{"id":48547,"date":"2021-07-22T09:04:48","date_gmt":"2021-07-22T16:04:48","guid":{"rendered":"\/us\/en\/blog\/?p=48547"},"modified":"2025-03-13T06:20:37","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T13:20:37","slug":"how-to-choose-a-chat-app","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/how-to-choose-a-chat-app\/","title":{"rendered":"How to choose a team chat app for your small business"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Looking for a chat app that helps your team stay in touch, wherever they work? You&#8217;ve come to the right place.<\/p>\n<p>In the world of hybrid work, communication reigns supreme. If folks in the office can&#8217;t easily reach team members working at home, and vice versa, tasks are bound to fall through the cracks. That&#8217;s time (and money) wasted, and small businesses know that every penny counts.<\/p>\n<p>You might think any old instant messaging system will do the job just fine&#8230; and you might be right. But you&#8217;d be surprised how much a feature-rich, reliable chat app can transform the way you work. So let&#8217;s dive in.<\/p>\n<p>Today, we&#8217;ll break down:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#one\">The business benefits of a great team chat app<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#two\">5 tips to choose the right team chat app for your business<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#three\">Read more: Free team chat apps to try<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udcac\u00a0 Team messaging checklist: <\/strong>Don&#8217;t overlook these must-have features.<\/p>\n<div class=\"download-form-widget standart-download-form\" data-url=\"https:\/\/netstorage.ringcentral.com\/documents\/team_messaging_platform_checklist.pdf\" data-id=\"6a0b182e9523c\" id=\"6a0b182e9523c\">\n\t\t<button tabindex=\"on\"  on=\"tap:6a0b182e9523c.toggleClass(class='open')\" class=\"open-modal-download-action download-form-button\" type=\"submit\">\u2705  Get the checklist<\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-body\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-content\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-title\">\ud83d\udc40 \u200a Get this free checklist to pick the right team messaging app for your business. <\/div>\n<form class=\"download-form SMB\" method=\"post\">\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Full Name\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"text\" name=\"fullname\" placeholder=\"Full Name\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"text\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"email\" autocomplete=\"on\" name=\"email\" placeholder=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"email\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"popup_form\" value=\"1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"Lead_Entry_Source__c\" value=\"RC Blog\" class=\"download-form-input\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"download-form-submit\" type=\"submit\" data-dl-element=\"button\" data-no-auto-dl=\"true\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\" data-dl-name=\"Get it now\">Get it now<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<button on=\"tap:6a0b182e9523c.toggleClass(class='open')\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\"  class=\"download-form-modal-close\"><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-thank\">Enjoy! <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 class=\"heading h2\"><a id=\"one\"><\/a>The business benefits of a great team chat app<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chances are you\u2019re already aware of what most communication tools have to offer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You know, basic features such as team chat and private chat channels.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, there are key functions \u201cunder the hood\u201d that separate the best team communication tools from the not-so-great ones. Below are some key features to keep an eye on while you\u2019re shopping for tools.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They put all of your communications in one place (including messaging, video, and phone)<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you think of business \u201ccommunication\u201d as little more than email, it\u2019s time to think bigger.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not everything needs to be an email, after all. Want to save time and get more done? Then you&#8217;ll need to be able to communicate via a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/communication-channels\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">variety of channels<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/video-call.html\">video calls<\/a> allow you to experience a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/face-to-face-interactions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">face-to-face interaction<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at a moment\u2019s notice. Need a time-efficient alternative to email chains? Try off-the-cuff phone calls and voice chats. And don\u2019t forget about mobile-friendly features to make sure that you can get in touch with your remote workers and folks on the go. For instance, RingCentral&#8217;s app (designed for Mac, PC, iOS, and Android) lets you flip a call from your computer to your phone (and vice versa) with just a tap:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44983\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/switch-devices.png\" alt=\"switch call from video to phone\" width=\"819\" height=\"488\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Cool, eh?<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After all, the endgame of adopting a team communication app is to reduce your team\u2019s workload and become more efficient in real time, all the while building relationships with your colleagues. That means being able to talk to each other, regardless of where everyone&#8217;s working from.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They actually encourage your team to work together<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can choose the best communication app in the world, but it doesn\u2019t mean much if your team doesn\u2019t actually use it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some team chat apps claim that their goal is to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/email-alternatives\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">eliminate email<\/a> together. That\u2019s a tall order.