Why bother juggling many apps when you can have an all-inclusive solution for seamless communication?
An all-in-one tool can do wonders.
It simplifies your team communication through audio-video calls, schedule management, chat, and seamless integrations.
With many market options available, experts advise being vigilant about specific features and common mistakes when selecting an app.
This blog gives a detailed guide on experts’ insights in choosing the best communication app for your team.
Let’s begin with addressing the most crucial question.
What to consider while choosing a communication app for your team?
The most effective group communication apps offer a blend of some significant advantages.
These apps make your team productive by minimising potential delays.
Experts say you should pick a team communication app based on three important factors.
Factor # 1: Multi-featured
Dan Smirnov, CEO of Tahion.pro, a custom software development company, recommends looking for chat apps with multiple features.
“I am keen to have specific features integrated into the best team communication chat app,” Dan says.
It’s integral to have the convenience of sharing images, videos, and screenshots, Dan says. This is apart from the general audio messaging and group messaging features.
Users favour apps with more than one focal feature.
Take a single-feature communication tool as an example.
If an app helps you chat via text only, you need multiple integrations or new apps for smooth communication.
Multi-feature chat applications foster a comprehensive environment.
They remove the need for your team members to switch between platforms for seamless connectivity.
So make sure you look for applications that offer multiple features. This includes file sharing in different formats, sending audio and video messages, and texting.
A wide range of features will help your team connect and brainstorm ideas seamlessly.
Factor # 2: User-friendly interface
When an app is user-friendly, it helps you get your work done in the shortest time.
A communication app is not user-friendly if it requires you to go through lengthy tutorials to make sense of its interface.
But we also don’t recommend apps that don’t offer guidance, help, or tutorial about the features.
The ideal middle ground is an app that’s functional and simple enough for your team to rely on.
This automatically rules out the complex apps.
A user-friendly communication app means less time to train your employees and new users.
Plus, your team can find information on the app’s portal for speedy answers.
You can find a user-friendly app by exploring and trying multiple communication apps.
This way, you’ll know if the app functions well and whether it has a steep learning curve.
You can also get your team to test the apps to see which one clicks.
Factor # 3: Keep track of communications
According to Don Smirnov, the convenience of viewing, editing, and modifying history is integral for a chat app to qualify among the best ones.
A good communication tool records all the chats between your team members. You can keep these records on localised servers or the cloud, which is easier to sync.
Plus, your app should give you a log of any change made to any data to keep all changes trackable. This feature helps you keep track of any changes.
For example, let’s say your team member shares a file for review with the entire team, and 3 members change it.
A good team chat app will show the timestamps of the changes in a separate window.
This makes it easy for anyone on your team to locate the original file and track the changes.
To see if your chat app offers this option, look for the ‘chat history’ feature in the app’s settings.
Remember to check how long you can save your chat histories.
Many apps will save your chat histories forever. Some apps automatically delete them after a while.
This feature’s usage depends on your team’s requirements.
For example, let’s say your team relies heavily on file sharing and reverts to old documents often.
In that case, you need an app that permanently stores all your old shared files.
Along with these factors, there are certain features that the best communication apps also possess.
Features and capabilities of a great team communication app
Experts emphasise the importance of seeking out an app with various features.
Now, the question arises: What exactly are these features?
While having many features is beneficial, certain ones distinguish the best team communication app from the rest.
Let’s look at a few of these features experts recommend.
Feature # 1: Compatible with different devices
Mathew Pitters, Business Analyst at Randstad Holding, underlines the importance of choosing an app that works well with different devices.
Mathew gave WhatsApp’s example. He says the app is a big success because of its wide range of capabilities and compatibility with most devices.
“Whether you’re using an Android device or a Blackberry or a weird tablet that I don’t even know what it is, you can chat up a storm on WhatsApp,” says Mathew.
Compatibility refers to the ability of two software to work together without modification.
Applications that are compatible with various devices share the same data formats. You can access them seamlessly on all supported platforms.
Your team, especially a remote one, will own varying devices due to location differences, access to tech, and affordability.
That’s why your chosen communication app must function on multiple devices.
Make sure you read the specifications of your communication app.
You will find them on the download page and inside the user manuals, while any potential limitations are also listed in these resources.
Feature # 2: Quick shortcuts with formatting tools
Mathew stresses the importance of decent text formatting tools with quick shortcuts inside chats.
Formatting tools change the format of your text in the app. What could look like a plain boring 10-line text turns into an eye-catching message with different fonts.
To use formatting tools, you may use shortcuts.
Shortcuts are a combined set of steps that help automate your tasks. Your communication app may also allow you to define your shortcuts.
