11 Reasons Why A Chat Application Is Great For Business

chat application

Back then, social media was just a platform for users to connect. But now, with the advancement of social media, it has integrated the use of a chat application. It’s an essential but necessary development that paved the way for users to communicate instantaneously on a whole different level.

Also known as a messaging app, a chat application is a platform that enables a user to connect and message another person through the use of their computers or mobile device. To name a few examples of chat applications are Facebook Messenger, WeChat, WhatsApp, and many more.

11 Reasons Why A Chat Application Is Great For Business

Now, as we are living in this device-dependent world, it’s not a surprise why these chat applications are a massive help in making our daily lives more comfortable. We might not see it clearly, but it’s slowly becoming a necessity as many more users are switching into using chat applications to communicate with friends and families from anywhere, even across the globe. All they need to do is have an account and an internet connection.

Why Use Chat Application in Business?

To keep up in this fast-paced world, we need to be able to adapt to constant changes. Communication is one of the most critical factors in any business. And being able to improve these factors are significant in growing a business.

Having a good customer service team is essential to nurture business and consumer relationships. But it’s also helpful to reach your clients where you are. Showing that you are too are evolving can have a significant to your consumers. This aspect shows that you are willing to adapt to various changes to land potential clients.

Furthermore, chat applications allow employees to engage with one another and work together. Teams of workers can share ideas and solve company issues with one click. In the time where people sit at computers all day, it makes sense for conversations to happen there. A chat application is also more efficient for communication versus email. And the main goal of a chat application is to collaborate. This means that its integration can lead to better employee performance and productivity.

Benefits of a Chat Application for Business

While some are still in doubt or having second thoughts into making the shift, here are some of the underlying benefits that a chat application would have on your business:

Speed

A chat application allows you to message or contact a person in real-time. In some cases, it becomes the bridge on where customers, potential leads, prospects could ask inquiries about products or services, and you can respond instantly. This factor alone has a tremendous effect on the productivity of your business and a perfect reason to incorporate chat application for your business.

Familiarity

Businesses started sending emails to customers and potential clients right after they learned that people use chat applications as a means to communicate with friends and family. Likewise, companies had only adopted the use of GIF’s and emojis in their social media posts, emails, and on their website after audiences had started using GIFs and emojis as a different way of communicating with one another.

People nowadays send messages to one another to discuss just about anything. With the growing number of users of social media, businesses could take advantage of using chat applications as their medium in communicating with customers. Almost 70 million businesses are on Facebook right now, and only 20 million of them started sending Facebook messages, it means that there is a considerable gap in the total addressable market. It shows that most businesses aren’t there yet. But when the time comes that they decide to use this platform, we will see a massive increase of integration because of the familiarity of the users with the channel.

11 Reasons Why A Chat Application Is Great For Business

Convenience

You can seamlessly blend a chat application into your everyday agendas. You can reach out or respond to an inquiry from your computer or mobile device, close the app, and return to whatever you are doing. All you have to do is wait for the other party to respond, then reply whenever it’s your turn.

This nature of the channel is extremely convenient for you and your consumers as it allows both parties to receive the full context of the conversation and continue the thread whenever you want.

Segmented Target Advertising

Segmented target advertising is a crucial part of targeting customers.  By using instant messaging for a business, you can share your content either one to one or in a group. Companies take benefit of this feature of messaging apps to enhance their promotional content depending on customer demographics and interests.

Example – In WhatsApp, the maximum limit of adding people in a group is 256, but you can create an unlimited number of groups. The number of targeted people is much smaller, but in these small groups, you have the most engaging and targeted customers.

Increased Productivity

Smartphone applications are a staple in our modern digital world. Everyone has a broad range of apps on their phone, and every notification is another thing to respond to.

While some social media apps are distracting and decrease work productivity, it’s still advisable to have a team messaging or chat application dedicated for work purposes only. This can ultimately increase productivity and improve time management among your staff.

By integrating a chat application for your team, employees now have a channel in which they can communicate with you or co-workers where they can address issues regarding a project or a specific task.

File Storage and Sharing

Developments in chat applications now include the feature to send pictures, sound bites, documents, among other things. This means it can also serve as a backup if ever you are in a situation wherein the main methods didn’t work correctly, or your device broke or got stolen. Having this feature in your chat application allows you to find files that were sent there and retrieve it.

Employee Engagement

Who says that chat applications for business are strictly for business only? Team messaging apps aren’t as dry as email communications. You can create another chat stream that gives colleagues an avenue to share personal information and exciting family news.

Having this separate channel can boost the bond between employees, which can result in better performance. Now, they can feel that their workplace is like their second home, and colleagues are an extension of their family.

