20 Best Live Chat Software Tools for Small Business in 2024

Contrary to what some may believe, having a website is not enough when it comes to connecting to customers. While having an online presence opens up opportunities to reel in new clients and improve customer service, it does not necessarily facilitate effective communication between buyer and seller. As a small business owner, you may be wondering why you get low conversion rates, poor customer satisfaction, and incur huge support spending. This is where live chat software comes in.

Companies have been using live chat mostly to boost customer support, which is known to be far more cost-efficient than toll-free numbers and email. There are also a number of techniques for using live chat programs to improve your sales organization. Here, we have compiled the top 20 live chat software currently in the market. Their features, functionalities and unique selling points will be discussed in detail. By the time you’re done with this reading, deciding on choosing the right live chat app for your business will be much easier.

You see, aside from connecting businesses to customers and helping them establish lasting client relationships, live chat apps help boost sales. They resolve a number of problems that small business owners often encounter–low conversion rates and poor customer service and customer satisfaction. These products have changed the way businesses interact with clients, leading to improvements in customer experience and therefore, satisfaction. Not the least, there are many ways to use live chat software creatively for marketing.

Aside from those mentioned, there are plenty of other live chat software benefits. For example, live chat software providers for small business enhance productivity. The Forrester study, “Making Proactive Chat Work,” pointed out that nearly 45% of all online consumers consider live chat to be the most important website feature that helps complete an online purchase. Within a limited team that can’t invest aggressively in promotional materials, responsiveness can easily become a distinctive advantage.

Another consumer study published by ATG Global Consumer Trend claims that live chat is valuable for 90% of online shoppers and that 63% of them are more likely to return to a website that offers it. Another interesting stat is that 38% of respondents reveal it was the live chat session that inspired them to make an order in the first place, rather than the size or reputation of their providers.

Besides, with so many awesome live chat widgets available for free or at low cost, access to an array of advanced engagement and intelligence functionalities and ability to employ chatbots — be aware of misconceptions on chatbots — there is no reason for a small business not to consider getting an app like this. Before you start searching, check our 20 best live chat software providers for small business, and see whether any of them fits your business.

1. Birdeye

Birdeye is an all-in-one reputation management solution that leverages omnichannel live chat technology to proactively engage customer-related issues. The software centralizes tickets and customer engagement opportunities in a unified inbox. This allows users to view and manage issues right in one place. Essentially, the product is reputation management and live chat software rolled into one. As such, it is a go-to solution for local businesses that strive for fruitful organic interactions and reputation management.  Today, more than 90,000 local businesses and brands use it for customer engagement.

Birdeye categorizes its features into three categories—Attract, Convert, and Delight—this acts as a progressive workflow scheme. Attract features include listing management and review management. Convert features include mass texting, webchat, messaging, social, booking, and payment management features. Its Delight category has capabilities for performing surveys, benchmarking, and AI-powered insights generation. It also works well with more than 3,000 third-party applications. Integrations include those for FreshBooks, Square, and Zoho CRM. Lastly, the Birdeye is rolled out according to your needs; thus, it is only available via quote-based plans.

Birdeye

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What is unique about Birdeye?

1. Omnichannel Reputation Management. The software offers a reputation management base for live chat support, allowing businesses to be more proactive instead of just reacting to customer-reported issues.
2. Progressive Feature Categories. Birdeye features are categorized and arranged in a progressive fashion, helping users structure their workflows that extend beyond simple live chat support.
3. Extensive Integrations. The platform can act as a central hub for live chat and reputation management processes, thanks to its integration capabilities. It works well with 3,000 third-party applications and seamlessly integrates with Google Services. As such, users can pool reviews and engage customers on more feedback channels.
4. Embeddedness. Unlike other live chat solutions, Birdeye’s live chat capability is embedded into a meaningfully designed workflow that nudges users to be intentionally proactive in dealing with reputation and support issues.
5. AI-Powered Insights. Birdeye leverages powerful AI to provide users with actionable insights generated from customer feedback, competitive benchmarking, and historical performance.

2. Vision Helpdesk

Vision Helpdesk is a well-known customer support software offering help desk, service desk, and live chat solutions. It made it on this list thanks to its multi-company messaging platform that offers secure, real-time communication for customer engagement. With this, you can enhance team productivity, engage website visitors, and perform powerful automation, among others.

Among the core features of Vision Helpdesk’s live chat solution are automated agent assignments, client notifications, chat escalation, canned responses, chat widgets, and chat rating. users can also leverage its round-robin rules to ensure equal distribution of chats among staff. Last but not least, this platform is equipped with virtual agents which help accelerate response times.

