The Added Value of Web Meetings

Meetings are easy to make when the participants work in the same office or even the same city, but it is really different if they are at far away from each other. For such meetings, you need plane tickets and face many logistical problems. For a teleconference, you must send materials by fax or e-mail in advance and a lot of effort to make sure everyone is on the same page. There are limited possibilities for co-operation.

Now you can make use of web meetings as virtual conference rooms that you can reach via a web browser on your PC. Through web conferencing, you can make more sales, reach more customers, train more people, and solve support problems, all without leaving your office or even your desk

Lets take a look at how web meetings work.

For a good web conference, you simply need to go to the services web site and fill out a form. Just indicate when you want to meet, who will be there, and a few other information. The service will automatically invite all participants by e-mail, so you need not worry about organising. Usually you dont need to download any special software for the presenter or the participant. You can schedule web meetings in just a few minutes, and service providers also offer various extra services for your needs, like editing your materials for presentation, or add polls, flash slides or subtitles.

During web meetings, all participants can see all materials (text documents, visual presentations, drawings, software demos, stc.) on their screens at the same time. The presenter can even point out important ideas or features, just as in a live presentation, and you can even make changes on a document online while everyone watches.

Web conferencing can also be combined with telephone conference calls. With most services, you can speak over the Internet through computer speakers and an aplication like Real Networks' RealPlayer. This VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) can be used by those who have only one telephone line.

With some web conferencing services, you can ask questions from the participants any time before, during or at the end of the meeting and show the results immediately. In this way, you can get immediate reactions to your product if you hold web meetings between your company and its customers or partners. Some services also offer possibilities for keeping materials for later playback, or reports showing who took part, how long, when they left, and so on. One companys senior webmaster even said that people stay more attentive and remember more at web meetings than at traditional conferences.

Prices are different for individual services. Web meetings can cost as little as $20 per person for an event, no matter how long they last. You have lower costs than if you make a long travel, but web conferencing is also cheaper than teleconferencing, because there is no need for a conference call. You dont even need to drive across town. Isnt that a good reason to hold your next meeting on the Web?