In 2020, the importance of online communications escalated more than ever, especially in video chats. According to a report, the video conferencing market is predicted to grow at over 19% CAGR by 2026. As a result, online video calls are forming a major part of business communications. The right video call app can help you move up the ladder of business brilliance. Here we shall discuss the best ways to build a custom video chat app to help you stand out from the crowd.
Varieties of Popular Video Calling Apps
There are quite a few types of video calling apps that attracted attention in the ever-growing digital times. Some of them being chat apps, entertainment apps, and business apps. So let us dig deep into them one by one to help you gain a better understanding of their popularity:
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Chat apps
The key purpose of chat apps is instant messaging. Video calling is just an add-on feature of chat apps. There is a limitation to the number of members who are eligible to participate in video conferences. However, the time duration stays unlimited. Some of the best examples of chat apps are WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, and many more.
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Entertainment apps
These kinds of video call apps help organize virtual parties and events. With the help of an entertainment app, you can create a virtual room and host video conferences. Participants can invite one another to chat rooms. They can either play games included in the app or hold chit-chats. Houseparty and Discord are some of the best examples of entertainment apps.
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Business apps
Business apps took the world by storm in 2020. They were specifically used for remote work collaborations. These apps help you conduct online meetings and perform team tasks better. Moreover, business apps can also be utilized for education as they allow three or more participants. Some of the most famous business video apps are Skype, Google Meet, and Zoom.
Strategies to Build Best Video Calling Apps
The importance of video communications is witnessing rapid growth in all industries. Hence, it has become all the more necessary to leverage video calling features for business transformations. Let us understand the different steps you can build a live video calling app for your business.
- Know your audience
It is important to comprehend your target audience before building a video calling app. Your app features will depend a lot on customers’ preferences. For instance, a young target audience would appreciate personalized features such as stickers and filters. However, professionals would prefer a secured data feature and outstanding video quality.
- Shortlist your feature requirements
Ensure to craft a list of chat app features that you think are necessary for your business chat solutions. For example, it is better if your video chat app can conduct video conferences for more than three people, ensure screen sharing and 100% data privacy.
- Craft a business plan
An organized business plan helps understand the key parts of the video calling app. Some of the key factors that you might consider are business resources, communication channels, cost structure, partners, vendors, revenues, and many more. It is utterly important to understand how much revenue your app can bring for you.
How to Develop a Secure Video Calling App?
Once the business plan is ready, one can proceed with the app development. The development of a video calling app might be a complicated process because it requires more than simple coding.
Let us discuss some of the steps concerning the development of a video calling app.
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UI/UX Design
The prototyping process is one of the most important aspects of designing. A prototype is defined as a set of white and black screens that show the app’s functionality. It helps avoid future development errors. One important thing that should be taken care of is that the app’s layout should be simple. It should be easy to understand and designed in ways that all can use.
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Backend Development
This step involves the management of the app. First, the server-side framework is created. Then, you can select a custom backend and ready-to-use SaaS solution for your app.
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WebRTC
With WebRTC, you can organize data transfer, audio, and video communications for your app without extra cost. Try to leverage the best WebRTC server to ensure security and professional video streaming.
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Test
Last but not least, the app is tested for errors. This is to ensure the correct functioning of codes. Try to identify as many bugs and errors as you can at this stage. A well-functioning first version gives way to building better credit.
List of Most Famous Live video Chat Apps in the market
Now that we have discussed how to build a video chat app let’s move on to the discussion regarding the best video chat apps. Some of them being Zoom, Skype, and MS Teams. Let us dig into their details one by one.
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Zoom
It is a cloud-based group video chat app. It is available both on iOS and android. Zoom has been utilized by both education and business industries. This is because it is easy to use, and users of different tech backgrounds can handle it efficiently. In addition, you can conduct free conferencing for 40 minutes involving around 100 participants.
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Skype
Skype is one of the oldest video conferencing apps in the market. It can cover multiple systems and devices. You can utilize several exciting features along with audio and video calling. Some of them being file sharing and instant texting.
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MS Teams
It is mostly meant for professional use. Microsoft Teams ensures calling, texting, and collaboration in one place. You can save docs, photos, videos, and even your chat history with Ms Teams. It also supports GIFs, stickers, and emojis.
Some of the Best Third-party Video Calling SDK and API Providers
You can develop your group video calling app utilizing third-party API providers—some of the best being CONTUS MirrorFly, Twilio, and Agora. Let us discuss them one by one.
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CONTUS MirrorFly
Contus MirrorFly is considered one of the most popular customizable video chat solutions that offer the best video call APIs and SDKs. It can run on iOS, Android, and web applications. It ensures multi-member participation, video recording, video broadcasting, private real-time chats, end-to-end encryptions, and many more. With CONTUS MirrorFly, you can host unlimited webinars and seminars and experience the best remote collaborations.
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Twilio
Twilio provides you with an enhanced video calling experience. . It helps you create real-time video apps. With flexible APIs and SDKs for iOS, Android, and JavaScript, Twilio is considered one of the best video chat software solutions. Twilio video calling API integrates into any web and mobile applications. Also, you get end-to-end encryption, emojis, stickers, digital whiteboard, and ensure your customers’ data privacy and security. In addition, you can find high-quality connections, media control, and recordings with Twilio.
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Agora
Agora video chat SDKs consist of cloud infrastructure and development tools that help build a reliable application. You can utilize it to build the best video conferencing app. You can also find end-to-end customization features with Agora. It allows you to conduct real-time video conferencing, live streaming chat. With low latency, ease of use, and HD video call, Agora can be one of the best options for your business. Moreover, it is suitable for all types of internet connections.
Better customer engagements with an efficient group video chat app
An efficient medium of video communications gives way to building better business credibility. It is not that difficult to build your custom video calling app in an age of tech advancements. However, you need to ensure that it is safe, secured, and easy to use. A highly interactive video calling app can help you expand your business reach and make way for better customer engagements.
So what are you waiting for? Start working towards the development of your video chat app today.