2020 has brought in an onslaught of challenges and uncertainties where people across the globe are forced to shut down their daily activities and business and stay at home. Such a unique circumstance has forced the majority of the population and businesses to shift to an online working approach. Some brands that were never in the limelight have suddenly garnered all the attention due to the COVID-19 crisis. The top among them dominating both personal spaces and professional meetings and video conferences for office is Zoom.
To ensure that the work gets done smoothly, many are increasingly becoming dependent on group calls. Video conferencing mobile applications like Zoom have been increasingly being used by people across all industries for different purposes and the demand for the same has spiked tremendously. And zoom tops the list of Statista among the most downloaded apps in the US from March 26 to April 1, 2020.
The Importance of Video Chat Apps like Zoom
While coronavirus restrictions are lifted in some countries, the pandemic is currently ongoing. Many people are still working from home, pursuing their education online, and only seeing family and friends through video chat apps.
Video conferencing or video chat describes online meetings that take place over the Internet to connect members with personal devices like laptops and smartphones with an embedded camera. Utilizing a simple and efficient video chat solution with support for screen sharing empowers tor global teams to be more connected, engaged, and productive.
Benefits of video conferencing Apps
Here are some of the benefits of video conferencing and the ways modern businesses are using communication tools.
1. Enable the Digital Workforce
Video chatting app not only creates a collaborative meeting culture for organizations, but it is also a foundation for enabling the digital workforce. Online video conferences help teams to maintain human connections regardless of their physical location which improves your ability to connect and collaborate globally.
2. Simplify Usability and Management
Teams need to access collaboration solutions that allow them to meet via video chatting, screen sharing, and real-time instant messaging. However, relying on different solutions for each function can be difficult. By deploying a consolidated online video chatting app solution with a simple UI that is centrally managed, teams can conduct meetings effortlessly using a single app.
3. Increase Communication Reliability
Video chatting offers a fast and secure way to communicate with your team. As video continues to evolve into a business-critical function, it is important to prioritize service reliability and support the reliability of your solution.
Among all the video chat apps available in the market, Zoom is considered as one of the best video chat apps due to its support across all platforms. The usage of the Zoom app increased by over 67% between Jan-March 2020 during the COVID 19 pandemic. Adding to that, over 58% of Fortune 500 companies and 96% of Top US universities were using Zoom even before the pandemic. Zoom is a cloud-based video-conferencing application that features a basic free plan that hosts up to 100 participants and is available for iOS, Android, PC, and Mac devices.
4. Optimized Attendance
Video chatting apps contribute to increased attendance from dispersed internal teams who otherwise have been debilitated by location.
5. Structured Meetings
As members are participating from different locations, defining the start and end times before the video call is possible. This allows for a more structured discussion where participants are more likely to stay focused on what is discussed. Instead of frustrating email exchanges, participants can interact with customers, colleagues, and partners in real-time.
While the app offers a basic free plan, there are also options for small and medium businesses and big enterprises which are as follows.
The app also features high-definition audio and video capabilities, communication tools like simultaneous screen sharing, functionality to record meetings, and generate transcripts. You can modify the meeting times and choose multiple hosts. Up to 1000 users can participate in a single Zoom call and 49 videos can appear on the screen at once. To make it cool, Zoom also features a virtual background and allows touching up the appearance which might not really improve the video quality but surely will enhance the experience with the app.
You might think Zoom became popular only after the Coronavirus crisis. Contrary to popular belief, Zoom has always been in the limelight for good reasons. The revenue of Zoom grew from $60 million in 2017 to $330 million in 2019. However, 2020 saw a different level of growth of Zoom where its revenue in the first quarter of 2020 alone was $188 million. Some entrepreneurs see this rise in demand for video conferencing apps like Zoom as a golden opportunity to develop similar apps.
Now you might be thinking about how to make a video chat app like Zoom, you need to get certain things right like choosing the best technology stack, selecting the best solutions to reach an unexpected level of success, and avoiding your app from staying in the app stores.
When it comes to building an app like Zoom, the major question that pops up in the mind of entrepreneurs is that what is the cost to build a video conferencing app? In this blog, we will cover the fundamentals of creating a video chat app and the overall cost to build it.
Creating a video chat app like zoom
While the market might seem saturated, there is still adequate room for new players to enter the industry and taste success. A video conferencing app like Zoom is a culmination of significant features like great UI/UX, features and functionalities, and a lot more.
Before starting out with creating a video conferencing website, you need to do meticulous market research to find out your scope in the market and the competition you have to face. You will also need to understand whether you would be competing in a saturated market that has similar products like yours or if there is a separate scope for you to capitalize on.
Here are the essential steps to create a video chat app like Zoom.
