You have probably heard more about web meetings after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost everyone talks about them — from businesses and companies to schools and other institutions. But what exactly is this? How can it be helpful to you, and how do you go about it?
This article comprehensively takes you through all you need to know about web meetings by extensively covering:
- Understanding what web meetings are all about;
- Why you should use a web meeting;
- Tips for running a successful web meeting;
- How to use advanced AI like Krisp to enhance your web meetings.
What is a Web Meeting?
A web meeting is a real-time interaction between two or more people across varied geographical locations facilitated over the internet. A web meeting is also known as a virtual meeting or an online meeting. If you come across any terms that seem unfamiliar, Krisp’s meeting terms glossary can help clarify them. Web meetings can be used for different purposes and take various forms, such as webinars, video and audio conferences, instant messaging, and more.
Unlike traditional in-person meetings, web or hybrid virtual meetings allow participants to connect from the comfort of their homes, offices, or any other location with an internet connection.
You can easily connect to an online meeting using specialized online meeting apps, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, or Cisco Webex.
Why Use Web Meetings?
The global digital shift over the last few years has moved a lot of interactions that we often had physically to a more digital space. This shift did not just stop at social media interactions.
Today, you can use virtual meetings for various purposes that you would have previously only relied on physical activity. This is because this shift in meeting modes carries numerous benefits across various applications, including:
1. Remote work and business
Web meetings allow remote workers to communicate and collaborate in real-time, regardless of location. This is particularly useful if your remote team needs to work together on projects when located in different parts of the world.
Using virtual meetings for remote work has numerous benefits, mostly surrounding enhanced collaboration, communication, and cost-savings. Here’s how:
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Seamless remote collaboration
The availability of online meetings has significantly accelerated the rise of remote work. Teams can collaborate effectively, irrespective of their physical locations. This newfound flexibility empowers professionals to work from anywhere, increasing job satisfaction and work-life balance.
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Cost-savings
Meetings over the web eliminate the need for expensive travel and accommodation. Businesses can reduce overhead costs, allowing them to invest in other critical areas while maintaining high productivity levels.
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Global reach
Web-based meetings enable businesses to open doors to new opportunities and markets by reaching a global audience effortlessly. This means you can easily conduct an international pitch meeting or global market research from the comfort of your home or office.
2. Team collaboration
Such meetings allow team members to collaborate on projects in real time, regardless of their location. This can help improve team collaboration and productivity.
Teams can seamlessly collaborate with counterparts in real time without extensive preparations. Here’s why web meetings are essential for team collaboration:
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Enhanced productivity
Team collaboration is made more efficient through virtual meetings. Most meeting platforms can be integrated with meeting productivity tools or come with numerous built-in features like screen sharing, real-time document editing, and interactive whiteboards.
This enables teams working remotely to brainstorm ideas, make decisions, and execute projects smoothly.
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Flexibility
Web meetings offer flexibility in scheduling, allowing team members in different time zones to find suitable meeting times. This flexibility fosters a more inclusive work environment.
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Facilitating faster decision-making
Such meetings enable quick decision-making by bringing key stakeholders together in real-time. This agility can be a game-changer, especially in fast-paced industries.
3. Education
These meetings can be used by schools to conduct online classes, seminars, and workshops. They have revolutionized education, providing students with access to high-quality courses and instructors from around the world.
Besides democratizing quality education, web meetings have numerous other benefits in the field of academia, including:
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Flexibility and convenience in learning
Online classes offer flexibility and convenience, allowing students to tailor their learning schedules to their needs. This flexibility accommodates working professionals and individuals with busy lifestyles.
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Collaboration
Educators can engage students through interactive web meetings, fostering collaboration and discussion.
4. Social Connections
Online-based meetings are not limited to professional or educational purposes. They enable you to connect with friends and family, no matter how far apart they are. These virtual gatherings help maintain social bonds and combat feelings of isolation.
Moreover, special occasions like birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries can be celebrated virtually through web meetings, allowing loved ones to participate and share their joy even when they can’t be physically present.
How to Run a Web Meeting
Running a web meeting effectively requires careful planning, organization, and execution. Regardless of the purpose of the meeting, there are numerous considerations you must make.
