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Video conferencing is in full force today, and it’s growing annually. Ten years ago, video conferencing was an unreliable, somewhat experimental tool that sounded like a good idea but was horribly slow and uncomfortable in practice.
Much has changed since then – with the implementation of a number of different technologies in the business sector, video conferencing has become the new norm for competitive companies to communicate, and pretty much any business can successfully implement it, within their own budget. Here’s why:
#1. Video Conferencing Is Almost Unavoidably Cheap
In the past, a proper video conferencing set up was prohibitively expensive. You needed a proper auditorium or conference room, a whole audio set up, an expensive microphone to be properly eligible, and a powerful camera – not to mention a whole nightmare of cables and network configurations to actually get the audio and video input to output to the intended receiver of the call.
Telecommunications companies grew huge because, alongside other advances, mostly larger corporations implemented video conferencing with a much larger budget than your average modern-day tech start-up. But that’s changed a lot, and it’s changed quickly.
Today, everyone has video and audio in their pockets – together with a powerful graphics processor and an amazing computer processing unit compared to the PCs of the past. Smartphones alone contain everything you need for video conferencing – so the missing part is the software. And that’s what video conferencing has boiled down to.
#2. It Boosts Efficiency 94 Percent of the Time
According to TechTarget, 94 percent of over 4,500 respondents said that the main benefit of implementing video conferencing was a noticeable boost in productivity and efficiency in the company. It doesn’t end there.
By implementing video calling, companies were able to perceive an actual impact on the effectiveness of discussions and meetings, all while expediting the decision-making process – meaning, all in all, companies were able to essentially speed up their work simply by communicating more and more often through video technology, rather than interrupting their work day for physical meetings, or worse, meeting clients and other departments in other states, countries and continents. Which brings us to the next point:
#3. It Turns Physical Costs in Virtual Benefits
Travel costs – both in terms of monetary value and time – were cut, and replaced with the benefits of a virtual meeting. They’re just as professional, just as based on physical looks, and because of the integration of speaking through a computer interface, it’s become much, much easier to work and talk at the same time – instructing clients or coworkers on the use of a new software or service through screen sharing, or discussing a memo with dozens of employees as they receive, download, open and read the document within the call.
If you’re worried about being rude about wanting to speak face-to-face through video, don’t be – according to PGI, 70 percent of employees actually prefer video conferencing to meeting physically, whether for the sake of comfort or efficiency.
#4. Working from Home Is Extremely Feasible
Telecommuting can easily become the norm for many potentially outsourced freelancers and professionals, especially at start-ups where office space is overrated anyways. Through video conference calling, department heads and managers can still effectively and personally communicate with professionals without worrying about a decrease in quality of work, or a lack of identification with the company itself.
Even with freelancers only working on a single project, checking in through video can help you work with your hired professional, and perhaps even improve the project together to ensure you get what you want for the business. Communication is important, and communicating face-to-face is still the most natural way to do it – even when you have to do it over the phone or laptop.
#5. Marketers and Teachers Can Build a Huge Audience
If you’re in the business of education and coaching, then video calling was essentially built for you. Imagine holding a lecture, seminar or workshop online, without any of the costs associated with these events.
Sure, you can still get yourself a producer or moderator just to make sure your event is professionally marketed and coordinated, but you won’t have to worry about rental fees, travel costs, time-management, and your audience will be much happier as they’re more likely to pay and attend a webinar, than they are to pay, get a plane ticket, and then attend a seminar.
#6. It Changes the Way You Communicate with Clients and Coworkers
No matter how large or small your business is, communicating with someone face-to-face over the web is still a thousand times better than speaking to them strictly over the phone – with a camera, you can display your enthusiasm and intent in ways you’d never be able to with the phone. The advantages of video conferencing, especially on a large scale platform like Blue Jeans, are tangible and direct – so long as you make proper use of them.