1. Start by choosing a platform
Before you start with building a video chat app like zoom, you need to choose the type of platform you will be using. It is essential in determining the tools required in the development process and the overall cost outlay.
In which platform you want your application to run- Desktops, laptops, smartphones, or tablets? You can either choose one platform or even all of these platforms to host your app.
Another important thing is to choose between web-based apps or native apps.
2. Web-Based Apps
A web-based app is what most developers choose to opt for. It means the app can be accessed on any device and all major browsers. Building your video conferencing app on a web-based application is convenient and it works on both desktops and mobile devices as well. You can use CSS, simple HTML, and JavaScript to create your video chat app.
3. Native Apps
If you choose to go the native way, you need to choose which platform you will be deploying the application on. iOS and Android are supported by their respective programming languages namely Objective-C and Java. So you will need to create a separate app for both iOS and Android platforms. You can also utilize frameworks like React Native that allows you to build native apps that can run on both iOS and Android devices.
Features of video chat app like Zoom
Zoom video conferencing app contains all essential features a business needs to hold meetings regardless of the strength and size. Participants can join from a PC or a mobile device as long as they have an internet connection. The common features of apps like Zoom ensure the app does what is supposed to do and provide basic functions. Whereas, the advanced features determine the user experience, engagement, brand value, etc.
Here are some of the features you need to incorporate into your Zoom like video chat application.
1. Group Chat
Source: Zoom
Integrated group chat is an essential feature that allows participants of a meeting to communicate with each other.
2. Live Streaming
Video chat apps allow users to live stream audio, video, or both to multiple users or a group in real-time. It is helpful in live streaming conferences and meetings of large groups of viewers. You can also stream a meeting or webinar live on YouTube which helps users to join your meeting via the video chat app to view it and comment via YouTube. Here is how to do it.
3. Screen Sharing
As the members in the meeting are not physically present, screen sharing solutions come handy for participants to view the screen especially during a presentation.
4. Record Videos
Every online meeting can be recorded with a button click. The recordings can be either stored locally on the device or can be uploaded in the cloud.
5. Multi-User Conference
Source: Zoom
A video conference app will only be successful if it allows more than two users to join the video chat. Enabling more than 10 users to join the call requires strong backend support to ensure that the app works smoothly.
6. Dynamic Admin Panel
To ensure security, the hosts or admin must gain complete control over the activities of the participants. Dynamic admin panel allows admins to restrict screen sharing to hosts, control call recording features, track previous discussions to share with absent participants, and a lot more.
7. Monetization
Video conferencing apps like Zoom features a subscription revenue model that facilitates monthly payment for paid subscribers. If a subscription is not renewed, it will get converted to a free membership account with restrictions.
8. Mute Conversations
This feature allows hosts to mute participants they desire. Members also can mute their own chats individually when needed.
9. Creating Poll and Q&A
Hosts can create Q&A and polls to understand the opinions of participants and gather their responses.
10. Virtual Background
Virtual backgrounds are one of the essential features of video chat apps that allows users to change the background of their video conference screen to look presentable.
11. Virtual Hand-Raising
When a member wants to speak about a particular topic, they can easily notify the host by using the virtual hand-raising emoji. This enhances the efficiency of video conferencing by preventing multiple people from speaking at once.
Technology Stack to build a video chat app like Zoom
The starting point is prototyping where you analyze and collect the requirements. This process allows you to plan the appearance and interactions of the application. As the popularity of the app grows, you can improve the functionality of your app with time.
1. The App Development Process
Once the requirement analysis is done, the next important step in the development of a video conferencing app is the development process itself. Here are the steps to create a video conferencing website and app.
2. UI/UX Design
Source: Zoom
To build a video chat app like zoom, it is important to think about an attractive UI/UX. A good UI/UX implies a visually appealing user interface with intuitive navigation. That means your users shouldn’t spend a lot of time familiarizing themselves with the app and its functionalities. As the success of the app designs plays a major role in the overall development process, it is important to choose a solution that enhances the overall user experience.
3. Back End Development
The back end development involves different stages where the development team works on the app server, the web server, and the database. Whether your backend is on-site or in the cloud, a backed server is the support system of any app network. The app is also expected to perform well when handling a large amount of data.
How Much It Will Cost To Create An App Like Zoom?
The cost to create an app like Zoom depends on your project requirements and mainly the following factors.
- Features
- Design- Standard or customized
- Hourly rate of your development team
However, if you consider building a video chat app like zoom from scratch, it can be time-consuming and expensive. Developing from scratch involves dividing the whole project into several sections and considering each section individually. The whole process includes front-end and back-end development which will take a minimum of 3 months.