You can still use your communication app even if it doesn’t offer shortcuts or formatting tools.
The app’s core functionality isn’t affected by shortcuts or formatting tools. They only serve to enhance user experience.
Feature # 3: Lightweight app for efficient power and data use
James Barnes, Founder of Jirnexu, recommends looking for a lightweight app that doesn’t slow down your device.
“The two most obvious things are power and data consumption [of the app]. Nobody will want to use a chat app that sucks battery life and data usage,” says James.
Imagine needing to make an important audio call to your team only to find your battery drained after just 3 hours of app usage.
This isn’t just frustrating but also causes unnecessary delays for you.
Eventually, you’ll feel forced to consider other options in the market.
That’s why you must choose a lightweight communication app. This ensures the app won’t occupy excessive space or drain the battery.
The best way is to test-run the app to determine its power and data consumption pattern.
If you see a significant spike, consider switching to an alternative app.
Mistakes to avoid when choosing a team communication app for your team
As you explore the features of your ideal team communication app, you will stumble across many problems stemming from their design.
Below are three basic mistakes to avoid while choosing your team communication app.
Mistake # 1: Apps without cross-platform access
“Many apps don’t allow cross-platform access,” says Smirnov. This can include apps that either run on Android, iOS or the PC.
“That’s why, opt for an app that all team members can use conveniently,” he suggests.
Apps that cross these platform barriers automatically become the default choice because your team doesn’t need to worry about investing in new hardware.
This seamless transition makes adopting the new communication app simple for your entire team.
Mistake # 2: Security and backup
Dan Smirnov wants you to prioritise the app’s security and backup.
“The app should also have the privacy, backup, and recovery feature. Many of us tend to overlook this and some apps may not have this security integration,” says Dan.
Privacy and information backup ensures the safety of your personal information and conversations.
Using a tool without privacy exposes your business and team to hackers and tampering. This can ultimately lead to data loss if there is no backup.
Knowing that the tool ensures secure communication and maintains backup copies gives team members peace of mind.
Even if you accidentally delete the app, you should be able to retrieve the data from its backup.
It is vital to have both features and not just one.
You may find tools with privacy but no backups or limited backups. Or devices with no privacy settings.
In both scenarios, you’ll compromise your data one way or the other.
Mistake # 3: No task management features
Communication apps for teams that don’t include task management are great for chatting and getting things done.
But they aren’t the best for setting deadlines or sharing files efficiently.
As a result, your team may feel bogged down and develop unrealistic expectations.
You might also find yourself going back and forth while arranging meetings and involving all participants.
This could eventually lead to losing track of your communication thread.
To avoid this mess, look for chat apps that allow you to set up meeting times and create schedules and small tasks.
Your team will get to ‘see’ what’s happening.
A team calendar can help your team keep track of important events and organise their schedules.
Considering these potential mistakes, which team communication apps are the best in the market?
Which are the best team communication apps in the market?
Mathew Pitters highlights WhatsApp as his preferred communication app.
He says this is due to WhatsApp’s capability for one-on-one conversations, offline messaging, and convenient shortcuts.
However, Mathew and Dan Smirnov suggest Skype for video chat. That’s because it allows audio messaging, video sharing, group chats, and virtual conferences.
Both communication software offers good advantages.
But you won’t find all these features on one of these apps. You’ll end up juggling between the two apps to ensure a seamless team communication experience.
But what if there’s an all-inclusive, feature-rich app available?
The answer to this question lies in Talk Magnet.
Talk Magnet is a team communication app offering an array of features. This includes audio-video calls, file sharing, one-on-one chatting, and group chats.
This lightweight app lets you send documents without any size restrictions.
WhatsApp offers encrypted and secure data transmission. Talk Magnet goes one step further by providing you with collaboration options.
Skype offers a desktop version, while Talk Magnet offers a web version which can be signed into via the QR code.
Both WhatsApp and Skype have one significant drawback.
They were primarily designed for staying connected with friends and family.
As a result, many users don’t naturally associate these apps with professional conversations.
Still don’t know which one best fits your needs?
Our article on the best team communication apps can make it easier for you.
Communicate seamlessly with Talk Magnet team communication app
As experts suggest, the perfect team communication app should provide various features.
This includes 1:1 chat, group chat, customisation, and voice messaging.
It should also provide you with core functionality. This includes privacy, cross-operability, and a secure environment to exchange ideas.
Without these core features, other aspects become relatively less significant.
Talk Magnet outshines the rest for its wide range of features and integrations.
Book a demo now for a test run of Talk Magnet.
Or sign up for free to start your journey with Talk Magnet today.