Privacy

Chat applications such as WhatsApp, Apple Business Chat, Facebook Messenger, Viber, and Telegram are all direct channels where information is private and secure. Customers don’t have to worry about anyone seeing their private information — including the messaging company itself! Messaging apps with end-to-end encryption offer data protection so secure that you can discuss any customer service issue with no worries.

Saves Money

Chat applications are usually can be developed and utilized with a lite investemnt. You can communicate with any client, customer, or overseas employees with instant messaging solutions without paying for international charges. You can also hire staff in other countries and conduct business internationally. HeroBot is a great example of a low-cost chat application that can save you tons of money and increase your productivity tremendously.

11 Reasons Why A Chat Application Is Great For Business

Easy to Setup

Unlike a conference call, which takes time to set up and everyone needs a number to use, IM is right there to be accessed at any time, and everyone can communicate with it all the time. You can also connect with people who are offsite as well. You don’t have to put everyone from the company in one conference room. It can all be done with a simple through features in a chat application.

Less Troublesome

Compared to a phone call, messaging in a chat application is less disruptive. It’s more difficult to manage several calls at a time than to juggle different chat windows. Chat applications are a better alternative to making phone calls. Leaving a window open could ultimately serve as a reminder to respond to a client or send essential information to a team member.

How Chat Application Can Jumpstart Your Business

Starting a business, whether you are a small-sized or a medium-sized company, could be a lot harder than you think. Many businessmen fail to acknowledge change and the use of technology as tools in helping their companies, which will eventually go downhill from there.

As this may not always be the case, staying open in trying out innovations is what could set you apart from other companies out there. Another difference-maker would be the reach to your market. With everyone being in the online world, it would make sense that using chat applications to communicate with them is the best possible move you can do.

Evolve Your Business with Herobot

A chat application can offer a lot of advantages for businesses. These apps can help take brands to the next level. But with Herobot, you can take these benefits one step further by integrating a chatbot into your chat applications. Along with a dedicated team of professionals, Herobot has the perfect tools that will guide you through the basics of chatbot software. Visit our website at herobot.app for more details.

Ranking the Best Instant Messenger Apps For Business

best instant messenger

Whether you like it or not, instant messaging is now a vital part of doing business in the 21st century. Formal or informal, employees and bosses alike have an easier time communicating with each other in a way that wasn’t possible before. Almost every business in the market right now has utilized these instant messenger apps at some point. And some of the best instant messenger apps have put seamless communication, file sharing, video calls, and screen sharing all in one tiny package. And the best part? They’re free.

And in the time of lock-downs and physical distancing, they’ve become even more reliable. With team members separated and travel options limited, instant messenger apps ensure productivity among employees by maintaining constant communication at all times. These apps are now a common channel that connects employees, whether through one-on-one conversations, invite-only group chats, or public team chats in general. So it’s more important than ever to find the best instant messenger app which you can use for communicating in business.

Ranking the Best Instant Messenger Apps For Business

Communication-Wise: Email vs Instant Messenger Apps

While some may argue that email is still the king when it comes to business communication, these apps beg to differ.

The best instant messenger apps have a lot of things in common. Instant messenger apps are, by default, instant. With a tap of a finger, you can communicate in real-time without the hassle of waiting for a reply email. This feature cuts down on waiting times and enables work to continue without a hitch.

Additionally, one of the benefits of using the best instant messenger apps is they encourage brevity. Whereas an email might require all the pleasantries and formalities, communicating through an instant messaging app is short and sweet. Messages are brief, straight to the point, with no questions asked.

And although both platforms are online, instant messenger apps are much more suited for brainstorming and topics that require on-going communication. You can’t communicate within emails in real-time, which might be an issue if you’re running on a tight deadline. Instant messenger apps provide a solution to this problem, where people can interact and contribute to on-demand conversations immediately.

What Makes A Good Instant Messenger App?

Before you can choose the best instant messenger app, first you have to know what makes a good instant messenger app. Nowadays, millions of people communicate through these platforms, so it’s no surprise that businesses have gotten wind of the trend as well.

Here are some key features to look out for in finding the best instant messenger app:

Push Notifications

Instant messenger apps are called instant for a reason–they relay messages in real-time. So they must have push notifications that notify the user when messages arrive. 

Real-time Connection

It’s known that the best instant messenger apps are the apps that can send and receive messages immediately. This is one of the core features of messaging apps in general, and are a must-have to compete with the best instant messenger apps on the market.

Group Chats

One-on-one conversations are no longer enough. With the rapidly-evolving state of technology, multitasking is a must for people in this day and age. The group chats feature in instant messenger apps is not only necessary, but it’s also beneficial in bridging together employees.

