With the rapid revolutionary adoption of social networks in recent years, Whatsapp emerged as a powerful messaging platform across the globe. With its full-proof success, most of the enterprises are simplifying their conversational flow throughout the organization and acquiring scalable business results as messaging platforms are not limited to personal messaging but to drive effective communication with customers, clients, vendors, and stakeholders.

Currently, the market is filled with a number of messaging apps like Whatsapp, Facebook, WeChat, Telegram, and Snapchat a few names to give. Out of these apps, Whatsapp is being used by the majority of worldwide users. As per Statista, more than 1.5 billion users are using Whatsapp on a monthly basis. Thereafter, Facebook messenger reserves its value in the minds of today’s users, and so on. 

As per Statista, the number of instant messaging app users worldwide exceeded from 2.25 billion in the year 2018 and is expected to reach up to 3.0 billion by 2022.

Another image given below is demonstrating how Whatsapp and other messaging apps are taking a lope in the market and compelling enterprises to make a smarter and efficient decision by going with mobile app development to improve their business communication, the way they interact with customers and streamline the employees’ performance by eliminating the repetitive and redundant tasks.

Considering this rising evolution of messaging apps and user adoption, enterprises need to leverage messaging apps equipped and integrated with the caliber ensuring enterprise-level communication combined with user-focused business communication. So, if the idea of developing an app like Whatsapp is rolling in your mind, then lots of factors come across for a successful deployment and to fulfill the reason behind it.

Let’s roll out your eyes on what features should be considered for messenger app like WhatsApp:

Features Of Whatsapp Messenger

Registration

To start using Whatsapp, users are required to enter their information or credentials like name, contact number, and country name. Once the user submits such information, the application automatically sends, reads, and submits the verification code and ensures authentication. After successful registration, the messenger starts synchronizing all the phone book data to automatically display on the messaging platform.

Users can now update their profile whereby they can update their personal details, status, and profile picture and enjoy messaging with their dear ones.

Instant Messaging

If you are planning to develop an app like Whatsapp, instant messaging is the must-have feature with real-time message status. Users can do one on one messaging, group-messaging, and message broadcasting. As today’s chatting can’t be completed without pushing emoji’s stickers, and GIFs; Whatsapp enables users to send creative messages rather than sticking with words merely.

Voice & Video Calling

Using the internet connection, Whatsapp allows users to make internet calls at no extra charge. Whether to make voice calls or video calls, users can make calls to their contacts that exist in any country. This is such an amazing and user-engaging feature that everyone loves. Even most of the business apps today go in a dark corner in the lack of calling features. At least a voice calling feature must be placed to retain your existing users and attract the new ones.

Multimedia Sharing

Today’s users can’t remain satisfied with text and calling features, they anticipate a platform whereby they can send voice notes, pics, audios, and videos. Whatsapp is embedded with all such functionalities with the simplicity of deleting the chat history along with multimedia files in one single click leaving the starred messages. Moreover, Whatsapp also brought a monetization strategy with stickers. To know more or to develop a messenger app like Whatsapp, outsourcing a mobile app development company can release your shoulders’ burden.

Contact & Location Sharing

This feature simplifies and facilitates prior communication as Whatsapp users can send and receive contacts from their phone book as well as can add the same in their phonebook with just a single click. Besides, Whatsapp integrates geolocation features whereby users can share their current location for a certain amount of time or any location they want to share. Using Google Maps Android API (for Android platform) or Map Kit Framework (for iOS platform), Whatsapp facilitates its users to remain engaged and entertained while staying secure.

Push Notifications

Push notifications keep users active and engaging over the messenger app as it notifies whenever the new messages arrive or someone comes online whom the user was waiting for. With this flexibility, the Whatsapp app sends instant notifications to the users whether it’s about personal messaging or group messaging. Users can also receive notifications even when the phone is locked and can also leverage chat-on-screen pop-up. On the contrary, users can also mute the notifications which are not vital for them.

Whatsapp Web

Modern users want everything on fingertips, but they also do not want to stay far from the traditional methods. Whatsapp offers web access as well whereby a user can make effective use of messaging and calling using their personal desktop or laptop with security and flexibility. Thereby, if a user is not able to use a mobile at a moment can leverage Whatsapp web experience.

Settings

Settings feature comprises a lot of things whereby a user on WhatsApp chat app can manage or personalize profile settings, accounts settings, and privacy settings. These configurations allow users to change their profile picture, manage their status view, manage blocked contacts, change the number, customize chat notifications, delete their accounts, and more. 

This is such a mandatory feature that must be concluded in every business app to ensure reliable and trustworthy relationships with the users which also helps in retaining the customers.

Things To Consider While Coming Up With The App Idea

Well, several things come ahead of that you need to consider when you are planning to develop an app like WhatsApp. To drive your app goals and ensure overall app success, you need to adequately analyze and evaluate things in advance that are crucial for your app. Here are things derived that you need to focus on:

Target Audience

If you get success in understanding your targeted audience, half of your task is done. Usually, young people make effective use of WhatsApp. So, make sure that you are developing an app with an interactive interface and antique functionality appealing today’s young generation. If you are planning to launch your app in different geolocations, then, incorporate multi-language functionality to increase more user outreach.

Monetization Strategy

Obviously, the final objective behind your app is to earn money and acquire the most out of your investment. With a multitude of monetization ways available to choose from, you need to decide and adhere to the best possible monetization model as per your preference and suitability. To make a smarter decision, you can always rely on the most capable App development agency like Infoxen equipped with rich user interface designers, industry expert mobile app coders, and quality analysts.

