In the early days of online business computing, contacting customers and employees was as simple as sending an email. This was the all-in-one form of contact that seemed like a natural endpoint of communication, but it didn’t last. Over time, social media and communication apps took over, their myriad forms further complicating the contact equation.
Staying ahead of the curve means adapting to and integrating as many different messaging and communication platforms as is reasonable. While variability depends on your business type and audience, starting with a wide net is key. Finding the best approach, that much isn’t so simple.
Smartphones by the Numbers
According to statistics from 2025, around 62 percent of all web traffic comes from mobile systems. Desktop platforms account for around 36%, with the final 2% coming from tablets. Such usage patterns don’t just apply to browsing either, as the majority of casual and communication uses tie into these smartphones. They’re ubiquitous, and if possible, most users stick to their mobile phones and won’t change off them unless they have no choice.
It’s not just ubiquity and convenience that drives users to smartphones either; it’s user-friendliness. Smartphones are often much easier to use and navigate than desktops, which is especially pronounced in younger generations.
Tech illiteracy has become a noted trend among Gen Z, which makes smartphones increasingly likely to be a platform of choice. Factor in the relative difficulty of typing in long emails on a smartphone, and changes in communication patterns become increasingly understandable.
Apps and Communication Platforms to Consider
To best cater to either employee or customer communications, the following communications systems should all be considered:
- Email – the best for business, and while decreasingly common among younger users, still useful as a baseline for the more technically minded.
- SMS – a strong tool for local communication, though limited when managing international relationships.
- WhatsApp – A growing standard with over three billion monthly active users.
- Social Media – The most popular among younger users, with Facebook and Instagram also sharing billions of active users. If you operate in locations like Korea or China, more localised apps like KakaoTalk and WeChat might also be worth considering.
Managing all of these active accounts can be best achieved through one or two work computers, rather than spreading the communication tools over a range of different platforms. This way, you’ll be better able to track conversations and avoid confusion.
Businesses can also invest in a specially made omnichannel customer engagement platform to manage and automate smart messaging solutions from a system hub. These platforms can help coordinate emails, SMS, push notifications, WhatsApp, calls, and other systems without needing to juggle different apps individually. AI integration here can also provide real-time feedback based on user account history to enhance business relationships by remembering topics and following usage patterns.
Email will always play a part in business communication, but to stay ahead of business communication needs, smartphone messaging tools need to be addressed. Whether you’re setting up platforms individually or using dedicated platforms to help, a serious, broad-reaching, and coordinated communication network is a must going forward. It might take a little adjustment, but for long-term relationships and improved opportunities, it’s better to start sooner than later.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
