Here are two things you can do to improve your presentation slides today. It doesn't matter whether you use PowerPoint, Keynote, Prezi, or something else. It also doesn't matter whether you present in a room or in a web conference.
1) Eliminate periods
If you see periods at the end of your text, it is almost certainly a sign that you have too much verbiage on your slide. Slides are no place for complete, well-formed, grammatically correct sentences. Pretend you're writing an old-time telegram, where you have to pay by the word. What's the least you can write and still convey the key concept that you will flesh out with more detail in your talk? In general, the only excuse for a period is in a direct quote.
2) Use short URLs
I see slides all the time that include full links to reference information, copied from the address bar of the author's web browser. Things like:
For more information, visit https://www.national-historical-archives/information/supplements/the-1880-treaty/page3.html
What, exactly, do you expect your audience to do with that… retype it into their web browser? In most cases, nobody will ever get a clickable, interactive version of your presentation. If that reference link is supposed to have value for your listeners, make it useful. Get familiar with a URL shortening site and use it. Always. There are plenty out there. They are free and easy to use. I use https://bit.ly quite a lot. And don't just rely on the automatic gibberish address they generate by default. Customize your shortened link to make it memorable, relevant, and shareable:
For more information, visit bit.ly/1880treaty
Now your slide content has usable value.
You don't have to be a presentation design wizard to make your display visuals more impactful. Little things mean a lot.
