How webinars can skyrocket your business

Webinars are not a novel concept, far from it, in fact, as, throughout the 2010s they were often preferred for their time and money saving capabilities, particularly when it came to international meetings. However, it was not until the pandemic that webinars switched from an option to something entirely different – a standard. Today, businesses all over the world are reaching customers and clients from equally as far and wide in a way that would have been unprecedented ten years ago. So, if you are brilliant at what you do, webinars may be the best way to prove it. And here is your guide to getting started.

The stats: what do the numbers say about the success of webinars?

A webinar is the internet version of a seminar. Instead of travelling to a distant conference to deliver a seminar, you can host your webinar online. You can record it, make it available for clients free or via subscription, or stream it live. Webinars can be pre-recorded or live, and because a web seminar can be watched multiple times, you extend your reach beyond a single time slot and reduce cost to engage customers, staff, or prospects. Indeed, you might find people around the globe watching your webinar 24/7 due to time-zone differences.

But the statistics are what really make the case for webinars:

• Webinars generally achieve attendance rates of 40% to 50% of registrants; the best ones can reach 90% attendance.
• In many cases, 20%–40% of webinar attendees become qualified leads (i.e. entering the sales pipeline) and then 2–5% convert to customers.
• 95% of marketers now regard webinars as essential to their strategy.
• 73% of B2B marketers say webinars are their top source of high-quality leads.

These figures are not just numbers — they reveal the power of webinars to deliver on business objectives for SMEs: brand awareness, client engagement, client loyalty, and new client acquisition.

So, how can this strategy help SMEs?

Below are some specific ways SMEs can benefit from webinars — and potential examples or resources to explore further:

• Boost credibility & position as thought leaders: Hosting high-quality webinars allows you to deliver insight, perspective, and expertise. Over time, this builds authority in your niche. For example, Neil Patel has leveraged his webinar series into one of the top sources for digital marketers.
• Highlight expertise to a wider audience: A webinar lets you reach people who might never attend a live in-person event. Because it is scalable, you might address prospects nationally or globally, far beyond your immediate geography.
• Foster meaningful interactions and discussions: Through chat, polls, Q&A, you can engage attendees in real time, respond to questions, and gauge interest. This turns passive viewers into active participants.
• Reach professionals globally and expand visibility: Because webinars are location-agnostic, you can attract an audience in other counties, regions, or time zones. On-demand replays further extend your reach.
• Low cost, high leverage: Cut out venue, catering, printed materials, and travel. Once produced, the content can be reused as long-form or bite-sized content (blog posts, short videos, infographics).
• Lead generation that converts: Webinar registrants already show interest in your topic. That makes them higher-intent leads than casual site visitors. You can then nurture them further via email, content, offers, demos, etc.

By leveraging webinars well, SMEs can punch above their weight: building awareness, nurturing relationships, and converting attendees into paying customers — all with modest investment.

Before you launch your webinar

Before you hit “Record,” there are some strategic decisions to make:

1. Choose live, on-demand or hybrid

• Live webinars give you the power of real-time engagement and spontaneity (Q&A, polls, audience feedback).
• On-demand webinars let people view when convenient; this helps you extend your content’s shelf life, drive steady, high-quality traffic after the event, and, if your webinar is paid, can provide a passive income.
• A hybrid approach — live session plus evergreen replay — often works best. Attendees who miss the live can still engage via recording, and you can capture leads longer term.

Each webinar is also a learning opportunity. By tracking engagement, feedback, and participant behaviour, you can segment leads: those who responded favourably go to more active nurture or sales, while others may remain in a longer-term educational track.

2. Decide free vs paid

• Free webinars: build awareness, attract a larger audience, and capture email addresses. Good for lead generation and building a warm audience.
• Paid webinars: generate direct income, attract committed and qualified attendees, and deliver exclusive, deep-dive content for your best prospects.

Because many platforms are free or low-cost, the barrier to entry is low — making webinars a very cost-effective strategy for SMEs.

