Your Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Chat API Service

Did you know that an average internet user’s attention span in 2000 was 12 seconds – a figure that dropped to a measly 8 seconds in 2015! 

Recent studies suggest that this decline in attention span is a result of information overload. So, in order to be effective, you need to cut through the noise and offer instant value. And given that you have only a couple of seconds to make such an impact, the last thing you want is your customers to jump through hoops while nursing a query or seeking information. 

As a result, real-time and instant chat emerges as the best solution to capturing attention and maintaining engagement levels. But with the flood of options available, choosing a chat API solution can get really tricky, especially since a lot depends on their performance and delivery!

Luckily, we have a handy guide on choosing the best chat API service. Read on to know more.

What to Consider While Choosing a Chat API Provider?

Chat could potentially be the first point of contact between your business and a prospect. Naturally, you need to make a solid impression right off the bat. And to achieve this effect, you need to build a chat interface that invokes curiosity and performs par excellence – something that your chat SDK and API providers should focus on. 

On that note, the following are some high-level considerations to bear in mind while making this choice:

1. Skill and Relevant Experience

If you work in healthcare, your chat requirements would be vastly different from a solution built for the BFSI industry. 

Hence, your primary objective would be to ensure that the chat API provider is experienced in your business segment. They should be eager and willing to understand your unique expectations while also keeping the standard industry best practices in view. At the same time, they should possess the requisite skillsets to fulfill the requirements and deliver accordingly.

2. Multi-Platform Coverage

Most businesses would want to leverage all channels, from web to Android/iOS, to enjoy greater reach. Additionally, you may also leverage different forms of communication, such as 1-on-1 conversations, group chats, or open public discussions.

Unless you are willingly limiting your growth to a specific channel, device, or type, you need a chat API service that can cater to an array of platforms. The resultant multi-platform, multi-conversant, device-agnostic coverage will stimulate your business’s growth.

3. Scalability in Chat

Certain businesses may notice seasonal spikes or peak activities driven by multiple factors. And when you are enjoying popularity at this scale, it would be a shame to watch the chat functionality fizzle out at such a critical juncture! However, if your chat API solution offers scalability across channels and devices, you can enjoy reliable uptime regardless of the audience size.

4. Customization Capabilities

Uniqueness is an understated differentiator when it comes to gaining a competitive edge. Businesses require personalization, which could be as basic as including the logo to as complex as following specific algorithmic scripts – and it all starts with a customizable chat API that makes it happen. Hence, look for a service that can adapt in line with these requirements.

5. Security and Compliance

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being ‘not important at all’ and 10 being ‘very important,’ data privacy scores a convincing 7.9.

The message is loud and clear – security, data privacy, and safety are of utmost concern for all individuals. So by extension, you want a responsible chat API service that treats data as a sacred asset.

6. Reporting and Analytics

Given that you are investing time, money, and effort into the chat application, you would want it to last you a good long time and drive results. And you can only introduce improvements or track metrics when you work with real-time performance measuring and analytics tools.

Thus, the chat API should come equipped with dashboards and report generation capabilities to make use of valuable feedback.

Concluding Thoughts

About 63% of internet users are more likely to return to your website if you offer real-time chat functionality. This figure can make one fully comprehend the impact of extending such an option, thereby making a solid case for practicing prudence while choosing a chat API service. Use the guide shared above as a jumping-off point, and you will be heading in the right direction.