“Should I continue to maintain the in-house chat system or should I finally switch to a third party who is meant to deal with this?”
A classic question that plagues product and engineering leaders in businesses where user-to-user communication is a core driver of product engagement.
This guide is designed to unpack this conundrum and empower product leaders to navigate the decision-making process more effectively.
Think about cloud infrastructure. Few companies choose to build their own anymore. Players like AWS and GCP have made it a no-brainer to leverage their expertise and get things running fast. Why be in the business of building the foundation when you can focus on what truly sets your product apart?
The same logic applies to your chat infrastructure. But it isn't a no-brainer as yet; At first glance, chat functionality might seem deceptively simple. "A couple of developers, a few days' work," you think..
Fair enough. It works… until it doesn't!
When should you switch?
There's a tipping point in every product's journey where the in-house chat solution becomes more of a burden than a benefit. But how do you know when you've reached that critical juncture?
Countless businesses just like yours have grappled with this very question. They've made the switch to a third-party chat provider, and the results speak volumes.
Let's delve into six common scenarios that often trigger this decision for product leaders. It might be just one of these factors, a potent combination of a few, or – let's be honest – sometimes it's all of them hitting you at once!
1. You have unlocked scale
The early days are exhilarating. You launch your product, users love it, and growth takes off. But here's the catch: managing a product at scale is a whole different ball game compared to the lean startup phase.
With explosive growth, unforeseen operational challenges multiply like rabbits. Unlike your core product, where you have dedicated resources to address every issue, ancillary features like in-house chat might not have that luxury. This lack of dedicated support is where things get tricky.
Frequent Downtimes: The chat system, built for a smaller audience, buckles under the weight of your growing user base. Frequent outages disrupt communication, frustrate users, and damage brand trust.
Limited Global Reach: Scaling an in-house solution for a global audience becomes a logistical nightmare. Deploying servers in multiple regions to ensure low latency requires significant investment and ongoing maintenance.
DevOps Overload: Your DevOps team spends an increasing amount of time managing multiple chat servers, scrambling to patch issues, and constantly reallocating resources to maintain uptime. This diverts them from focusing on core platform optimization and innovation.
2. Cleaning up the tech debt
In the early days, your in-house chat solution seemed like a quick win. But as your product evolved and user demands grew, those simple fixes and "workarounds" turned into a tangled mess of technical debt. Remember all those quick patches you implemented to add new features or integrate chat with other functionalities? Because chat was likely an afterthought, it wasn't built with scalability in mind.
Now, that tech debt is rearing its ugly head. Every change or update feels like a gamble, and bugs seem to multiply like rabbits. Scaling the system further becomes a pipe dream. You're stuck – cleaning up this technical debt is a monumental task, and continuing with the current solution is hindering your product's growth.
Codebase Complexity: Every new feature or integration adds a layer of complexity to the codebase. Now, modifying even basic functionalities feels like navigating a labyrinth of spaghetti code.
Version Control Nightmares: With countless one-off fixes and feature-specific branches, version control has become a nightmare. Tracing bugs and maintaining code stability is a constant struggle.
Integration Bottlenecks: The chat module wasn't built with scalability or a modular architecture in mind. Integrating it with other functionalities now creates bottlenecks and requires significant development effort.
Developer Productivity Decline: The convoluted codebase and constant firefighting with bugs significantly impact developer productivity. Time that could be spent on building new features is lost in the tech debt quagmire.
3. Chat UX crisis
Imagine your ideal user. They're sailing through your beautifully designed platform, enjoying a seamless and intuitive experience. Then, they click on the chat module – and it's like hitting a brick wall. The UI looks outdated, the navigation feels clunky, and basic functionalities are buried under layers of menus.
This jarring shift in experience leaves users frustrated and confused. Why? Because today's users expect a chat experience that feels familiar and effortless, like the ones they use every day – WhatsApp, iMessage, Telegram.
UX Disconnect: Built in the early stages, the chat module likely hasn't kept pace with the overall product's design and UX improvements. This creates a jarring disconnect for users accustomed to modern chat experiences, leaving them questioning the overall quality of your product.
Mounting Bug Reports: Bugs and glitches specific to the chat module start popping up with alarming frequency. Your support team is overwhelmed with user complaints, and fixing these issues becomes a constant struggle.
The Feature Chasm: The world of chat is constantly innovating. Users expect features like seamless file sharing, group chats with advanced functionalities, and intuitive search capabilities. However, your core business isn't chat development. Staying ahead of the latest trends and constantly iterating on the in-house solution becomes a significant burden on your development resources, pulling them away from focusing on your core product innovations.