3. Decide on a Webinar platform

Here is a selection of tools you might consider (with starting costs) — many provide various levels of functionality depending on audience size, features, and integration capabilities:

• Zoho Meeting
  • Pros: Streamlined and intuitive interface
  • Price: from £0.80 per month for 10 participants
• Zoom Webinars
  • Pros: High-quality video, polling, Q&A,
  • Price: From £63 per month per license
• Google Meet
  • Pros: Basic video conferencing
  • Price: Free – included in Google Workspace
• YouTube Live
  • Pros: Broad reach livestreaming
  • Price: Free
• StreamYard
  • Pros: On-Air, Embedded webinars on websites
  • Price: from about £15 per month
• LiveStorm
  • Pros: Interactive webinars with analytics
  • Price: Free tier. Paid starts at around £60
• GoTo Webinar
  • Pros: Feature-rich webinar tool
  • Price: From £15 per organiser per month
• ClickMeeting
  • Pros: Automation, integrations
  • Price: From £21 per month for up to 25 attendees
• WebinarJam
  • Pros: Pre-recorded blends, chat, audience tools
  • Price: From £30 per month for up to 10 attendees
• Demio
  • Pros: On-demand, automated, analytics
  • Price: from about £45 per month for a single organiser and up to 50 attendees
• WebEx Webinars
  • Pros: Scalable, multi-language support
  • Price: From £162 per user per year

*Pricing is indicative and may vary. Always check the vendor for up-to-date pricing.

When choosing, look for features like HD video/audio, chat, polls, Q&A, branding, analytics, CRM integration, and ease of set-up.

Key strategies to ensure return on investment from your webinar

Here are proven tactics to make sure your webinar investment pays off:

1. Set clear goals

Decide upfront what you want to achieve: lead generation, education, brand awareness, upselling existing clients, etc. Choose metrics (KPIs) such as:

• Registration numbers
• Attendance rate
• Engagement (polls answered, questions asked)
• Conversion to leads
• Subsequent sales or demo bookings

Break larger goals into milestones so you can monitor progress and adjust.

2. Keep it concise & focused

Long webinars risk dropout. Aim for 30–60 minutes, including Q&A time. Use engaging structures and avoid overloading slides with text.

Encourage participation & engagement

Active involvement keeps attention. Use:

• Polls
• Quizzes
• Live chat
• Q&A sessions
• Calls to ask where people are joining from, or to share insights
• Reminders every 10 slides about how to interact

3. Promote heavily and early

Even the best webinar will flop without promotion. Use a multi-channel approach:

• Email campaigns (invites, reminders)
• Social media (posts, stories, paid ads)
• Website banners, blog posts, pop-ups
• Partner or influencer promotion
• Include in email signatures
• Use your chatbots, resource libraries, staff networks

Statistics suggest prospects often sign up 3 weeks in advance or earlier. Use varied messaging, subject lines, and format for promotion to maximise reach.

4. Targeted sign-up actions

At registration or during the webinar, encourage attendees to join your email list, request a follow-up call/demo, or access additional resources — ideally aligned with your goals.

5. Measure & iterate

After the event:

• Analyse registration vs attendance
• Review engagement heatmap (which parts were most/least engaging)
• Track poll responses, questions asked
• Monitor subsequent lead actions (email opens, demo requests, sales)
• Adjust future topics, formats, CTAs based on data

Pitfalls to avoid with webinar hosting

Even a well-intentioned webinar can stumble if you fall into these common traps:

1. Setting the wrong metrics

Focus not just on registration numbers but on registrant → attendee conversion and attendee → opportunity conversion. A formula could be:

Opportunities = Registrants × (Registrant-to-attendee rate) × (Attendee-to-meeting conversion) × (Meeting-to-opportunity rate)

Increasing registrations alone may be less effective than improving conversion rates at each stage.

2. Not following up (or doing it badly)

When someone registers, that is an intent signal — even if they do not attend. Your sales or marketing team must act quickly. Plan:

• Immediate follow-up for attendees (e.g. “Thank you + next steps”)
• Nurture flows for no-shows (“Sorry we missed you – here’s the replay + related content”)
• Use Q&A interactions to warm the lead rather than a hard pitch

Do not dismiss no-shows — many will convert via alternate formats or delayed engagement.

