If you use GoToMeeting and are invited to a GoToWebinar, use these instructions to connect
Step by Step guide
The GoToWebinar organizer website enables organizers to schedule, customize, manage, track and delete their webinars. In addition, organizers can view webinar history, generate reports and edit account information.
Log In to GoTo Webinar:
1. Open an Internet browser and go to www.gotowebinar.com.
2. In the top right corner, click Log In.
3. Enter your email address and password and click the Log In button.
4. In the left navigation, select My Webinars.
Schedule a Webinar
Organizers must schedule webinars from www.gotowebinar.com. Organizers can edit a scheduled webinar at any time. See Edit a Scheduled Webinar for additional information.
To schedule a webinar
Step 1: Provide Your Webinar Details
1. Log in to your account.
2. In the left navigation, click Schedule a Webinar.
3. On the Schedule a Webinar page:
- Schedule Similar Webinar: Select a previous webinar from the drop-down menu to create a new webinar using the settings and customization of the webinar selected.
- Webinar Name: Enter a name for your webinar which will appear in your Webinar Invitation.
- Description: Write a description that will generate audience interest about what will be presented in your webinar.
- Date, Start Time, End Time, Time Zone: Select when your webinar will take place.
- Choose Audio Conference Option: Select VoiP as the audio Conference option.
- Leave "Specify Other Organizers" field blank
- Specify Panelists: Invite up to 6 panelists to attend your webinar. To add panelists, click "edit" next to Co-Organizer & Panelists. Specify more panelists
*Panelist can share their audio and web camera, but do not have the ability to share materials or desktop.
- Leave "Require Webinar Password" box unchecked
4. Click Save and Continue.
Step 2: Add Your Own Brand Elements
1. On the Branding and Theme page:
- Custom Logo: Upload your company logo to the theme. The logo can be up to 400 x 200 pixels and 100k in size and must be in either .GIF or .JPG format.
- Choose Your Theme: Select from 1 of 5 themes.
- Upload a Custom Image: Upload your own image that will replace the default image in the theme. The image can be up to 200 x 200 pixels and 100k in size and must be in either .GIF or .JPG format.
- Viewer Color: Select the color that will appear on the Viewer Window border as well as the Control Panel of all attendees.
- List Presenters in Waiting Room: Type the name and information of your presenters and/or panelists and upload their photos. To include additional presenters, click Add another presenter and/or (you may choose a maximum of 6). The presenter's image can be up to 100 x 100 pixels, 10kb in size and must be in either .GIF or .JPG format.
- When attendees arrive, show them this welcome message: Type a welcome message that attendees will see in their Control Panel as they arrive in the webinar.
2. To view your customization, click Preview Theme or Preview Waiting Room.
3. Click Save and Continue.
Step 3: Create Your Registration Form
1. On the Registration Form page:
- Field: Select your form fields. Selecting the Required check box requires registrants to fill in the field before being able to complete registration.
- Create Your Own: Click the Plus icon next to Create Your Own. You can create up to 10 custom questions. See Registration Form for more information on creating custom registration questions.
- After registering: Choose how registrants will receive the confirmation email, which has information on how to join the webinar - automatically after registering or only upon your approval. If you select Upon Approval, you will need to monitor registrants and approve them before they can join the webinar. See Registration Tracking. Upon completion of registration, registrants will see a Registration Complete page, but will not receive instructions on how to join until you have approved them.
- Note: You can select or de-select Upon Approval any time after registrations have been sent. However, if you de-select Upon Approval after registrations have been sent, all registrants you denied will receive a Confirmation email that will allow them to attend. Likewise, if you select Upon Approval after registrations have been sent, you will need to approve all registrations submitted before the change was made. See Registration Tracking.
- Redirect registrants to: You can choose to type in a URL, such as your company's website, to which registrants will be redirected after they complete registration.
2. To view your customization, click Preview.
- Note: Changes to the registration form can be made after registration has begun; however, changes may affect consistencies in the Registration Report. The Registration feature cannot be turned off.
3. Click Save and Email me the Invitation.
- An invitation email will be sent to you and any specified organizers and/or panelists. Invitations sent to panelists and other organizers will include a link to add the webinar as a Microsoft® Outlook® calendar appointment.
- The next step is to send out the Webinar Invitation yourself and invite people to your webinar. See Invite Attendees to a Scheduled Webinar
Invite Attendees to a Scheduled Webinar
Part of pre-webinar planning is inviting people to your webinar and allowing time for them to register. After you have scheduled your webinar, GoToWebinar will email you the Webinar Invitation. You can then forward the Webinar Invitation to prospective attendees via your email application or a list broker. You can also copy your webinar's registration URL and paste it into your own invitation email or anywhere you'd like to give access to registration for your webinar.
To invite attendees to a scheduled webinar
1. After scheduling your webinar, you will receive the Webinar Invitation in your email application.
2. Forward the Webinar Invitation to your attendees or to a third party, such as a list broker. You can also save the Webinar Invitation in an HTML format and post to your personal or company website.
To get a copy of the Webinar Invitation
1. Log in to your account.
2. On the My Webinars page, scroll to the webinar for which you want to receive the Webinar Invitation. To the right of the webinar, click the Email me the invitation link. The Webinar Invitation is sent to the email address on your account.
