Owing to the recent boost in the digitalization of businesses and consumer markets, there has been a growing demand for online mediums to build relationships with audiences all around the globe. In come Webinars, a live-interactive digital event that gives organizations the chance to not just cultivate personalized relationships with audiences but also dive deeper into topics of concern. In doing so, they establish themselves as an organization where information is readily available for consumers.
With the growing popularity, there also was a surge in the number of platforms that can be used to host Webinars; creating a competitive market that aims to innovate at a consistent pace. While countless platforms are performing at variable success rates, our focus today will be on 5 in particular. More so, in order to simplify the comparison, each aspect will be compared on the basis of 7 distinct features.
The platforms
Demio – a mainstay for marketing agencies & companies, Demio has created quite the impression on the webinar market
WebinarNinja – heralded as the most powerful host for ‘training & coaching’, WebinarNinja offers out-of-the-box solutions to rather common problems
GetResponse – a relatively new entrant into the arena, GetResponse considers itself to be one of the frontrunners in email marketing platforms
ClickMeeting – to create an e-learning tool, ClickMeeting helps establish an environment conducive to learning & offers opportunities to educate audiences
GoToWebinar – considered to be the simplest hosting platform out there, GoToWebinar specializes in helping improve consumer reach & building a strong relationship
WebinarJam – with a rather holistic approach at Webinar hosting, WebinarJam focuses on creating sessions that span over various mediums & can reach large audiences simultaneously
features to look out for
Customizable branding – organizations wish to have some form of creative control over their webinars; whether it’s through having the option to change backgrounds/color schemes or market their product over the webinar platform itself
Live-chat feature – since the focus is on creating relationships with audiences, the option to chat with them on a real-time basis is quite exciting & highly sought after by organizations
Post webinar reporting – numbers are key; organizations want platforms that can analyze sessions based on interaction & engagement levels with audiences in order to better market their product and improve on future Webinars
Social media integration – in a world dominated by Instagram, Facebook & YouTube, there’s no surprise that organizations look for platforms that can help them market their webinars & products simultaneously on their respective social media platforms
Polls & Survey – to be able to get real-time feedback that is both easily analyzed and shared is a huge plus and therefore sought after by organizations all across
Email & SMS integration – organizations wish to keep in touch with audiences even after the Webinar has ended, and such features let them do just that
Recording quality – while the aim is to reach large audiences while the Webinar is live, it is also impossible to cover the entire demographic at the same time. Therefore to have the ability to record Webinars and share them after they have ended are a huge bonus for any organization
make an informed choice!
1) Demio
Known as one of the fastest-growing tools on the market, Demio offers a value-based customer experience by not only offering access to a number of features but also creating a user-friendly environment. Through the extensive customization options and the built-in analytics mechanism, Demio helps organizations to have full control over their Webinars and to build strong connections with customers. The maximum number of attendees stands at about 500 right now but if you’re looking to run effective webinars with access to a number of marketing options, then Demio is definitely for you.
2) WebinarNinja
With a live chat option that claims to be ‘lightning-fast’, WebinarNinja aims to offer an audience-centered experience with the provision of features such as multiple live polls, timed offers & automated alerts amongst others. Moreover, by helping organizations to integrate webinars with over 1,000 applications and platforms, the platform ensures that the maximum number of people is reached. While the analytics may not be as in-depth or detailed as some organizations would prefer, it does offer ample information to work with. Not only is this a powerful tool for webinars, but its ease of use is also what sets it apart from others in the market.
3) GetResponse
Recognized as a leading email marketing platform, GetResponse offers webinars as part of their numerous marketing solutions in hopes of helping organizations expand their consumer markets. With a setup time of less than 3 minutes, GetResponse is one of the simplest hosting platforms available in the market. With the added ability to include autoresponders & also use pre-existing webinar invitations/reminder templates, this is a solution for anyone hoping to quickly get a webinar in motion. Even though it offers some analytics & gauges audience engagement, this isn’t a platform for organizations that use webinars on a regular basis due to the limited nature of its features. But if you’re an organization that uses webinars periodically or are new to the world of webinars altogether, this platform might just be the one for you.
4) ClickMeeting
A heavyweight in the arena of webinar platforms, ClickMeeting offers a user-friendly interface that has performed quite impressively in the arenas of customer training, product sales & marketing amongst others. With a platform that integrates most features & offers limited customization to users, it has created quite a customer base over the years. By offering analytics on past sessions and also future sessions through integration, the platform ensures that all areas are covered. Through its recording features and integration with social media, the platform makes sure of enhanced engagement and overall great audience experience. Probably one of the simplest platforms to use, ClickMeeting is here for the long-haul.
5) GoToWebinar
If you’re looking for a webinar experience where your only focus is on reaching a large audience and creating a lasting impact without having to worry too much about webinar scheduling and customization, then GoToWebinar is the platform for you. With seamless integration with a number of marketing & sales platforms and the availability of polls/surveys for audience engagement, the platform ensures a consumer-centric experience. More so, with a highly converting registration page & the ability to host pre-recorded events while also recording live events in HD quality, this platform offers an immensely satisfying experience. While the analytics are limited to studying source tracking to gauge signups, it does not do away with the fact that this platform reaches audiences like no one else.
6) WebinarJam
By employing a unique & distinct Broadcast Distribution Technology that creates universal signals, WebinarJam offers a tech-savvy webinar experience that has helped it to climb to the top of all webinar platforms. With an easy-to-use & interactive user-interface, the platforms help organizations host webinars in an automated manner to large audiences without any hassles. While it offers most of the features in varying capabilities, what truly sets it apart is the ‘pop-up sale’ feature which enables consumers to buy the product/service directly from the webinar without having to visit any other sites. More so, the communication experience is amplified with the option of 1:1 video chats. If there’s a ‘complete’ webinar hosting platform in the market right now, it definitely is WebinarJam.
decision time
Due to their user-friendly features and unique customer experiences, these are some of the best webinar hosting platforms in the market currently.
While each platform offers a specific experience, what matters at the end of the day are your goals & visions! Your hopes of what you want to achieve from the webinar and the kind of experience that you want to create! Whether its improving conversion rates or improving audience engagement, you get to decide what platform fits your needs.
So, which software are you going to use?
