Need to Choose Internet Conference Software? Here’s How
April 23, 2008
We small business owners have to be careful. We need to invest in growing our business, but not waste a cent. Web conference software can help, if you understand what to look for.
Often, owners are afraid the service will cost too much. Worse yet, they might get locked into a fee for something that doesn’t do what they need. Does this sound like your fears? If so, this article will help.
The good news is that web conferencing software has pricing plans geared for small business owners. For example, Webex’s MeetMeNow prices out to as low as $35 a month for an unlimited number of meetings (10 participants per meeting). The other companies (Cisco, Microsoft) have similar plans.
The trick to deciding whether the finances make sense is to figure out what you’ll save. Are you traveling to meetings? Internet web conferencing will save travel dollars. Are you spending a lot on long distance phone calls or cellular minutes? Web conferencing provides a toll-free number for all the participants. When you calculate your savings you’ll probably agree that web conferencing software is a good investment.
Now, of course, you have to figure out what features make sense for you. If you’ve used internet conferencing before you probably already know what you need. If this is new technology to you, I suggest you use one of the free trials to see which of these features make the most sense for you.
Audio Conferencing: Every internet conference vendor gives a toll free number for the meetings. If you’re interested in VoIP calling (calling over the Internet) you’ll want to check whether the vendor provides this as well.
Video Conferencing: I don’t use webcams myself, but a few of my business friends do. If you have a webcam on your PC and are comfortable using it, you’ll want a vendor that allows for video streaming.
White Board: Virtual whiteboards are a great tool. A shared, online white board is a must for me. The group works together to draw out a new concept, just as if they were in the same room.
Annotating Documents: Reading and edit documents together. Mark up that Proposal as you go, with everyone seeing the same results.
Number and Size of Meetings: I prefer a plan that allows unlimited meetings. Some of the entry-level programs will limit the number of participants per meeting, but how often do we need more than 10 people on a call anyway?
Has this helped? Look over this list of features and think about how you see web conferencing fitting into your business. The best way to decide is to sign up for a free trial. Give the software a spin and see if it meets your needs.
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