Imagine this scenario: as a business owner, you have recently introduced a novel product or service. Once you launch your website, visitors start flowing in.
As you patiently anticipate sales, all you hear is silence instead of any signs of progress. Puzzled, you start questioning why potential customers aren’t making purchases. Suddenly, you realize the root cause: you lack a means to interact and connect with your potential customers.
You’re losing out because people are leaving your website without engaging in conversation with you, but don’t worry! There is a solution to this issue: live chat software.
When you incorporate live chat software into your website, you have the ability to engage with your website visitors instantly and promptly address any concerns they may have. This enables you to assist them in navigating the purchasing journey, provide tailored suggestions, and ultimately increase your sales.
In this blog, we will investigate the top 22 live chat software options that are currently available in the market. Our analysis will cover the features, pricing, and user-friendliness of each platform, aiding you in making a well-informed choice. Bid farewell to lost sales chances and welcome satisfied customers by harnessing the potential of live chat.
If you are unfamiliar with live chat tools, here is a quick introduction before we discuss the top ones. Additionally, we have compiled a list of the top 10 chat apps to assist teams and small businesses in achieving success. Keep reading!
What is Live Chat Software?
Live chat software is a tool that empowers businesses to engage in real-time communication with their customers. It facilitates businesses in providing round-the-clock support, managing multiple conversations at once, and promptly resolving customer inquiries.
By utilizing live chat, you have the option to replace conventional communication methods like email or phone support. This enables you to grasp the emotions expressed in customer interactions, recognize commonly faced issues, and customize your responses to suit their individual requirements.
This tool enhances customer satisfaction and reduces response times by streamlining the process of addressing customer inquiries and resolving issues, offering a symbiotic relationship between businesses and customers to benefit both parties.
Why Add Live Chat Software to Your Website?
Incorporating live chat support software into your website has the potential to revolutionize your customer engagement and boost your lead generation. Live chat software offers numerous benefits that can be advantageous to your business, as outlined below:
1. Enhance Customer Interaction
By using live chat, you can improve customer interaction by sending proactive chat invitations, enabling you to initiate conversations proactively. It offers a convenient platform where customers can receive assistance without having to navigate away from the website or make a phone call.
2. 24/7 Support Availability
By implementing a live chat service, you can provide your customers with 24/7 support, guaranteeing swift assistance whenever needed. This entails responding to inquiries regarding product pricing, availability, return policies, and other related matters.
3. Boost Sales and Conversions
By utilizing Live Chat, you can establish a connection with customers and gain insights into their requirements, thereby facilitating the provision of suitable products and services. This has the potential to boost sales and provide you with a competitive advantage.
4. Cost-Efficient Solution
During high customer demand, this tool can reduce staffing costs significantly by allowing fewer staff members to handle multiple customer queries simultaneously for customer support.
5. Gathering Customer Data
Utilizing Live Chat enables you to gather significant data on customer behavior, preferences, and feedback, consequently enhancing your service and marketing approaches. Moreover, it facilitates the collection of a customer’s purchase history for the purpose of providing tailored promotions or recommendations.
Top 10 Online Live Chat Support Software for Websites
Selecting the most suitable live chat software from the numerous options available in the market requires time and effort. To simplify this process, we have compiled a list of the top 22 live chat software that can enhance the growth of your business.
1. ProProfs Chat
ProProfs Chat is an intuitive live chat support tool that provides numerous advantages for its users. Its simple setup allows you to quickly initiate live chat support for your customers.
By managing several chats at once, you can enhance your support capability. The automated triggers provided by this live chat tool enable you to automatically start conversations with visitors, resulting in improved engagement and customer satisfaction.
Customizing the chat widget to suit your brand and website is an excellent method to enrich the customer experience.
With its detailed analytics and reports, ProProfs live chat delivers valuable insights into the performance of your operators, enabling you to make data-driven decisions regarding your support strategy.
2. Zendesk
Businesses can effectively communicate with customers using Zendesk, a robust live chat platform that offers a comprehensive set of features.
Zendesk chat offers an interface that is both user-friendly and intuitive, enabling agents to efficiently handle chats and tickets from a unified platform. It seamlessly integrates with other Zendesk products as well as allows integration with third-party tools.
