How to make your own video chat platforms — A detailed guide
Learn everything about video chat platform development
In present socially-distant times, virtual interactions, especially 1 on 1 video chat, have gained a lot of popularity. Most companies across the globe have incorporated video communication in their business system to instantly connect with customers and conduct team collaborations. Have you been planning to leverage the power of video conferencing too? Well, that’s great! In this article, we shall discuss every aspect revolving around the development of the best video chat app for your business. Stay with us and read on!
How popular is the video conferencing market? — Know the statistics
As per a Statista study, the global video conferencing market is worth 14.6 billion US dollars. In fact, it is predicted that it will almost double by 2026, amounting to a value of up to 27.3 billion US dollars. Given the accelerated growth of technologies, the video calling market is here to stay forever!
If you’ve been thinking of building your video chat app, there is a suite of modern technologies available in the market. However, there are certain points that you need to take care of before development your application:
- Perform research and know your target audience
- Chalk out the features you want to include in your app
- Decide on your technology preferences
- Set a budget as per your business requirements
4 top video chat software that have significant market presence
There are certain video chat applications that are presently popular among audiences and different businesses for carrying out day to day communications. Let us closely look at them one by one:
1. Skype — Always enabling hassle-free meetings
Skype was founded by Niklas Zennstrom of Sweden and Janus Friis of Denmark back in 2003. It is a super efficient live group video chat app that has facilitated conversations for hundreds of millions people. Skype is compatible with different types of devices such as phone, desktop, tablet, Alexa, Xbox, and the web. It allows you to host a video call with upto 100 people at a time and offers multiple new-age functionalities like screen sharing, call recording, live subtitles, and many more.
2. Viber — Find endless communication options
With Viber, you can conduct free and secure calls and messages to anyone and anywhere. It enables you to like and reply to messages in group chats or start a group video or voice call instantly. It works both on mobile devices and desktops. You can easily transfer calls between devices and share screen from desktop in video calls. No wonder Viber is a top-functioning video chat web app.
3. WhatsApp — The most loved chat app among audiences
WhatsApp is a top-notch free messaging app that facilitates smooth and reliable communications all across the globe. It is fast, easy, and also provides you with end-to-end encryption. It is compatible with mobile devices and web browsers. Moreover, WhatsApp also provides you with secure file sharing and encourages hassle-free business collaborations.
4. Zoom — Loved by modern businesses for professional interactions
Zoom is for you. It helps you connect, communicate, and express your ideas so you can get more done together. Zoom is trusted by millions of enterprises, small businesses, and individuals, just like you. Do you know Zoom is ranked #1 in customer reviews. There’s no denying that Zoom has taken video conferencing to the next level. No wonder it is the best video chat app for groups and business teams.
Different Kinds of Video Chat Software
Every business has unique communication requirements. Therefore, before building your app, it is essential that you understand about the various kinds of video chat apps in the market. In this section, we are going to discuss the same.
→Group video messaging app
Group video calls or video conferencing allows two or more than two people to engage in a conversation. All the participants can securely share files with each other over video conference calls. Thanks to advanced technologies, video conferencing is now popularly used for distant learning.
→New-age video calling app
Today’s modern live video call apps come with different modern features such as screen sharing, slideshow, screen recording, and much more. All of these enable smooth team collaborations anytime from anywhere.
→Entertaining video apps
Entertaining video applications enable you to efficiently stream live videos for your audiences and engage in real-time. It also provides you with the option to stream recorded video sessions.
Video chat Platforms: Key considerations you must look at
In order to build a top-notch video call app, it is important that you incorporate some essential aspects in the development process. Let’s discuss some of them in this section.
1. User Interface and Experience
Good UI/UX must be a part of your app development objective. It has a huge role to play in the success of your application. Make sure your UX design is simple and natural. Give it a personalized touch to drive better audience engagement.
2. Backend construction
Backend establishment is another important part of video app development. There are various ways you can manufacture the backend. You can either consider constructing it without preparation or leveraging diverse programming as assistance arrangements to build chat applications.
3. Protocol integration
In order to build an efficient live group video chat app, right protocol integration is indispensable. Now, WebRTC conventions enable you to send live video/audio while using any application. Hence, you must develop a video streaming protocol to make the entire process easier.
4. Thorough testing
Testing is an important procedure that you should follow before launching your video chat website app. Make sure that each line of your code is properly filled. Presence of bugs can lead to video-audio desync or some other major issue which, in turn, can lead to bad customer experience.
5. Skilled development team
The responsibility of developing your app should go into the hands of knowledgeable and experienced developers. It would be better if you invest in an in-house product improvement team. This way, the video improvement process stays under your control.
6. Research on target audience
Last but not least, knowing your audience is a must before you start your video app development process. Perform a research on your target customers and understand their video communication needs. This helps you develop an app that addresses their pain point effectively and makes communication easy for them. With customer-oriented functionalities, your application can gain a lot of popularity.
Want to build the best video chat software? — Basic features you must include
Whenever you start to create your own video chat app, there are some key features that you simply can’t ignore. Let’s learn about them one by one.