4. Opportunity cost and Time to market
Your chat's on fire! Users love it, and they're bombarding you with feature requests – threaded conversations, fancy moderation tools, the works. But here's the reality check: building all that in-house takes months, sometimes multiple quarters. Months you don't have. Your competitors? They're already offering those features, leaving you in the dust.
Faster Time-to-market: Forget lengthy development cycles. Third-party solutions offer many features as ready-to-use toggles. Flip a switch, and you're live. Faster launches mean happier, more engaged users – a win-win.
Competitive Advantage: Stop playing catch-up. Third-party providers offer cutting-edge features that would take months to build in-house. Bridge the gap with your competitors and stay ahead of the curve.
Innovation on Autopilot: Building a top-tier chat experience demands constant innovation and specialized expertise. Dedicated providers have entire teams focused on pushing the boundaries. Free your team to focus on what truly matters – innovating your core product and making it legendary.
5. Mounting compliance and security concerns
Dedicated chat solution providers specialize in building secure, compliant chat infrastructure. They invest heavily in security measures, have dedicated security teams, and constantly monitor for emerging threats. This allows them to stay ahead of the curve and implement robust security practices. In-house chat solutions can feel like a high-wire act – one misstep and user trust comes crashing down.
Compliance Maze: Data privacy regulations are constantly evolving, creating a complex compliance landscape for in-house chat development teams. Keeping up with these regulations requires ongoing legal expertise and resource allocation.
Security Expertise Gap: Securing a chat infrastructure requires constant vigilance and specialized knowledge to stay ahead of evolving threats like data breaches, man-in-the-middle attacks, and denial-of-service attacks. In-house development teams might lack the resources to invest in dedicated security personnel or the latest security tools to effectively address these threats.
Key considerations while choosing a third party chat provider
If you find yourselves in one of the above scenarios, it’s probably time to make the switch. But a successful switch goes beyond simply checking off a list of features. Here, we'll delve deeper into the key considerations that ensure a seamless transition, maximizing value for your business and your users.
1. Feature list and end-user experience
Everyone has a strong opinion on chat – a bad experience is a turn-off that can quickly frustrate your users. Users have a finely honed sense of what constitutes a good chat experience. In today's landscape dominated by intuitive chat apps like Slack, WhatsApp, and Telegram, your chat solution needs to keep pace. Here's what you need to consider when evaluating chat features:
Click here for an exhaustive feature matrix sheet for you to carry out a thorough evaluation.
| Feature Group | Features | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Core messaging | 1-on-1 and group chat, Media sharing, Delivery and read receipts, Audio messages, Typing indicators | Establish a strong foundation for clear and efficient chat among your users. |
| Advanced messaging | Threaded conversations, Translation, Voice transcription, Broadcast message | Move beyond the basics with features that streamline communication and break down barriers. |
| Engagement | Mentions, Stickers & GIFs, Polls, Reactions, Collaborative whiteboard | Foster a more interactive and engaging environment that keeps users involved. |
| Voice/Video calling | 1-to-1 and group calling, Live Streaming, Call recording, Screen sharing | Offer users a variety of calling options to facilitate clear and efficient communication. |
| Moderation | Image moderation, Profanity filter, Data masking, User-to-user blocking, Report user and message | Maintain a positive user experience with robust moderation tools that promote a secure atmosphere. |
| Interactive messages | Form message, Card message, Meeting scheduler, Location sharing, Custom interactive messages | Empower users to share rich content, gather information, and streamline workflows directly within the chat. |
2. Vertical Expertise
Sure, a user-friendly chat experience is a baseline expectation. But the true potential of a chat solution lies in its ability to adapt to the unique needs of your industry. Imagine a simple team communication platform – it might not be the best fit for the dynamic environment of an on-demand marketplace. The way users interact, the data you analyze, and the controls you need in your admin panel all have a vertical-specific context.
Don't settle for generic, bare-bones chat infrastructure. Look for a provider with deep expertise in your industry. These providers have likely spent years co-building solutions with leading players, and understand the specific challenges and opportunities your vertical presents.
Why Vertical Expertise Matters:
01.
Tailored Functionality: Get access to features specifically designed for your industry's workflows and user behavior. Think features that seamlessly integrate with your core product and enhance the overall experience.
02.
Deeper Data Insights: Leverage analytics dashboards and reporting tools optimized for your vertical. These tools will unlock valuable insights into how users interact and engage with your chat platform.
03.
Streamlined Administration: Benefit from admin controls, contextual triggers/webhooks, moderation tools built with an understanding of your industry's specific compliance and security needs. This ensures you have the tools you need to manage your chat environment effectively.