The chat support software facilitates the chat process by offering customizable chat widgets, automated chat routing, proactive chat invitations, and pre-written messages for streamlining the experience.
Zendesk chat is a cost-effective choice for businesses seeking to enhance their customer service experience, as it not only provides strong reporting and analytics features, but also offers flexible pricing options that can accommodate different business sizes.
3. LiveChat
LiveChat is a customer service tool designed to facilitate real-time interaction between businesses and their customers. It provides various functionalities to optimize the support procedure and improve customer satisfaction.
Businesses can use LiveChat to simultaneously manage numerous chats, retrieve visitor information, and observe customer behavior on their website.
A seamless customer experience is ensured by integrating the platform with diverse tools like CRM, helpdesk, and e-commerce platforms.
Furthermore, LiveChat provides various customization features which enable users to personalize their experience, including chat window design, automated greetings, and canned responses.
In general, LiveChat proves to be a robust solution for businesses seeking to offer prompt, effective, and customized customer support.
4. Tidio
By providing instant communication, Tidio assists businesses in boosting their customer support capabilities as an advanced live chat tool.
Tidio has the capability to connect and work with various messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Slack, and Telegram. Additionally, Tidio provides an AI-driven chatbot which is able to effectively manage common customer inquiries and offer round-the-clock responses.
The tool offers real-time analytics and reporting, which aids businesses in gaining a deeper understanding of customer behavior and preferences. Moreover, it allows businesses to have a glimpse of the visitors who are currently browsing their website.
Tidio is a great option for businesses seeking to enhance customer communication and engagement due to its user-friendly interface and extensive features, which can aid in targeting potential leads and boosting sales.
5. 3CX
For businesses seeking to improve their customer service, 3CX presents a live chat solution equipped with various features. With 3CX, businesses have the flexibility to allocate any number of agents to group chats.
Businesses can provide real-time advice to visitors as they browse products and services by utilizing the added voice and video capabilities of this fully customizable platform.
From the start, visitors have the option to select either chat or voice. The calls, which are initiated through the browser, are free of charge for both the customer and the business.
Businesses can also connect their WhatsApp and Facebook accounts using the platform. Furthermore, 3CX has the capability to integrate with different website builders like WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly.
6. Zoho Desk
Zoho Desk is a software designed to assist organizations in streamlining their support operations by providing comprehensive customer service and support capabilities.
Zoho Desk provides various features such as ticket management, multi-channel support, knowledge management, and analytics for businesses. By using Zoho Desk, businesses can streamline their support processes and deliver customized experiences.
The platform allows for smooth collaboration and enhanced efficiency by seamlessly integrating with other Zoho applications and third-party tools. In addition, Zoho Desk provides strong reporting and analytic features, enabling businesses to obtain valuable insights into their support operations and make informed decisions based on data.
Furthermore, the platform can be tailored to meet the specific requirements of the business and is accessible in multiple languages.
In summary, Zoho Desk is a comprehensive support solution that has the ability to enhance your support operations and deliver exceptional customer experiences.
7. Smartsupp
Smartsupp, an effective live chat support software, assists businesses in boosting customer engagement and sales growth. Its features facilitate real-time communication with customers, gathering valuable insights, and enhancing the overall customer experience.
Smartsupp offers a range of notable features such as live chat in real-time, tracking of visitors, maintaining chat history and transcripts, sending chat invitations, creating chat forms, as well as providing an intuitive dashboard.
Businesses have the ability to engage with their customers using any device, such as desktop, mobile, or tablet, through Smartsupp. Additionally, Smartsupp provides a comprehensive analytics dashboard that offers valuable information about customer behavior.
For businesses seeking to enhance customer engagement and increase sales, Smartsupp offers an ideal solution that doesn’t demand excessive time and resources.
8. Drift
Drift is a contemporary software that enables businesses to enhance customer engagement through conversational marketing and online chat support. It facilitates personalized conversations between businesses and customers by providing instant messaging, live chat, and chatbots.
Drift’s live chat software offers AI-powered chatbots that are specifically designed to assist customers with their inquiries 24/7.
The analytics tools provided by the platform enable businesses to gain insights into customer behavior, thereby aiding them in optimizing their conversations for enhanced engagement and conversion rates.
