Today, the number of web conferencing solutions keep increasing almost as fast as the number of movies on Netflix. You think you know the full list, but next week there is yet another one published. How on earth are you supposed to know which one to choose without being stuck with the wrong choice? The same thought that runs in your mind every Friday night when browsing the movies on Netflix. This time I will however focus on conferencing solutions, not Netflix movies. Somebody has created a list of top 100 movies on Netflix in August 2017, check it out. With web meeting solutions, it is a bit more complex than that. Here’s what you should consider.
Meeting objectives
If you want to make sure you are using the right solution, the first question you should ask is: What is the reason for this meeting? Is it a strategic meeting, project meeting or a meeting about problem solving, decision making or information sharing? Different purposes require different tools. If the meeting is about a project, it might require different collaboration tools such as a whiteboard and presentation features, as well as document sharing and screen sharing ability. Strategic meetings might only require audio and instant messaging. Look into the meeting objectives: what do we require to reach the objectives efficiently?
Meeting attendees
Meeting attendees can be notorious for not being familiar with every solution they get dragged to. Like when you haven’t seen a trailer of a movie before watching it. You might strike lucky, and your business partner suggests a tool. But, that’s only for the more fortunate. If they expect you to choose the tool, you should consider the following: how many people are attending the meeting?
If there are more than 10 people attending the meeting, you might struggle to find a solution that allows a large number of participants join the meeting for free. One option is to start a free trial on a premium version, upgrade it just for one call or break down the meeting into two parts so that only required people join them. There are some solutions like Microsoft Office Live Meeting and Drum which allow you to record a meeting and review it afterwards. This way, those who you have turned away can still benefit from the experience.
Long-term vs. short-term solution
Is the meeting going to happen only once? If it’s an important web meeting with for example an important client, you might want to use all the collaboration tools available in one application. Try to find a service provider who offers a free trial of a pro-version of their product (most of them do). That way you can use all the features you want without having to spend money on it. And then if it becomes useful, commit to a pay as you type offering.
If you want to introduce a new conferencing solution to the company for the long run, consider your everyday challenges and what type of features would help you overcome them. Your teams might struggle with sending documents to each other. Focus on reviews on the document sharing feature on the application you are looking into. Kind of like your favourite actor/actress: if they are featured in the movie, you know it’s gonna be good!
If you are looking for a long-term solution, you should certainly start with a free version, even if it means using limited features. You could try Drum Web Meetings Free plan before moving to the Standard or Pro versions. This enables you to hear your team’s feedback on the usability etc. factors before you sign up for a paid version. Try to find a suitable solution, and stick to it. Nothing kills collaboration more than going back and forth with the use of different tools.
Your own preferences
Different web meeting solutions have different features. That’s a given. But not all people have the same personalities or characteristics, let alone same preferences. Just like with movies: you might prefer only action movies, whereas your partner can’t stand them. You might also prefer a simple web conferencing solution. You could head towards a browser-based tool which doesn’t require software downloads or any of that hassle. You could for example choose between Auvious or Drum.
Sometimes you do want to watch a movie with your partner. You need to find a movie which combines both of your preferences. Just like in web meetings: you might require the solution to include a large variety of features, such as two-way audio and video, annotation tools, document sharing, search functionality, call sharing etc. In this case you should focus mostly on the technical aspects when you’re conducting information search and evaluating alternatives. There are no better tools than online comparison sites such as GetApp or Capterra. They have a comprehensive list of different conferencing solutions accompanied with reviews and technical feature listings.
A mixture of tools work best together and not as silos
Some web conferencing solutions include a possibility to integrate the solution with the main collaboration tools like Skype for Business, Slack or Google. You might be using one of these tools already. By integrating the new web conferencing solution to your channel, there can be a lower barrier for your organisation to adopt the new tool in their everyday work. For example, Zoom, Masergy and Polycom can all be integrated with Skype for Business. Slack integrations you can find on for example Drum, Meeteor and Acrossio. If you use Google Apps, you might want to try Zoho or RingCentral.
Conclusion
Choosing the most suitable web conferencing solution can be a stressful job. Even more stressful than finding a great movie on Netflix. However, if you focus on the features that work best for your company, you are on the right track. An appropriate conferencing solution can be even better than the best movie: it can be the ultimate (work)lifesaver!
MY BIO – Annika Haataja
Annika Haataja is a marketing assistant at Drum. She has a background in digital marketing and marketing communications which were the main drivers for her to develop an interest towards web based communication tools. Drum is a web meeting tool based around the WebRTC technology providing real time communication from browser to browser. With no downloads, Drum can be seen plugged into websites as a widget or used as a stand-alone web meeting tool for people to collaborate in real time.
Website: thisisdrum.com
Twitter: @thisisdrum
LinkedIn: Annika Haataja
