In a friendly tone: When you're chatting with someone in person, you have more than words to go by. You have voice inflection, facial expressions, and body language to help you get the message across—and to give you cues about how the other person is feeling. With online communication, all of these crucial elements are missing.
Face-to-face communication can be more direct and immediate. There's no waiting for an email to arrive or a text message to be read. In addition, because the communication is immediate and direct, it is easier to clarify questions and points that may otherwise be confusing or misunderstood in electronic messages.
Face-to-face communication also allows for people to see that others are actively involved and listening; it's harder for someone to tune out during a face-to-face meeting than it is when on the phone or via email. This can create better information retention and understanding among participants. The visual nature of face-to-face communication also allows for better emotional connection between team members; this can increase morale and individual investment in a project.