This is because running a successful web meeting requires you to follow a structured approach to ensure a productive and smooth virtual meeting experience. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to run a web meeting successfully:
Before the meeting
Running a successful requires adequate preparation. Here are some of the key considerations to make before starting or joining the meeting:
- Have a clear plan: Before the meeting, have a clear plan for what you want to cover and what your objectives are. This will help keep the meeting on track and ensure all topics are covered.
- Create an agenda: Create an effective meeting agenda and share it with all participants beforehand. This will help keep the meeting on track and ensure all topics are covered.
- Choose the right tools: There are many tools available for hosting web meetings. Choose the one that best suits your needs and budget.
- Test your equipment: Before the meeting starts, test your equipment to make sure everything is working properly. This includes your microphone, camera, and internet connection.
During the meeting
Much of the heavy lifting occurs during the meeting. However, you only need to know basic Zoom tips or how to use your preferred meeting platform to get you moving. Nevertheless, here are some crucial tips to consider during the meeting:
- Start on time: Begin the meeting promptly at the scheduled time, even if not all participants have joined. Punctuality sets a respectful tone and is part of meeting etiquette.
- Introduce participants: If necessary, take a moment to introduce everyone, especially if participants don’t know each other. Additionally, you can incorporate some virtual meeting icebreakers to get everyone well-acquainted.
- Follow the agenda: Stick to the predefined agenda and time allocations to keep the meeting focused and on track. Avoid unnecessary tangents, as following the agenda makes it easier for you to generate meeting takeaways.
- Encourage participation: Engage participants by asking questions, seeking their input, and using interactive features like polls or chat.
After the meeting
A successful web meeting doesn’t simply end with the actual conversations. There are a few follow-up best practices to consider, including:
- Summarize key points: Learn how to write a meeting summary and summarize key points at the end of the meeting to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
- Send follow-up email: Distribute a meeting recap email that includes meeting minutes, action items, and any additional information discussed. Ensure participants have a clear understanding of what was accomplished and what is expected of them.
- Follow-up: Follow up with participants after the meeting to ensure that all action items have been completed. You can also organize a catch-up meeting to stay abreast of the updates.
Enhancing Web Meetings with Krisp
Krisp is an AI-powered tool that can help enhance your web meetings. It has an AI meeting assistant that offers a range of features that can help improve the quality of your meetings and make them more productive.
Krisp’s AI transcription tool uses advanced AI to ensure you get an accurate textual representation of your virtual meetings. This can be particularly useful for remote teams who need to work together on projects but are located in different parts of the world.
Transcribing web meetings can also help ensure that all participants clearly understand what was discussed and what action items were assigned.
Krisp also offers an automatic note-taker, which can help streamline note-taking during web-based meetings. This feature lets you maintain a comprehensive record of all your conversations, including long and short meeting notes and action items. The notes can be easily shared and collaborated on with other participants.
You can also take advantage of Krisp’s AI noise cancellation, which can help eliminate background noise during web meetings. This feature uses advanced AI technology to remove background noise, such as voices, noises, and echoes, for distraction-free conversations. This can help improve the quality of your meetings and make them more productive.
Krisp’s AI transcription tool, AI note-taker, and AI noise cancellation features can help improve the quality of your web meetings and make them more productive.
Try Krisp for free today and experience how it enhances your web meetings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of businesses or organizations use web meetings?
Almost any business or organization can take advantage of web meetings, ranging from corporations, education institutions, healthcare, and more.
What are some popular web meeting platforms?
Some popular web meeting platforms include Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and GoToMeeting.
Are web meetings secure?
Top web meeting platforms prioritize security to protect the data and privacy of their participants. They typically offer encryption for data transmission and storage. However, the level of security can vary between platforms, which is why choosing a good meeting platform is essential.
Can web meetings accommodate large groups of participants?
Yes, web meeting platforms can accommodate large groups of participants, often ranging from dozens to thousands, depending on the platform and pricing plan.
Can I use web meetings for presentations or webinars?
Yes, web meetings are an excellent choice for presentations and webinars. Some platforms can host webinars, offering registration, analytics, and audience engagement tools to make your presentations more interactive and effective.