3. Ease of integration
Transitioning your chat solution from in-house to a third-party provider can feel like fixing a running engine. Through this transition, your end-user experience shouldn’t be affected, your internal development team shouldn’t feel like it’s too much effort and this transition cannot be a multi-quarter project. So the ease of integration is a critical component. Here are some questions you can ask to determine the same:
01.
UI Acceleration: Do you offer UI kits to streamline the development process and expedite launch? Will the UI Kits also take care of the business logic?
02.
Out-of-the-Box UI: How robust is your pre-built user interface? How much customization flexibility does it offer to match our brand and user preferences?
03.
API Powerhouse: Does your API infrastructure allow for robust programmatic management of the chat application? This is crucial for seamless integration with your existing systems.
04.
Developer Delight: How well do you support your developers? Do you provide comprehensive documentation, sample applications, and readily available troubleshooting guides?
4. Performance, reliability and Security
Reliability, scalability, and robust security are crucial reasons to consider a third-party chat solution. While some providers might excel in user experience and features, their ability to handle massive scale might be shaky. Imagine your chat platform crashing during peak usage – not a good look! Here's how to ensure your chosen provider is truly "scale-proof"
Here is a list of information you could request:
01.
Platform Uptime and Performance History: Request historical data to assess the provider's track record of uptime and performance under pressure.
02.
Load Test for High Concurrency: Inquire about their load testing practices and ability to handle a surge in concurrent connections without compromising performance.
03.
Publicly Available Status Page: Look for a provider with a publicly available status page for real-time platform health monitoring and incident notifications.
04.
Privacy Policy and Data Regulations Compliance: Ensure the provider adheres to industry standards relevant to your business, such as GDPR, SOC II, and HIPAA (if applicable).
05.
Security Certifications: Beyond basic compliance, inquire about specific security certifications held by the provider.
06.
Disaster Recovery Plan: Understand the provider's plan for handling major outages and their disaster recovery timeline.
5. Pricing model and flexibility
Let's face it, cost is a major consideration. While the benefits of a third-party chat solution are undeniable, it shouldn't break the bank. Here's how to navigate the pricing landscape and find the solution that delivers the most value for your budget:
01.
Usage-based-pricing: Avoid pricing models that lack transparency. Look for providers offering fair usage-based pricing with a clear value metric that aligns with your needs. There should be no room for hidden fees or arbitrary charges.
02.
Industry-Specific Value: The value proposition of chat can differ significantly between industries. Ideally, your chosen provider should offer flexible pricing structures that can adapt to your specific vertical. This ensures you're not paying for features you don't need.
03.
Storage Savvy: Storage costs can add up quickly. If storage isn't included in the base price, ensure the per-gigabyte cost is minimal. Remember, you're already paying for the service – avoid nickel-and-diming for basic necessities.
04.
Scale Savings: As your business grows, your chat usage will likely increase. Look for providers that reward scale with volume discounts. The more you use the platform, the lower your per-user cost should be.
6. Migrating Your History: A Seamless Transition for Users
Saying goodbye to your in-house chat solution doesn't mean leaving your valuable data behind. Years of accumulated conversations, from a few thousand to millions, hold immense context and user value. Especially in group chat environments, a smooth migration is essential.
Here's how to assess a potential provider's migration capabilities:
Migration Must-Haves:
Historical Import: Ensure the provider offers a one-time import process to seamlessly migrate all existing users, conversations, and groups into their platform. This preserves historical context and user experience.
01.
Parallel Power: Inquire about the possibility of running both your in-house and the new chat solution simultaneously during migration. This allows for a staged rollout and minimizes user disruption.
02.
Migration Support: Look for a provider that offers dedicated migration assistance. A "white-gloved" migration team can provide invaluable guidance and ensure a smooth transition.
03.
API Efficiency: Evaluate the provider's migration APIs. These APIs should be robust and handle high volumes of data efficiently. Additionally, inquire about rate limits to avoid any bottlenecks during the migration process.
7. Implementation and Customer Support
Transitioning to a third-party chat solution is more than just a technology shift; it's a transfer of accountability. You're handing over a critical component of your user experience, and you deserve peace of mind. Here's what to expect from a top-tier customer support team:
Support Superstars:
Dedicated Account Management: A dedicated account manager acts as your single point of contact, ensuring your needs are understood and addressed promptly.
Future-Focused Updates: Look for a provider that proactively communicates new features and functionalities, keeping you ahead of the curve.
Implementation Expertise: Seamless implementation is crucial. Choose a provider with a proven track record of successful implementations and ongoing solution support.
Always-On Availability: Exceptional support doesn't stop after business hours. Look for providers offering comprehensive on-demand support to address any issues that may arise.
Ready to make the switch from your in-house chat system? Schedule a demo with CometChat and see how we can help you with the transition.
Shrimithran
Director of Inbound Marketing , CometChat