BigMarker versus GoTo Webinar:
Which Is Best for B2B Marketers?

You're probably already aware that there are a ton of digital event platforms out there—and many of them make the same claims. It can be super challenging to wade through the waters and pick out the exact right tool when the sea is so crowded with options.

However, you likely also know that this decision is an important one! You're looking for a webinar solution that you can start using on day one, with minimal training. You also want to know that the platform you choose will be there for you if you need help during a live streaming event. And, you want to partner with someone who will help you grow in the future.

Choosing the Right Digital Event Platform

It's likely that at this point, you've narrowed down your search to BigMarker and GoTo Webinar. Congrats on choosing two great options!

To help you make your decision, we've put together a comparison of both platforms—as well as some info about Goldcast—so you can decide which webinar software works best for you.

Let’s get down to business!

BigMarker versus GoTo Webinar

Here’s a quick, high-level breakdown of the features and functionality offered by each SaaS platform and how they compare.

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BigMarker

BigMarker was an early pioneer in the webinar space. Customers today rely on the platform for all types of events, including hybrid, webinars, and digital live webinars.

BigMarker is a reliable choice; however, today's modern marketer may find the platform lacking when it comes to branding, customization, and engagement options.

The Good: Features & Benefits of BigMarker
Here's an overview of what people really love about using BigMarker.
  • Functionality to host a variety of webinars

    With BigMarker, event organizers have the flexibility to host both real-time and pre-recorded webinars.

  • Ability to host multiple downloadable resources

    If you want to make resources available during your event, BigMarker can do that. You can upload and share documents, links, handouts, and other resources

  • Available engagement features

    BigMarker offers what we think of as "standard" interactive features: polls, chat, and Q&A. These are a handy way to boost engagement and foster connection during your live webinars.

  • Built-in feedback surveys

    BigMarker offers built-in surveys, which can help you get information from attendees when it's still fresh on their minds.

The Bad: What Are The Drawbacks of BigMarker ?
To identify the most common challenges people find while using BigMarker, we reviewed popular review sites like G2, Capterra, and Trustradius. Here's what people had to say.
  • Native integrations are lacking

    B2B marketers need integrations to get info where it's most useful. BigMarker's integrations are only available through Zapier, which can limit the amount of data you share across tools.

  • Steep learning curve

    Ease of use was lacking for many BigMarker users, who noted that the platform was difficult to learn and manage. This can eat up your time, as you'll spend more of your day onboarding new users and speakers, as well as learning the platform yourself.

  • Limited customization

    Modern marketers want a customizable experience, and BigMarker falls short here. From registration pages to event emails, people felt the customization was limited.

  • Difficult on-demand process

    The ability to host on-demand webinars is an essential part of the overall virtual event experience. Unfortunately, this process is far from seamless with BigMarker. Customers say the platform makes it difficult to launch and scale evergreen webinar content.

The Details: BigMarker Pros & Cons

To summarize, here’s a simplified chart that outlines the top pros and cons of BigMarker.

GoTo Webinar

Next up: GoTo Webinar, another of the early players in the virtual events space!

The GoTo brand is very well-known, and GoTo Webinar is a helpful product for business communication via video conferencing, as well as face-to-face events. As of right now, however, it also lacks the customization options and engagement features that digital marketers are looking for.

The Good: Features & Benefits of GoTo Webinar
First, we'll explore the things that GoTo Webinar does really well.
  • Live chat, polls, and Q&A

    Like BigMarker, GoTo Webinar offers basic engagement features that allow organizers to interact directly with attendees.

  • On-demand content hub

    One of GoTo Webinar’s biggest strengths is its always-on content engagement hubs. These allow organizers to host on-demand event content, as well as other relevant content.

  • Supports accessibility

    Event accessibility is a high priority for many organizers, and GoTo Webinar offers captioning across live events. This is also handy for companies looking to reach a diverse, global audience.

  • Live and pre-recorded webinars

    The GoTo Webinar platform supports both live and pre-recorded event content. This helps balance live events and audience engagement with the ability to effectively scale event programming.

  • Post-event data points

    Analyzing event performance through post-event data is critical for showcasing event ROI. GoTo Webinar offers post-event analytics around registrants, attendees, and in-event engagement.

The Bad: What Are The Drawbacks of GoTo Webinar ?
From complicated setups to antiquated aesthetics, these are some of the most common challenges customers experience with GoTo Webinar.
  • Complex webinar set up

    Many customers do not find the GoTo Webinar webinar platform user-friendly and noted that setting up video conferencing and events is not intuitive. You may have to invest in training to scale events across teams. New speakers also find it difficult to navigate without proper onboarding and training.

  • Unreliable live support

    A lack of live support was one of the most frequently cited frustrations with GoTo Webinar. Many customers said that there was a delay in receiving help when issues arose during live web conferencing, which is when you need help the fastest.

