The document provides over 100 best practices and tips for web-conferencing. Some key tips include establishing the purpose and expected outcomes of the webinar, understanding the audience, creating an outline and roadmap of topics, using a three-part framework of introduction, body, and conclusion for presentations, engaging the audience with questions and activities, developing a script, practicing delivery, and establishing etiquette and support plans for any technical issues. Thorough preparation, practice, and focusing on audience engagement are emphasized as important for successful web-conferencing.

1. 100 + Best Presentation Practices and Tips for Web-conferencing
By Jim Rich © Rich & Associates
Webinar Expectations and Outcomes
• Establish the reason/purpose for the Webinar, such as cost saving or convenience, etc.
• Identify if the event is for: training, business meeting, presentation, or a collaboration session.
• Recognize that each type of event has a specific outcome.
Learn about the audience needs are before presentation development.
• Who they are?
• What are their likes and dislikes?
• What gets them excited?
• What keeps them awake at night?
• Why the topics you are planning to present are important to them?
• Identify what other factors might the interest the audience.
• Identify the type of words and ideas you use to match the audience knowledge level.
Establish a Roadmap of Topics and Activities
• Use slides that state the learning or meeting objectives.
• Include a slide that provides an overview or outline (of milestone topics).
• Reference milestone topics during the presentation. This allows the audience to easily follow the presentation.
Use the “Ask and Answer Key Questions” Framework
• Webinar programs answer the questions of: why, what, how, so what, and now what.
• Presentations often use a three-part framework with a beginning, middle and end.
Use Three Act Presentations
• The beginning of a presentation introduces the why, and what.
• The middle of a presentation develops the how.
• The end of a presentation resolves the former questions by addressing, so what and now what.
Support the Content
• Use “Any Questions?” slides in your presentation after each major section.
• Summary slides need to align with course objectives or the presentation topics.
• Close content items (such as Polls) when you are done with them.
Fundamental Web Presentation Planning
• Try to engage audience members so they believe you are speaking to each one of them on the topic.
• Avoid broadcasting information (or lecturing). This presentation style promotes passive listening.
• The presenter’s role often involves being a facilitator who guides the participants.
• Balance content with engaging activities such as questions, exercises, or discussion points etc.
Let Others Help You
• Get feedback from an experienced instructor who has observed your class.
• Use coaches for critiques and feedback of outlines, scripts and slides during the development process.
• Work with a team to develop and deliver the Web conference.

2. Web Meetings need to be interactive and Collaborative.
• Webinars allow presenters to shares information and participants ask and respond to questions.
• Web collaboration can be text based or use an audio conference, or a combination with a live video feed.
Promote Engagement
• Promote text messaging between participants for better engagement and interaction.
• Use interactive tools such as Polling features to keep participants engaged.
• Poll before revealing content. This allows participants to think about and reflect on the subject.
• After Polling results or Chat question and answers, the facilitator summarizes the results.
Develop a Script
• A script details what is going to be said and describes actions taken by the presenter during the session.
• Use a script to as a way to outline the slide order to identify the frequency of interactions.
• Pace interactions every 3 to 6 minutes.
• Use a script to as a way to outline the slide order and to identify the length of delivery time.
Practice using the Script
• Create an almost word-for-word script of what will be said for each slide. Then practice!
• When using a scripted word-for-word dialog, the delivery needs to sound natural for each slide.
Establish Interactions in the Webinar Tool Beforehand
• Prepare Polling questions for use in the Web-conference application before the session starts.
• Pre-load Polling questions. Then test the Polling feature before the session begins.
• Develop Notes or Chat questions beforehand for cutting and pasting text during the event.
• All team members need to be familiar with the courses content and interactions.
Develop a Support Plan!
• As the first part of your support plan exchange contact information with all stakeholders (presenters etc.)
• Prepare for a computer or internet failure. Find and test an internet café or hotel business center beforehand.
• For voice use VOIP, as a voice back-up plan use a free conference calling service.
• Presenters use a second or back-up computer that has been pre-tested using the Webinar application.
Facilitator back-up plan!
• Develop problem solving plans for participants.
• Ensure the facilitator and speaker have shared contact info; phone, sms, email etc. as part of the plan.
• Plan a pre-conference meeting 30 minutes before the event to ensure everything is working.
Participant back-up plan!
• Technology can fail so don’t panic, use the pre-arranged back-up plan.
• Have participants test the webinar technology before attending the event to resolve technical issues.
• The back-up plan for technology failure might offer participants to use a previous recording later on.
• Another back-up plan for technology failure might be to schedule another day for the webinar.
• Let participants know that, if technology does not work, there is no penalty.

