As follow-up to my post, in which I slammed a recent webinar presenter's efficacy of presentation ... Here's my own checklist of best practices for delivering a good web-based presentation:

Planning Your Pitch

Develop a clear picture of audience needs, desires, problems

Structure "the story" & plan out flow: Intro, Body, Close

Keep it simple: limit to a number of key points (e.g. 3-5)

Use only helpful visuals to reinforce concepts

Strive to meet your audience needs - not self-promote

Clearly develop the "next step" recommendation

Meet with meeting partner to discuss flow, ideas & needs
      (if applicable)

Before Your Web Presentation

Master material: Don't read a script -have a conversation!

Practice: tape yourself/ watch & listen or get feedback from others

Do a tech dry run; know how to use meeting tool(s)

Do a content dry run to verify timing & pace

Provide your bio to the moderator and discuss introduction

Silence cell phones, pagers and computer IM/Audio
        Include barking dogs, mewing cats, screaming children as necessary!

During Your Web Presentation

Welcome your audience with enthusiasm

Introduce yourself and briefly outline key presentation objectives

Use a brief web survey to get to know audience

Share survey results with audience to build community

Tailor your pitch (e.g. examples) midstream toward audience

Provide real life examples that demonstrate cause & effect

Periodically reference slide visuals/numbers to help audience follow

Speak at a clear, even, and reasonably slow pace: R-tik-U-Late.

Exhibit passion, conviction and inflection

Smile while you are talking - it actually comes across.

Do make sure you breathe - it loosens you up and unkinks things!

Use pauses to reinforce points or build transitions

Avoid "gap filling" with words or phrases like "ummm" or "anyway..."

Closing Your Web Presentation

Summarize key points and underscore recommended action

Thank the audience and moderator for their time

Provide a list of helpful resources

Open the floor for questions

If you don't have an answer to a question, offer to get one

Provide appropriate contact information

After Your Pitch

Consider sending incentive or thank you to your audience (e.g. link to slides, a free book or white paper) to reinforce the bond you develop with your audience

Make sure you're tapped in to post-presentation feedback survey feedback!

Obtain any previously agreed upon audience leads & conduct follow-up

Refine and tweak your presentation (content, style, points) to address feedback

In conclusion, using online meetings can be a highly engaging and effective way to use time and close distance gaps for remote teams. Today, there's a really low barrier to entry for anyone, and applications like WebEx and GotoMeeting (which both offer pay-per-use options) make it easy and cost-effective to run high quality online discussions.

Following these basic, common sense rules can help anyone develop and deliver a more successful web-based presentation. Feel free to post your own tips, comments, ideas, links or questions by adding comments below.