Prepared Presentations on Camera

Make sure you practice any presentation before your Web conference call to make sure you sound clear and get your message points across. Speak clearly and loud enough so that the people on the other end of the call can hear you. Speak slowly and take pauses after ideas. Make eye contact with the people in the room with you and also look at the camera during your presentation. Make sure to allow time for questions, both from the audience and your Web video audience, at the end of your presentation.

Lighting During a Video Web Conference

Do not set up your video Web conference in front of a bright area or window. The bright background will create a dark shadow on you or your speaker. Place yourself and your co-workers against a solid backdrop. Don't aim any lighting towards the camera. Either use natural room light and make adjustments with the camera software, or bring in additional lighting to help brighten up the subjects that will be on camera. Avoid glare from open windows and place light in front rather than behind. A laptop light can be attached and use to help brighten up the area if you are doing your conference from a hotel room with low lighting. An additional laptop light can be beneficial for achieving good results.

Microphones And Your Web Conference

If your Web conference focuses only one one speaker, a regular head set microphone plugged into your PC's "MIC IN" port will do just fine. However, if the conference call is more than two people then you will need an Omni-directional microphone. This type of microphone picks up audio in a circular direction and can cover a distance of 10 ft by 5 ft. Any rooms larger then this will require additional microphones to be set up.

VOIP Audio Conference

Voice over Internet Protocol is a new technique that turns a regular phone conversation into digital data that can be sent out over the Internet. Many Web conference providers service large scale audio conferencing through VOIP services. They work pretty much the same way as a traditional phone conference works, with the exception that the users are connecting to the companies internal phone network.

Web Conference Video Playback

When doing a Web conference you will want to make sure that the video is captured for playback at a later date. This can be done by either having a camera man record the footage to mini DV tape and then edit it later or captured in real time to a windows media file.

You can then store that file on a Web server and supply anyone a link to the file to watch anytime. Often times when recording and capturing, there can be picture quality loss. Make sure you do a trial run and adjust the lighting and features so you achieve the best looking picture possible during the Web conference.

Camera Work

Make sure to make any necessary adjustments to the Web cam so that you or your co-workers have a good position on the screen. Leave a little head room so that it doesn't look like your head, or your colleague's head, is touching the top of the screen. Adjust the focus, contrast, and other camera settings so that you can achieve the best picture on your conference call.

Web Conference Call Transcripts

When participating in a Web conference call the audio or video portion is recorded for playback. Many of the participants are interested in reading a summary or transcript of the Web conference at their leisure. The audio or video from the conference can be sent to a transcription company who will then watch or listen to the conference and type it out word for word.

This will allow anyone to go back over any thing that was said during the conference call and allow for searching the text via key words and names.

Real-Time Conferencing

Your Web conference can be displayed "live" - or in real-time - with the proper high speed Internet connections and computer equipment. A live video conference allows you and your company to reach an audience immediately and allow the audience to communicate with the speaker, as well. Proper Internet connections are required to ensure the feed doesn't slow down or cut out during the live conference. Check with your local Internet provider before establishing a real-time conference hook-up to make sure your equipment and Internet ports are properly established.

Saving Money With Web Conferencing.

Video archiving your Web conference with Video On Demand playback is cost effective and time saving. Instead of flying team members and executives to one location for a product launch or demo, you can bring the latest company news to them via the Web or TV.

For the cost of two roundtrip plane tickets, a Web conference for 25-30 people with interactive features can be conducted. Costs are determined by number of minutes online and the number of users, or "seats" during the Web conference call session. Some companies charge fifteen cents a minute per user.

Getting the Best Conference Call Audio

If you're conference call will be recorded for playback at a later date, you want to make sure you get the best sound quality. During the call, ask everyone to speak loud and clear. Ask each participant to take turns speaking. Make sure that there is not a lot of background noise or idle chatter going on during the call. If there is a microphone, position yourself about one foot away from the microphone receiver so as to not distort the audio.

What To Wear

Avoid patterns and ultra bright colors during your video conference call. Stick to solid color ties, shirts, and jackets. Think of the conference call as you would any other meeting and just the part. Don't dress down, look as presentable on camera as possible and always keep it professional. Avoid the colors black, white and red as they all look horrible on camera. You want your viewers to concentrate on you, and not your outfit.

Web-inars

A Webinar is a live online Web video seminar. A company can hold a large product demo or video conference and reach large audience all over the world. The video can be record and edited for Video on Demand playback for those unable to attend the live event or Web conference.

Test Before You Connect

Make sure you give your Web conference a test run before the actual meeting takes place. Have a friend or co-worker in a different office or state help you test the connection so that you can work out any Web conferencing issues before that big meeting with the boss. Have your friend or colleague call in to test the audio and see if the sound is clear. Set up any video cameras that are needed to make sure they are recording properly. Video conferencing can often be tricky and result in a choppy picture, so it's wise to test the equipment first to find the best settings.

Make-Up for the Web Conference

If you want to look your best during your Web conference call, it's not too far-fetched to apply some makeup. Some types of lighting can be very harsh on yoru skin, and can accentuate shadows and paleness in your skin. Both men and women can benefit from a little touch of makeup before a company-wide Web broadcast conference.

Uses for Web Conferencing

Web conferences are useful because they can connect a large amount of people who are spread out over several different places. Some common Web conference uses are:
- Product launches
- Presentations
- Company Training
- Distance Learning
- Seminars on the web or Webinars
- Product demonstrations
- Staff Meeting