Vision Helpdesk

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What is unique about Vision Helpdesk?

1. Private Social Hub. Vision Helpdesk has a staff collaboration solution called Blabby. This tool enables support staff to communicate, share files, and more, making it easier to collaborate on issues.
2. Comprehensive Chat Management. The platform has end-to-end features for managing all chat interactions. From ticket automation and chat transfer management to invisible chat viewing and chat history documentation, Vision Helpdesk has it all. The platform also has the capability to collect ratings and reviews, segregate staff roles, create custom messages, and define the domains you want your live chat function to run.
3. Multi-Brand Support. Part of this platform’s major selling point is its ability to support several brands using only one account. With this, you can create branded client portals for each brand but still have a centralized hub to manage all of them in.
4. Live Chat Reporting Tools. Vision Helpdesk can generate reports on staff productivity, customer ratings, response times, response durations, and more. This way, you can take out the guesswork in any customer support improvement efforts.
5. Seamless Integrations. Last but not least, this platform is built to play well with other business systems as it can support multiple third-party platforms. This makes it especially useful for growing businesses that have yet to invest in other software solutions.

3. Paldesk

Paldesk is a relatively new live chat software that has been getting the buzz due to its features to capture leads, engage visitors, and retain customers. The app aims to solve gaps and lag times when it comes to interacting with customers by providing an omnichannel platform that tends to your customer queries via a singular hub regardless if the message is sent via Facebook, Twitter, or email.

Paldesk created an app particularly catered to providing mobile access to agents. It also addresses that perennial small business problem — limited workspace — by allowing agents to provide customer support even out of the office.  This makes Paldesk ideal for leveraging home-based agents, so you cut on costs but not on service. The app also helps you provide answers to queries from web visitors in real time, such as while they are browsing your pricing or product page.  Paldesk features are further amplified by integration with a wide array of third-party apps,  from mailers to CRMs to shopping cart systems.

What is unique about Paldesk?

1. Aggressive Lead Capturing. The live chat has a function where customers are automatically supported while browsing. Should questions and concerns come up, agents can easily assist web visitors every step of the way, thus, effectively generating more leads for you.
2. Four-minute set-up. User can set-up Paldesk in four minutes. It’s ideal for users who want to have their live chat up and running as soon as possible. Users just have to register and the tool will be live instantly to support customers.
3. Agent-tracking analytics. Paldesk has a tool that monitors how agents interact with customers. It allows users to pinpoint where sales get lost during customer-agent interaction.
4. Instants answers to FAQs. Its design allows businesses to instantly reply 24/7 by automatically leading repetitive questions to your knowledge base.
5. Emojis. Paldesk included emojis in its live chat package. Its use makes the interaction less formal and more relaxed.

4. Freshchat

Freshchat, formerly Freshdesk Messaging, is an AI-powered messaging software system that blends artificial and human intelligence. Designed for digital customers, Freshchat keeps conversations flowing across messaging channels so every complaint is heard and addressed. Thus, organizations may give top-notch customer service and acquire customers’ trust.

Freshchat has a perceptive messaging platform that eliminates interaction. Using consumers’ favorite communications channels, Freshchat provides tailored customer care. Contactless service leveraging AI and smarter work procedures resulting in faster resolutions and lower overhead expenses.

What is unique about Freshchat?

1. Enhanced customer engagement. Using best-in-class AI chatbots in customer support helps boost customer engagement. Its contextual help speeds up interactions with live workers. Meanwhile, Freshchat’s proactive messaging impacts customers’ decisions. Freshchat can educate, persuade, and retain clients from acquisition to retention.
2. Faster resolution time. Freshchat’s digital interaction management can solve client problems promptly. The app’s 24/7 availability and reduced wait times enhance client satisfaction. Meanwhile, auto-routing and load balancing improve support team efficiency. Quickly processing consumer complaints minimizes costs and improves service.
3. Fully-connected business processes. Freshchat’s simple connection with third-party apps connects support functions to corporate processes. Integrations save time and money and reduce errors while increasing efficiency. They allow sharing of app data, leading to greater customer insights from a big-picture view of client interactions.
4. High-quality and consistent service. Freshchat’s AWS-built architecture is versatile and reliable. Customers can get service via any channel they desire, allowing consistent service. Customers receive support for every request, with ISO 27001, AICPA SOC 2, EU GDPR, and CCPA-ensured high-quality service.
5. Simplified collection of key performance data. Freshchat Chatbots use AI, ML, and NLP to handle client interactions. These allow you to collect vital data across channels to gauge how your support team is functioning and to gather valuable customer information. Your support team can uncover patterns and trends, giving you insights to improve operations.

