Video conferencing has changed how organizations share information internally and externally. Different teams located in different locations can conduct face-to-face meetings via the internet, as if they were in the same room. Organizations can also work with their suppliers and customers, building stronger lasting relationships, without the need to travel across long distances.
The time and cost saving benefits of video conferencing make it a great option for small businesses looking to gain an edge over the competition.
Even though there are many video conferencing solutions available to small businesses today, no two are alike. Read on to discover how to find the right video conferencing software for your small business from the huge variety of available options. When searching for new video conferencing solutions, you should consider:
Affordability
Web conferencing solutions are typically offered at a cost. Since small businesses do not have unlimited resources, it is important to start by setting a budget before proceeding to look for a solution that doesn’t exceed your limits. In most cases, the cost of the solution is determined by the number of supported users and available features.
It is important to mention that several web conferencing solutions are also available for free, mostly on a trial basis. Small businesses with limited budgets can take advantage of such offers to try out some of the available options before settling on the right fit.
Ease of Use
The best video conferencing solutions for small business should be easy to learn and use. Otherwise, the organization might end up investing in a communication infrastructure that their workforce does not know how to use, and therefore ends up ignoring.
In addition to being easy to use, the right solution should come with details on how to swiftly resolve any problems that may occur during use to ensure that web conferencing sessions proceed without unnecessary and extended delays.
Intended Use
The best video conferencing solutions for small business should be able to perfectly match the requirements of the intended purpose. Small businesses may use these solutions to facilitate better collaboration between internal teams working in different locations, to host meetings that involve all members of the company, participating in product demonstrations, or to host promotional webinars.
Each of the above intended uses call for a different set of features and capabilities. Choosing the wrong solution is likely going to result in a poor user experience. As such, to find the perfect fit, small businesses must first decide how they intend to use the solution.
Sharing Documents and Applications
The best video conferencing solutions for small business are primarily designed to help users share high-quality real-time video and audio over long distances using an internet connection. Users can also share different types of content using these solutions effortlessly. For instance, some solutions are designed to help users share documents, applications and their computer screen with other users taking part in the virtual meeting.
Before settling on a specific web conferencing solution, small businesses should first take the time to find out more about the type of content their users will be sharing when using the software on a regular basis.
Recording Capabilities
Recording web conferencing meetings is a great way to ensure that participants and any other interested parties can go back and watch the proceedings in detail. For instance, recording a webinar makes it possible for anyone who registered for the webinar, but could not attend, to go through the proceedings at their own convenience. In the case of web conferencing meetings, participants can go through the recording in detail and make notes where necessary on their own time as well.
Some solutions can even transcribe the proceedings, thus creating an accurate and detailed record of important meetings.
Operating Systems and Devices
The best video conferencing solutions for small business should be accessible using a variety of devices and operating systems without any change in usability. For instance, Android and iOS users should be able to enjoy the same user experience when using the chosen web conferencing solution, as should Windows and Mac users.
Web conferencing solutions make it possible for different correspondents to conduct face-to-face meetings without having to be in the same room. Some participants might be on the go, thus using their laptop or smartphone, while other participants may be at their desk using a computer. The right solution should support the use of all these different devices with minimal disruption of service.
Compatibility with Third Party Applications
Today, many of the most mundane tasks have been automated and are managed using a variety of different applications. The best video conferencing solutions for small business should be compatible with a variety of commonly used third party applications.
Some of the commonly used third party applications you should be thinking of here include email, calendar and note-taking applications among others, such as the Google suite. To make the work of preparing and conducting presentations much easier, the best web conferencing solutions for small businesses should be compatible with apps like Microsoft PowerPoint as well.
Customer Support
While choosing a web conferencing solution that checks all the above boxes is essential to matching the exact needs of your small business, you should not downplay the importance of reliable customer support service. Even the best web conferencing solutions run into problems every now and then. However, with a reliable customer support service, you can be sure that a qualified professional will be on hand from the service provider’s side to help you get through any problems you encounter swiftly and effortlessly. This is especially important to small businesses as they may not have an in-house IT department that can step in and lend a hand, when the organization’s telecommunications systems start acting up.
The best video conferencing solutions for small business should be affordable, easily accessible and reliable. However, finding a solution that perfectly balances all these criteria is no easy task. For instance, the simplest solution may not be the most feature-rich, while those with the most features may come at a premium price. Therefore, to find the perfect fit for your small business, it is important to strike a balance by considering the above information.
If you’re looking for a great video conferencing solution for your small business, MegaMeeting offers affordable, browser-based video conferencing perfect for a business of any size. Contact MegaMeeting today for a free demo.
MegaMeeting solves the biggest challenges of modern video conferencing. For users, it is an all-in-one platform that delivers both video conferencing and webinars in a single, simplified interface. For attendees, it is 100% browser-based, making it highly accessible; joining a meeting is instantaneous from a single click. For enterprises, it is highly customizable, with white-labeling options for a private branded solution. For developers, it is API-driven and easy to integrate.
Powered by WebRTC, Node.js, React, and GraphQL, it is a cutting-edge platform that is fun and easy to use for users and developers alike.
