For all the people that think seminars are essential industry learning experiences, there are just as many that think they're more time and effort than they're worth. Setting aside the time and going out of your way is usually avoided by most if possible.
Webinars offer a much more flexible and accommodating experience, however. They make it much easier to learn without having to leave your office, living room or even your bed! Yet despite this, many businesses across the world still don't take proper advantage of the facilities available to them, meaning they miss out on valuable opportunities to help their business expand and advance.
Webinar, a portmanteau of "web" and "seminar," covers presentations, lectures, workshops and seminars that are transmitted over the internet using video conferencing software. Plenty of webinars are completely free, meaning there should be very little reason not to take part, but the real benefit of webinars is that they allow users to hear firsthand from industry experts, no matter where they are in the world. This is a massively valuable feature, as it's likely users aren't going to be located close to every single expert in their field.
It's an unfortunate truth that webinars are underused and undervalued by businesses all over the world, as many don't realize their true value and enormous potential. It's up to individuals to find relevant opportunities for themselves and their organizations. Webinars are often not promoted widely or well in advance, especially internationally, so it's important to actively keep on top of what's available. Tools like Web Retailer's ecommerce events directory provide webinar listings from across the world, enabling anyone to take full advantage of the options out there.
Webinars don't just have to be an individual exercise; they can be highly beneficial for teams and organizations. They provide unique group learning opportunities, and your conversation about the content can be just as useful as the webinar itself. If your business can afford a distraction from normal operation every so often, it makes sense for your team to take part in webinars together. Webinars which offer plenty of Q&A time are also particularly useful, as personal answers can often help shape individuals' learning.
Webinars can be recorded, allowing audience members to watch them back at any time. This effectively means webinars have a much longer shelf life than offline seminars, and can be used to reference at a later date. If one member of a team cannot attend a webinar, for example, they can catch up afterwards.
Unlike webcasts, webinars are interactive, two-way events, allowing users to give, receive and discuss information and data. Webcasts don't provide these elements, meaning their educational value can be much more limited. All the normal seminar tools can still be used during a webinar, especially as many of these will be computer-based (e.g., PowerPoint presentations). Therefore, nothing needs to be lost in transferring from a seminar to webinar - the full learning experienced can be transferred from one format to the other.
Webinars can be much more interactive and inclusive than seminars as materials and information, including contact details for those involved, can be shared and copied amongst the group, allowing for greater collaboration and providing the audience with tools they're much more likely to use, rather than paper handouts they're likely to recycle as soon as they step out the door.
Instead of allowing their business to stagnate, managers should be continually looking for ways to increase their productivity and sales. By taking advantage of such a valuable and free resource, business managers are able to open up a wealth of options, which can ultimately help expand their business knowledge and lead to important changes and developments for their organization and their team as a whole.
Andy Geldman is founder of free global community site Web Retailer and an expert in e-commerce, with a passion for SMEs and midsize e-commerce businesses.