Webinar software independents – Yes, they are coming!
Was there one special school teacher that redirected your life? For me, it was Mr. Peter Van Gestel, who taught me economics in Grades 11 and 12. He was passionate about economics and a brilliant communicator. He made sense of a subject that leaves many students scratching their heads. Armed with the confidence he gave me for understanding economics I was thrilled to be accepted into the prestigious University of Queensland. I completed a Bachelors degree in Economics four years later. Economists don’t agree on lots of things, but typically economists will acknowledge that a higher number of competitors in an industry will usually contribute to more innovation and lower pricing. In the webinar providers industry, the independents fulfill this role.
More so than any of the other three types of webinar platforms, the independents present a lot of variety in their options. There are also more independent webinar services than the other three webinar platforms combined and their numbers are still increasing. Is this revolution or evolution? I am unsure, probably both.
If you are unfamiliar with the four types of webinar platforms I encourage you to watch this previous video first and then return to this page. The below video presents an overview of four of the most prominent webinar software independents. If you are open to investigating options beyond the corporates then you are likely to be surprised by the variety of features and pricing presented by the independent webinar providers. Enjoy the movie.
Webinar Software Independents – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKRosm4K3w4
Click here to obtain the Webinar Platforms Guide described in the video.
I have observed that during the past 5 years there has been more growth in terms of number of webinar systems in the independents relative to any of the other three webinar platforms. I have watched some of them “grow up” from fledgling newbies to established popular choices. Some of the independents have become so popular that there is no pricing advantage relative to the corporates. There are others however where they cost significantly less than the corporates. I expect the growth of the independents to continue, which is great because they provide so much variety and innovation. This means that there is usually a viable independent choice for almost all people and organisations that present webinars.
What are the four webinar software independents reviewed here?
As always, I want to help you find the best webinar software solution for YOU, which is why I have showcased the features of four independent webinar systems. They are:
There is also a 5th option, which wasn’t included in the video. It is a webinar program that was previously considered as one of the Wrappers webinar systems. However, it no longer relies upon Google+ Hangouts on Air as its webinar delivery system. Instead, it is now best viewed as another Independent. If nothing else it has the coolest name of any webinar software – Webinar Ninja. It is evolving into a popular choice of webinar software worthy of consideration.
How do we make the best choice of independents software?
Use the following steps when making your choice of independents webinar software:
- Identify your evaluation criteria. What features are important to you? List them down.
- Trial at least two systems at no cost. The webinar software independents typically offer a 14-30 day trial, which gives you plenty of time to explore the software, have a play and test out its functionality.
- Be on the lookout for a deal-breaker. Is there something that the software does not do well that is critical for your business or school?
- Get one or two others involved in making the decision. It is reassuring to present your recommended software selection to one or two other people before making a final decision. We all make mistakes sometimes and one benefit of this approach is that obtaining some other opinions can help ensure that a poor choice is avoided. This can also help create “buy-in” so that there is less resistance when your decision is finalised.
Have you had positive or negative experiences using one of the independent webinar systems? Please click here to have your say on the YouTube comments.