Compare and Choose the Best Live Chat Software

In the current businessworld, most customers expect immediate access to a company’s support team. While there are plenty of email, telephone, and social media options around, routing website visitors to customizable live chat support allows businesses to convert leads in real time. This provides customers with fewer opportunities to look elsewhere to learn about and buy products or services.

As customer engagement is crucial to customer satisfaction and being able to interact with a live agent appeals to many, it’s important to have the best live chat software. This article will offer details on the live chat features, pricing, and functionality of various popular software.

• What is live chat?
• Advantages of live chat
• Disadvantages of live chat
• How live chat software works
• Live chat software must-haves
• Best live chat software

What is live chat?

Live chat is a form of customer support that allows customers to have direct communication with company representatives in real time. It’s simply a pop-up window that displays text and allows users to send and receive messages. As phone menus can be confusing and email can take longer than some customers are willing to wait, the right live chat tool lets your website visitors connect with a member of your customer service or sales team right away.

Being able to quickly get answers to common questions or have issues or concerns fielded by a live agent is more likely to lead to a positive customer experience and repeat purchases.‍

Advantages of live chat

There are several benefits to implementing a live chat solution on your business website beyond shortening the response time between your company’s team members and customers. They include:

Builds natural rapport

Having chat agents readily available to speak to customers and broaden their knowledge base about products or services makes those customers feel supported, starting with their first visit to your business website. A live chat function allows for a more genuine and natural human interaction through the use of personal pronouns like “I” and “we.” Live chat also allows the business to mirror the customer’s tone and lets the agent’s personality shine through, all contributing to a warmer exchange.

For example, a new customer might be curious about a service or product, while another might want to know why the service or product doesn’t have a feature they were hoping to find. While both customers have questions about a service or product, the type of answers and amount of information that each needs is different. This is where live chat agents can prove the most useful to your business’s overall ability to service the needs of customers.‍

Gives real-time feedback

Providing a chat window on your business website means real-time feedback is available to both customers and your company. This could mean anything from tracking browsing trends to allowing your customers the chance to ask a highly personalized question about your company’s products or services. This can translate to higher conversion rates and greater customer satisfaction.

Rather than having to gather customer data from algorithms or automation software, chat conversations give your reps unique insight into issues and concerns that exist for the customer. For example, a customer might have a question about how a product or service will work in their office or home. Based on details this customer provides, a live chat agent can be much more thorough and informative in providing an answer that works for that customer than a standard FAQ response might be.

Enhances the UX

All businesses need support tools that make it easier for customers to interact with their products or services (and with the website itself). Being able to connect directly to support agents through a chat box streamlines the user experience and helps prevent delays or snags when using your site—from their very first click all the way to checkout.

For example, a customer may not know how to clip a coupon that applies at checkout. Live chat can help prevent the customer from experiencing frustration and loss of interest because they can simply reach out to a customer support rep who can guide them through the process step by step.

Avoids repetitiveness

The availability of chat transcripts helps companies appear more attentive to customer needs. By not having to gather details from customers who have contacted the company through website chat before, your team members can move faster in addressing current questions and concerns.

When a customer starts a live chat, they’ll generally be asked to type out their issues before connecting to an agent. This prevents the customer from having to repeat themselves. Likewise, chat history can save your company valuable time if the customer makes contact more than once about a given issue or question.

Live chat software also allows agents to see which screen the customer is currently viewing and review notes left by previous agents who served this customer. For example, if a user previously connected with a live chat agent to discuss a warranty extension or get information about plan discounts, company reps can see exactly what information has already been shared with that customer.

Optimizes the customer service

Implementing support software that directly connects customers to your customer service team takes customer service to a new level. While automated chat options, like AI chatbots, can provide similar benefits, live chat introduces a human element. When customers feel their needs are being evaluated and served by an actual person, it allows them to feel a different sort of confidence. A positive outcome seems more plausible when customers feel like they’ve been heard.

And while automated chat does allow for interactions to be recorded and quickly analyzed, speed isn’t everything when it comes to addressing customer concerns—accuracy is crucial, and algorithms may not always catch variations of common questions. Live chat provides customers with contextual responses from real people, which might be preferable to those with more nuanced questions.

Disadvantages of live chat

No help desk software can be all things to all companies and customers. There are, of course, drawbacks to working with live chat tools. Below are some common shortcomings of live chat widgets.

Requires immediate attention

A ticketing system or other channels of customer interaction typically come with a small window of time in expected response. By contrast, customers utilizing live chat expect to be helped right away. This may mean hiring additional staff to be available at odd hours. To address this need, some companies opt to have live agents for established hours and automated chat for off-hours.

Not always mobile-friendly

Not all live chat providers have a mobile app component. As more and more customers are visiting company websites via their smartphones, this can be problematic.