5. Zendesk

Zendesk snagged a spot on our list of 20 best live chat software for small business given its intuitive live chat tools that fit small businesses and their need to establish a hassle-free communication platform for existing and prospective customers. Packed with data-driven and scalable features, Zendesk is likewise adaptive to the needs of fast-growing companies.

With Zendesk, you can deliver quick customer service and capture leads. You can initiate the talk and be where their customers are across your channels. In addition, the app uses chat triggers that allow for conditioned actions and replies. Agents also have at their fingertips photo and file-sharing tools to better communicate with customers and website visitors.

Zendesk pricing is agent-based. You can also check-out their tools and features through a free trial.

Zendesk

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What is unique about Zendesk?

1. Chat triggers. Using data analytics, small businesses can build chat frameworks and protocols that intuitively tend to customer’s needs. Zendesk tools record previous customer actions and track items and services checked out by site visitors. These rich data are stored and used upon contact with current and prospective customers.
2. Full automation. No time is wasted with Zendesk. It allows businesses to start the conversation even if no agents are available. Chat initiations are automated and businesses can rest assured that all leads are given the needed action and attention.
3. Multi-channel mobile support. Through a streamlined design, all messages, inquiries, and leads are pooled and organized in one dashboard regardless if its an email, a chat, or a social media message.
4. Visitor list. A detailed list of site visitors with the items, products, and pages that they browsed through is analyzed and delivered to you for analysis. This list lets you gain more insights into your audience.
5. Screencasting. Problems remain unsolved because it’s often hard for customers to explain errors to agents. This problem is solved by Zendesk by providing a screencasting tool where customers can record the actual errors that they encounter.

6. Freshdesk Messaging

Freshdesk Messaging is a comprehensive messaging and engagement solution designed for sales teams. Coming from the popular Freshworks family of applications, Freshdesk Messaging chat helps you streamline customer conversations while creating a more personalized and engaging experience for your customers. The application lets you prepare and distribute contextual messages, capture leads and qualify resources, and gather valuable customer intelligence directly from your users or third-party systems. You also get a variety of channels to interact with your customers, including your own website, in-product, mobile app, and social media profile.

With Freshdesk Messaging, you can set up in-app campaigns to keep customers engaged as well as to provide the best possible customer service for them when needed.  You will be able to manage and respond to all customers’ needs from the comfort of a single, moderately priced platform. To further facilitate engagement and communication, the software integrates with popular platforms like WooCommerce, ZohoCRM, Shopify, and more.

What is unique about Freshdesk Messaging?

1. Streamlined messaging experience. Freshdesk Messaging lets you collect all your customer conversations into one unified team inbox. From there, you can categorize messages and conversations into custom groups to let you build realistic expectations from every discussion, and hand each customer over to the right agent or team.
2. Proactive customer engagement. Freshdesk Messaging can be used to create customer segments so you can send hyper-targeted messages. It even supports file formats such as videos and images to make your messages more eye-catching.
3. Self-help for your visitors. Even when an agent is not around, visitors can interact with context-driven AI chatbots. Users can customize these chatbots to provide automated but helpful responses based on customer intent.
4. Invaluable intelligence. Freshdesk Messaging’s real-time dashboard showcases a visual summary of how your teams are performing and lets you measure the speed of response, conversation trends, resolution time, and deep dive into any team member’s workload.
5. Flexible interface. The platform supports various app integrations and custom APIs. This allows the system to play well with the existing business solutions in your software ecosystem.

7. Pipedrive

Pipedrive is primarily a sales and CRM software but it made it on this list because it comes with a built-in live chat that sales agents can use to communicate with customers. It is equipped with tools for lead generation, workflow automation, and sales management, among other critical functionalities. This way, users can manage pipelines more efficiently, nurture leads more effectively, as well as close deals faster. Pipedrive also comes with activity reminders and visual pipelines so that your sales team can collaborate more seamlessly to provide leads and customers with the best possible experience.

Aside from these core functionalities, Pipedrive also has auxiliary features that optimize sales processes. These include a built-in Scheduler feature, a Caller system, and Smart Contact Data tools. There’s also a document management tool with e-signature support so it’s easier to handle contracts, invoices, and similar files. In case these tools aren’t enough, Pipedrive also integrates with over 300 applications so you can connect it with virtually any business system that you are already using.

