange content in my layouts has encouraged me to slow down and think about how I want to present information.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0From my experience, focusing on the formatting and design of a virtual room translates to more interactive sessions.<\/p>\n

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Platform – Solid Engagement Tracking<\/span><\/h4>\n

Tracking engagement during a session is critical<\/a><\/span> for identifying lulls in the presentation.<\/strong>\u00a0 Platforms that have been built to track engagement can be a tremendous help during virtual events.<\/p>\n

For example, when we see engagement dip during our webinars, we tend to stop and re-engage our audience. Typically, we will either pose a question or respond to one. \u00a0The goal should always be to maintain audience interest.<\/p>\n

Many platforms built for online training or webinars offer “engagement dashboards.\u201d\u00a0 The challenge, though, is to determine how engagement is calculated.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The different metrics used between platforms can impact your understanding of an audience.\u00a0 For example, Adobe Connect\u2019s \u201cEngagement Dashboard\u201d calculates \u201cMeeting Engagement\u201d based upon an advanced indexing system.\u00a0 Eleven factors shape the engagement reading.\u00a0 Check out this document<\/a><\/span><\/strong> to see all the aspects forming Adobe Connect\u2019s engagement measurement.<\/p>\n

\"GoToWebinar<\/a><\/p>\n

Compare with GoToWebinar.\u00a0<\/strong> Their \u201cAudience Attentiveness<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\u201d dashboard bases attentiveness only on the \u201c[p]ercentage of time the GoToWebinar Viewer is the primary window on the attendee\u2019s screen.\u201d\u00a0 With GoToWebinar, your audience may be \u201cattentive,\u201d but are they actually engaged (or just playing games on their phones)?<\/p>\n

The same is true of\u00a0Webex<\/a><\/span>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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<\/h3>\n

The Bad: Annoying but Avoidable<\/span><\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

\"the<\/a>Virtual Events – Gotta have those Webcams on<\/span><\/h4>\n

A few months back I attended an exciting webinar on new marketing trends.\u00a0 I was eager to hear what new research had revealed about consumer habits. \u00a0(Data heavy sessions – I love ’em!)<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the session was not so much a webinar as a host talking over a PowerPoint.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0They never\u00a0used a\u00a0webcam.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 My interest dwindled due to the lack of a more personable\u00a0presence\u2026and I turned my attention to work.<\/p>\n

In my opinion \u2013 as an easily sidetracked Millennial \u2013 you have to have use webcams.\u00a0 Events without them just seem too impersonal.\u00a0 The key is knowing how to strike the right balance!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

So, I want to share a few webcam tricks MeetingOne uses:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"best<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

#1. Intermittent Use<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When you share videos or other rich content formats, don\u2019t use a\u00a0webcam at the same time.<\/strong><\/p>\n

During our \u201c2015 Virtual Holiday Party<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u201d we had a section where we shared several videos (see the 6:45-minute mark). \u00a0We had planned for this, and we\u2019d set up our layouts to exclude webcams while sharing the videos.\u00a0 Doing so allowed us to stream the videos without worrying about consuming too much bandwidth.<\/p>\n

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\"best<\/a><\/p>\n

#2. Pictures<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

To reduce bandwidth during \u201cHelp Subject Matter Experts Deliver Strong Virtual Trainings<\/a><\/span><\/strong>,\u201d our speakers, Vernon Roberts and Laura Pierce from Evoke Virtual, used pictures in place of webcam feeds. \u00a0Doing so kept a smiling face on the screen without affecting our internet capacities.<\/p>\n

Using pictures only works if you have the right platform.\u00a0 You need to be able to run multiple screen shares so that one can be utilized for an image.<\/p>\n

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#3. Pausing the Feed<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re going to lead a content\/information heavy session, one of the best options you have is to pause your webcam.<\/strong><\/p>\n

While conducting \u201cMastering Online Events with Adobe Connect\u2019s Event Module<\/a><\/span><\/strong>,\u201d our speaker, Hunter Mozer, displayed his skill as a webcam virtuoso.\u00a0 As you will see at the 43:00-minute mark, Hunter paused his webcam without interrupting the flow.\u00a0 Not only that, he managed to look at the webcam (i.e. his audience) and put on a smile.<\/p>\n

\"best<\/a><\/p>\n

He\u2019s a master, no doubt.<\/p>\n

However you approach webcams, you should minimally start and end your sessions broadcasting your webcam.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Platform – Screen Sharing Should be Simple…<\/span><\/h4>\n

When you think of web conferencing, what features comes to mind?\u00a0 For me, the first two things are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Live video feeds<\/li>\n
  2. Screen sharing tools<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    These two elements have defined the value and functionality of web conferencing.<\/strong>\u00a0 So, when a host or presenter isn\u2019t sure what they\u2019re sharing on a platform like Zoom, there’s likely a problem\u2026<\/p>\n

    Last year, I joined a marketing training that seemed terrific.\u00a0 The host was tremendous \u2013 a real marketing guru.\u00a0 Most of what he was going to discuss fit my needs perfectly.\u00a0 Yet, when the training began, there was one persistent issue: he was never sure when he was sharing his screen.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    The most common question he asked the group was, \u201cCan you see my screen?\u201d\u00a0 A painful question to hear for anyone in web conferencing.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

    Now, to be fair, I shouldn\u2019t just blame\u00a0Zoom<\/strong>\u00a0for his miscues.\u00a0 Perhaps he could have been trained more on the platform before leading the session.<\/p>\n

    That said, if a presenter has no easy way of determining what they are sharing, the system seems flawed.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    At MeetingOne, we always know what we\u2019re sharing.\u00a0 It\u2019s not because we\u2019re somehow better at web conferencing. \ud83d\ude09 \u00a0Adobe Connect makes screen sharing straightforward because they provide you a control panel that shows what you’re sharing. \u00a0But the panel can do much more! \u00a0Read our blog<\/a><\/strong><\/span> for the whole story.<\/p>\n

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    <\/h5>\n

    The Ugly: (Enough Said)<\/span><\/h3>\n

    <\/h3>\n

    \"Get<\/a>Virtual Events – Darn polls!!!<\/span><\/h4>\n

    I hate to be blunt, but there\u2019s little that ruins an online event quite like disruptive polling.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Don\u2019t get me wrong; polls are vital for webinars and online training.\u00a0 They get audiences interacting, and they help hosts understand those same individuals’ perspectives on a topic.<\/p>\n

    But when I feel like I’ve careened face first into a poll that sacrificed the presentation’s flow, you’ve lost me.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    All too often\u00a0hosts place a poll, wait for everyone to answer, and then share the results. \u00a0Not the best strategy if you want to keep things moving at an even pace.<\/p>\n

    In my experience, polls hold the most value when:<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. The results can be broadcast as answers come in.<\/li>\n
    2. A poll doesn\u2019t occupy the entire screen.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      I want polls that complement content, not take up entire screens.<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n

      Platform – An Ugly (Inter)Face \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

      Remember the marketing webinar I mentioned?\u00a0 Well, it was held in GoToWebinar. \u00a0It was not a good experience (and not using a webcam was only one of several issues).<\/p>\n

      \"GoToWebinar<\/a><\/p>\n

      Central to the GoToWebinar interface are \u201cdocking\u201d dashboards.\u00a0 Dashboards for chats, screen sharing, audio, polls, and so on, all dock together in one enormous panel.\u00a0 Or you can split them up.<\/p>\n

      There are some benefits to this design:<\/strong><\/p>\n