Greatest dwell chat software program

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Live chat has quickly become an integral part of customer service in the digital age.

When a customer or website visitor has a question, complains, or needs some other type of assistance, they expect to reach your brand through a live chat.

In addition to improving the customer experience, live chat is also more efficient for your support team. Service agents cannot make more than one call at a time, but they can have multiple live chat conversations at the same time.

Overall, live chat is quick, effective and cheaper than any other type of customer communication. In terms of customer preferences, it scores higher than phone, email, and social media. Every website must have a live chat.

Even so, there are dozens of different live chat solutions out there today. Which one is best for you and your website? Below for my in-depth analysis.

The top 7 options for live chat software

  1. Zendesk
  2. JivoChat
  3. Pure chat
  4. Intercom
  5. Live chat
  6. Acquire
  7. Smartsupp

How to choose the best live chat software for you

When comparing different live chat options, certain features and considerations need to be evaluated. I'll break these factors down in more detail so you can better understand what to look for.

Number of agents

How big is your support team?

There is a big difference between companies with 5, 50, and 500 agents. Most plans have some restrictions on the number of support agents who can access the software. Other plans also have minimum seating requirements.

It's also important to look down the street as your business grows. Is it easy to add new agents on a large scale to your plan? Make sure you are not locked into a plan that limits your scalability.

use cases

Why exactly are you in the live chat software market?

Sure, there are many general purpose options. However, some software programs are tailored to meet specific needs and goals. For example, there is live chat software for lead qualification, live chat software for customer loyalty, and live chat software for customer support.

These are just a few of the many examples that should be considered.

Omnichannel support

If you have customers reaching your brand through multiple channels, you want to make sure that the software integrates seamlessly with these third-party systems.

For example, you may be able to manage conversations from your website and conversations from Facebook Messenger in the same live chat software. Your service reps can do everything from a single dashboard instead of switching screens and being forced to use different platforms.

automation

Automation is arguably the most important and desirable feature of live chat software. It speeds up service requests significantly and is an inexpensive way to provide 24/7 assistance.

Chatbots don't take lunch breaks or sick days. They work nights, weekends, and holidays. If a website visitor has a question at 2:00 a.m. on a Saturday, it may be possible to resolve it with a self-service chatbot.

For companies with multiple departments, chatbots and live chat software can automatically route messages to the correct representative. Questions about returns are sent directly to a support representative, while questions about new products are directed to a sales representative.

Extras and bonus features

Aside from the main live chat software tools, each software has additional features with different plans. Not all of these are deal breakers, but they do come in handy if you want to take advantage of these deals.

I'm referring to features like CRM integrations, chat history, custom widgets, administrator monitoring, help desk features, HIPAA compliance, calendar integrations, scheduling, etc.

The different types of live chat software

At its core, live chat software is essentially real-time messaging on a website between a visitor and a brand rep from a chat box in the corner of the page. However, within this broad classification, live chat can be broken down into three main categories.

Chatbots

Chatbots use AI technology and automation to solve problems. In many cases, adding chatbots to your website can resolve customer queries without human interaction.

It is also common for websites to use chatbots first before the conversation is finally routed to a support agent. Chatbots can help qualify the visitor and ultimately resolve the request faster.

Chatbots don't usually come with basic live chat software plans. These are usually offered as an add-on. Don't let the price of chatbots stop you from using them. In the long run, it's much cheaper to use bots than to pay for human labor.

Live chat for sales

There are many great sales-specific live chat solutions out there. This type of live chat software includes built-in CRM tools (or integration with the CRM you already have), lead qualification features, and customer loyalty tools.

Your sales reps can close leads a lot easier when you use live chat software that is designed for sales.

Customer support software

Live chat is a common component of help desk software. Many customer service software on the market have ticket assistance and team collaboration features, but the best include live chat as well.

Not all live chat software is designed specifically for customer support. So if this is the main feature you are looking for, make sure you choose a solution with these help desk features and support tools.

# 1 – Zendesk Review – Best for customer loyalty

Zendesk is versatile live chat software trusted by more than 200,000 companies worldwide. You have solutions for sales, support and customer loyalty.

One of the reasons Zendesk is so high on my list is because of its simplicity. The software is easy to use and can be deployed within hours of signing up.

Zendesk is used by some big names and industry leaders like Shopify, Slack, Uber, Venmo, and others. Here are some of the top reasons I recommend it:

  • Reach customers with proactive engagement before they land on your website
  • Powerful analysis of customer satisfaction, agent performance and other KPIs
  • Omnichannel support with email, social media, phone and live chat
  • Self-service and knowledge base tools in 40+ languages
  • AI suggestions and machine learning from contextual hints

Zendesk Chat starts at $ 14 per agent per month.

However, I recommend the Zendesk Support Suite. This bundle includes chat, support, messaging, and voice features starting at $ 89 per month. It's also worth noting that Zendesk must also consider a sales suite.

Try a Zendesk plan for free for 30 days.

# 2 – JivoChat Review – Best Cross Platform Live Chat Software

JivoChat is an all-in-one business messaging solution. You can communicate with customers via phone, email, social networks, and of course, live chat – all from a single platform.

It integrates seamlessly with popular tools and services you already use, such as: B. Slack, Weebly, WordPress, Wix, Pipedrive, Zapier, Shopify and more.