  • Outdated look and feel

    User reviews consistently said that the GoTo Webinar interface does not reflect a modern experience. This is a big concern for brands looking to provide an engaging, relevant experience for audiences.

  • Audio and video glitches during live sessions

    AV issues, including audio lag and video glitches, were also commonly cited by GoTo Webinar users.

  • Add-ons and advanced analytics can get expensive

    The GoTo Webinar pricing model can be expensive, especially for small to midsize companies. Many common features—like breakout rooms—are priced as ā€œadd-onsā€ and only available in the ā€œwebinar eliteā€ package.

The Details: GoTo Webinar Pros & Cons

To summarize, here’s a simplified chart outlining GoTo Webinar's top pros and cons.

Goldcast: The Revenue-Driven Event Marketing Platform

While BigMarker and GoTo Webinar clearly have their sets of individual strengths, there is another option we'd like to share with you: Goldcast.

Goldcast was designed with B2B marketers in mind. Our entire platform was created to help you run digital events and experiences that dazzle and engage your audience. We've worked with top B2B brands like Salesloft, Lattice, Mailchimp, and more.

The Revenue Driving Event Formula

With Goldcast, B2B marketers can easily set up and run crowd-pleasing digital events and provide sales with the right post-event insights to drive demand and pipeline.

Proven results

Attendance
Rate
Time spent per event
SQLs and demo requests
Time saved
every month
3 hrs
Implementation Support
This is an image of Nina Butler, Director of Global Events Marketing at Alyce.

That was the best part—we made the decision to pivot on a Friday, and I didn’t have to work or stress over it on the weekend. I knew that I’d be able to move the whole event into Goldcast on Monday. It wasn’t even a concern.

Megan Guerra
Increased attendance rate
This is an image of Davi Schmidt, Demand Generation Director at Snaplogic.

Goldcast was super easy to use compared to other platforms for both our employees as well as our guest speakers

Davi Schmidt
Demand Generation Director
snaplogic logo.
Video Production Capabilities
This is an image of Nina Butler, Director of Global Events Marketing at Alyce.

Our MQL goals saw an increase of 20% through Goldcast’s video production capabilities. The experience was super engaging and very modern!

Laura Lilley
Global Experiential Marketing & Events
Hootsuite logo.
The Details: Top Goldcast Features for B2B Marketers
  • Built specifically for B2B marketers

    Looking for a Netflix-like experience that will grab your attendees' attention—and keep it? We've got you covered.

  • Flexible for an array of events

    Whether you want to host a community event, a simple webinar, a hybrid event, or something else, we've got a solution.

  • Embed resources directly in events

    With Goldcast, you can easily embed CTAs and other resources into your events.

  • Robust engagement features

    Not only do we have Chat, Polls, and Q&A, we offer it in a fully customizable interface so it looks like your brand.

  • Video production tools

    Enhance the attendee experience with overlays, lower thirds, and tickers.

  • Accessibility options

    Reach a global audience with translation in 14+ languages, captioning, and subtitles.

  • Event templates

    Easily duplicate your event templates—because there's no need to reinvent the wheel!

  • Deep, native integrations

    We'll push 16+ engagement points to your CRMs and MAPs after an event. We work with tools like HubSpot, Marketo, Pardot, and more. And, you can chat with your sales teams through Slack and Salesforce to make sure they know who's engaging during your live events.

  • Always-on access to content

    Within 24 hours of your event, you can expect on-demand access to the recording.

  • Easy-to-understand pricing

    We'll never trick you with opaque pricing models. Our pricing is generous and designed so you can focus on growing your business.

  • Dedicated customer support

    You'll get live customer support for all of your events, as well as a dedicated team for other questions that come up.

Thoughtspot logo.
BitSight logo.
snaplogic logo.
Hootsuite logo.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do businesses choose BigMarker?
BigMarker was one of the first companies to offer a digital event platform. It allows marketers to garner feedback from attendees with built-in surveys and can host multiple downloadable resources throughout an event. Event organizers rely on BigMarker to host both real-time and pre-recorded webinar content.
Why do businesses choose GoTo Webinar?
GoTo Webinar is a solid platform for basic webinars. They are a legacy webinar platform, and its parent company, GoTo, is well-known in the telecommunications space.
Where do GoTo Webinar and BigMarker fall short?
Both GoTo Webinar and BigMarker come up short when it comes to native integrations that modern B2B marketers need. Both platforms are also hard to learn and may require onboarding for new users and speakers. Finally, neither webinar tool offers customization so that companies can bring their own, on-brand experience to events.
Why choose Goldcast over GoTo Webinar and BigMarker?
B2B marketers select Goldcast because it's built specifically for their needs. The platform offers deep native integrations and funnels 16+ engagement points to your CRM and MAP tools once an event ends. Goldcast is intuitive, user-friendly, and easy to learn and also allows companies to customize events so that every webinar is on-brand, visually arresting, and engaging.
More questions?
Last Updated February 8, 2023

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