3 Web Meeting Solutions Using Stuff You Already Know

web-meeting There are plenty of free places you can go for meetings and presentations online.

Unfortunately, most web meeting options have clunky interfaces. They also require everyone in the meeting to download an applet to see what's happening.

It's a real pain.

Wouldn't it be better if there was a way to use technology that everyone (or mostly everyone) is already familiar with?

1. Google+ Hangouts

Most people these days have at least one Google account. That makes Google+ a great place to use for a meeting because the majority of people will already have a general idea of how to navigate the site.

Google+ Hangouts are still relatively new, but they're quickly gaining in popularity. There's a Meeting option (max 10 people) and a Broadcast option (for lots of people).

Meeting Option

Up to 10 people
Video Conferencing
Screen Sharing
Google Docs
Ability to call phones of participants

Broadcast Option

People can connect over the web
Interact with large groups in real time.
Automatically posts your finished product to YouTube (where you can edit it)
It's not private

Here's how to set up a Google+ Meeting or Broadcast in about 10 seconds (as long as you have a Google account):

1. Go to Google+ (Google Plus).

2. Click on “Start a hangout” in the top right corner of the screen.

3. In the new window that pops up, enter the names of whoever you want to be part of the meeting. Voila! You're up and running.

google -hangout-options

Do you see the “Enable Hangouts On Air button in the picture above?” The only difference between a meeting and a broadcast is whether or not you select this.

***Selecting “Enable Hangouts On Air” will let you have more than 10 people in the meeting, because you'll be broadcasting it over the internet. Obviously, you need to be careful if you plan on discussing any private information.***

2. Skype and Skype Premium

Skype is well known for letting you make free audio and video calls to people around the world. It's also a great way to share your screen with another person.

It's as simple as clicking on the Share button in the chat window and selecting “Share your screen.”

skype-premium

The free version of Skype only lets you share your screen and video chat with one person, but that might be enough for some circumstances.

Here's an article I did on eLunches. It's a way to stand out, using something as simple as Skype.

Skype Premium is a paid upgrade which lets you share your screen with a group of up to 10 people in a web meeting, but they recommend keeping the meetings to a max of 5 people for best results.

Benefits of Skype Premium:

Reasonable pricing (about $9.99/month)
Unlimited calls to one country included (as long as it's on Skype's list).
Many people already have Skype installed on their computer.

3. Try a Screencast if you don't need it live

Does your meeting really need to take place?

Does is need to be live?

If not, there might be a really simple solution.

A screencast allows you to record video of anything that's being displayed on your computer monitor.

It's a great way to add audio to a presentation and then send it off, or to show someone the exact process of how you would do something.

It lets the people you're interacting with view the information at a time that works better for their schedule, and would allow them the opportunity to watch it several times.

The good news is that there are plenty of free options.

Online freemium options

Screencast.com – The free version gives you 2GB storage and 2GB monthly transfer. It's not a lot, but you can definitely kick the tires and see if it would work for you. The pro version

Screenr.com – The free version lets you share a few videos, but they all have to be public. You'll need to pay $19 and up per month to have private sharing.