More than 284,000 websites worldwide rely on JivoChat for their live chat needs, making it one of the most popular solutions on the market today. Here is a quick overview and an explanation of why the software is so popular:

  • Compatible with Facebook, WhatsApp, Apple Business Chat, Telegram, Email, etc.
  • All customer communication is managed through a single window
  • The live chat widget works on any device, browser and operating system
  • It's customizable and can be translated into 20 different languages
  • Automatic proactive notifications based on custom triggers
  • CRM integrations and visitor information (such as location and click source)
  • Chat logs and reports between customers and agents

JivoChat has unlimited chats and websites on every plan, including the free version.

The software and its basic functions are free for your first five agents. Pricing starts at $ 13 per month per agent, giving you access to all of JivoChat's features. Try it for free for 14 days.

# 3 – Pure Chat Review – The Best Live Chat Features

Pure Chat is an excellent live chat solution for small and medium-sized teams.

Compared to other solutions on the market today, Pure Chat is one of the most feature-rich live chat tools you will come across. Even better, all of these features are included in every plan.

Let's take a closer look at Pure Chat's extensive feature list:

  • Unlimited chats
  • Advanced widget customization
  • Security roles (for administrators, operators, main users)
  • Chat notifications
  • Ready-made answers
  • File transfers
  • Trigger based actions
  • Real-time analysis and visitor tracking

You can choose between two different Pure Chat plans: Growth and Pro. These start at $ 39 and $ 79 per month, respectively. The growth plan has four users and the pro plan has ten users. Additional users cost extra.

For most businesses, I would recommend the Pro plan. You can remove the Pure Chat branding from your widget and use it on an unlimited number of websites.

Try one of these Pure Chat offers for 30 days free of charge to access all of its features.

# 4 – Intercom Review – The Best for Lead Qualifications

Intercom is known as the "platform for conversational relationships". It's a clever way of saying that it helps you build customer relationships through messaging and live chat.

Trusted by over 30,000 companies around the world, including Microsoft, IBM, Udemy and Sotheby & # 39; s.

What Makes Intercom So Great? Let's take a closer look at the software highlights:

  • Increase website conversions with targeted messages, bots, and real-time chats
  • Bring in, activate, and re-engage customers for outbound communications
  • Proactive support tools and self-help functions
  • Manage customer interactions across all channels from a single dashboard
  • 250+ out-of-the-box integrations and APIs for custom integrations

The software starts at $ 39 per month for basic live chat and outbound messaging functions.

To take full advantage of lead qualification automation and management, I recommend the Accelerate plan. It starts at $ 499 per month and has ten seats. This has fantastic features like custom bots, team inboxes, and a lot more.

Try Intercom for free with a 14-day trial version.

# 5 – LiveChat Review – The Most Versatile Live Chat Software

With a brand name like LiveChat, it's no surprise that this software is so high on my list. Over 30,000 companies in over 150 countries trust this tool, including names such as PayPal, McDonald's, Adobe and Mercedes-Benz.

The software is used for online chat, multi-channel support, lead generation, online surveys, in-app support, net promoter score and more. This makes it one of the most versatile solutions on the market today.

Here is a quick overview of the features, benefits, and notable highlights of LiveChat:

  • Add product cards to live chat conversations
  • Use custom forms and AI chatbots to qualify your leads
  • Automatically track sales and KPIs to monitor effectiveness
  • Automatic agent routing
  • Automatic ticket creation
  • Segment visitors based on their behavior on your website
  • 170+ integrations (Dropbox, BigCommerce, MailChimp, Shopify, Salesforce, etc.)

LiveChat is easy to use and set up. Plans start at $ 16 per agent per month and are free to try for 14 days. No credit card required.

# 6 – Acquire Review – Best Live Chat Software for Chatbots

Acquire isn't the most popular live chat software out there right now. But big organizations like Lexus, Audi, the US Air Force, Discover, and others still rely on it. It's an all-in-one solution for omnichannel support, knowledge base, video chat, VoIP phone and more.

For those of you who want to add the most advanced chatbots to your website, Acquire is my top recommendation.

Let's take a closer look at what makes Acquire stand out from the crowd:

  • Automate routine questions with AI chatbots
  • Sync your knowledge base articles with chatbots
  • Forward chats to human agents when bots can't provide a solution
  • No coding required or developers required to deploy bots
  • Manage all your email, social, live chat and other channels in a single inbox
  • Team collaboration tools
  • Co-browsing software for troubleshooting on-page markup
  • Video chat with customers

Another reason I like Acquire is that the company has exceptional customer support. It's a growing brand, but their team is available 24/7.

Prices are not available online. Contact the Acquire sales team for more information.

# 7 – Smartsupp Review – Best for monitoring visitor behavior

Smartsupp is another live chat software with omnichannel functions. The solution is used by over 425,000 websites.

This is a great way to increase customer loyalty, increase conversions, and improve engagement with live chat and bots.

Smartsupp has one of the most unique features of any live chat software on the market today. It has built-in video recordings that give your agents a deeper understanding of how each visitor moves around your website. In this way, agents can find out where people are getting lost and provide better support.

You also benefit from top features such as:

  • Out-of-the-box integrations and APIs
  • Analytics and customer satisfaction ratings
  • Create personalized automated messages with smart rules
  • Communicate with customers on the go using the Smartsupp mobile app
  • Web dashboard with analysis of customers
  • Customize the appearance and colors of the chat box
  • Add personalized photos to support agent names in the chat widget

For smaller websites with basic needs, Smartsupp is forever free for your first three agents. Paid plans start at $ 10 per month.

You can try Smartsupp today by creating a free account.

Summary

There are many great live chat solutions out there. But the seven recommended in this guide are definitely my favorite.

Which is the best option for your website?

Be sure to follow the methodology described earlier in this guide. This makes it a lot easier for you to narrow down your options.

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