You know you need a messaging app for business but what features should you be looking for? It’s a common question that lacks a simple answer because much of a company’s needs in an enterprise messaging solution will vary according to industry and business niche. But there are a few general traits and features that you’ll find in the best enterprise messaging solutions.
Cost as a Consideration for Your Business Messaging App
Cost is always a primary and very key consideration when seeking the best enterprise messaging app for your business. Realistically speaking, though, an app could have all the features you need, but if it’s going to be out of the running if the costs are beyond the organization’s price range. For this reason, it’s important to carefully consider your budget for a business messaging app. To determine your budget, consider the following areas.
• How many users will you have? Pricing is often determined by the number of users on the messaging platform. For this reason, it’s important to come into the process with a good idea of user numbers.
• How much data will you be retaining and storing in the cloud? Cloud storage is essential for most companies that are seeking an enterprise messaging solution. The best business messaging apps allow you to export and store messaging data in the cloud, so the amount of data and data retention timeframe will have a dramatic impact on cost. This is an area that is subject to strict regulatory oversight for many industries, such as finance and healthcare, making it an important consideration as you’re shopping the top business messaging app platforms.
• Will the messaging app help you save on costs or improve profitability in other areas of your business? Will it drive sales, improve in-house communications or improve customer experience? Each of these factors has monetary value that must be taken into account as you determine KPIs and ROI for a business messaging solution.
When considering your organization’s budget for a business messaging app, keep in mind that enterprise solutions typically involve a one-time implementation and deployment fee that must be considered in addition to the regular recurring costs.
Enterprise Apps With External SMS Messaging Capabilities
Will the messaging app be used in-house or will it be used to communicate with clients or customers too? If you’ll be using the messaging app to connect with clients and/or customers, you’ll need an app with external SMS messaging capabilities. This allows you to connect with clients in a manner that’s inline with recordkeeping laws and other regulatory requirements.
Business Messaging App Security Considerations
Encryption, firewalls and comprehensive user permissions management are all key security considerations that you’ll need to keep in mind as you consider business messaging solutions for your organization.
Organizations that are subject to regulatory oversight will need to ensure that their chosen messaging system meets the minimum security criteria. This includes the insurance industry and the financial business space and the medical / healthcare fields. The latter must opt for a HIPAA-compliant messaging app.
Additional Features of a Top Business Messaging App
There are a few features and functionalities that ought to be considered as “givens” for the best business messaging apps, such as intuitive user interface, consistent performance and reliable message delivery. But it can be difficult to evaluate these traits without diving in and actually using the app for a period of time. For this reason, it is prudent to take advantage of pre-deployment training so you can simultaneously evaluate the platform and promote user adoption. The best business messaging app developers can provide customization services to address any issues or special needs that are identified.
In cases where a training program is not available, you should seek a messaging app with a trial period and / or perform a limited release of the messaging app to ensure that it’s right for your business and its communication needs. Once the platform is deemed a good fit, a more generalized user training program is recommended to maximize user adoption, and thus, ROI for your new business messaging solution.
7T’s business messaging app, SayHey Messenger® is available in two deployments. An organization can choose between a web app and mobile app for iOS and Android. This user-friendly text messaging platform can also be integrated into a company’s existing enterprise software systems.
Despite the potential challenges of deploying a new business messaging solution, instant messaging remains an key component of the corporate landscape, with instant messaging being one of the most effective tools for business communication. SayHey Messenger® includes the following features and capabilities.
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- Data sovereignty for control and ownership of all messaging data;
- Fully compliant instant messaging for regulated businesses;
- Seamlessly integrates into existing company software platforms;
- Admin portal for moderation, auditing, and inclusivity;
- SayHey Spaces for company-wide broadcasts and team collaborations;
- Engaging, intuitive user interface for incredible adoption rates;
- Send compliant SMS messages to external users with full data retention; and
- Custom UI with your logo, colors and branding elements for a style that’s all yours.
SayHey Messenger® can be deployed in a matter of days too! Contact us today to learn more about SayHey Messenger® and how this business messaging app can help your organization to streamline and supercharge its communications.