How to Choose The Best Internal Communications App for Your Business

“In teamwork, silence isn’t golden, it’s deadly.” - Mark Sanborn

Communication is referred to as the heart and soul of an organization. Without it, there are bound to be misunderstandings, confusion, delays, and failures. Whether it’s a small business or large-scale organization, no one can expect to thrive without effective communication.

In companies, we have internal and external communications, and we will be focusing on the latter in this piece. In simple words, the internal communication in business is the conversation between employees and employers and the dialogue between work colleagues.

An internal communication plan is a lifeline of a business and calls for the same care and focus from companies as given to external communication. A well-implemented, good internal communication plan has the following key benefits for the entire organization.

• Faster response time to problems and emergencies
• Encourages employee feedback
• Make employees feel valued
• Improves the ability to set and achieve goals
• Develop the managerial efficiency
• Facilitate decision making
• Develops a cohesive culture
• Limit rumours and enhance transparency
• Empower and support middle management

While there are many benefits to the entire organization, poorly adopted internal communication plans can cause troubles of all sorts within the business environment.

• Poor morale of employees
• High turnover rate
• Low productivity
• Can cause misunderstandings and confusion
• Loss of mutual trust between employees
• Disruption of operations
• Waste of time due to rumour-mongering
• Dissatisfied clients
• Suppressed innovation

What Is An Internal Communication App?

Internal communication apps are a common single platform for employees and contractors to share information and communicate with each other through different channels of communication other than traditional emails and phone calls, which have their limitations. Besides, internal communication apps will simplify and organize internal business communication in one place for all employees.

However, it’s not easy to choose the right one from a plethora of options available out there. No two businesses are alike, so you have to consider crucial factors before investing valuable time, money, and resources in an internal communication app.

“How to be more productive while working remotely or in-office?”

If you’re seeking to find an effective solution to this question then read further. Here I am listing seven valuable tips to help you choose the best internal communications app for your business to make your team collaborative and achieve optimal productivity. Read on to know more about it.

1. Figure Out Your Company Requirements

Businesses are like snowflakes. Every business is different and unique. What is more important for your business - a task creation and visualization platform or a group chat app? Does your team need a shared calendar to manage schedules at one place or a file organization tool to store and manage all your documents in one place?

Some business communication apps, like Slack, are designed for an easy chat. Others like Basecamp or Teamwork make project management simple and efficient. Understand your business needs and choose a tool that meets all or most of your requirements.

2. Understand Your Employees’ Requirements

When it comes to choosing an internal communication app for your business, make sure you have figured out what your employees want. After all, they are the ones who will be using the app daily. Hence, it’s vital that they like using it. The best internal communications app may not necessarily be the one that has loads of features in it.

Ask your employees for their opinions on different tools. Which one they prefer the most and why? Those who aren't good enough in written communication won't vote for a messaging app because they will be checking their texts to eliminate grammatical errors. However, some will find it easy to hop on a call and find solutions. Set up a test run to see if the installed app easily fits into the processes your employees are used to. The app that ticks all the boxes of your company’s internal communication requirements is probably the best fit.

3. Figure Out The Cost of Product, Training, and Usage

When investing in an internal communications app for your business, you have to consider the related costs, like the product price, the training cost, and the cost of usage. If your business is using such an app for the first time then costs can be significant.

A seemingly cost-effective solution can cost more than an expensive but simple one because of training-related costs. Not to forget the cost of using the app. More time your employees spend on using the app, the more your business stands to lose in terms of productivity.

Look beyond the monthly/yearly subscription fee. It has to be easy to use, quick to install, and minus overhead costs like installation.

4. Work Out The Benefits

You are not investing in an internal communications app for your business for nothing. Before you upgrade your internal communications plan, calculate the expected benefits of using one. One of the main benefits is faster, two-way internal messaging between employees.

Communication via internal communications app encourages social interaction while bridging the gap between management and the operational level. Another benefit is accuracy. Since your communications are centralized and accessible on mobiles, every employee can respond to new developments faster.

5. Is Timely Support Available?

A good, proactive, and timely support is essential so your employees can have their problems resolved as quickly as possible, without disrupting the communication flow within the organization. When apps don’t work and there’s no immediate support available, your business can come to a standstill.

No matter how top-rated the app is, you should not take things for granted because accidents can and do happen. Only give your nod after confirming that 24/7 support and monitoring for clients’ crisis is available.

6. Is It Secure?

In the current context, the importance of application security has become one of the major concerns of businesses across the globe. No business likes its information to be stolen and shared with the online community.

It makes so much sense to choose an internal communications app where the data would be encrypted (only accessible to the sender and receiver). With so many cases of the data breach and network hacks surfacing daily in the news, you should do the best you can to safeguard your online identity and the interests of your business.

In general, it is best practice to regularly audit, update, and boost your WordPress site's security, as well as the security features of any other third-party applications and social media accounts associated with your business.

7. Is It Easy to Use?

Finally, is the app easy to use? When comparing different apps, your employees’ convenience is a priority as they’ll be using it the most to collaborate effectively. Don’t add to your employees’ frustration when they are expecting for the simplification in communication through using the new solution.

Investing in a complex, confusing app and there's a big risk you might need to switch apps in the future as your employees’ frustration keeps on mounting.

In The End

The bottom line is that your team is an integral part of your organization as well as the industry it works for. The clarity and transparency in the business internal communication are critical to encouraging healthy two-way conversation, sharing of ideas, and giving or receiving feedback.

I am hopeful that using these tried and tested tips will indeed help you in making the right choice of the internal communication app for your business. Good luck!

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