Ranking the Best Instant Messenger Apps For Business

Free Voice & Video Calls

As the new channel for communication, instant messenger apps should contain free voice and video calling features. It should remove the need for charging network carrier fees, as the apps are connected online.

Multimedia Support

Communication is not limited to words, so instant messenger apps should have the option for multimedia attachments like photos, videos, files, etc. This feature opens new avenues for users to interact with each other, apart from conventional means.

The Best Instant Messenger Apps For Business Ranked

Every instant messenger app is unique in its own way, but there is a notable handful of which are great platforms to use for business.

1. Facebook Messenger

With over 2 million active users a month, Facebook Messenger is a no-brainer for communication. You can send messages, videos, GIFs, files, and audio recordings to stay connected with team members. What’s more is that Facebook Messenger is connected to your Facebook account, so it’s merely a matter of downloading the app and logging in.

Additionally, Facebook is one of the most prominent social media platforms to date, and it also houses most online businesses that are trying to make a living online. You can connect with customers easier on Facebook Messenger as you get to meet customers from where you are, while still maintaining communications with team members. This makes it one of the best instant messenger apps on the market.

Recently, Facebook Messenger also released a new feature called Messenger Rooms, which is an upgrade to their video calls that can support up to 50 people at a time.

2. Slack

This team-oriented messaging app has made waves across companies and casual users due to a mix of messaging, management tools, and app integration. Slack covers the basics of instant messaging while also supporting multimedia features like file sharing and group messaging tools.

Furthermore, the app features a system of chat channels that allows you to set subgroups for task or topic-oriented discussions. Slack also archives your communications, allowing you to search through old messages, channels, and shared files, and is integrated with services like cloud storage and Zendesk.

3. Viber

Rakuten-owned Viber is an instant messenger app that’s easy to set-up, offers a variety of messaging options, and uses your phone number as a login. The app can also sync up with your phone contacts to locate friends that are currently using Viber.

This instant messaging app can send texts, stickers, GIFs, photos, audio recordings all for free when it comes to fellow Viber users. However, the Viber Out feature lets you call non-Viber numbers and landline phones worldwide (for a fee).

New updates now introduced a self-destructing message feature that is only available in secrets chats in a one-on-one conversation.

4. Microsoft Teams

If your company already uses Microsoft’s Office 365, then you could do just as well with Microsoft Teams, the tech giant’s productivity-oriented messaging app.

This app offers a plethora of features, ranging from chat channels, group chats, to video and voice calls and file sharing. It also allows customizable chats and integration of Office suite tools, while replete with security and compliance features. Although, Teams does require users to have an Office 365 account.

5. BBM Enterprise

All of us remember the Blackberry mobile. While its days are long and gone, the Blackberry messaging platform would not be forgotten. So, if you miss the days when Blackberry is the most popular, then BBM Enterprise is right for you.

Ranking the Best Instant Messenger Apps For Business

BBM Enterprises allows users to send, edit, retract, delete or even set a timer on messages, along with a reading receipts feature. Apart from the usual multimedia features, you can also share files, your location, and connect through video or audio calls.

6. Band

For a less formal and business-like form of messaging and collaboration, then Band is perfect for you. It’s an instant messenger app which also doubles as a coordinated platform for more informal groups like family or friends or even study groups.

Here, users can make custom groups where they can invite friends and post announcements on a common board. The app also provides more focused private group chats where members can share files, create polls, upload photo albums, etc. It also a shared calendar feature so participants can stay updated with tasks.

7. Telegram

Telegram is aimed squarely at the security-conscious user with end-to-end encryption where only you and your recipient can see it. What it boasts is a quick, encrypted messaging service for both personal and private chats. The instant messenger also features a group chat function that can hold up to 200 users at a time.

Communication is what drives people, what drives ideas, and what drives opportunities. This is why communication continuously challenges the bounds of modern technology, in order to transform it to a platform that is convenient and accessible to all. It’s this particular drive that gave birth to the development of the best instant messenger apps

These apps keep individuals and brands connected through speedy transfer of information. And when it’s used effectively, it opens a vast network of connections available at everyone’s fingertips.

Given the situation that we are facing, it is crucial to be able to connect to people as often as possible to check on them. While the best instant messenger apps serve as bridges in communicating, it is also vital that we know how to use them properly. Take time to update it regularly to maximize the use of old and new features that can take your conversations into a unique experience.

Create The Best Chatbot For the Best Instant Messenger

The best instant messenger deserves the best chatbot to go along with it. Reach your customers faster and convert more leads with our quality chatbots. Both these technologies combined will surely put you two steps ahead of the competition. Contact us at Herobot.app for more details.