Looking for the right webinar platform that can meet your needs can be challenging. But as you go through the process of inquiring, many webinar platforms offer a free trial to their target market. It’s more than just a strategy—you’re given the chance to explore all the features before saying yes to a paid plan.
Taking advantage of a free trial helps you test the webinar game without shelling out a single dollar. Here’s why you should try them.
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Why It’s Important to Try Free Trials
Free trials, like a StealthSeminar free trial, allow you to experience the platform first-hand and get a better idea of whether it meets your business needs and webinar goals.
Here are some key benefits:
- Experience all the interactive elements.
- Test advanced features, such as evergreen webinars, pre-recorded webinars, and breakout sessions.
- Determine the number of attendees the free plan can support.
- Experiment with marketing tools and tracking webinar performance.
- Check if the webinar platform and your team’s workflow can be properly aligned.
What to Test During a Free Trial
Explore these essential features that can influence the webinar experience:
1. Webinar Tools and Features
These make up the backbone of your webinar and ensure your virtual event runs smoothly.
- Screen sharing for presentations and demos.
- Custom registration forms and their creation process.
- Webinar recordings to share with the webinar participants.
- Interactive features like chat, Q&A, breakout rooms, and polls.
2. Marketing and Analytics
These features show if your webinar is well-received by your audience.
- Advanced analytics and in-depth analytics to measure your webinar’s success.
- Lead capture features to generate leads.
- Landing page creation for promotions.
- Integration with customer relationship management tools for comprehensive marketing efforts.
Take your time in testing the few webinar platforms you’ve chosen before settling on the best one for your business.
Why Free Webinar Platforms Aren’t Always Enough
There are free webinar platforms and free webinar software with solid features in the market. However, some may not have the advanced features for larger events.
Some software works great for casual online events but lacks the webinar solutions that professional webinar experts depend on. It can’t host on-demand webinars and even automated webinars, both of which need highly technical support to work well.
For example, Zoom Webinars is a great video conferencing platform with up to six organizers. Google Meets can host simple online meetings, but has limited webinar game features for audience engagement. YouTube Live is used for easy streaming, but is also limited when it comes to marketing tools.
The free webinar software features can only do so much, but advanced features are still needed for seamlessly hosting webinars anytime, anywhere.
How Free Trials Enhance Your Webinar Game
Trying a webinar platform at zero cost for at least 30 days can help you optimize your process, improve your skills, and discover what works before paying for it monthly.
Use your trial period to run webinars within your team or with a friendly audience and make adjustments based on their feedback. Here’s how a free trial improves your webinar delivery:
1. Practice Hosting Webinars Without Stress
The trial is your rehearsal space where making mistakes is a part of the learning process. Experiment with the polls, Q&A portions, and screen sharing. Familiarize yourself with the interface for smooth delivery in real events.
2. Refine the Webinar Flow
Test the interview style, panel discussion, and presentation-heavy webinars to create dynamic, engaging, and well-timed sessions. Use all the interactive elements to increase audience participation and handle their comments and concerns well.
3. Test Registration Forms and Landing Pages
Registration should be easy for your attendees. Create multiple registration forms to see which one has the most sign-ups. Try a handful of headlines, images, and calls-to-action on your landing page to determine which set draws more attention.
4. Evaluate Marketing Efforts and See What Converts
Link the platform to your automation tools. Monitor the channels that drive the most sign-ups, including ads, email, and social media. The trail analytics tool can help you identify the best strategies for your webinar.
Upgrading to a Paid Plan
After exploring the free version of a webinar platform, list down the things you’re missing and find one that can fill them. Some of the best webinar software options limit attendee numbers, advanced analytics, or other features to prompt you to upgrade.
Get a paid plan if:
- You want to unlock all the features.
- You need to host as many attendees as you can.
- You need in-depth analytics to make decisions about your webinar.
- You frequently host virtual events and large online events.
Set a budget for the webinar platform you want and look for one that meets your needs.
Final Words
A free trial lets you see if a particular webinar platform works for your event before investing in it. Going the extra mile by testing the tool ensures the webinar platform aligns with your plans and helps you give the best experience to your webinar attendees.
Free trial testing is just one part of hosting a successful webinar, but an important one that can determine your webinar’s performance once the event day comes.