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>And if we&#8217;re honest, there\u00a0<em>are <\/em>times when email is your best option. No getting around it. Not everything needs to be a meeting, and not everything is urgent enough to warrant an instant message.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That being said, we still think that communication apps need to have features that encourage meaningful <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/collaboration-in-the-workplace\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">workplace collaboration<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, like:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meeting requests and scheduling<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Notifications<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">File storage and document sharing<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-43589\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/file-sharing-in-the-ringcentral-app.gif\" alt=\"file sharing in the ringcentral app\" width=\"800\" height=\"633\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oh, and a low learning curve is also a huge plus for making sure that your team adopts any given tool. If an app is too complex, it\u2019s much more tempting to slide back into communicating the old-fashioned way (even if it\u2019s slower).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They connect with other apps to make your life easier<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the average team is juggling dozens of business tools, the idea of adding yet another to the mix can be daunting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s why choosing the best team communication app boils down to finding something that integrates with and consolidates the tools that your company already relies on.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, any app worth its salt is going to integrate with the likes of Gmail or Outlook. Additional integrations with tools like your payment software or CRM allow your business to create <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/workflow-automation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">workflow automations<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">which can transform your team into a productivity machine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The takeaway here is that choosing the right integrations can help you build a leaner communication stack that doesn&#8217;t make you rely on so many tools. Rather than invest in a dedicated conferencing solution, <em>and <\/em>a video chat app, <em>and<\/em> a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/teams\/overview.html\">team messaging tool<\/a>, find something that can do at least a few things well.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They allow you to communicate with clients and contractors, too<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cTeam\u201d communication doesn\u2019t only mean talking with your immediate coworkers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember what we said about the importance of collaboration? Ideally, your communication app should let you call and chat with colleagues, customers, and other third parties (think: freelancers or contractors) as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Again, your goal is to keep your communication all in one place. Internal. External. All of it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They keep track of your business\u2019s interactions<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the biggest benefits of simplifying your communication stack is that you can more easily track important past conversations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This creates a much-needed sense of accountability (and can also eliminate needless questions and time-wasting conversations).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, let\u2019s say you want to confirm that somebody sent out a meeting request or shared a file. Or perhaps you want to clarify details from a conversation that you had months ago.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With in-app search functionality, you can instantly find the answers without having to chase anyone down. Here&#8217;s how it looks in RingCentral&#8217;s app, as an example:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/rcapp.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-43637\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Search-through-team-chat-1024x601.png\" alt=\"searching through instant messaging history on RingCentral's app\" width=\"1024\" height=\"601\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading h2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"two\"><\/a>5 tips for choosing the best team chat app for your small business<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With so many chat apps available, most businesses could use a helping hand when it comes to narrowing their search. Here are some quick tips to make sure you pick a solution that makes sense for your team.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Start by defining your non-negotiable collaboration features<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First thing\u2019s first: picking and choosing what your team can (and can\u2019t) live without feature-wise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, do you <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">need<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> video conferencing or would it just be a nice added bonus? Does your team share files exclusively in Google Drive (which would make it a must-have integration)?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make a checklist of these features and use them as a starting point when browsing between apps. Be sure to get input from your team members, too.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Pick a tool that makes implementation quick and painless<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The process of implementing a new tool and onboarding employees should be seamless, not a slog.