Using a Remote Communication App for Business? 4 Big Questions to Answer Now

Businesses all over the world use apps in their day-to-day operations to ensure everything runs as efficiently and perfectly as possible.

This trend has been around for years but really took off the previous year. As a matter of fact, on March 15, 2020, global downloads of business apps increased by 90 per cent.

The business app you choose will depend on many different factors, but one app any company can benefit from is an internal communications app. All of its functions can meet the essential needs your employees have, you can implement it easily, and reap a lot of benefits.

But before you can do that, you need to ask yourself the following questions on why you need a remote communication app for your business.

What benefits does a remote communication app bring?

With this mobile solution, you can reach all of your employees easily and effortlessly via their smartphones. Seeing as how there are currently 3.5 billion smartphone users worldwide, all of your employees probably have a device that will support a remote communication app.

If you are not sure if this type of solution is the right choice for your business, you only need to look at the benefits it provides:

i). Fosters engagement.

With the right app, your employees will all have a stronger connection with one another and you’ll have a more detailed picture of the people you work with and the entire company. These human connections will skyrocket your engagement.

ii). Provides a plethora of streamlined and relevant content.

Instead of using multiple communication methods, it will be much more efficient to switch to a single internal communications app. One of the reasons why is that it can function as a single source of streamlined content that is relevant and trusted.

iii). Allows you to say goodbye to emails.

While emails are still very necessary within a company, they aren’t very efficient for internal communication. They unnecessarily clutter up your inbox and it is not always practical for an employee to read and reply to emails, especially when they are not at their desk.

iv). It meets the needs of the modern workforce.

The biggest part of the workforce consists of millennials and gen Z workers, and these new generations demand open communication and feedback in the workplace. Younger generations also prefer a mobile-first communication method.

And maybe the most important benefit of a communication app is the ability to grow and scale your business by simplifying your processes. If you are wondering how to scale a business of remote employees, know that your employees’ skills and mindsets are crucial.

However, you should keep in mind that communication is of great importance as well. With such a tool, you will keep your team on the right track and grow your company more efficiently.

What app builder is right for the remote communication application?

With so many different choices, it can be hard to pick an app builder that is easy to use, follows your vision, and meets all of your business needs. You shouldn’t choose a builder because it is popular, but first, use a set list of criteria when making your choice.

In fact, the things you need to consider are:

i). The type of app you are going to make.

There are three types of apps and one of the first things you need to decide is whether you want to build a native, web, or hybrid app. Make sure you are well aware of the benefits and downsides of each type and find a builder that supports the type you chose.

ii). Your budget.

Builders you can find can be free of charge but can also require a yearly subscription or have some hidden costs. The features you want to include will also factor into the price, so make sure you know exactly what you want from your app and how much you are willing to spend on it.

iii). Design of the app.

Most builders already come with a variety of templates and UI customization options anyone can use, and while they are beautiful, they aren’t unique. If you are looking to include things like your logo and a specialized colour palette, you might want to start looking for a designer.

iv). Type of plugins and integrations you want.

Make a list of all the plugins, integrations, and capabilities you want your app to have, and never settle for a builder that doesn’t meet your basic needs.

What type of content and features should I include?

Mobile app development has come so far that there are now a plethora of features that have very practical uses. An app by itself won’t be of much use, but with the right content and features, it has the potential to be an irreplaceable part of your organization.

It is important to adapt communities and project rooms in which team members can work together and store valuable information. A general rule of thumb you should use when choosing the type of content to include is to look at the four main use cases for a business app.

These are information, communication, teamwork, and processes and they help build the basic framework for your app. This is why you need to include four types of content:

• Information content – company knowledge base, employee directory, and SOPs

• Communication content – management blog, local news, corporate and team news

• Collaboration content – ongoing projects, working groups, and communities

• Services content – availability of each employee, meeting room, absence manager, and employee travel services

As for the features your app needs to have, they will depend on your preferences and needs, but one feature you shouldn’t ignore is the push functionality. When an app has push notifications, all users will get a notification on their home screen when something relevant happens.

Push notifications boost app engagement by 88 per cent, but they can also become overwhelming. If a user gets too many of them, they will simply shut this feature off. That is why the distribution of these notifications needs to be target-specific.

How can I get my employees to use the remote communication app?

Ideally, internal communication should never be forced and employees within a company need to have a say on what type of information they want to receive from their employer. Therefore, an internal communications app should never be mandatory.

Of course, your main goal is to have all of your employees use this app voluntarily, and the best way to achieve that is to make sure you provide them with the information they want to see. This information can be related to their work and interests.

As we already mentioned, there are different use cases for every business app, and it is vital to explain these use cases to your team members and why they are relevant. While you shouldn’t force them to start using the app, you should encourage them to do so by showing them why the app will be a more efficient and better way of communication.

Finally, it is also important to make sure everyone in the company who needs to use the app has a device that can run the app. If someone doesn’t have the appropriate device, you can provide one for them.

Using a Remote Communication App

Digital transformation isn’t a thing of the future. Rather, it is happening right now, and cutting-edge technology can make your business shine. The process of digital transformation doesn’t have to be big, even something small like a remote communication app can mean a lot to a company.

With your remote communication app, you can take communication between team members to the next level, reap all of the benefits, and stay connected at all times.