The Easiest Webinar Solution: WebinarAlly Review

webinarally_sidebarOne of the most effective ways to gain new audiences for your business, or introduce people to offerings you have is by hosting a webinar.

There aren’t a whole lot of options for webinars

If you’ve ever looked into the tools available to host a webinar, they range from free (and unreliable) to majorly expensive and loaded with so many features you’ll never use them.

What that means is a clunky system that screams you didn’t pay for it, or forking over so much money your profit needs to soar just to cover the cost of the monthly fee. (And that’s another issue, what if you’re just getting started and don’t want to commit to a monthly fee if you think you might only be hosting a webinar every once in a while?)

What’s a person to do that wants a quick and easy way to host webinars without the price tag of the Enterprise level options?

Enter WebinarAlly

This WordPress plugin is the latest software release from Nathalie Lussier and her team at AmbitionAlly. The plugin was designed to be a simple, inexpensive tool to get people online and hosting webinars quickly and easily.

Here’s why I love it:

  • Easy to Use. Just a few clicks to install the plugin, set up a webinar, and you’re broadcasting in no time!
  • No messy experience for your audience. I get tired of having to download apps just to view a webinar (especially when I get there just as the webinar starts…remembering there’s also a plugin to install is so frustrating!). WebinarAlly is just a clean, simple experience for your audience. All you do is send them an email with a link to the page where you’re hosting the webinar. All they do is click on the link and they’re taken right to your website with the webinar embedded right into the page.
  • Familiar Google Hangout On Air Technology. WebinarAlly uses Google Hangouts on Air, which I use regularly, so my audience and I are already familiar with interacting with it.
  • Blends right in with my website. Since I’m hosting the Webinar on a page on my site, I can set the mood however I want. I prefer to keep things simple and include only my website header, the video, and the chat box, but there’s no saying you couldn’t fancy it up all you want!
  • Use with any Email provider. Other webinar tools I’ve used either have their own clunky opt-ins that don’t work well with other email programs. Sometimes they send out their own email notifications, sometimes not. It can cause a big headache when you’re trying to do too many things with your email. Because WebinarAlly works separately from your email, all you have to do is use your email system as usual to send out confirmations, reminders, and follow ups. No need to make two systems play well together. [Bonus, need an easy opt-in form? PopupAlly can handle that like magic!]
  • No Viewer Restrictions. Other solutions have limitations on the number of attendees or emails you can send out, etc. WebinarAlly has none of that – as far as webinars go, the more the merrier!
  • The Price. $27 for a plugin is amazing! Who can’t afford that? Other webinar choices charge high monthly fees.

Being objective:

There really isn’t much I can complain about with WebinarAlly, but since this is a review, I figure I should give an objective report on things that other solutions have:

  • Stats and Reporting. Because it’s a simple solution, WebinarAlly doesn’t get into tracking and reporting. That’s no big deal though. Everything’s on your website, so you can easily set up some goals to track in Google Analytics, along with checking your email stats, and you should have all the info you need.
  • Featured Offer. Some products have a featured offer that you can display at the appropriate time on your webinar. Again, this isn’t a major issue because you could easily link to a landing page in the chat box. Besides Nathalie and Robin are constantly releasing new features in all of their software products, so something tells me we’ll see some neat features coming along.
  • Chat Box. While it doesn’t come with a built-in chat box, you can easily add one on your webinar page. Nathalie recommends using ChatWing, but it’s not my favorite (kind of clunky). However, because Nathalie and Robin are always on top of things, they’ve found a new chat tool called Tik.io, that is much more sleek and seems to work well.

The features that aren’t included are done so by design. WebinarAlly isn’t meant to be a full-featured tool, and the price tag reflects that. It is a really great for those who need an inexpensive option to get started in Webinar Land. The cost alone is a reason for those who do occasional webinars to switch from being committed to expensive monthly options.

But maybe you’re still timid about the idea of doing webinars in the first place.

Why Webinars?

Hosting a webinar can be one of the easiest, most fun, and most effective ways to grow your audience, introduce a new product, or just share your mad skills online.

Here’s why:

  • People connect with other people. When you have a business online, it’s hard to make your brand personal. People like associating a company with a person they know and trust. A webinar is a great way to get personally in front of lots of people without the hassle of one-on-one time. Give them something they can relate to on a personal level, present it from your heart, and they’ll connect with your business because they’ve connected with you.
  • You can use and reuse. Once you’ve created a webinar, you can use the content over and over again. You can use the recording to include as bonuses, share the slides, and host similar webinars to new audiences. You won’t have to start from scratch.
  • Webinars convert. No lie. Webinars have higher conversion rates than many other methods. Because your audience can see and hear you, you’re able to establish better trust and rapport. You can also answer your audience’s questions and objections immediately, and offer a time-sensitive offer to encourage them to purchase right away.
  • People love learning. When there’s so much to learn online, people pay attention to something new and unique they haven’t seen before. When you offer a webinar at a particular date and time, there’s a feeling of exclusivity that helps people sign up, even if they can’t attend live. Make sure what you’re offering is unique and packed full of helpful things your audience needs to accomplish their goals.

By creating a webinar that knocks your audience’s socks off with the amazing helpful information they receive, you’re sure to have a success. WebinarAlly can help you by taking the tech struggles of hosting a webinar away so you can focus on delivering what your audience truly needs.

If you’re looking for help implementing WebinarAlly on your website, or need help figuring out the best way to get people to attend your webinar, contact us to see how we can help.

(Side note: I may make a small commission if you choose to purchase any of the products recommended in this article. This doesn’t mean I’m only recommending it for the money. I don’t take recommendations lightly and will only tell you about something I have tried and truly believe in using.)