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When researching apps, take a look at what they offer in terms of customer support. For example, do they offer how-tos and video tutorials that walk you through onboarding? Heck, some companies will hold your hand through the entire process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choosing a cloud solution makes the process so much easier, especially among remote teams. Either way, you should be able to get started with any given tool ASAP.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Mind the price tag<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Note that this says &#8220;mind the price tag&#8221; and not &#8220;Choose the cheapest option you can find.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re on a tight budget, we totally hear you. Small businesses especially would probably want to get the most bang for their buck when it comes to software\u2014and communication apps should be no different.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>But as you&#8217;re shopping for software, keep in mind that you can typically go down one of two paths:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Look for only the cheapest tools and apps\u2014which typically are hyper-specific and designed to do one thing<\/li>\n<li>Look for more versatile tools\u2014which typically cost a bit more<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, most people, especially if they&#8217;re on a budget, would choose the first option. Makes sense, but our tip here is to always do the math. If you&#8217;re using five or eight different apps and software, the monthly costs can add up\u2014not to mention the amount of time you and your team would have to spend learning how to use those apps and managing them on a daily basis.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, if you make a conscious decision to streamline your tools, it might pay off in the long run. Plus, even though a certain app might cost you a bit more, if it can replace multiple tools, then that might actually be worth it in the end. Again, you&#8217;d have to do the math.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Confirm that your chat solution is scalable<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a side note, keep in mind that your small business might not be small forever.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most apps either allow for unlimited users <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> allow you to scale up your chat features when you upgrade.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having to switch between tools is both annoying and a drain on productivity, especially once your team members get used to it. If possible, try to choose an app that can grow alongside your company.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. Look into the app\u2019s reputation and track record<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Name recognition isn\u2019t everything, but it definitely separates the best team communication apps from ones that might be buggy down the road.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When in doubt, dig into the app\u2019s reviews and customer stories to better understand just how satisfied their customers really are. If most of what you see is positive and the customers in question resemble your own business, you\u2019re probably in good company.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading h2\"><a id=\"three\"><\/a>Read more: Free team chat apps to try<\/h2>\n<p>We hope this breakdown has helped you see the value in supercharging your team communications. And if you&#8217;re ready to find a chat app that fits your needs (and budget), we&#8217;ve got great news.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the best messaging platforms in the game offer totally free packages, which is music to a small business owner&#8217;s ears. You can learn more about these apps right now \u2b07\ufe0f\u2b07\ufe0f\u2b07\ufe0f<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"rc-bottom-cta rc-bottom-cta__landscape\" style=\"background-color:#FF8800;flex-direction: row-reverse;\">\n<div class=\"bottom-cta-img\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"930\" height=\"700\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Emoji-hero.png\" class=\"responsive-image\" alt=\"The 10 best ...\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"bottom-cta-copy\">\n<div class=\"rc-bottom-cta__text\" style=\"color:ffffff;\">\n<h3\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"rc-bottom-cta__title headline-copy\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>The 10 best free messaging apps for small businesses<br \/>\n<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"rc-bottom-cta__btn-wrapper\" style=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"btn btn-primary btn-lg rc-bottom-cta__link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttitle=\"Read the Blog\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/free-messaging-apps\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-dl-name=\"Read the Blog\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-dl-element=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-dl-additional-info=\"bottom cta banner\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-no-auto-dl=\"true\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tonmouseover=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tonmouseout=\"this.style.backgroundColor='';this.style.borderColor='';this.style.color='';\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>Read the Blog<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Looking for a chat app that helps your team stay in touch, wherever they work? You&#8217;ve come to the right place. In the world of hybrid work, communication reigns supreme. If folks in the office can&#8217;t easily reach team members working at home, and vice versa, tasks are bound to fall through the cracks. That&#8217;s &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":43758,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17901],"tags":[3642,162,38768,8657],"class_list":["post-48547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-leadership","tag-collaboration","tag-small-business","tag-team-chat-app","tag-team-messaging"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v19.3 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to choose a team chat app for your small business | RingCentral Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A powerful team chat app can transform your business... without breaking the bank. 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