By utilizing Drift, you have the ability to generate meaningful conversations that enhance the customer experience and foster business expansion.
9. Tawk.to
Tawk.to live chat support software is designed to assist businesses in effectively engaging with customers and increasing sales. It facilitates real-time communication with customers and offers a platform for addressing inquiries, gathering feedback, and resolving problems.
With the software, users can customize chat widgets, track visitors, and access reporting features to gain better insights into the audience.
Tawk.to offers a mobile app for iOS and Android devices, enabling you to respond to chats while on the move. Additionally, it is capable of connecting with your in-house CRM software to provide improved customer service.
Tawk.to is a crucial tool for businesses aiming to deliver exceptional customer support and improved customer experiences due to its advanced features.
10. Chaport
Chaport’s live chat software allows businesses to easily and conveniently engage with their customers through a straightforward and intuitive interface. Its range of functionalities includes customizable chat widgets, automated greetings, live visitor tracking, and an extensive analytics dashboard.
Chaport enables businesses to promptly respond to customer inquiries, boost customer satisfaction, and enhance sales.
Moreover, businesses can seamlessly incorporate Chaport into their current systems due to its integration with various platforms, including Shopify, WordPress, and Magento.
Chaport stands out from other live chat solutions with its proactive approach to customer engagement, making it an excellent option for businesses seeking to enhance their online customer support.
What are the Benefits of Live Chat Software?
Listed below are some of the major advantages of incorporating live chat into your customer engagement strategy: Live chat tools provide an abundance of features that enable you to interact efficiently with both your prospects and existing customers.
- Live chat can help you decipher your customer’s intent to answer their questions accurately.
- It offers round-the-clock support with chatbots to let you provide constant customer service.
- You can advance conversations using proactive chat invitations and automated greetings.
- Your operators can get access to past conversations and provide personalized support experiences using online chat software.
- You can customize the chat interface to match the look and feel of your brand.
- Monitor and analyze your operators’ performance by tracking metrics like average response time, missed chats, ratings, etc.
BONUS: The 10 best chat apps to help teams and small businesses succeed
What is your preferred method of communicating with your team?
With the workforce being inundated with office chat tools, a new one appears almost daily. Therefore, how can one determine the most suitable app for them?
If you need a tool that combines chat functionality and collaboration features, we have what you’re looking for. We’ve conducted tests on nine top-notch chat apps that are perfect for your team or small business. Additionally, we have compiled a list of highly beneficial tools and email service providers tailored for small businesses.
What is a team chat app?
A platform for team communication, a team chat app allows your team or business to interact collectively. These chat applications integrate various communication and collaboration elements such as file sharing, task organization, and video and audio conferencing.
Why should my team move to a chat app?
By transferring your office chat to a multifunctional app, you can engage in both synchronous and asynchronous communication, which enhances team collaboration and effectiveness. Being aware of how to reach out to your team and streamlining communication processes successfully resolves numerous challenges prevalent in many workplaces. Moreover, consolidating all your communication in a single platform makes it less likely for valuable ideas and significant discussions to be overlooked.
10 chat apps for your team and small business
1. Flock
Guess what? It’s us! Flock is an efficient and adaptable team communication app tailored for teams and small businesses. You can reach out to anyone in your organization at any time using direct messaging, personal space, and team-based channels.
Flock’s features for collaboration and productivity, such as shared to-do lists, reminders, and polls, ensure that your team stays aligned while communicating to accomplish tasks.
Flock offers a starting price of $4.50 per user per month, with an annual billing cycle, for unlimited messages and a 10GB file storage allocation per user, among other features.
2. Microsoft Teams
With over 20 million users (as of the end of 2019), Microsoft Teams has swiftly become the default chat application for business and enterprise, serving as the company’s latest productivity tool.
Teams consolidates pre-existing Microsoft tools such as OneDrive and Skype, serving as a centralized database and communication hub. Through Teams, users can effortlessly interact with one another via text chats or video conferences, in addition to conveniently sharing files and calendars.
There is a free standalone version available for Microsoft Teams’ chat function. The complete suite can be purchased starting at $12.50 per user/month with an Office 365 Business Premium subscription, and $20 per user/month with Office 365 E3.
