want instant responses to their queries.
According to a report, 42% of people prefer live chat over other forums.
And companies have now understood the importance of live chats, which is why they have
started enabling this functionality into their application.
Through the live chat option, you can interact with your audience in real-time on the website or
application itself, and solve their queries instantly.
So, are you planning to add a live chat feature to your application?
Read this article till the end to get detailed insights on live chat and how to enable it.
Let’s start!
What is live chat?
In 1973, live chat was first introduced by Brown David R. Woolley, and he named it Talkomatic.
It has evolved over the years, and now it allows you to chat concurrently with multiple users. It is
a high-end version of chat where you can share photos, videos, gifs, and also emojis.
Some popular live chat applications are:
- Apple’s Messages
- Skype
- Google talk
- Windows Live Messages
Benefits of live chat
1. Communicate with multiple users at the same time
The most important feature that live chat offers its users is the ease of communication with
multiple users at the same time.
2. Can keep an eye on the conversation
Through the live chat option, you can keep the history of all the messages and files exchanged
between users. This allows the Administrator to keep an eye on the messages and also helps
them analyze the team’s performance.
3. Sharing and Media Storage
You can share photos, videos, docs, and links through the live chat option; and the data shared is
stored in your phone or PC’s gallery, whichever you are using. It helps in keeping files in one
place and you can share an unlimited number of files.
How to enable live chat?
There are two methods through which you can enable live chat in your application.
1. Hosted live chat service: For this, you are required to buy a hosting service from a service provider. It is a very simple
way through which you can set up a live chat option in your application.
You have to just place a code snippet in the app through SDK, and after completing this process
your users will be able to access all the live chat options.
Besides, the hosted company will also offer you all the maintenance support.
Some examples of hosted live chat services are:
- PubNub
- QuickBox
- LiveChat
- Applozic
Advantages of hosted live chat services
- Easy to install: You don’t require high tech coding with a hosted live chat service. All
the technical work will be done by the service provider, and you will have to just place a
code snippet.
- Maintenance Support: Perks of having a paid live chat service is that you don’t have to
work about its maintenance. It will all be done by the service provider.
Disadvantages of Hosted live chat service
- Lack of customization: One major drawback of a hosted live live chat service is
the lack of customization. If you want anything to change, then you have to
contact the service provider for support.
- It is on the Pricier side: Hosted live chat services are on the pricier side as they
take care of everything on the live chat app. So, the company charges according to
the number of active users using the live chat.
2. Self-Hosted Live Chat option
A self-hosted service provider gives the source code, and then you can make all the
customization you want in your app.
This might look cheaper than hosted services, but it takes much more time and energy to set up
your live chat. In addition, you are responsible to handle every maintenance issue.
To keep everything together, you need engineers and developers in your company who can
handle your live chat.
Advantages of Self-Hosted live chat services
- Freedom of customization: Self-hosted services only provide you with a source code,
and after this, all the work can be taken over by your team.
You can make as much customization as you want without taking help from any of your
live chat service providers.
Disadvantages of Self Hosted live chat Services
- No maintenance expectations from the live chat service provider: If you are already
having an experienced team of developers, then this would not be a problem for your
application.
Points to consider before selecting a live chat service
1. It should provide access to rich media content
Texting has now evolved with more people sending gifs, emojis, stickers, audio, video, etc., and
these are categorized as rich media content.
Your live chat service provider should offer all the rich media content so that people not just type
messages in your app, but they get all the high-end features as well.
2. Protocol Independence
The digital sphere is very dynamic, and new features are coming up every day. It is your
responsibility to choose a message software that is ready to evolve and adapt to this always
changing environment.
3. Hosted vs Self-hosted
In between self-hosted and hosted, you need to choose a plan which fits your business
requirement.
So, if you have a good budget, and don’t want any additional responsibility related to your live
chat app, then a hosted service is the best option for you.
But, if you have budget constraints and can build an internal team then go for self-hosted.
4. Customer support
Having a customer support service is a very important feature to consider before choosing a live
chat service provider.
A business is a full-time job, and you don’t want it to suffer from any external losses. Look for a
live chat service provider that gives 24*7 customer support, which will allow you to take their
expert advice in case of any problem.
Some of the best live chat Service Providers
1. LiveChat
LiveChat came up in 2002, which focuses on helping companies connect with the
customer through live chat and is a hosted live chat service.
It allows you to share all rich type content during the live chat. You can also send targeted
messages through LiveChat, allowing you to customize your live chat app according to
your need.
You can see detailed reports and analytics in your dashboard, which includes data
summary, data export, chat reports, customer report, etc.
LiveChat is a secure live chat service provider, and it protects all the conventions by SSL encryption.
You can also set automatic messages and scripted messages in your chat bar.
2. MongooseIM
MongooseIM provides a self-hosted live chat service. It is perfect for apps that have a
high volume of users. MongooseIM supports users anywhere from 1,000 to 1,00,000.
Unlike other self-hosted service providers, MongooseIM provides a source code but also
helps the enterprise in installing the code in their application.
MongooseIM offers you to customize your chatbox by providing the source code, and it
will give you full access to use them.
If you have a large enterprise with high volume users, MongooseIM is one of the best
options to choose from. It gives a high performing live chat service with a customer
support team that will help you install it.
3. PubNub
PubNub is a hosted service provider that helps in connecting with users in real-time. It is
used by big companies like McDonald’s, Adobe, and Coca-Cola.
The messages sent reach the other person in 80100ms, despite their location. It is a
reliable live chat service provider that is very easy to use and can be scaled massively.
It is easy to set up and provides a 99.999% availability guarantee. It has 70+ SDKs for
the proper functioning of the application.
PubNub has all the necessary features that you can include in your chat functionality, and
it offers customization if you wish to add anything new.
4. Pusher
And the last service provider that we will talk about is Pusher. It provides a hosted live chat service
functionality that has a very versatile API and SDKs for all languages.
It is a very secure platform with high encryption features. The platform also provides a
debug tool that gives a live view of your dashboard, helping you to identify errors faster.
Conclusion
Enabling a live chat option gives your application an edge and allows you to have a connection
with your users and prospective customers. There are two methods you can choose from between
hosted and self-hosted, and then go for an efficient chat service according to your business needs
and budget.
Contact the App-Scoop Vancouver Mobile App Developers for further details.
https://app-scoop.com/contact-us.html