Pipedrive

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What is unique about Pipedrive?

1. Built-In Communication Tools. The platform has a LeadBooster feature which includes a chatbot, live chat, and a prospector tool. These allow sales teams to respond to leads quickly and pick up conversations at any time without disrupting the customers’ experience.
2. Simplified Lead Collection. Pipedrive offers custom web forms that users can place on their website, newsletters, or emails so it’s faster to collect information from prospective clients. Upon collection, all customer data can be forwarded directly to your CRM or contact management system to keep your database as organized as possible.
3. Automated Workflows. Pipedrive lets sales agents create custom workflow automation to optimize processes. All they have to do is specify trigger events and outcomes and the platform will do the rest. Some use cases for this, including the automatic calculation of deal values and the generation of quotes complete with the customers’ details.
4. Smart Document Management. This platform has a Smart Docs feature that allows agents to generate proposals, quotes, and contracts from within the app. What makes this great is that upon sending these files to clients, agents can get notified when customers open them so it’s easier to know when to follow up.
5. Impeccable Reporting Features. Last but not least, Pipedrive helps you take the guesswork out of sales performance evaluations. It has top-notch reporting features to help you closely monitor critical metrics like your wins, losses, deal values, and the like.

8. Smith.ai

Smith.ai is a live chat and live call software backed by a powerful AI system. The vendor offers an easy way of converting website leads through the assistance of Smith.ai’s smart chatbots and experienced live agents. Using these chatbots, you can provide 24/7 assistance to your customers.

You can customize the software to display legal disclaimers before a chat, which makes it great for businesses in the legal field. It is also ideal for solo, small, and medium businesses in the finance and IT industries.

What is unique about Smith.ai?

1. App Integration. Smith.ai allows you to integrate third-party apps and plug-ins such as Slack, Salesforce, and Zapier. You can also integrate your preferred calendar app and billing software among others.
2. Live Agents. The vendor offers live agents that can provide 24/7 customer service to your clients. They can add appointments, qualify leads, answer queries, and schedule call-backs.
3. Smart Chatbots. The chatbots are available even after hours, and they can filter out spam messages so you can focus on messages that actually generate leads. This improves lead capturing and first-response rate.
4. Customizable Live Chat. Chat is customizable to make it applicable for different types of businesses. You can also edit chat widgets to make them better fit the aesthetic of your website.
5. Versatile Interface. You can rest assured that when your clients scan through your website, it will still look good no matter which device they are using: laptop, phone, or tablet. Smith.ai has a versatile interface that is optimized for both mobile and desktop browsing.

9. LiveAgent

LiveAgent is a go-to live chat software provider for small business uses. This is thanks to its flexible per-agent pricing scheme that depends on the modules and features that users need. Hence, small businesses can optimize their subscription according to the scale of their operations. LiveAgent is popular for the set of omnichannel support tools it provides. These include those for live chat, phone, email, and social.

Moreover, it has an intuitive ticketing management system with automated routing options. Live chat features include a chat overview, chat history, chat distribution, proactive chat invitations, and real-time typing view. LiveAgent offers an online visitor monitoring functionality. With this, users will get an idea of how busy support requirements might be. The product works seamlessly with other business tools such as Shopify, Wix, and WordPress. Its live chat plus ticketing plan costs $29 per agent per month.

What is unique about LiveAgent?

1. Flexible pricing plans. The platform offers per-agent plans with pricing based on the features needed. Hence, users can customize their plans.
2. Omnichannel support. LiveAgent has a unified inbox solution that centralizes interactions across a wide range of channels, from live chat to social.
3. Gamification. With gamification tools, management can provide agents with a feeling of accomplishment via micro-rewards. Moreover, it can foster a healthy competitive environment that can increase productivity.
4. Boosts your capabilities. With LiveAgent, a small support team is enabled to do more than they normally could. Using a mix of features, from routing rules to knowledgebase integration, agents will be able to accomplish more.
5. Robust ticket management. Efficient ticket management is the name of the game for live chat support productivity. For that, LiveAgent provides users with the tools to streamline this process. These include automation options, a hybrid ticket stream, contact groups, and filters.

10. Zoho SalesIQ

Zoho SalesIQ is Zoho’s dedicated chat and visitor tracking solution for inbound sales teams, and a truly innovative product that adds up functionality to adapt easily to the needs of any business, including startups and small companies. It will offer you a proactive chat support widget paired to your marketing efforts, and help you connect with visitors in real time, and before they’ve actually demanded your assistance.

