Companies utilize Chat API to help engage with new leads and customers, either during the sales process or to offer live chat support. This has been extremely useful in developing customer trust and building a reliable online store, app, or business. On the other hand, some companies take advantage of a chat API to initiate a collaborative chat environment. As a result, everyone within the organization is in sync with new chat updates, allowing a seamless way to communicate with staff from within and outside their department.
It has started to gain traction, and its popularity increases the more people are developing mobile apps or mobile versions of their website. With these things being said, let’s discuss the benefits and the disadvantages of using chat API for your online app and business.
Pros
1. Attract and Retain More Customers
Whether you have an app that has already gained traction and is known by your target audience, you can always attract more customers by integrating an in-app chat feature into it when you allow your app users to chat with your staff (or with other members) directly, your chances of getting more customers increases.
If you go through various uses of chat API, it has been proven over time that apps with an in-chat feature have a significant effect on the customers as they feel more valued when they know that they can open live chat support directly and have their issues resolved or questions answered in real-time.
On the other hand, it can also be used in helping retain more customers by again providing the support they needed. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in. You can always find multiple ways to provide support and offer chat assistance to help attract and retain new customers. The key point is always giving customers a chance to connect with the business, which will help you get there.
2. Easy and Affordable To Install
For some businesses, the first thing that comes to their mind when incorporating in-chat support on their app is that it needs a lot of work, not to mention the additional costs that come with it. The truth is, if you find a good chat API with superb customer service, incorporating it into your app, whether it be an iOS or Android app, is seamless. In addition, most chat APIs are free, with minimal fees to install and enjoy all the other features. This is a small investment that every business should take advantage of.
3. Fully Customizable and Can Incorporating Branding
Not all businesses are alike, and each mobile app may have its requirements to build its in-app chat feature. Chat APIs make it easier to incorporate your theme and design and fully customize it depending on your needs. For example, if this is for live chat support on the website, you can make it as simple as you want, and you can enable sending of files if used within the company to communicate with different teams and departments.
Cons
1. Overwhelming at First
Those who don’t have any idea how APIs are integrated can be pretty overwhelming for some people. They may require an expert to perform the integration and to make sure that everything is running smoothly. This includes customization, incorporating plugins and extensions, and ensuring that it has the features you want from a chat application. The good thing about this is that most chat APIs have superb support, allowing you to get in touch with them to help you out.
2. Additional Cost to Man the Live Chat
This is an additional investment that one has to make. You’ll need someone is available to make sure that all concerns and chats are being answered. Depending on the number of traffic your app has, you may require one or multiple chat representatives to deliver. On the good side, it still pays to make this investment as the benefits you’ll get are far better than having no live chat support in your app at all.
Is installing chat API good for your business? First, determine what your requirements are and weigh the pros and cons listed above. Then, carefully review all your options, find out which chat API companies can provide your needs at a minimal cost, make a list, compare, and take it from there.
