The capability to communicate in real-time is essential for businesses to remain competitive in today’s interconnected and fast-paced world.
In fact, according to a report by Salesforce, 64% of customers are willing to shop with companies that can meet their needs in real-time. This highlights the growing demand for real-time communication solutions that can provide quick and convenient interactions between brands and customers. Real-time communication APIs are the backbone of this seamless communication and are playing a key role in helping brands innovate e-commerce.
In this blog, we will explore how real-time communication APIs are empowering brands to transform their customer experience and streamline their operations.
From chats to video communication, we will take a deep dive into the ways these APIs are enhancing the way e-commerce businesses interact with their customers.
Real-time Communication Features for E-Commerce Apps
Real-time communication features are becoming increasingly important for commerce apps as businesses look to enhance their customer interactions and stay competitive. These features enable brands to provide faster and more personalized support, offer engaging shopping experiences, and facilitate seamless transactions.
Two of the most popular real-time communication features for commerce apps are 1-to-1 and Group Chat, and 1-to-1 and Group Video Call. Let’s take a closer look at how these features can benefit commerce apps.
1-to-1 and Group Chat
With fierce competition and endless options, customers are looking for quick and efficient ways to get their questions answered and ultimately make a purchase. That’s where 1-to-1 and Group Chat come in!
By adding real-time chat communication to an e-commerce platform, businesses can boost audience engagement, increase sales conversions, and establish trust with their users.
Whether it’s a visitor seeking more information on a product’s features or a buyer inquiring about delivery times, live chat with a seller can help clear up any questions and aid in closing the sale.
But 1-to-1 and Group Chat isn’t just for customer support. It can also be used for product discussions between buyers, real-time communication with influencers or employees, and more.
And with features like Typing Indicators, Read Receipts, Online Presence Indicators, and Media Sharing, brands can keep customers engaged and strengthen the brand-customer relationship.
1-to-1 and Group Video Call
By offering video demonstrations, businesses can provide a more tangible experience for their customers, shortening the buying journey and solving customer problems in real-time.
Integrating single and group video call features is easy with ready-to-use communication APIs, allowing businesses to improve their metrics and enhance the customer experience.
Top Real-Time Communication API Providers in 2023
In this section, we will take a look at the top three real-time communication API providers for 2023. These APIs have proven themselves to be reliable and innovative in providing solutions that enable seamless and efficient communication between e-commerce businesses and their customers.
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Mirrorfly – #1 Most-Friendly SaaS & Self-hosted SDK Provider
If you’re searching for a reliable in-app chat API and SDK solution, look no further than MirrorFly.
MirrorFly is both a SaaS and a self-hosted video chat API and messaging SDK that is highly scalable and 100% customizable. This platform comes in both SAAS and SAAP options, making it a perfect fit for any type of business.
In addition to its flexible hosting options, MirrorFly ensures that conversations and data are synchronized across platforms, allowing for seamless one-to-one and group interactions. With advanced AES 256 encryption APIs, MirrorFly guarantees enterprise-grade security for all chat, voice, and video calling data and files. Plus, low latency ensures that messages are delivered quickly and efficiently, improving the overall user experience.
Features
- White-label chat solution
- Private & Group Chat
- One-to-one/group Calling
- Video Calling
- Cross-platform Messaging
- Screen Sharing
- End-to-end encryption
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Pubnub – Best In-App Communication API
PubNub, founded in 2010, is a leading real-time communication platform that allows users to send data across devices instantly. With its online messaging API integrated into many websites, PubNub has become a popular choice for businesses across different domains.
Using PubNub’s real-time messaging API can help businesses boost user retention and loyalty, prevent spam messages, and reduce customer support costs without compromising on quality. Notable features of PubNub are listed below:
Features
- Push notifications
- Read receipts
- Typing indicators
- Chat filters
- Group chat
- Private chat
- Location tracking
- IoT device chat
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Apphitect – A Complete Self-hosted Chat API Provider
Apphitect is one of the leading and 100% customizable video chat API providers in the market. This highly customizable platform ensures seamless integration of communication tools across Android, iOS, and web applications, all with no downtime. With Apphitect, you can rest assured that your communication mediums are always available and fully operational.