Each feature you choose for your application requires time to create and configure on both client-side and server-side. The server-side tech is an important part of the entire app-building process. And it is going to be the most time-consuming part of the development process.
Overall, creating a video chat app might take up to take 400-600+ hours including the investigation phase and implementation phase. To build the server-side tech stack, you have to add another 500+ hours to the entire timing. Once you calculate the total hours to build an app like zoom, then you need to consider the hourly price of developers which ranges from $20-$250 per hour. Considering the total hours involved, the cost to build a video conferencing app starts from $20,000 and might go even higher depending on your unique requirements.
The cost to create an app like Zoom might even be more considering the individual cost of each module and functionality. Why thinking about building your video chatting app from scratch when the work is already automated for you. If you want to build your Zoom-like app cost-effectively, using a white label solution is the ideal choice.
Let’s look into it in the next section.
Why choose Zoom Clone Script?
If you are searching for how to create an app like Zoom to bring your team members closer and connect them professionally, building a customized video chat app using a white-labeled solution can keep your office well knotted to ensure productivity. Enriched with enticing features, a white-label solution offers ease, convenience, and customization to any degree.
Choosing a Zoom clone script is a smart alternative to building your app from scratch considering the time and effort required and the overall cost involved. White-labeled solutions or clone scripts are nothing but ready to deploy programs that help to make a video chat app like zoom with the same quality and user experience like Zoom. Moreover, you get a 100% open source code that you can install on multiple domains and use for various niches.
The overall cost of creating an app like Zoom using clone script might come around just $699 for a regular license and might go up to $1499 if you want to develop mobile apps for Android and iOS as well which would be still lower than the cost of development from scratch.
Besides the development costs, there are some other costs involved which are as follows.
1. Domain Name Registration
Registration of desired domain names might cost you around $10-$1000. Whereas, if you want to buy a domain name that belongs to someone else, it might become more expensive.
2. Web Hosting
Web hosting charges might come around $20-$50 for a year which you have to renew annually. Make sure you select a reputed hosting service with good reviews even if it is expensive as you will get secure data and financial transactions.
3. SSL Certificates
Securing your video conferencing website with SSL technology is important if you want to provide a secure and reliable service to your users. The SSL encryptions might cost you around $50-$75 per year.
Why StreamHash to Create a Video Chat App like Zoom
When you want to create an app like Zoom, invest in a robust Zoom clone script that allows you to carry out video conferencing seamlessly. ZoomNow is a smart zoom clone script with all-around features that are built to fulfill the needs of modern business. ZoomNow is an innovative open-source video communication solution for businesses that enables streamlined video chat amongst the users along with other functionalities. With your ready-made script, your users will be able to conduct online meetings, collaborate remotely, chat with other members, and carry out business needs seamlessly.
Here is why StreamHash can be your trusted partner in creating video chat app like zoom.
1. Customization
Being an innovative solution to the primitive concept of video conferencing, StreamHash allows you to build a fully customized video chat app like Zoom with the features and functionalities you require.
2. Years of Valid Expertise
The businesses of tomorrow need a video chat solution that allows them to connect and collaborate efficiently with others by utilizing technological innovations. StreamHash has got the valid expertise in building a video chat app like zoom. Boasting a highly skilled team with valid experience in the industry and reputed clientele, StreamHash makes the best solution partner.
3. Result-Oriented Video Chat Solution
Being a proficient video solution provider, we help to bring brands to the forefront of the industry and maximize the appeal using important features. We offer all the essential features that can bring ease in holding online meetings with any number of team members. From sharing screens to the most lucrative revenue model, we bring innovation to video conferences.
4. Cost-Effective Price Packages
The zoom clone script from StreamHash is cost-effective compared to the cost to create an app like Zoom from scratch. We stick to offering the most cost-effective rates and price packages that are based on top-notch app development. Our Zoom clone script is proficient and smooth in functionality.
5. Support
When you buy our zoom clone script, it is more than a one-time deal. You get support for the setup and deployment part. In case of customization requirements, you just need to pay for specific customizations required.
Ready to Start your own website like Zoom?
Conclusion
To fill the void of lost interpersonal connections caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, both individuals and businesses have started relying on video conferencing apps like Zoom as it has already set a perfect example in the industry for how video chatting apps should be. You might be wondering whether launching a video chatting app like Zoom in a crowded industry is a lucrative business idea or not. The truth is that even though the market is extremely crowded, the potential is still huge. If your product outstands your competitors, you can achieve incredible success.
The most important part of creating a video conferencing website comes down to choosing a reliable solution provider who can cater to your customer requirements. If you need a customizable white-label solution for building video conferencing apps, now is the best time to build a more secure and engaging app. Get in touch with us for expert guidance on creating an app like Zoom.