Small business owners often hesitate when thinking about internet conferencing services. There's a fear it'll cost too much or that they'll get stuck paying too much for a bunch of useless features. This article will guide you through the types of plans available and the features you should consider.



The good news is that web conferencing software has pricing plans geared for small business owners. For example, Webex's MeetMeNow prices out to as low as $35 a month for an unlimited number of meetings (10 participants per meeting). The other companies (Cisco, Microsoft) have similar plans.

Of course, you still have to decide whether that price makes sense for your company. Pencil out how much you would save on travel, long distance phone calls, and cellular phone minutes. It's not at all unusual for this to work out to much larger savings than the cost of an entry-level internet conferencing plan.

Now to look at features. If you're already comfortable with internet conferencing you likely have a mental list of what you want. If not, the best advice is to read this list of features and then sign up for a free trial -- it'll give you a chance to decide which features you really need.

Audio Conferencing: Every internet conference vendor gives a toll free number for the meetings. If you're interested in VoIP calling (calling over the Internet) you'll want to check whether the vendor provides this as well.

Video Conferencing: I don't use webcams myself, but a few of my business friends do. If you have a webcam on your PC and are comfortable using it, you'll want a vendor that allows for video streaming.

White Board: I love whiteboards, real or virtual. A shared, online white board is a must for me. The group can work together on an idea, just as if they were in the same room.

Annotating Documents: Reading and edit documents together. Mark up that Proposal as you go, with everyone seeing the same results.

Meeting Quantity and Size: Many plans allow unlimited meetings for a set fee. Some charge per-meeting. Be aware that the entry-level programs often cap the number of participants per meeting at around 10 participants, though that's typically enough participants for small business meetings.

Take a few minutes to review this list of features and think about how you'll use web conferencing software. The best way to decide is to sign up for a free trial and see if it meets your needs.