{"id":31787,"date":"2021-07-28T21:28:32","date_gmt":"2021-07-28T11:28:32","guid":{"rendered":"\/au\/en\/blog\/video-chat-apps\/"},"modified":"2023-01-13T23:21:47","modified_gmt":"2023-01-13T13:21:47","slug":"video-chat-apps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/au\/en\/blog\/video-chat-apps\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Video Chat Apps For Your Team’s Productivity"},"content":{"rendered":"

In days gone by, meetings took a completely different form. While some businesses have been using video technologies for many years, meetings were conducted at a physical conference table in a brick-and-mortar meeting room.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since 2020, the world of work has changed irrevocably, and virtual meetings have revolutionised how we conduct our day-to-day business operations. Arguably the most advantageous change we have seen for businesses during this period of turmoil has been the increasing use of cloud-based and agile technologies to enable remote working.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Video has become one of the most impactful solutions in allowing teams to continue to connect as part of a disparate workforce.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether you use video technology to catch up with friends in your leisure time, or you need to conduct work meetings via video, the video conferencing boom isn\u2019t set to slow down. Popular video conferencing platform, Zoom, expects sales to increase by <\/span>40%<\/strong><\/span><\/a> by the end of the year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As remote working becomes commonplace, businesses are putting the measures in place so that teams can collaborate, conduct meetings, and get work done from wherever they are in the world. The first port of call will be a robust, secure video chat app to facilitate smoother virtual meetings for many companies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Video chat definition<\/b><\/h2>\n

Video chats can take the form of several different online, visual communications. Essentially, a video chat is an online communications session performed via video and over the internet using a webcam or mobile device camera and dedicated video software.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re using FaceTime to catch up with family or webinar software at work to deliver product demos, video chat has become part of everyday life. During the past year, families and friends have taken video chat apps such as FaceTime, WhatsApp Video, or apps such as Houseparty, whose download growth <\/span>increased by 500% between the 2nd of March and the 9th of March 2020<\/span><\/a>. Many of us have become accustomed to using cameras with technologies and social media channels such as Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. Conducting video chats has become a staple part of our everyday lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Commonly described using the terms \u2018video calling\u2019, \u2018video chatting\u2019 and \u2018video conferencing\u2019, visual communications has become a go-to method of conducting meetings, webinars, conferences and training sessions remotely.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A video call used to mean an exchange between two participants. Advancements in technology now mean businesses can host large-scale events with any number of online attendees. As long as participants have access to a functioning camera, microphone and access to the same video software, colleagues can meet, make use of a messaging function while they\u2019re on the call, and conduct work from wherever they are, on any device.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Benefits\/advantages of using video chat apps<\/b><\/h2>\n

Video calling can have a huge impact on your business bottom line, making users more efficient, streamlining workflows, and allowing a cost-effective and scalable way to make meetings possible in a virtual working environment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Breaking down some of the major advantages of implementing a video conferencing solution, we\u2019ve highlighted some of the best ways your business will see a change.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Improved communications\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

While many feel that working remotely can make workers feel more isolated, video calling software can actually help break down barriers if technologies are used smartly. A reliable video chat app can provide an accessible way to connect with colleagues and get valuable face time despite being physically separated from colleagues.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As many of us process visual information better than via voice calls or messaging, being able to take advantage of video technology with features such as Screen sharing and whiteboarding can hugely improve the quality of your team communications.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Efficiency<\/b><\/h3>\n

Being able to switch seamlessly from instant messaging straight into a one-to-one video call or group chat in a single click means teams can troubleshoot, discuss challenges and complete work projects and tasks together much more quickly than ever before.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eliminating the need to go into the office just because there\u2019s a meeting in the diary that day, teams can work from wherever they feel most productive and still turn up for the meetings or group video calls where necessary. That means connecting with partners, customers, suppliers, and colleagues has never been easier and frees up valuable time for workers to focus on deep work and complete tasks more efficiently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Better attendance<\/b><\/h3>\n

With traditional meetings, organising participants to gather everyone at the same place simultaneously for group calls can be troublesome. With co-workers working across different office locations, and clients and partners travelling from disparate sites, the logistics of organising a physical, in-person meeting can be hugely time-consuming in itself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With video meetings, workers no longer need to be in the same physical location. All they need is access to the software via a desktop or mobile device and access to wi-fi. That means it\u2019s more difficult for colleagues to shirk a meeting, and video meetings are generally less disruptive, which results in better attendance rates for every meeting. What\u2019s more, if anyone does miss a meeting, most video software now includes a recording function so that participants can catch up on the meeting in their own time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Talent retention<\/b><\/h3>\n

Using better technology that enables better productivity and makes workers’ day-to-day lives easier can result in better employee engagement. Using a reliable video chat solution for meetings enables businesses to provide more flexibility and agility for their staff. With many workers looking to continue working remotely, having the tools at their fingertips that facilitate a better work\/life balance will make them more inclined to stay loyal to their place of work in the long term. Giving employees better control over their daily routine and empowering them with tools designed for a more efficient, digital workplace will mean you\u2019re more likely to retain talent and also attract great new candidates to join the workforce.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Top video chat features to have in the new decade<\/b><\/h2>\n

There is a wealth of video chat apps on the market, and not all of them are cut from the same cloth. While many may seem similar, there are some different types of video platforms built for completely different purposes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many of the video chat apps we have encountered, particularly free versions, were built for personal or leisure usage. Apps such as Google Duo, FaceTime and the messenger app WhatsApp have enabled face-to-face connections for a long time now, and apps such as Houseparty and Heads Up gained great traction during the past 14 months. While these are great for reconnecting with friends and family, for social gatherings and virtual events, many of them would fall short when it comes to business use, as they lack some of the crucial features that workers need to gather context in real-time, collaborate on projects, and generally meet in a professional virtual environment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that home working is commonplace, it\u2019s crucial to leverage software that facilitates productivity and effective communication in a virtual working environment. Certain features will emerge as essential functionality for teams looking to collaborate seamlessly and productively via video in the next decade:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n