Customer satisfaction is necessary for every business to sustain itself in today’s hyper-competitive scenario. Business organizations worldwide are looking to include new tactics to render the best customer experience to their end-users. New-age technologies such as voice recognition, artificial intelligence, big data, etc., assist them in achieving this goal.
A primary step in delivering an excellent customer experience is to answer the customers’ queries. In this process, having a chat app on the website or the mobile application will help greatly. A chat app will be the first point of contact between the business and customers, and therefore, the business organization would use bespoke technologies to develop it.
Since its inception in 2017, Flutter has been at the forefront of developing customized and user-centric apps. Therefore, developing a chat application for your business in Flutter with Firebase can create a win-win situation and render better opportunities to grow ahead.
Therefore, in this blog, we will study the steps that will help in developing chat apps in Flutter with Firebase. Moreover, we will also see the advantages of the chat app being developed in Flutter with Firebase.
What are the advantages of developing a chat app with Flutter?
The realm of chat apps has been on a constant rise. According to researchers, China is expected to have more than 592 million chat apps users by 2027 while the US currently has 461.2 million users. Moreover, we all are aware of the benefits of using Flutter in mobile app development and the case of chat app development is no different. Let us now understand what would be the benefits of building chat apps in Flutter.
Immediate response
Through the chat apps, the user or the customers get directly connected with the concerned person from the service provider in real-time. Chat apps made in Flutter using Firebase have lesser response time. Therefore, these apps can act as a bridge between potential leads, customers and other prospects. Thus, with better speed and quick response time, it would be easier for the users to ask questions about the services and the business organization can respond immediately.
Better productivity
Chat apps built through Flutter in Firebase will render freedom to a business website or mobile application to connect with a significant part of the audience. Moreover, having chat apps powered by social media will also allow the business enterprise to offer perks and rewards to the customers and compel them to get connected with the platform on a regular basis.
Frequent interaction will lead to frequent feedback and will allow the organization to increase the productivity and credibility of their business website or mobile application.
Easy target advertising
Segmented targeting is one of the most effective ways to approach the customers and make a loyal user base out of them. Through chat apps built in Flutter with Firebase, business organizations can utilize the facility of instant messaging and deliver quality content to the respective audience.
Targeted advertising is beneficial for enterprises irrespective of their sizes and the new-age chat apps can greatly help in that.
Steps to build a chat app in Flutter with Firebase
There are 5 basic steps that are included to build a chat app in Flutter with Firebase. Therefore, if the business organization wishes to have a state-of-the-art chat app, they must follow all the below mentioned steps diligently.
Sign in, sign up
Sign in and sign up is the first and the most fundamental part used in building a chat app in Flutter with Firebase. It is necessary as it keeps the information and data of the users secured.
After understanding the importance of the Google sign-in process, if Google-sign in becomes your favored alternative, look to utilize VS code or CMD/terminal. These tools will function as a smooth code supervisor and will help in version control and assignment running.
For arranging pictures with specific names in the app, it is necessary to create a widget called Sing-in in the Sign.in dart. In the dart, the developers can utilize appBar framework, floating buttons and more. The appBar framework will be the same on every screen so it is advised to make it in a document file.
Have widgets to add more functionality
It is essential to coordinate the right arrangements of plugins to make sure that the chat app made in Flutter with Firebase runs smoothly. With the help of proper plugins, it becomes easier for the developers to assemble and construct the main Firebase chat app.
Moreover, as a business organization, if you are facing difficulties in adding the required plugins, it is always advised to hire Flutter developers as they can assist with the entire chat app development services effectively. Also, while adding the plugins, it is also important to follow the guidance and add Google sign in, cloud firestore, Firebaseauth, and Firebase storage.
Below is the list of ideal plugins for chat app development:
- Cloud Firestore Plugin
- Firebase Auth for Flutter
- Google sign-in
- Fluttertoast to display a toast
- Firebase cloud storage for Flutter
Design layout of the chat app screen
There are different types of screens engulfed in an ideal chat application. The different types of screens are login screen, setting screen, enlistment screen, chat screen and landing page screen. As the design of the screen is created through various arrangements of codes, it is necessary to follow the guidelines.
- Main screen layout
In the beginning, the main page of the chat application has not listed every user available even that it has access to the total data including about me, avatar and epithet. Moreover, if there arose a need of adding more design fields, make sure to have a screen that has all specific customer information.
- Setting screen layout
Here the user can edit things such as changing the name, symbol or the about me portrayal, etc. Also in the setting screen layout, it is possible to add extra fields in the event within the previously made principle page in detail
- Chat screen layout
This is the area where the clients can send picture and text messages to their partners and receive it from the other end as well. Therefore, it is clear that the chat screen deals with a myriad of different things together. Moreover, if the sticker or the console in the screen layout is shown, it is necessary to conceal it to explore it to the previous screen.
Connecting Flutter with Firebase
The final step is to connect Flutter with Firebase to complete the process of chat app development. To connect Flutter with Firebase, here are the steps to follow:
- Sign up with the Google or Sign in to Firebase
- Create a project and then > Project Overview and after that enter the “Package Name”.
- After completing the first two steps, download Google-services.json and move the Google-services,json file that is downloaded into the Android app module root directory
- The final step is to add Google-services dependencies in Project-level build.gradle, snd voila, it’s done.
Final thoughts
Developing a chat app in Flutter with Firebase is the new development trend as it renders better productivity, excellent visibility and smooth working. Thus, whether it is for the app developers or the business organization, a chat app developed in Flutter in Firebase is bound to give superlative results.