Tools of The Trade: Zoom vs WebinarJam

In this tools of the trade episode, I'm going to do a comparison of two webinar software tools which I've been using for the past few years. (read full article - https://goo.gl/n7CKQZ)

I'll be comparing Zoom Webinars and WebinarJam, discussing their benefits and drawbacks.

If you're looking for a webinar software, then read on and watch our video as we discuss the pros and cons of each webinar software to help you find the one that fits your needs.

We'll start with the purpose of running webinars in your business.

Do you use them to sell a product or service on the internet?
Do you need them to meet your clients virtually?
Do you use them for thought leadership or training?
A webinar for me is when either one or two presenters give something valuable to their attendees. It is usually done live, but it can also be automated as well.

The live streaming aspect of webinars is very advanced nowadays. You can have hundreds to thousands of people watching you live, and no two people need to be in the same physical space. Now that's powerful technology!

Some webinar software tools are more focused on streaming and making sure that the experience is as seamless as can be. But they don't always think about marketing or sales, which is the aim of many of the webinars we run here at Jeffalytics.

These webinar software tools are so focused on the technology that they forget about what the business actually needs.

What's more important to a business: HD recording or profitable campaigns?

Two sets of business needs
We currently have subscriptions on both Zoom and WebinarJam for providing webinars, because we have two different business needs; each software tool alone doesn't address our needs perfectly.

The cost of maintaining both subscriptions is expensive, so I'm considering whether to bite the bullet and consolidate to one piece of software.

At Jeffaltyics, I use WebinarJam to focus on our sales and marketing efforts while Zoom is used for the group coaching calls with our students.

I've been using WebinarJam for 2+ years now and they recently upgraded their system leading to a somewhat downgraded experience. That's one of the main reasons my team and I are trying out Zoom webinar for coaching calls.

After using Zoom for a while now, I can share with you what I like and don't like about it.

Let’s compare and contrast Zoom and WebinarJam

I'll talk about how my team and I work with these two webinar software tools. Let's compare them on these eight points.

1. Ease of setup
[one_half_first][/one_half_first][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

When setting up a webinar in Zoom, the setup is a one-page form. You have several options to set then click on Schedule and you're done. It doesn't get more straightforward than that.

When I first started using Zoom, I was actually hoping to see more of the similar features I find in WebinarJam. But being feature-rich meant the setup will not be as straightforward.

There's tons of configuration options and many cool features in WebinarJam. It allows you to do more advanced settings, so although it can be a long process to set up a webinar in WebinarJam, the benefit of the features is absolutely worth it.

2. Webinar registration
[one_half_first][/one_half_first][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

The registration page for attendees in Zoom is again very straightforward. The only customization is the logo on the page. The registrants are asked for their name, email address, and proof that they're not robots.

On the WebinarJam platform, you can choose from a number of predefined templates. You can customize these templates very slightly, but most of the information is pulled in from fields like Webinar Title and Webinar Description, so it's auto-populated.

The other exciting option on WebinarJam is the ability to use your own webpage as a registration page. WebinarJam integrates with our lead capture software, Thrive Leads. We build the opt-in form on our website, and registrants who fill up the form will be automatically pushed into the WebinarJam system.

3. Attending the webinar
[one_half_first][/one_half_first][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

Now let's talk about the experience of attending the webinar.

If you're attending a webinar on Zoom, you'll need to install their software. I think that can be a pain for people who are using this for the first time.

Meanwhile, a webinar on WebinarJam is done within a browser you simply visit the URL when attending the webinar.

It may seem like WebinarJam is a no-brainer choice so far, but the reason why I started to move away from it (or to try something else at least) is because I had some technical problems.

(read full article - https://goo.gl/n7CKQZ)