An omnichannel chat is a tool that allows you to converse with people on an array of platforms. Companies employ them for team use, customer services, and other communications needs. If you wish to deploy an omnichannel chat app, it's important to target these four features in the one you choose.

Cross-Platform Compatibility

The very concept of an omnichannel app is premised on the ability to work on multiple platforms. Most organizations will want the ability to at least interact with standard web browser chats on all devices, Android phones, and Apple iOS devices. You may also want connectivity with other chat platforms, especially Facebook Messenger.

Notably, this interactivity should be available for all folks on those platforms without needing to connect to other people on the same ones. In other words, Apple users should be able to chat with Android ones. Similarly, web-based users shouldn't have a degraded experience compared to app users.

Everything should work seamlessly so the users aren't even aware of the compatibility. The app should just do it.

2 Way Messaging

When two people are chatting on the app, they should both be able to type concurrently. If you've ever seen an app that displays ellipses showing the other party is typing, then you've used a 2-way messaging app. The average user finds a 2-way messaging application less frustrating because they can share their thoughts even while the other part is responding.

Integrated with a 2-way omnichannel chat, this system permits lots of people to converse at once. If you want to have a meeting, this can speed things up.

Integration with Internal Tools

At a minimum, you'll likely want to logs the chats. Especially for companies that need the customer metrics, they may want database integration so they can gather statistics about interactions, user metadata, and device information.

Security, Permissions, and Authorization

Using multiple platforms for an omnichannel chat can present security concerns. You'll need to use a uniform authorization method across all the platforms. Otherwise, you'll need a server that can securely serve as a traffic cop while handling multiple protocols.

Likewise, you'll want to have permissions to regulate who can enter certain chats. For example, a company providing custom services may only want per-chat permissions for one customer, a representative, and perhaps a manager who can escalate cases. Similarly, a corporate meeting might need permissions to allow members in to chat, but only certain ones can post images or videos.