→Voice and video calling functionality
Video and voice call integration is the most basic feature that you must include in your chat application. Look at the most essential benefits that your customer would want while engaging in a call over your app. Some of them being status visibility and secure file sharing.
→Group conferencing
In today’s fast-paced digital environment, people look forward to instant communication with their friends, families, and preferred businesses. What better if your app enables them to connect to more than one person at the same time. Quickening conversations for them via video conferencing can make your app popular among audiences.
→Text conversations in real-time
Text interactions have become very much preferable among audiences. It is, undoubtedly, the fastest way to convey your message to the other person. Including this feature in your video chat web app helps you become more accessible for your customers.
→End-to-end encryption security
Security should be one of your priorities while designing your video chat application. Hence, make sure that you incorporate end-to-end encryption in your application.
→Push notifications feature
Push notifications enable users to engage and re-engage with your application. They help you forward real-time updates and reminders about your brand to your customers and encourage them to interact with your business.
Offer advanced features in your video chat website app to stand out from the crowd
To make your app move to the top, it is important that you incorporate new-age features into your app. In this section, we are going to closely look at them one by one.
→Screen sharing
This feature makes it easier to collaborate with your teammates. You can easily conduct presentations in a virtual work setup and make communication as transparent as possible. Moreover, you can also use it to showcase product demonstrations to your audience.
→Virtual background
It helps you conduct interactions, no matter where you are. You can easily cover your video background by different virtual setups. This will enable you to stay professional even in a remote work environment.
→Noise cancellation
This is one more modern feature that you should consider including in your app. It allows you to avoid external disturbances while you engage in conversations and clears the way to hassle-free communications.
→Emojis and stickers
These functionalities help you to add a fun element to your application. Users can engage in any conversation in a creative manner. This can keep them entertained and glued to your app and boost your app popularity.
Wondering how to make a video chat application in android, iOS, or the web? — Use the power of modern video chat software
Building a video chat app is not a one day process. However, you can quicken the app development process with the help of third-party APIs and SDKs. Here is a list of some of them.
1. MirrorFly — #1 Video chat technology
MirrorFly enables you to build a real-time chat app that performs on Android, iOS, & Web. It is recognized as the the #1 video calling API for custom mobile apps. MirrorFly has over 150 communication features. From determining the ideal building blocks, experts’ in-depth involvement in choosing the right technology stack — MirrorFly gets it all covered. Let’s have a look at some of its top features.
Highlights:
- Peer to peer virtual communication
- Picture-in-picture across devices
- Live call recording
- Multiple conference scheduling
- Lobby and waiting room
- End-to-end encryption
- Active speaker mode
- Low latency & many more
2. Apphitect — Top video chat software with 50 million downloads
Apphitect is UAE’s Leading Mobile App Development Since 2008. It has successfully delivered 600+ apps and provides you with white-label messaging, audio, and video solutions. Apphitect builds mobile applications & provides best in class customization services for apps of various industries in UAE & across the globe.
Highlights:
- 100% customizable
- One-time license cost
- On premise/on cloud
- Push notifications
- Secure file transfer
3. Acquire — Digital customer engagement starts here
Acquire is trusted by hundreds of innovative companies across the globe. It allows you to create a modern and engaging customer experience. It also enables your business to conduct real-time conversations. Acquire is of the vision that every organization can fundamentally transform itself by changing the way it communicates with customers.
Highlights:
- Live video call
- Audio chats
- Push notifications
- Instant messaging
- Complete secure
4. Agora — Facilitates real-time engagement
Agora’s Video SDK makes it easy to embed real-time video chat into web, mobile, and native apps. Be it dating apps or online gaming applications, wedding showers to happy hours, Agora Video Call SDK enables one-to-one or small-group video chat connections without any hassles. No wonder Agora is a lead group video messaging app.
Highlights:
- Live video interaction
- Screen sharing
- Intelligent video resolution
- AI powered noise cancellation
- 10,000 minutes FREE every month
5. EnableX — Top video chat technology built for developers
With EnableX, you get carrier-grade, customizable and AI-enabled solutions for secured business communications without any additional infrastructure. The EnableX video chat software gives you everything you need to successfully build video experience into your applications. It provides you with the building blocks and flexibility to build highly scalable and unsurpassed video experiences that excite.
- Live video call
- Interactive broadcast
- Breakout rooms
- Screen share
- Waiting lobby
You can choose the video chat API best suited to your unique business requirements. These days, video chat apps are being built by almost every industry. Every business wants to keep its communication process smooth. Here is a list of different industries that leverage video chat apps:
Highlights:
- Healthcare
- Financial solutions
- Ecommerce
- Fitness
- Education
- Field services & many more
Don’t miss out on the best monetization models for your video chat app
Once you’ve developed the app, it is important that you think of ways to garner revenue from the same. There are different monetization strategies that you can incorporate into your application. Some of them are as follows:
- In-app payment
- Pay-per-download
- Sponsorship
- Subscription
- In-chat advertisement
Conclusion
We hope our article helped you understand the major points associated with a video chat app. We recommend you to perform a detailed research on the type of technologies. Select one that suits your business requirements and stay connected with your audience and team members without any obstacles. So, wait no more! Start your live group video chat app development process today. We wish you all the success!
