Online communication

With the advent of the Internet, a new communication channel opened up for people. Although classic letters still have a lot of weight, especially from an emotional point of view, from a practical point of view they are surpassed by communication via the Internet or online communication. Among the indisputable benefits of the Internet, communication is speed, financial simplicity, and continuous availability.

What is online communication?

Online communication is defined as computer-mediated communication (CMC) processes conducted via the Internet and digital media. With the advent of the digital society, more people are harnessing the power of online communication and taking advantage of its benefits.
The use of online communication further increased during the outbreak of the pandemic Covid-19. At a time when social distancing was the only option, online communication was the best way to interact and exchange money.
In addition to interacting, collaborating, and transacting, online communication enabled a wide variety of activities. Booking travel plans, meetings, online classes, and many other activities have made life easier.

Types of Online Communication

You probably agree that choosing the right tool is critical for building effective communication and helping you achieve the goals you have set. There are many different types of online communication for different purposes and using the right one can improve communication at work.

Email

Email, also known as electronic mail, is one of the oldest tools in online communication. This tool allows users to exchange photos, get news, and send files from different locations around the world. This tool is often used for public communication, especially for mailing lists. There are many other basic tools for online communication, such as newsletters, websites, and social networks. The Internet has revolutionized things with a better amount of new keystream communication tools. The reason for this is that the different tools for online communication have greatly reduced the amount of time spent on creating and delivering messages.

Pros of using email

• Capable of handling long messages. Email was originally designed as a form of software for viewing larger amounts of content. This makes it extremely easy to use to manage business correspondence.
• Can be scheduled to be sent at a specific time. This function is especially useful for time management. For example, this function is useful for people who frequently attend business meetings or work with a large number of documents.
• Email is a free tool. Once you are online, there are no further costs involved in sending and receiving messages.
• Email provides instant access to information and files. You can also send files to yourself and save messages to keep a record of your online conversations and interactions in case you need them in the future.

Cons of using email

• It is not suitable for carrying conversations. Long or short conversations can clutter up your inbox or get lost in the daily traffic. If you need a quick answer, then chat will be a perfect tool for you.
• E-mails cannot be ignored for long. The thing is that email requires constant maintenance. If ignored, more messages will find their way into your inbox until it becomes unmanageable.
• E-mails can contain viruses. It is best to be aware of this possibility when opening an email from a stranger or downloading an attachment.

Chat

Chat can be defined as communication between two or more people by sending short messages online. It is a simple and quick type of communication.

Pros of using chats

• It is instant. It is the most valuable feature of chat. This tool allows people to comfortably communicate and get responses in real-time.
• Easy to carry a conversation. The chat medium uses informal language and short sentences to convey information quickly.
• Emojis can be used to convey emotions, making the conversation fun and colourful for both the sender and receiver.
• Efficient use of employee time. A distinct advantage of live customer chat is the way it saves employee time. Instead of committing to one phone call for an unspecified amount of time, staff can manage multiple chat conversations at once.

Cons of using chats

• Inconvenient for long messages. If you need to send long messages in the chat, it may not work well as there is not much opportunity for formatting.
• May feel impersonal to some users. Some individuals, especially seniors, prefer to receive customer service assistance over the phone. For this reason, some customers consider chats robotic and impersonal.
• Time zone issue. The Internet works 24/7, so website users may need customer service at any time of the day or night. As a result, time zones and accessibility may need to be addressed to determine whether you can provide 24/7 service. Failure to do so may disappoint some customers who require support outside of traditional business hours.

Audio/Video Calls

Voice and video calls on the Internet are convenient means of communication. It is also an inexpensive way to interact in real time, which helps add a personal touch to your interactions. Video calling allows you to see and hear people in real time.
Organizations benefit from online calls through meetings. There are many platforms which allow you to host meetings. It is perfect for emergencies as a person gets a call immediately. This way he or she cannot ignore it or forget about it as it could happen with a chat or email letter. It is an affordable and simple in-use tool for online communication.

Pros of using audio/video calls

• You can see the person to whom you are talking. This feature makes it feel like you are meeting with someone in person.
• Most of the tools are free and easy to set up. Even users who struggle with technology can install video/audio call platforms and use them freely.
• File and screen-sharing. Sharing screen and files with meeting participants is an important tool that allows them to collaborate effectively.

Cons of using audio/video calls

• A high-quality internet connection is needed. In the case of audio and video calls, it is important to have a constant good internet connection to have a productive conversation. Unlike chats, where you can get the messages and understand them even if they were sent with a slow internet connection, it will not be possible to hear a person or see the image they are sharing, unless there is a stable connection.
• Additional hardware is needed. For audio or video calls you should have a microphone and headphones.
• Technical bugs. Even if all of the participants of the meeting have a stable internet connection, it is not guaranteed that the conference will not be interrupted by software failure.

Social media

Social media are interactive programs whose main goal is to build communities via the exchange of concepts, images, words, etc. Nowadays it is one of the most practical methods of communication in our personal and professional life.

Pros of using social media

• Social media enables you to communicate with many people at a time.
• It is possible to share images and videos on social media. Such a feature can be used not only in private communication but also for the communication between an organisation and its customers.
• Social experience. Social media allows people to get more social experiences without the need to leave home.

Cons of using social media

• Content is limited to the platform that is being used. Different people used different social media, so if you want to share your ideas or promote your product with people that use another platform, you will have to duplicate it. For this reason, most businesses use a few social media at the same time.
• Your content can be stolen. Some people on social media might replicate your ideas or content, therefore you need to protect it (for example, by using watermarks).