3. Under-marketing your webinar

Feels ironic, right? This is the only marketing strategy that requires its own marketing strategy. However, it can be one of the lowest cost-per-conversion or highest ROI marketing strategies if you put in the effort to properly promote it beforehand. Use consistent promotion over weeks, varied creative, and multiple distribution channels. Audiences often sign up well in advance.

4. Poor hosting & content delivery

A dull, static, one-way presentation will lose your audience. Avoid this by:

• Encouraging participation from the outset
• Reminding attendees periodically how to interact
• Having slide transitions that guide, not overwhelm
• Having technical backup plans (audio/video issues)
• Using a co-host or moderator to monitor chat
• Prompting engagement (e.g. “If you’re listening from London, tell us in chat”)

Digital-first audiences expect interactivity — passive “broadcasts” underperform.

5. Not repurposing your webinar

Treat webinars as one-off. Instead, turn them into a content machine:

• Blog posts from transcripts
• Short video clips or teasers
• Infographics summarising key points
• E-books or guides based on webinar content
• Social media posts, email series

Use AI tools, where appropriate, to speed up content repurposing and expand reach.

How to optimise your webinar strategy

A robust webinar plan is your roadmap to success. Here is a checklist to ensure you are set up for maximum impact:

• Define your objectives
  • Decide whether your webinar’s aim is lead capture, education, brand building, or customer retention
  • Research your audience’s challenges and interests
  • Set specific, measurable goals (e.g. “300 qualified leads,” “50 demo bookings”)
  • Map KPIs: attendance rate, conversion rate, engagement metrics, revenue
• Choose topic & speaker
  • Survey your audience or use analytics to identify topics they care about
  • Pick a speaker who is credible, approachable, and able to deliver insight
  • Co-host or invite guest experts for added authority
  • Title your webinar to emphasize benefit (e.g. “5 Ways to Maximise ROI from Digital Marketing”)
• Determine date & time
  • Midweek (Tuesday–Thursday) often works best
  • For UK audiences, late morning or early afternoon is effective
  • For wider audiences, choose a time that balances global zones
  • Always offer on-demand replay for those who cannot attend live
• Select the right webinar platform

Focus on:

• Ease of setup
• Video & audio quality
• Audience engagement tools (polls, chat, Q&A)
• Branding customisation
• Analytics & reporting
• Integration with email/CRM
• Scalability & reliability
• Mobile compatibility

Opt for a platform that aligns with your expected audience size and feature needs.

• Promote your webinar
  • Create a dedicated landing page (clear topic, benefits, date/time, registration form)
  • Use email campaigns: invitations, reminders, “last chance” emails
  • Leverage social media (organic & paid), partner networks
  • Embed CTAs in blog posts or resource pages
  • Ask speakers, guests, and partners to cross-promote
  • Use countdowns, testimonials, teasers
• Prepare your content & materials
  • Outline your session structure (intro, core content, wrap-up, Q&A)
  • Use storytelling, case studies, data to contextualize points
  • Keep slides visually clean and branded
  • Insert interaction cues (polls, chat breaks)
  • Prepare handouts, slides, worksheets for download
• Rehearse thoroughly
  • Test all tech: mic, camera, internet, platform features
  • Practice transitions, timing, polls, Q&A
  • Simulate the live run-through with a colleague
  • Record rehearsal to spot pacing issues
  • Plan backup options (e.g. alternative browser, phone audio)
• Host with confidence
  • Start on time and set expectations
  • Warm up the audience with a quick icebreaker or question
  • Encourage interaction from the start
  • Monitor chat/questions through a moderator
  • Keep energy high and check in with attendees
  • Conclude with a clear, compelling call to action (download, book a call, register interest)
  • Record and archive the session
• Analyse & iterate
  • Review your KPIs and outcomes
  • Look at engagement heatmaps: which slides or segments dropped off
  • Gather feedback (surveys or polls)
  • Compare topics, formats, times, CTAs to learn what works best
  • Use these insights to plan your next webinar

Webinars and live streaming, when thoughtfully planned and executed, let you amplify your expertise, generate meaningful leads, and build lasting relationships — with relatively low cost and high scalability.

If you are looking for office space from a provider that wants to support your business success, get in touch.