3. Slack
You probably have heard of Slack, which is likely the first team chat program you came across. Its simple chat features make it perfect for businesses that have multiple teams in need of frequent communication. Recently, Slack has broadened its range of offerings such as video conferencing, integration with productivity tools, and a process automation feature.
The standard plan for Slack starts at $6.67 per user per month, whereas its Plus plan begins at $12.50 per user per month.
4. Troop Messenger
Troop Messenger enables efficient collaboration within your teams, facilitating communication throughout your entire workplace through various means such as individual messaging, group conversations, voice and video calls, audio messaging, and more. This platform ensures that every team member’s input is heard and shared with the rest of the organization. By utilizing a SaaS and Self-hosted delivery model, Troop messenger simplifies file sharing and allows users to preview their files directly within the user interface. Additionally, the platform’s user-friendly interface can be enhanced with enjoyable wallpapers. Its advanced filter group feature enables users to easily access the specific content they require. Troop also provides limitless message history and self-messaging capabilities. Start with a 30-day free trial for enterprise use, while pricing for the Premium plan begins at $1 per user per month, and the Enterprise plan starts at $5 per user per month.
5. Chanty
Chanty employs AI and machine learning to power its messaging system, providing anticipated replies and condensed summaries of overwhelming messages. Through Teambook, Chanty organizes the most important messages, contacts, and other content, effectively reducing clutter. Moreover, Chanty provides various features such as audio and video calls, screen sharing, to-do lists, voice messages while on the move, and additional functionalities.
Chanty is available at no cost for a maximum of 10 users, after which there is a charge of $3 per user per month, with yearly billing.
6. ProofHub
ProofHub is a comprehensive software for project management and team collaboration, providing a centralized platform for all project communications. With ProofHub’s integrated chat application, communicating instantly with teams and clients becomes more convenient and straightforward.
Users can engage in individual or collective conversations to minimize reliance on email for internal communication, promptly relay significant messages, and remain connected with their fellow team members consistently. Additionally, it is possible to incorporate emojis and include document or file attachments within the chat.
In addition, functionalities such as Discussions, @mentions, file proofing, Kanban boards, Gantt charts, time tracking, and various others facilitate effective collaboration for teams engaged in multiple projects.
ProofHub has straightforward subscription plans with no additional fees for individual users. The Essential Plan costs a fixed $45 per month, while the Ultimate Control Plan costs a fixed $85 per month.
7. Mattermost
Mattermost is specifically designed for enterprises and can be hosted on your business’ servers, allowing for complete customization of the software, from UI to storage and even the mobile app. Its in-line replies ensure that all discussions and conversations are organized in one location, making collaboration and tracking easier.
Small businesses can use Mattermost at a cost of $3.25 per user per month, while an Enterprise option is available at a rate of $8.50 per user per month.
8. Ryver
By merging its chat feature into a central hub for task management, Ryver consolidates your team’s collaboration tools in one location. The topics function in Ryver conveniently isolates conversations in a separate window, enabling your team to monitor discussions and concentrate on the current task. In addition, Ryver provides workflow automation features for enterprises, as well as RSS streaming and voice and video conferencing capabilities.
The pricing for Ryver begins at $49 per month, accommodating a maximum of 12 users. For an unrestricted plan, the cost is $99 per month, and an Enterprise plan is available at $399 per month.
9. Rocket.Chat
Rocket.Chat, an open-source platform, prioritizes chat similarly to Slack. Users can engage in topic-driven channel conversations or have one-on-one chats. The app’s open-source nature enables customization, integration, and other features to suit your team’s requirements. Ryver enhances office chat with unlimited message history and audio and video conferencing capabilities.
After accommodating 1,000 users without any cost, Rocket.Chat charges $30 per user per year.
10. Glip
Glip enhances RingCentral’s emphasis on phone calls by adding chat functionality. With Glip’s text chat feature, you can make video and audio calls using a built-in tool, even if the person you’re calling is not using Glip. Video calls also offer screen sharing options for both participants and guests. Additionally, Glip provides a separate task manager, calendar, and notes feature to consolidate your conversations and thoughts in a single platform.
Glip provides a complimentary package which includes 500 minutes of video chat that can be shared, or there is an option of a standard plan priced at $5 per user per month, which allows for up to 1,000 minutes of shared video chat.
