Online meetings can be generally termed as virtual meetings based upon a specific aim, without considering national and international boundaries.

Virtual presence discards the space-time concept because anyone can use online meetings in any place and at any time. One can see that web conferencing is a popular term in business, education and other sectors. In this article, we highlight the main advantages and disadvantages of online meetings.

Positives and Negatives of Online Meetings

For instance, with VoIP use, audio communication can also be possible, using speakers and headphones. Performing online presentations also makes it possible to record the presentation on the client’s side for future viewing.

Real-time point-to-point communication is one of the main benefits of online meetings, and it is an important factor in the field of business. Without the help of technology, it is difficult to maintain business.

Learn how to start an online meeting to avoid negatives and get only positives from your audience.

The pros and cons of online meetings are indicated below.

Benefits of Online Meetings

Communication ability

Online meetings are essential in every sector. A person involved in an online meeting can chat with others from different countries using special video conferencing software. To be specific, distance is not a barrier in this case.

The software offers a strong and productive relationship between more distantly placed persons. It improves the connection between people.

Online meetings provide a platform for uninterrupted communication without considering any disruption.

So the modern world considers online meetings among the more effective methods of communication.

Easy access

It is not easy for every stakeholder to meet at one place for business meetings, especially when the stakeholders are in different countries.

The physical presence of the stakeholders will increase the cost. In this situation, online meetings are more accessible than any other medium.

Online meetings help every person to interact without moving from one place to another. Everybody can access this service at their fingertips.

Time-saving

Another advantage of online meetings is time-saving. According to a business entrepreneur, time is precious and similar to money. So time is very important in every sector, for great success. If one can save time and use it for productive purposes, one is saving money.

Setting up an online meeting saves plenty of time. For instance, it can be considered as a method of time management to avoid a business trip.

You can organize online meetings at any time and in any location. The only thing that you need is an Internet connection.

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Cost-effectiveness

Any business wants to use its finances wisely. This includes cutting back on spending. Hosting meetings online saves on expenditure because the business does not have to pay travel and accommodation costs for attendees.

It’s also worth noting that hosting meetings face to face may mean that a business has to pay for a meeting room and refreshments. This does not apply when meetings are hosted online.

Increased attendance

Attendees do not have to travel to attend a meeting that takes place online. This means that attending involves less commitment of time. Attendees may also be able to drop in and out of the meeting, if they have urgent business matters to deal with.

These factors provide an increased level of flexibility. This means that more people are likely to be able to attend meetings that are planned.

Sharing of information

Often, when face to face meetings are held, attendees are presented with a hard copy of the agenda and relevant papers. This is not necessary for an online meeting. Attendees can view the necessary paperwork digitally.

This saves on the cost of printing off paperwork. It also saves on time as no printing is necessary.

Drawbacks of Online Meetings

Decrease in personal contact

The best mode of communication is face-to-face communication. This is because many things can be understood from facial expressions or body language.

Facial expression is important for effective communication; it is among the most effective ways to deeply understand a person. With the absence of proper body language, there is a chance of misunderstanding.

While we interact through an online meeting, it is not possible to understand a person deeply. Lots of things may be missed in an online meeting.

Instability in connection

It is foolish to completely trust technology because it can be used for fraudulent purposes. Similarly, one cannot expect an uninterrupted Internet connection because disconnection is always possible while participating in online meetings.

This sort of interruption can reduce the effectiveness of an online meeting, whether it is a business meeting or not. Sometimes it happens because of low-quality equipment. So it is important to maintain high-quality equipment for business purposes.

Reduce human contact

An online meeting is not suitable for all gatherings. It is important to maintain a social relationships. Using online meeting software means that social contact is missing. Online meetings makes the relationship dry.

Using technology means that meetings become business-centred, and there is less chance for general talk.

Chance for hacking

There is a high risk of security when hosting an online meeting. This is due to the chance of hacking, which can compromise the confidentiality of matters in the case of business.

Hackers can exploit the information and misuse it. So, it is important to maintain high security while sharing information through modern technology.

Potential for poor planning

There is no doubt that some of the planning processes are made easier in an online meeting. For instance, there are no meeting rooms to book or agendas to print out.

However, it’s still necessary for a business to carry out sufficient planning for the meeting to be successful. There is a danger that a business may become lax in this area as the planning process is different from that for face-to-face meetings.

Conclusions

Online meetings, like any other thing, have pros and cons. Indeed, they are perhaps the most cost-effective, convenient, and time-saving mode of communication so far. But they also greatly reduce personal connection and make a company vulnerable to hackers’ attacks.

The dangers can be reduced, though. Use reliable online meeting tools like MyOwnConference and still meet in person from time to time. Online meetings will help you stay informed, trained, and updated, regardless of your time zone, location, and financial situation.