From crystal-clear video calling to easy screen sharing and more, Apphitect’s platform is designed to take your communication capabilities to the next level.
Features
- Push notifications
- Offline messages
- Presence Indicator
- Geolocation tracking
- Video Calling
- Voice Calling
- Multimedia sharing
Engaging Features
Communication APIs that support Pub/Sub (Publisher/Subscriber) events provide a wide range of opportunities to build engaging features for businesses. Here are some of the features that can be built using Pub/Sub events.
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Reactions
During product demonstrations, reactions or emoticons can be used by both the host and the user to gauge the success of the demonstration. This fun feature allows customers to give live feedback, ensuring the host is hitting the target and keeping the presentation engaging.
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Polls
Polls are another engaging feature that can be built using Pub/Sub events. It enables businesses to gather feedback and opinions from their customers or subscribers by asking questions, providing options to choose from, and displaying the poll results in real-time.
The results of the poll can be used to improve products, services, or content that businesses offer.
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Engagement Analytics
Communication APIs that support Pub/Sub events can also help businesses build engagement analytics features. It allows businesses to track user behavior, such as how users interact with content or products, how often they engage, and which content or products generate the most engagement.
This data can be used to improve user engagement and overall customer satisfaction.
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Media and Document Sharing
Media and document sharing provide an opportunity for businesses to share in-person documents like brochures and presentations with customers and buyers in real-time.
This feature is beneficial for marketing and leads nurturing, as sharing product brochures via chat can help showcase products in the best possible light.
Use Cases of Real-time Communication for E-Commerce
Real-time communication has revolutionized the way commerce operates in the modern world. Here are some use cases for real-time communication that businesses can leverage to connect with their customers in more personal and interactive ways.
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Customer Communities
Real-time communication can help businesses build customer communities. One exciting way to enhance this experience is to invite popular influencers or brand advocates to take over a brand’s live session.
By interacting in real-time with customers, they can create a buzz and amplify the excitement around a brand. Chat groups can also be created for various brand-related topics to foster engagement and enhance the brand’s image.
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Buyer-to-Seller / Service Provider Chat
In addition, online marketplaces that feature multiple service providers and sellers can benefit significantly from real-time communication between buyers and sellers.
Direct communication channels through app chat platforms, Chat API, SDKs, and webhooks can help businesses provide excellent service and streamline the order process, ultimately leading to higher customer satisfaction and sales.
- Customer Support Chat
Real-time communication is crucial for businesses to provide excellent customer support and create engaging experiences. By enabling real-time chat, businesses can humanize problem-solving and provide customers with immediate assistance, leading to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Real-time chat can also enhance product demos and shopping sessions, allowing viewers to ask questions and receive answers instantly, resulting in more sales and engagement.
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Face-to-face conversations with customers
Connecting with customers face-to-face is always the best way to sell your product. With video calls, businesses can now conduct product demos and walkthroughs, allowing them to read customers’ reactions in real-time, making the process more personal.
From automobiles to gym memberships, selling products remotely is now possible thanks to the high level of personalization video calls can offer. Customers can easily learn about a product’s features and functionalities from the comfort of their homes.
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Product Demos, Launches, and Endorsements over Live Broadcasts
Live broadcasts for product launches and demos are also a great way to streamline sales and provide other benefits. These real-time sessions can be turned into marketing events, brand awareness initiatives, and even flash sales.
Brands can supplement product demos with trials, announcements, and giveaways, giving customers a truly immersive and interactive experience.
Conclusion
For eCommerce platforms, real-time communication is an essential feature that allows customers to interact with sellers and make purchases in real-time. Whether you’re a small business owner or a large corporation, choosing the right chat API and SDK can significantly impact your product outcomes.
To ensure that sensitive information is exchanged securely and privately between sellers and buyers while still providing an immersive real-time chat and build video chat app experience, a reliable and secure chat API and messaging SDK like MirrorFly can be the perfect solution for your platform.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to boost your eCommerce platform. Talk to our team today to know how it can take your e-commerce platform to the next level!