These issues have notable impacts on the effectiveness of marketing efforts and the resulting outcomes. Following are the four major reasons why marketing departments of IT services companies fall behind by using GoToWebinar:
1. Complex UI and Lack of Customizable Properties:
Fundamental customizations and branding features, such as incorporating virtual backgrounds, adding custom fields in registration forms, or adjusting analytics fields, are notably limited. The complex user interface and limited customization options in GoToWebinar often hinder the marketing department’s ability to create a branded and seamless webinar experience.
Numerous users have reported struggling with
- Dated user interface, finding it challenging to navigate,
- the absence of instructions and assistance from GoToWebinar.
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2. Restricted Scalability and Lack of Two-Way Communication:
GoToWebinar exhibits limitations in scalability and lacks effective two-way communication features, posing challenges for IT services companies aiming to accommodate expanding audiences or foster meaningful interactions with participants.
Users have reported that they have often experienced bandwidth issues when participant numbers surpass 1000. Several limitations affect panelists’ interactions with the audience, including:
- An unfriendly chat window interface,
- The absence of pop-up notifications for attendee questions, and
- Restrictions on panelists for answering questions, initiating polls, and more.
The restricted scalability and absence of two-way communication frequently lead to a constrained audience size for events and hinder the organization’s ability to actively engage with participants. This disrupts the organization’s goal of effectively connecting and interacting with their target audience.
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3. Unreliable Customer Support and Technical Assistance:
According to users, the customer service is notably unreliable, requiring hours on the phone without resolution, even for critical issues. They express extreme disappointment with Customer Service Management (CSM), finding it largely unhelpful.
Reliable customer support and technical assistance are crucial components of a seamless event experience. It helps organizers address issues promptly and assists users in navigating any challenges they may encounter during the virtual events.
Unfortunately, GoToWebinar failed to keep up with the users expectations of ideal support.
Numerous instances have been reported where users faced multiple glitches, and even after reaching out to the support team, “no solutions or assistance were provided.”
For instance, when a presenter uses multiple monitors, they can’t see the webcam while presenting, and the quality of video and audio becomes distorted when sharing files in the middle of a conference.
The prevalence of these bugs, coupled with the unavailability of effective technical support, contributes to a highly unsatisfactory user experience.
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4. Limited API Integrations:
Integrating event data into the CRM aids the marketing department in analyzing event impact, tracking engagement, and making informed decisions to optimize both future events and overall business strategies more effectively.
However, GoToWebinar users have constantly faced challenges in seamlessly connecting GoToWebinar with vital tools, automations, and CRM systems due to limited API integrations.
API integration is important to facilitate seamless communication and collaboration among various software systems that users aim to incorporate into their events. This integration enables efficient data sharing and the execution of actions across the platforms.
Nevertheless, GoToWebinar’s deficiency in integration capabilities leads to manual and time-consuming processes for managing webinar data, leads, and participant information.
Notably, there are instances where users have experienced integration issues with Marketo where the API consistently malfunctions, creating more manual work than automation for users.
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Conclusion
Consequently, to overcome these challenges, it is imperative for IT services companies to explore alternative webinar platforms that more closely match their scalability requirements, communication needs, branding preferences, and integration demands.
Embracing innovative platforms that address these concerns will not only address the current limitations but also position IT services companies to adapt and thrive in the dynamic landscape of online events and audience engagement.
FAQ
Common reasons leading IT services companies to move away from GoToWebinar include seeking more advanced features, better integration options, cost considerations, dissatisfaction with performance, and unreliable customer support.
Limited API integration capabilities in GoToWebinar can pose challenges such as restricted customization, difficulty in seamless data exchange, and limitations in integrating with other software or platforms, leading to mismanagement and disturbed workflow at events.
Two-way communication in webinars and virtual events is crucial for fostering engagement, interaction, and participation. It allows for real-time interaction between presenters and attendees, promoting a more dynamic and engaging experience.
The lack of two-way communication capability of GoToWebinar has the potential to impede real-time interaction and engagement, which adversely affects the dynamic and participatory aspects of events. This limitation results in a less satisfactory overall event experience for both presenters and attendees.