Customers may want SMS message updates or other mobile notifications of progress that simply aren’t available with some live chat programs. However, it’s important to note the distinction between live chat software and instant messaging services and apps like Slack, Facebook Messenger, and Whatsapp.

Whereas these apps function like digital text messages, live chat software connects the company to the customer in real time. Looking for live chat software that serves both Apple iOS and Android users is important.

Integration options are sometimes limited

Every business’s workflow is different. Some live chat options may not translate smoothly to the unique way your company already handles ticketing and visitor tracking. Finding the right live chat software that allows for multichannel integration is important.

For example, if your company uses a specific customer relationship management (CRM) software and Slack, you probably want to look for a live chat software program that can easily incorporate those tools. Not doing so could mean having to revamp your team’s current way of engaging with customers, which isn’t always ideal.

How live chat software works

Live chat functions by allowing customers to type a message into a chat box that’s immediately received by someone on the backend. Service reps can respond right away to the needs and questions of both new and existing customers.

Some types of live chat software even offer proactive chat where the live agent can say hello to customers who are just entering the website and offer support even before it’s requested. Live chat also allows company representatives to take credit card information and conduct co-browsing with customers.‍

Live chat software must-haves

While all live chat software programs have unique functions, there are some must-haves for any good chat option. To maximize serviceability for your business, here are some of the features a good live chat software should have:

Support automation

Not all customer inquiries will require the attention of a live agent. For this reason, your live chat program should offer automation that is purpose-driven. This could mean having programming in place that looks for (and anticipates) common reasons customers are visiting your site (e.g., to compare prices, find out more about a product, or check for new options).

Having a chat window that pops up with something like “I see that you’re looking at different models of product X. Can I help you find what you need?” is a helpful way to serve customers because not every question a customer has will require a live agent’s time.

Standard responses

Standard responses, or “canned responses” as they’re sometimes called, are predetermined messages that live chat reps can send to customers. Everything from greetings to promotional offers can be customized into standard responses with the right live chat software. Examples might include “Hi, I see you’re new here! How can we serve you today?” and “We’re having a sale on product X today! Can I assist you in choosing the right size/color?”

Chat department routing

Chat routing is a method for prioritizing incoming chats and organizing them to arrive at the right agents. Chats can be automatically routed to specific departments, a queue that agents can select from, or your company’s least-busy reps at a given time.

Customization

A key element to any useful live chat software is adaptability. Some options offer video chat and various metrics for visitor tracking. Other customization points may include front-end items, like the theme, position, and colors of the chat widget.

Your company’s API is what allows the apps you use to do business to talk to one another. Making sure that your live chat software pairs well with your API is a must. Look for customizable live chat software that is broadly designed to work with all sorts of different APIs to ensure you don’t cost your company productivity by selecting one that isn’t well-matched to the programs you’re already using.

Multiple integrations

As it’s unlikely your live agents will be handling just one chat at a time, the best live chat software should have multiple integration options for managing simultaneous chats. Use of canned responses and implementation of knowledge bases—wherein relevant URLS can be sent directly from your company’s help desk—are examples of ways that multiple integrations can speed up resolution times.

Integration also refers to the ways that live chat software works alongside other platforms. Look for programming that aligns with your current CRM, help desk, knowledge base, and social media platforms. Many e-commerce companies rely on Salesforce, Hubspot, Shopify, or other popular marketing analytics tools. Your live chat program should enhance and expand the capability of your business’s other CRM applications.

Cloud-based

Everything from Mailchimp to Wix is cloud-based, and your live chat software needs to be, as well. One of the major reasons self-hosted live chat is less desirable is because your company has to pay for that infrastructure, and it’s a limited one. You can’t access self-hosted live chat from just anywhere like you can with cloud-based programs. There is also a significantly greater security risk with self-hosted options.

Cloud-based live chat software is run on third-party servers. This means that your business doesn’t have to pay for expensive infrastructure and can enjoy a much higher level of security.

Mobile compatibility

As mentioned, many of your website’s visitors will arrive via their mobile devices. Your chosen live chat provider should have mobile compatibility across both Apple and Android operating systems. Live chat programs without a mobile app component may sacrifice connectivity with potential customers.

Reports and analysis

Live chat software does more than track and analyze customer interactions; it also does the same for your live chat response team. With good live chat software in place, management can view the total number of chats accepted in a day by an individual representative or the team as a whole. Missed chats can be cataloged, as can average response time.

In-depth visitor reports can be generated and timesheets can be evaluated. Many live chat software programs also allow for customization of reports to your company’s unique products and services, such as showing how many chats were handled regarding a particular model or discount.

Best live chat software

The best live chat software for your business is a highly personal decision. To help guide your decision, here are 10 of the best live chat software programs available.