3. Preliminary Facilitation Activities
• Work with a team to deliver the session. Use a moderator to handle admin and tech issues etc.
• Use a coach/colleague to critique slide development to get feedback at all development stages.
• Study, learn and practice how to use the Web-conferencing tools in low-risk situations.
Study to Gain Experience
• Experience multiple Web-conferencing practice sessions if you are new to Web-conferencing.
• Experience examples of how a quality on-line learning environment works before you facilitate.
• Have prospective participants test the on-line delivery system beforehand.
Practice to Gain Experience
• Presenters and facilitators need to practice course delivery to get comfortable with Web-conference tools.
• All team members need to be aware of course pacing and delivery time.
• Use checklist to ensure fundamental activities happen such as starting the recording etc.
• Do not attempt to use all of the Web-conferencing tools in your first session.
Establish Webinar Etiquette
• Establish Webinar etiquette and ground rules and for participants to speak during an event.
• Expect everyone to show up at least 10 minutes before the events starts.
• Be respectful of noises that are distracting to other participants. Use the Mute option.
Order of Events
• Start with a slide to greet participants that tells them when the session will start shortly.
• Presenter/facilitators login, at least,20 minutes early to greet and to orient participants.
• At the programs start use key slides to direct the audience; such as for navigation and help.
Technology and Webinar Tools
• If possible, use two computers: one to monitor the class; the other to see how the class comes across.
• Be aware, some attention-getting presentation features do NOT work in on-line delivery systems.
• Web-conferencing systems can have presentation file size limits. Check well before the class.
Everyone Needs to Avoid Distractions
• Presenters need to work in a quite area. Avoid background noise, (sirens, barking dogs, loud announcements, etc.).
• Participants need to avoid or mute ambient noise to avoid transferring background noise to the webinar.
• Schedule breaks if the web session is longer than one hour.
Before Slide Development
• Get organized! Create an outline that arranges course content in order to tell a clear story.
• Do not expect the first draft of a presentation to be the final slide presentation.
• Survey the organizations culture to get a snapshot of past presentation practices.
• Discus your ideas for slide content and graphic design with the client to verify that is what is expected.

4. Slides Development Experience & Strategy
• Learn to use slide authoring applications efficiently and effectively.
• Use an easy-to-read font typeface at a suitable size, such as Helvetica or Ariel fonts.
• People remember a slides message that uses an image up to six times more than what they hear.
• Avoid entire slides with black text on white backgrounds. It’s hard on the eyes and brain.
• Some experts suggest to use dark backgrounds with light text. It is easier on the eyes and brain.
Preliminary Delivery Activities
• Prepare, load and test course content (slides etc.), voice, and sound options before the session begins.
• Upload a current photo of your self to make the on-line session more personal.
• Develop ground rules for who speaks, break times, texting, expected Polling replies, back-up plans, etc.
• Schedule breaks if the session is longer than one hour.
Pilot Sessions
• Run through the course content by having at least one live on-line pilot session.
• Plan a second run through session if the first run through has too many issues to resolve.
• After each run through session expect to change/modify slide content and talking points.
• Work with an assistant in the pilot and final session who can provide instructor support and help participants.
Slide Distribution
• Have a plan to distribute slides efficiently to participants via email, a wiki, ftp site, etc.
• Tell participants how they will receive slides or files before or after the event.
Why Presentations Fail
• Statics show that 75 % to 80% of the presenters don’t practice. This promotes poor delivery performance.
• Practice is what makes the difference between a mediocre session and great web-conference.
• Practice, Practice, Practice create a high-quality web-conference.
During the session
• At the start of the session ensure the recording option has been started.
• Ensure that everyone knows the ground Rules for the Web-conference before the session.
• At the start of the class, allow participants to experiment with features such as chat and texting.
• Keep tuned into the participants during the session. Don’t be passive. Think out loud.
• Use body language to your advantage. Your audience will be able to “hear” your smile and movement as you talk.
After Delivery
• Debrief by reviewing positive and negative lessons learned, following the event.
Follow The Golden Rule
• Never deliver a presentation that you wouldn’t sit through. Practice is essential for success.
Source:
http://www.parsecinfo.nl/support/whitepapers/best-practice.htm
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