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Your most burning questions about webinars and hosting live events answered
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Updated: September 13, 2021
A ServerWise FOUR part Series

The Biggest Webinar Questions Answered Including Event Length, Platform, Best Upsells, Production Cost, Attendance Rate

Think of this article as a living document. I update this page whenever I receive a new question.

Q: What's considered to be a good or successful webinar attendance rate?

According to most studies, the average live event attendance, which can vary based on the type of webinar and niche, is 49%. Meaning, if you have nearly half of your registrants partake in the webinar, you’re doing well.

Keep in mind that live attendance is not the only metric of value. Many registrants can’t make your live event due to scheduling conflicts or simply prefer to watch at their leisure.

Q: Are webinars actually an effective marketing tool?

According to every major study and marketer, they absolutely are.

But webinars aren’t just your typical marketing tools. They can also be your 24/7 sales force – driving purchases and convincing buyers to take that leap. 

A well setup webinar can serve as the powerful lead magnet of your funnel, helping prospective customers and clients to move on down and close the sale.

Q: What's the best length of a webinar?

According to BrightTALK and Medium, the average webinar is 45 minutes, including 10-15 minutes for an always popular questions and answers session. Popular personalities and specific niches that are more complicated can have webinars lasting 60 minutes or more. ServerWise has a client who routinely hosts 90-minute webinars very successfully.

Q: How do you measure a webinar's success?

Webinars deliver results in many ways. You’ll need to measure more than just sales, including:

  • Attendee Retention – how many people stayed to the end.
  • Customer Engagement – did your customers get engaged via communication tools, downloadable content, Q&As, etc.
  • Lead Generation – how many people registered and entered your autoresponders.
  • Viewer Feedback – did most of your attendees enjoy the experience? Any constructive criticism?

Q: How much does a webinar cost to produce and perform?

Webinars can vary from $100 to $3,000 depending on the level of content, professional editing and camera work, etc.

Your first webinar should cost you around $100 and not above $300. Put one together on a budget first, get your feet wet and get some experience before investing in professional camera equipment, mics, lighting, editing software, etc.

Q: How do I get people to register for my webinar?

The age-old question! What’s a strong webinar without an audience? This is where some basic digital marketing, social media marketing, and a very compelling webinar landing page becomes necessary. The landing page you will create for your webinar must convert visitors to registrants. Please see my article, 5 Things You Must Have On Your Webinar Landing Page To Double Conversions Instantly

Q: What's a good webinar platform or software to use?

These days there are many available options to create, edit and host your webinar. Below are the few I’ve personally used.

BeaconLive: A premium service with more customization. Pricing is on the high side and as such not recommended if you’re just starting out.

EasyWebinar: Great pricing, strong features and very reliable. Like most of my recommended webinar providers but EasyWebinar is the only one that has successfully (in my opinion) fully integrated its platform with marketing strategies and tools.

GoToWebinar: Arguably the leader in the marketplace. Professional and powerful with many advanced features and a recognizable name that your attendees will immediately know.

LiveStorm: With a free plan to help get you started and a full set of features, LiveStorm is a great, flexible option whether you’re beginning or experienced.

MegaMeeting: Priced below GoToWebinar with similar features. A good, reliable service.

WebinarNinja: A full service at a great price and easy to use. WebinarNinja has similar pricing to MegaMeeting, but you get significantly more attendees per webinar.

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Charles Wilson
Charles Wilson
Charlie is a classic coder from the Northwest who loves all things retro, vintage and vinyl and has spent the last 15 years at a data security firm. After retiring, Charles fell into a second career helping his wife start her niche membership site that now boasts over 12,000 monthly members.
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Charles Wilson
Charles Wilson
Charlie is a classic coder from the Northwest who loves all things retro, vintage and vinyl and has spent the last 15 years at a data security firm. After retiring, Charles fell into a second career helping his wife start her niche membership site that now boasts over 12,000 monthly members.