1. LiveChat

LiveChat comes with a built-in ticketing system, customization settings, branding options, and chat ratings for individual agents. It also allows for targeted messages relating to specific visitor behavior and file-sharing during ongoing chat conversations.

Price: $16 per month for Starter, $33 per month for Team (with free trial), and $50 per month for Business tier

Best option for: Businesses in need of a wide array of features and channels

2. Zendesk Suite

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Zendesk Suite is noted for the functionality of its automated response chatbot, mobile chat app, and effective chat routing. This program also anticipates customer queries and allows for multiple chat customization settings.

Price: Free trial available with all plans; $49 per month for Suite Team service, $79 per month for Suite Growth, and $99 for Suite Professional

Best option for: Those looking for a robust dashboard of preset and customizable options

3. Olark

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Olark provides custom chatbox forms, multiple integrations with a number of popular platforms, and detailed chat analytics. Featuring the ability to preserve unlimited chats for future use, this program also allows for helpful co-browsing with customers who need guided assistance.

Price: Free trial available; $29 per month for full-featured support

Best option for: Businesses that would like to structure agent groups and have access to advance reporting

4. Pure Chat

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Pure Chat provides companies with chat prompts based on visitor activity, mobile apps compatibility with Apple and Android devices, and unlimited storage for chat transcripts. Pure Chat also gives users the ability to assign various security roles to different live agents.

Price: Free trial available; Growth tier at $39 per month if paid annually and $49 per month if paid monthly; Pro tier at $79 per month if paid annually and $99 per month if paid monthly

Best option for: Companies looking for real-time sales support without having a per-user or per-contact fee

5. HubSpot

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HubSpot offers easy interdepartmental transfers, a centralized inbox for storing chat histories, and the ability to generate customized canned responses. Hubspot chatbots can help set up customer meetings and the program features a mobile app plus smooth integration with Slack.

Price: Foundational free plan, with Starter plan beginning at $45 per month

Best option for: Those looking for a universal inbox where sales, marketing, and customer service teams can manage chat conversations together

6. Sendinblue

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Sendinblue is noted for being a user-friendly live chat option with easy installation. Simply configure your chat environment and company profile, then copy and paste the code snippet into the header of your company website. The dedicated landing pages available for each of your company’s campaigns cut down on visitor confusion and allow for clearer navigation. Sendinblue also features Android mobile app capability and real-time visitor tracking.

Price: Free plan available; Lite plan is $25 per month, Premium plan is $65 per month, and a customizable Enterprise plan is for those with extensive needs

Best option for: Customers who value quick implementation and ease of use

7. Chaport

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Chaport allows users to customize chat widgets and provides feedback reports on operator performance in real time. This live chat program also permits file sharing during active chats, tracks and stores replies, and offers proactive chat prompts based on customer browsing activity.

Price: Free plan available; Premium plan is $15 per operator/month, Business plan is $23 per operator/month, and there is a customizable Enterprise plan

Best option for: Businesses that want a wide range of integration options and alignment with communication apps, such as Viber and Whatsapp

8. Drift

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Drift live chat software comes with a chatbot that automatically recognizes market leads and smoothly transfers chats between relevant departments. Drift also features a private note function for use between support team members, active chat tracking, and the option to create multiple inboxes for the best management of different types of chat conversations.

Price: Interested customers should contact a Drift representative to get a personalized quote.

Best option for: Businesses that value a personalized user experience and customizable price plan

9. Smartsupp

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Smartsupp provides a one-stop hub for all of your business’s communication channels. With a mobile app suited to both iOS and Android users, live agents also enjoy video chat options and helpful browsing overviews.

Price: Free plan available, Standard plan for $15 per month, and Pro plan for $72 per month

Best option for: Companies that value the ability to have three agents onboarded at any price point

10. Podium Webchat

Podium Webchat offers swift multilocation chat transfers, daily digest internal emails, and a proactive autoresponder. Its Leaderboard feature also allows for careful review of response times and productivity by each employee.

Price: Contact a Podium Webchat team member for flat-rate pricing.

Best option for: Businesses looking for easy-to-use smart responses and a solid range of analytics options

Getting the best live chat software for your business

With so many options and live chat software programs out there, businesses may want to hire a freelance customer service representative to get the most out of their chat options.

Hiring a freelance customer service rep can improve the overall experience your customers enjoy when visiting your company website. These hires can also cut down on wait times for pending questions, help translate interest into sales, and make a warmer, immediate connection between potential customers and your company.

Stay ahead of the curve on customer satisfaction by hiring a live chat operator through Upwork. See how we can connect you to the right independent talent for your company’s needs.

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Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the tools or services discussed in this section. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyze and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.