A webinar is an online 'virtual' seminar or event that usually involves a small number of presenters delivering a presentation such as a PowerPoint presentation or series of documents to an audience over the internet.

How does it work? Attendees RSVP and are then sent an email with details such as a link and user name and password, which they use to join the webinar at the designated time. This allows them to view the presentation documents on their computer screens and listen to the audio via their computer speakers or the telephone.

Can you ask questions? Most webinars offer interactive capabilities that allow for two-way communication between presenters and the audience. This means attendees can ask questions and interact with the presenter by using their computers and the internet.

Is it difficult? Webinar interfaces are usually very easy for participants to use and it is all pretty self explanatory. Live help is often available via the webinar software provider.

5 Benefits of Learning and Training Webinars
1. Convenience
Since webinars take place directly on your computer over the internet, there is no need to leave the office - so travel time and costs are reduced or non-existent. This is one of the reasons many professionals are using webinars as a time-efficient, cost-effective method of training and delivering knowledge to their clients, staff and suppliers.

2. Affordability & accessibility
Besides the fact that there are no travel costs involved with attending a Webinar, the price of attending a webinar is typically much lower than other training options. Additionally, multiple participants can train together by viewing the webinar at a single location and therefore pay for only one connection (if there is a fee involved in that particular webinar). An entire team can gather in one conference room to attend together and discuss the webinar contents without having to invest time and money travelling to and from a physical seminar location. Because of all this, pricing per person for training by webinar tends to be much lower than many other alternatives.

3. Efficiency
Most webinars are designed to last around 60-90 minutes in length and are usually scheduled to fit the work day of busy people. Because of their short length, webinars typically pack a lot of information into a very short period of time.

4. Long Term Value
Many webinars offer the option to access the contents and materials again for some time after the event has ended. So participants can review the presentation multiple times, helping them revisit the materials for reference and apply the contents as needed.

5. Ease of Use
Registering for and attending webinars is usually an easy process achieved over the internet with a standard computer browser and requires no more skill than using the average email program. Most webinar applications are designed for ease-of-use and require very little, if any, additional downloading of software.
Reminders are sent via email so the user remembers to attend.