Comparison of Live Chat Software & Tools

Live Chat Software Definition: What is Chat Software?

Live chat software allows for the integration of a real-time communication feature into a website or mobile app.

Such a real-time chat option can usually be customized within the chat software in terms of colors and descriptions, and sometimes even in its form. Different functionalities can be introduced or turned off. Typical elements include pop-ups for chat requests, tools for attaching files, and emojis.

In the backend, live chat support systems often offer several very useful tools in addition to design settings and options for equipment customization. Chats can be managed and stored long-term, there are analytics for using the online chat tool in the frontend, and even chatbot options or other automations can be adjustable.

Why should companies use a live chat app?

The online world offers enormous advantages for all kinds of companies. Companies can particularly benefit from a huge (marketing) reach for their products on the internet, directly distribute them, and even save resources, time, and ultimately money.

The biggest disadvantage lies in the internet's typical anonymity or distance that persists to this day. People who are online looking for information or specific products are initially on their own. They use an internet-enabled device from home, in the office, or on the go. On their own, they look for the contents or offers that best suit their respective concerns during their customer journey. They work their way step by step towards finding a solution or making a purchase decision. Salespeople, store personnel, customer advisors, or other business contacts that interested parties encounter very quickly during an offline purchase process are still less present online in many places.

While of course you can contact the appropriate employees at any company that is more or less active on the internet, this does not happen face-to-face, but usually by email or phone. Both channels are essential, but they also form certain barriers. Email writers assume that they will have to wait a long time for feedback, and there are often inhibitions about calling for minor questions.

These deficits can be rectified very efficiently with a live chat that is directly integrated into the website or an app via good chat software. Concerns can be described immediately and responses are just as prompt. If relevant, even documents can be sent via the feature. From short questions to more extensive purchase advice, live web chats have a wide range of applications.

As more and more companies offer a live chat function, the presence of this communication option increasingly influences the expectations of internet users. In some business areas - especially in e-commerce and here in technical sales fields - brands are already being disregarded more frequently if they do not offer advice via live chat. People who use the internet generally assume more and more that they will find exactly the kind of support that really helps them in their respective situations, and they desire personal care.

In these contexts, website chat and live chat support software in the background are important factors for (A) breaking down the communicative barriers of the internet and (B) being able to work competitively online in the long term.

How do chat systems work?

Live chat solutions can pursue quite different functional approaches. Typically, the following steps are completed from installation to long-term use.

1. First, the online chat system needs to be connected to a website or an app. This is usually done via a snippet of code which has to be integrated into the source code. Good chat providers assist their customers with this task through documentation or even offer an implementation service.

2. Now the task is to set up the chat function on the website. Users can usually use a wide range of settings (chat kit) to tailor the chat window and chat button exactly to their needs. Colors, positioning, sizes, logos, interaction prompts, and other texts and more can be set up individually.

3. Website visitors or app users now see a chat window that ideally fits the respective appearance and brand after they click on the chat button. Here they can enter their messages and get quick, helpful responses.

4. A completely different picture emerges from the support team's perspective. The employees see a dashboard where all chats come together. Each new chat lands in a queue where it can be further prioritized, assigned, and managed. Numerous advanced functions enable companies to control the entire process individually. Chats can be tagged with custom tags that help agents identify and distinguish them later. Conversations can be manually assigned to chat agents or various departments depending on their content. Furthermore, there are various ways to automate these and similar processes.

5. During the individual chat processes, a wide variety of information about the chat contacts is transmitted. The chat tool for websites collects this data using cookies or via IP addresses and also through direct input by the chat users. Agents can identify country, time zone, and language, and inquire about all recent actions within the online presence. In addition, special analytics and reports offer the opportunity to analyze this and other data in the long term. The information ultimately enables the support to be constantly improved and can even provide many additional insights (product preferences, range extensions, quality assurance, etc.).

What are the pros and cons of a live chat tool?

Companies of all kinds benefit from the use of live chat software. First and foremost, they can, of course, offer immediate support via such solutions and even actively address website or app users. The implementation of a live chat tool makes online communication extremely easy for both agents and questioners. Against this background, the following central advantages arise.

• Increased likelihood of contact: Live chat is an extremely easy, accessible, and uncomplicated way to contact a company. The likelihood that (potential) customers will engage in the chat is therefore greater than with phone and email support.

• Image boost: With a live chat, website visitors do not have to wait long for an answer or advice. The low effort is seen as advantageous and remains in the memory. Otherwise, the simple offer of a chat function casts a positive light on a company. Even among people who do not accept the chat, it is often a clear signal that the company in question takes special care of its target customers.

• Improved efficiency and productivity: Compared to phone calls, live chat is relatively inexpensive and requires less effort. This applies to both the inquirers and the company. Agents can easily switch between different live chat conversations and even process chats in parallel. This way, more support is possible in less time. Depending on how many chats are being conducted, agents can also use the typing times of questioners to make phone calls or write emails in the meantime.