To copy the registration Web link
1. Log in to your account.
2. On the My Webinars page, click the Plus icon next to the webinar date for which you want to copy the registration web link. At Registration Web Link, highlight and copy the link.
Registration Tracking
Registration tracking allows organizers to track everything from how many people opened your Webinar Invitation to the number of registrants awaiting registration approval.
Note: Registrants awaiting approval will only show if you selected Upon Approval on the registration form. See the Registration Form section of this guide.
• View and download Registration Report (a)
• Quick view of number of registrants (b)
• View how many people opened the invitation and clicked the registration link (c)
• View and manage registrants (d)
• Approve registrants if Upon Approval has been turned on (e)
To view a list of registrants
1. Log in to your account.
2. On the My Webinars page, scroll to the webinar for which you want to view registrants.
3. Click the number under Registered. The Registrant page will load with a list of registrants.
Email Notifications
The Email Notifications feature allows organizers to manage email communications with registrants and attendees pre- and post-webinar. Organizers can select when reminder and follow-up emails are sent for a particular webinar. Confirmation, reminder and follow-up emails can also be personalized.
To modify Email Notifications settings
1. Log in to your account.
2. On the My Webinars page, scroll to the Webinar for which you want to modify email notifications.
3. Click the Change Session Settings drop-down menu and select Email Notifications. The Email Notifications page will load.
4. On the Email Notifications page, modify settings and click Save Changes.
•Email Format: Choose the format in which email notifications will be sent. (a)
•HTML: Email notifications will show in HTML format in the body of the email (with graphics).
•Plain Text: Email notifications will show as plain text in the body of the email.
•Note: The Registration Tracking feature can only track opened invitations if the Webinar Invitation is sent in HTML format.
•Webinar Invitation: Preview or send the invitation to yourself. (b)
•Other Emails to Registrants (corporate plans only): If you want attendee replies to go to another organizer on your account, select the organizer's name in the drop-down menu. (c)
•Confirmation Email: Personalize by clicking the Plus icon . Choose if you want to include system requirements and a link to add to Outlook Calendar. (d)
•Reminder Emails to Invitees & Registrants: Select the frequency that reminder emails are sent to registrants. Personalize by clicking the Plus icon . Choose if you want to include system requirements and a link to add to Outlook Calendar. (e)
Follow-Up Email to Attendees: Select when the follow-up email is sent to attendees and no-shows. Personalize by clicking the Plus icon . Select if you want to include a link to the recording of your webinar (corporate plans only). (f) (g)
Webinar Presentation
Notes on Conducting Webinars
Organizers need to first create their accounts before they can schedule or conduct webinars.
Webinars can be started from the GoToWebinar website or from the Organizer Control Panel while in Practice mode.
GoToWebinar organizers start all webinars and at least 1 organizer must be present to manage and end a webinar. Once a webinar starts, the organizer becomes the initial webinar presenter. During the webinar, the organizer may pass the role of presenter to any panelist, organizer or attendee.
Start a Scheduled Webinar
A scheduled webinar is always started by an organizer from the GoToWebinar website or from the Organizer Control Panel while in Practice mode.
To start a scheduled webinar from the GoToWebinar website
1. Log in to your account.
2. On the My Webinars page, scroll to the webinar you want to start and click the Start button.
3. On the Start Your Webinar Now? page, click Start Now.
4. If prompted, click Yes or Grant to accept the GoToWebinar download.
Your webinar will start and the GoToWebinar Organizer Control Panel will appear in the right side of your desktop.
To start a scheduled webinar from Practice mode
1. While in Practice mode, open the Organizer Control Panel.
2. At the top of the Control Panel, click Start.
Your webinar will officially begin and all registrants will be allowed to join.
Tips for Success
Review helpful suggestions on how to make the most of your webinars.
Prior to Webinar Start
- Start your webinar fifteen minutes prior to the scheduled start time.
- Your first slide should include a title, description of your event and the start time.
- During this time another member of your team should log in with the lync created for the event, and verify your first slide is visible.
- If you plan to share your entire desktop, turn off any instant-messaging applications, notification software or other programs that may interrupt or distract from the webinar.
- Turn off any streaming media applications that may take up bandwidth and resource-intensive applications that may be taxing processor ability.
- Set the desktop display to a neutral background and adjust display settings to a mid-range resolution (e.g., 1024 x 768) to improve the display for attendees with lesser settings. This is also the optimal setting for recording a webinar.
- Clean up your desktop before a webinar or use the Clean Screen feature when showing your desktop to avoid distracting your attendees.
- Have the documents you wish to share ready to be accessed in 1 or 2 clicks.
- Run a Practice Session with your panelists and any other organizers to familiarize yourself with the format and flow of your online presentation.
Managing the Webinar
- Provide an agenda at the start of the webinar, including estimated duration, and stick to it.
- Inform attendees what the purpose/goal of the webinar is, what to expect and when and how to ask questions and participate in the webinar.
- Consider having another organizer help manage and monitor questions and answers.
- End the webinar clearly. Make sure all the attendees know that the webinar is formally over and stay on the line to address any last questions.
Managing Audio
- If presenting, join the webinar from a location where there is little background noise.
- Be sure to turn off cell phones, and other peripheral devices that may cause interruption or distraction.
- Introduce yourself when you begin speaking and ask your panelists to also identify themselves before speaking.
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