Online Whiteboard Guide
The Benefits of Using an Online Whiteboard
Key Takeaways
- Easy Reading – Online whiteboards allow for typed notes that are easy to read and understand, and the content can be edited, shared, and saved.
- Enriched Online Video Calls – Online whiteboards can be used during online meetings for true collaboration and engagement, making them more exciting for all team members.
- Visual Explanation – Online whiteboards offer a collaborative medium to demonstrate ideas visually and communicate complex messages simply.
- Keep Attendees Innovative – Online whiteboards provide tools to present innovative ideas even when working remotely.
- Better for the Environment – Using online whiteboards reduces waste and pollution from manufacturing and disposal, and eliminates the need for travel to physical meetings, reducing carbon emissions.
- Cost-Effectiveness – Online whiteboards are cheaper than physical whiteboards and don’t require ongoing expenses such as marker refills and cleaning supplies.
- Look Professional – Online whiteboards offer a neater and more professional alternative to physical whiteboards with crisp and typed notes, clean tables, and plenty of space for information.
Introduction
Everything is going digital these days and traditional collaboration tools such as physical whiteboards are losing their popularity. In modern remote work environments now, online whiteboards have replaced physical ones as a premium alternative for optimized teamwork.
Not only do online whiteboards streamline real-time collaboration, but they also provide a bunch of other benefits you cannot find in physical whiteboards. This post aims to review these benefits and see how online whiteboards can remarkably enhance the productivity of remote teams.
1. Easy Reading
Handwritten content is often hard to read. It’s easier to read the information on online whiteboards. That’s because they let you use typed notes that are easily readable by everyone. Online whiteboards let you create beautifully formatted, typed notes that are easy to read and understand. Also, the content on these whiteboards can be edited, shared, and saved. This eventually makes collaboration and record-keeping much simpler.
2. Enriched Online Video Calls
To engage the attendees in an online meeting, solely sharing the screen isn’t enough for optimum collaboration. The best solution for this is to use an online whiteboard where members can create content and interact in real-time. This results in true collaboration and engagement that’s more exciting for all team members.
3. Visual Explanation
It’s usually difficult to share ideas in online sessions. Most people just know how to use PowerPoint slides to explain their ideas. This is usually too time-consuming to be effective. What’s more, content is static in PowerPoint and needs various sources to be created.
An online whiteboard gives you a collaborative medium to demonstrate ideas visually. In the medium, real-time sketching and editing of visual content such as diagrams and charts are possible. Online whiteboards also help you communicate clearly and concisely, hence being an excellent tool to convey intricate messages simply.
4. Keep Attendees Innovative
Innovation is vital for success, but it’s hard to achieve when you work from home. Traditional methods of boosting innovation such as coffee breaks, after-work beers, and onsite workshops are no longer available when you work from home. Plus, team members aren’t personally connected for increased creativity.
However, online whiteboards are priceless tools that offer the same tools as physical whiteboards and can even combine digital media like videos and images. These tools allow remote teams to present their innovative ideas even when working from home.
5. Better for the Environment
When you use online whiteboards, there’s no need for physical whiteboards, markers, and erasers. This reduces waste and pollution from manufacturing and disposal. They also eliminate the need for travel to physical meetings, reducing carbon emissions. Online whiteboards offer a more eco-friendly and sustainable solution for remote team sessions.
6. Cost-Effectiveness
Using an online whiteboard is cheaper than a physical whiteboard because there are no upfront costs for purchasing a physical board or markers. Also, you won’t have ongoing expenses such as marker refills and cleaning supplies.
Furthermore, online whiteboards offer the convenience of being accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. All these make them a cost-effective and flexible solution for remote collaboration.
7. Look Professional
Physical whiteboards can get messy and difficult to read as ideas are expanded. They have limited space with the risk of accidental erasure or smudging. Instead, online whiteboards offer a neater alternative with crisp and typed notes, clean tables, and plenty of space for information. This makes the whole presentation look incredibly professional.
Other Benefits of Using Online Whiteboards
In addition to all the benefits mentioned above, online whiteboards offer several other benefits that make them an adaptable tool for collaboration, communication, and organization.
- Ease of Use – User-friendly with minimal setup or training.
- Multiple Users – Multiple members work on a single board simultaneously.
- Accessibility – Accessible from diverse devices such as smartphones and tablets.
- Integration – Integrated with other applications such as video conferencing tools.
- Real-Time Updates – Changes made by one member are immediately observable to others.
- Customizable – Various customization options such as color schemes and shapes are available.
- Save and Share – Members can save and share their work easily.
- Interactivity – Tools such as drawing tools, video embedding, and chat functions are offered.
- Record Keeping – Keep records of meetings, brainstorming sessions, or projects to help members refer to the information.
Final Words
With all the benefits of online whiteboards mentioned in this post, there’s no longer a reason to continue using traditional whiteboards. It appears that we have no way but to adapt to the advancement of technology and online remote tools, and online whiteboards are no exception.