• Lead generation: Using a modern software for live support, companies can even actively address (potential) customers when they visit a website or app. This provides an easy way to start a sales conversation. The informality of live chat (chats as such are still considered more private to many people) makes communication more pleasant for the potential buyers. Such prerequisites are, of course, extremely helpful for generating high-quality leads or even for achieving direct sales.

Unfortunately, the use of software for chat support on websites or in apps also has some disadvantages - or rather potential challenges. The following issues can be particularly problematic.

• Increase in support requests: Naturally, adding an immediate and easily accessible way to contact a company will tend to lead to a sharp increase in support requests. To avoid overwhelming the chat support team, companies can introduce the live chat product gradually and/or supplement it with a chatbot.

• Employee training: A large part of the support work consists of empathizing with customers and providing them with targeted assistance. Even with simple inquiries, it is important that employees in the live chat appear friendly and approachable. However, they also need to be able to express answers to all possible questions in a manner that is absolutely understandable in writing, so that no misunderstandings arise. The agents should therefore be trained in how to express their empathy and even complex issues in text form.

• Spam or inappropriate messages: Unfortunately, easily accessible chats also result in more inappropriate or irrelevant messages reaching support. Fortunately, many live chat offers have a spam filter and a blocking function. This way, spam messages can be safely sorted out or aggressive questioners can be blocked. Interested parties should definitely pay attention to the presence of corresponding features.

Best chat programs: How do you choose a suitable product from the live chat software comparison?

Finding the best live support software for your own company can be a challenge. The market offers many products and almost every tool has different strengths. For a simpler and more targeted product search, those responsible should focus particularly on the following factors.

Application Context The application context largely determines which live chat functions and integrations are needed. If a chat has to be integrated into an app, a suitable tool should of course be sought. If a live chat for support is required, it often makes sense to establish a connection to a helpdesk software and use both in a coordinated manner.

The capture and long-term availability of the chat and purchase history of individual customers is helpful in any case. This way, support workers can always establish a context when making inquiries. This improves customer orientation and personalization, which can of course have a very positive impact on sales opportunities.

Sales-oriented live chat software should be able to connect with the CRM in use. Chatbots optimized for sales generally have functions that lead customers to conversions. The best sales-oriented live chat apps use AI and behavioral signals from website or app visitors to initiate a conversation at exactly the right time.

User-friendliness If a live chat software is difficult for the support agents to use, this can significantly impair their performance. A solution that is not user-friendly or perhaps does not match the users' experiences will probably not be fully utilized. A good live chat software should make it easy for its users to organize chat processes.

In this context, it often makes sense to opt for a solution that allows agents to use response templates. Because in most business contexts, identical customer concerns arise again and again. In terms of usability, it is also very relevant to be able to easily order chats, pass them on to the right contact persons and set conversation tags.

Chatbot Chatbots save support and sales teams a lot of time at best. They autonomously answer typical questions from visitors, i.e., those that repeatedly occur in a similar form.

Some chat software already has a chatbot feature on board. The chatbot works with help documents and logic-based rules that were previously defined by the support team. The time that employees thus gain can be used for direct communication that cannot be automated.

Company size Interested parties should pay very close attention to whether the software for online live chatting under consideration fits the size of the company or the respective frequency of queries. A tool that offers no organization features is clearly not suitable for large e-commerce corporations. On the other hand, a solution that is particularly expensive and comes with many functions is probably too extensive for a new, small company. It forms more barriers than it effectively supports the support.

Integrations Chat tools are usually only part of larger marketing and sales processes. To carry out these as efficiently as possible, various applications are increasingly being used today. Helpdesk tools, CRM systems, marketing automation, or analytics software are just some of the typical types of programs. Many of these applications can benefit from chat data. Therefore, it is important to choose a live chat software that can be optimally integrated into the existing system architecture.

Naturally, the solution should first and foremost fit the base of the website or app. For example, an application developed for a CMS cannot simply be used in any shop system in most cases. So it's important to precisely consider which chat can be used in the respective system.

Purchase chat software: What does live chat software cost?

There are indeed some live chat apps that can be used for free. Corresponding packages are usually very Spartan in terms of equipment. They are at best suitable for getting started.

Paid systems are available from around ten euros to 1,000 euros per month and even beyond. Prices are largely based on the range of functions, the number of chat inquiries to be processed, and the number of users who can work with such a tool at the same time.

Accordingly, the most common billing models are designed. Many live chat services charge their customers a fee per agent. There are also volume-based prices where the data traffic on the website or in the app is used as a reference. Payment per lead is also possible. For example, if five leads can be attributed to the live chat in a month, you only pay for these five contacts.