Whereby for Video Conferencing

Introduction to Whereby

In recent years, video conferencing has become an essential part of our daily lives and running businesses.

Whether you’re working from home, retired, or trying to stay connected with friends and family, video conferencing tools can make it easier for you to stay connected with others; while saving time, keeping you healthy, money, and increasing one-on-one communication.

Everyone knows about and probably uses Zoom, but one potential alternative is Whereby.com.

Technically, Zoom can have issues with security, use, privacy concerns, require downloads (sometimes even repeated downloads), and have other related issues.

Whereby can be a potential solution and viable alternative that doesn’t rquire a download, and is fast and easy to use while also providing a level of security with its “knock to enter” feature.

In this blog post, we will explain how to use Whereby for video conferencing and how to resolve the most common user problems.

Getting Started with Whereby

Whereby‘s a browser-based video conferencing tool that allows you to connect with others without requiring you to download any software or plugins so it’s much easier to use and get started with. Here are the steps to get started with whereby.com:

Go to Whereby in your web browser.
Click on the “Sign Up” button in the top right corner of the screen.
Enter your name, email address, and password to create an account.
Once you have created an account, you will be taken to your dashboard.
Click on the “Create a Room” button to create a video conference room.
Share the link to your room with others so that they can join your video conference.

Using Whereby for Video Conferencing

Now that you have created a room on whereby, here are some tips on how to use it effectively for video conferencing:

Make sure that you have a reliable internet connection. This is key. Alot of users don’t know if they have sufficient wifi or internet use, so you can resolve this by simply taking Google’s own speed test and seeing if you have a good to great socre. If your score isn’t good at all, you won’t be able to use the internet very well at all to begin with.
Test your audio and video settings before joining the video conference. Make sure you have audio and video permissions enabled in advance in your favorite browser. This is huge, believe it or not, and the main issue users have. They don’t check these settings and permissions in advance.
Use a headset or earbuds with a microphone for clearer audio.
Make sure that you are in a quiet place with good lighting. If you have a window or door open, close that baby up!
Use the chat feature to communicate with others during the video conference. If there is a problem hearing or seeing the other person, let them know in chat.
Use the screen sharing feature to share your screen with others during the video conference.

Pros

Easy to Use: One of the main advantages of Whereby is that it is easy to use. You do not need to download any software or create an account to start a video conference. All you need is a link to join a meeting. This makes it very convenient for people who need to quickly join a meeting.
Custom Branding: Another advantage of whereby.com is that it offers custom branding. This means that you can customize the appearance of your video conferencing interface to match your company’s branding. This can help to create a professional image for your business.
Multi-Device Support: whereby.com supports multiple devices including desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. This means that you can join a meeting from any device that you have access to, making it more convenient for users.
Screen Sharing: whereby.com also offers screen sharing, which allows participants to share their screens with others during a meeting. This can be helpful for presentations and collaborations.
Ability to record discussions: whereby.com, at least through using Chrome web browswer, permits users to record conversations or presentations, which is great for documentation, to replay a presentation, or just for record-keeping or to remind context of a particular discussion or client briefing. This feature has a minor fee but it clearly a helpful bonus attribute.

Cons

Limited Integration: Whereby has limited integration with other tools such as calendars, project management software, and CRMs, although new features and links are being added. This can be a disadvantage for businesses that rely on using multiple advanced-level project management tools to manage their work. While there are options and functions available, and of course always workaround solutions, check to make sure what you want to use is available….or that you can use it with your own approach.
Informing Participants How to Use Whereby: Whereby initially suffered through some security concerns in the past, such as a vulnerability that allowed unauthorized users to join meetings. This was fixed by requiring users to “knock” to enter. However it’s something to be aware of when using the platform by simply telling participants that they will have to enter their names to join. Most users with basic common sense will see the “knock to enter” and be able to deduce that they need to click the “knock” button or enter their name when prompted. Some will balk at having their faces on video camera as well. This is still much better in my opinion than having to spend an hour trying to configure Zoom’s complex multi-layer security settings.
Confusion: Since so many people are accustomed to using Zoom, many can be confused by using a video conferencing platform that doesn’t require a download or that requires them to enable video and audio permissions in a new way. Toward this end, it’s important to always tell participants to make sure they enable video and audio permissions in advance for their call. It seems obvious but after having used Whereby for a long time now, I’ve noticed how often I have to state this obvious fact.

Common Whereby User Problems and How to Resolve Them

Despite its ease of use, users may encounter some problems while using Whereby almost always revolving around new user’s inability to properly know how to configure permission settings for their preferred browser.

One way to deal with this is by asking users to simply refresh their browser and then try again.

Also, users need a strong, reliable, consistent internet in able to use Whereby whereas Zoom doesn’t require great internet connectivity. Users new to Whereby won’t know this.

Finally, a weak internet connection, outside noises, or not enabling audio and video permissions in a browser, can all inhibit the other person’s ability to communicate with you during a video conference. They usually won’t know this or how to resolve this so my preference is to send troubleshooting links in advance and explain to new users that things can go very smoothly if they:Ensure they have reliable internet first by taking an internet speed test
Make sure they have browser video and audio permissions enabled and check before the call.
Shut doors or windows and be in a quiet place before beginning.

Whereby Summed Up

Whereby is a simple and effective tool for video conferencing that can help you stay connected with others in a fairly enjoyable and easy way. You don’t need to have to spend hours reviewing complex security settings, worry about another government funneling your conversation or data, or some unknown person hacking your call when you can easily require they identify themselves and not have to download anything.