Let nothing distract from your story! Here are four ways to get a clean, professional background while telling online:
1) Position yourself in front of a blank wall or a tidy bookshelf.
The background should contrast with your skin
colour and clothing.
Stand at least 3' away, to reduce shadows.
Be sure to face a light or window.
2) Buy a commercial backdrop.
Pop-ups are simple to set up and don't take up much space.
Frames are more effort, but they allow you to change what's behind you: hang a tablecloth, a bedspread, a commercial photography backdrop or even curtains.
Try hanging some knit or polar fleece fabric; it looks smooth and doesn't need ironing!
3) Improvise!
A garment rack, or even a clothesline can be draped with fabric.
You can make a frame out of PVC plumbing pipe.
Try a screen or room devider.
4) Virtual backgrounds
These fun options come with some teleconferencing software....but beware: unless you have a fast computer, great lighting and uncluttered surroundings, your image may flicker in and out while you tell.
Quick gestures tend to blur as the computer struggles to keep up with your movements.