Analyze Your Competition

As you can see that the market is filled with WhatsApp like apps and hence, you have to compete with numerous apps available. In the lack of adoption of the right strategic approach, most of the apps fail. So, strategize your app and embrace things that you can improve in your app and can serve the competitive advantage to your users you are targeting for. Again, going with the right mobile app development agency can help you to figure out the right strategic way for your app to compete for now and to remain competitive with life long consistency.

Create Valuable App

When it comes to developing an app like WhatsApp, don’t just acquire a copy of the app, or else it will have no value in the market. Think differently and develop a unique app which may comprise similar functionalities but in different ways along with an exceptional experience that can eliminate the dependency of two or three apps. Moreover, keep a simpler and sleek design so as everyone can perceive your app functionality in the very first look.

Process Of Creating Messenger App Like WhatsApp

Considering the rising user adoption and market success, messenger apps are taking a lope as these apps have become the day-to-day needs of today’s people and to acquire success for your messaging app, you need to keep several factors in mind. So, If you are planning to launch an app like WhatsApp, then you need to go gradually and follow the simplified steps to ensure app success:

• Do adequate analysis and evaluation while planning for your app. Keep your business model and requirements in mind and follow the design & development strategy to seamlessly and perfectly keep up with your messenger app development.
• Find an expert developer or an acclaimed mobile app development agency that has the expertise to develop a mobile app like WhatsApp.
• Ensure a seamless mode of communication with the team you hire. This will help to develop the exact app idea you are willing to launch.
• Plan and build the app architecture you want to get developed.
• Consider the MVP features that are vital for your WhatsApp like app development.
• Ask your agency to make use of eye-catchy yet decent color-combination for your UI interface.
• Make sure that your app passes quality assurance for smoother and uninterrupted functioning.

How To Drive Monetization Strategy With A WhatsApp Like App

Obviously, the primary reason behind deploying a messenger app like WhatsApp is to generate revenue out of it. So, let’s just uncover the possible ways to drive monetization strategy with your app like messenger:

Subscription Fee

Initially, you have to provide free access to your app. Once your app starts getting success, you can enable subscription-based usage or can incorporate a paid business account so as the startups or SMBs can roll out their business promotions, events, and auxiliary information. Nowadays, numerous messenger apps are available in the market and are providing free access and usage. To earn from your app, you can conclude a premium version comprising amazing features that your audience can love and embrace.

Advertising Model

This is another way to drive revenue from your app. This approach can be considered when users find your app interesting and their engaging ratio gets enlarged. When users love using your app, then you can place relevant ads in your application. As most of the users prefer using messenger without invasive ads, thus, you can make a few dollars by placing ads but remember, this can also become an annoying experience for your users. So, ensure a balanced approach and do not heighten your ads model.

In-app Purchases

You can keep some features as premium features and whenever your users demand extra feature usage, ask them to pay for the same. To drive this monetization strategy, paid stickers are the proven source of revenue these days. Moreover, enterprises can also serve customization options in terms of wallpapers, themes, and filters.

Challenges Come Across While Building An App Like WhatsApp

After sharing the monetization model, let’s roll our eyes on challenges come across when you plan to develop a chatting app like WhatsApp:

Engaging & Retaining Users

Engaging and retaining users are the primary tasks that you need to work on. These days, in the presence of a range of messaging platforms where user diversion is common, if you don’t provide a unique and engaging experience to your users from the very beginning, you may not get a second chance to get those users back who left your app. 

So, focus on developing a user-friendly and modern-equipped app, or else, you may face customer diversion soon. So, do not initiate in a hurry, just hire a reliable app development company with a team of optimum quality developers who can contemplate your app requirement and can develop an outstanding user experience.

Security Concerns

Today’s users are getting more vigilant and believe in secured communication over any chatting platform as they do not want to compromise with security at any level and if you fail in rendering a secured network, nothing can lead your app toward success. For instance, WhatsApp itself implemented a security feature to secure users’ information transmitted over the internet whether in terms of text, images, videos, or PDF documents.

Offering Out Of The Box

With increasing user anticipations, there is a genuine need to consider offering out of the box solutions. Current users are getting more demanding and hence, they expect to carry out everything using messenger apps from text messaging to making payments to booking appointments to ordering food. 

When we talk about the Facebook messenger app, this platform lets you transfer money and play games without installing another app or tool to carry out so. To engage your users you can update them with updated or upcoming features, offer them lifestyle ideas in terms of blog and emailers.

How Long Does It Take To Develop WhatsApp Like Messenger

The time it takes to develop WhatsApp like messenger incumbents on many factors comprising the set of features you avail of and the complexity level of your project. So, prioritize the number of features you want to include in your chatting app and ensure about the difficulty of your project. A right mobile app development partner can help you to choose the right functionality as well as the way to market the app.

Cost To Develop An App Like WhatsApp

If you are planning to deploy an MVP first with basic functionality and navigation, your cost may lie between $40,000 to $50,000 and the rest may increase with the functionality and complexity you embrace in your messenger app. However, this is the initial estimate for your messenger app development. As you increase the number of features, your cost would be heightened accordingly. To know your exact cost or development estimate, you can contact our team of mobile app development experts.

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Final Words

So, you have got the idea to release your messenger app including the recommended features, the time it involves, market scenario, monetization tactics, and rough estimate. Now, you can seamlessly plan and implement your mobile app development objective. For further information, you can always take recourse of messenger app development experts at Infoxen.