SalesIQ is also oriented towards international and progressive teams, and enables 24/7 support, with custom messages in a variety of languages. You will also appreciate its tight integration with Zoho CRM that initiates automated triggers based on visitors’ activities on your website, and makes it possible to identify and score prospects and build up the best approach for each of them. Note that the vendor offers dedicated live chat solutions for ecommerce, customer service, financial, travel services, and startups.

What is unique about Zoho SalesIQ?

1. Sales intelligence indicators. Thanks to Zoho SalesIQ’s advanced communication patterns, you can later transform queries into sales intelligence indicators, and use them to improve the quality of your business decisions.
2. Generates and scores leads. Zoho SalesIQ’s communication module will not only enable you to assess customer queries, but also generate and score leads on your behalf, and help you pay the most attention to prospective buyers.
3. Immediate notifications. Regardless of your traffic rates, you will always be able to respond to requests, since employees will be immediately notified. This will have a very positive impact on how customers perceive you and your brand.
4. Tight integration with Zoho CRM. Zoho SalesIQ works in synergy with Zoho CRM, meaning that you can follow the past actions of your customers and reap benefits in your current campaign. Entering lead information manually can take plenty of time, but Zoho SalesIQ does that automatically. At the same time, it works with other prominent products in the Zoho suite, and eliminates the need to invest in third-party solutions.
5. Personalized chat functions.  You can use Zoho’s personalized chat function to share offers and promotions in a more direct manner. Zoho SalesIQ is among the most affordable solutions that can be customized with logos, brand widgets, welcoming messages, agent headshots, preferred color schemes, and so on.

11. Salesforce Live Agent

Salesforce Live Agent is a Salesforce Service Cloud component that helps you provide timely communication with any prospect or existing client. It lends to easy customization and can be easily integrated with your eCommerce landing pages or a suitable application of your choice.

Salesforce Live Agent lets your small team of customer agents perform like their professional counterparts, allowing a single agent to deal with multiple clients simultaneously. A smart feature allows a senior expert to provide assistance without getting in the way of the agent’s interaction with a current customer.

What is unique about Salesforce Live Agent?

1. Stay a step ahead of prospects and customers. A handy feature of the application lets the agent see what the person on the opposite line has typed before sending the copy, allowing the agent to collect helpful materials before the client has finalized the message.
2. Discreet coaching. An agent can receive assistance from a senior staff without risking notice from the customer or prospect at the other end of the line.
3. Standard greeting. Initiate conversations by setting the right mood using standard language with correct spelling to start things right.
4. Start with rich, useful information. Set up essential data within your fingertips so everything proceeds from verified information.
5. Collect feedback right away. Agents can field questionnaires to customers right after the conversation to serve as a metric to fine-tune their activities.

12. LiveChat

LiveChat is an online chat and helpdesk solution that enables your support and service teams to talk with clients and potential customers directly on your websites in real-time. It offers features and functions that you can use for your online sales and marketing, web analytics, and live customer care or support requirements. It has a web-based chat window, web-based control panel, and operator application cross-platform capabilities that allow chatting with visitors from any connected device. It offers a comprehensive set of tools not only for chat but also for ticketing, customer engagement, third-party integration, file sharing, work scheduling, advanced reporting, multiple branding, data security, geo-tagging, co-browsing, chat surveys, and more.

Furthermore, it provides real-time website traffic monitoring, dashboards and statistics, efficiency analysis, and custom/standard or interactive reports. It supports 30 languages and integrates with dozens of other applications and platforms, extending the software’s functionality to include eCommerce, sales, CRM, email marketing, content management, accounting, and analytics, to name some.

What is unique about LiveChat?

1. Intensive customization. With LiveChat, you get a full suite of customization options including chat window types, pre-made window chat themes. custom chat window logo, and customizable chat buttons, among others.
2. Integrated ticketing system. Built right within the software is a full help desk functionality with its ticketing system to help you quickly resolve customer issues.
3. Real-time traffic monitoring. Easily track your visitors in real time so that your help desk agents can talk to more people in less time.
4. Complete visibility. Get a full tab of your chat history and performance metrics so you can fine tune your workflows and operation to be even more responsive to your customer’s needs.
5. Built for ecommerce and customer support. The software is an ideal tool for e-commerce sales and support, providing you with an efficient and dependable communications platform with your customers.

13. Kayako

Kayako provides a unique shared inbox and live chat program with support for multiple languages and the social channels Twitter and Facebook. The live chat features strong support for integrations while the shared inbox gives small business an affordable way to collaborate on providing expert support to customers.

Kayako’s easy-to-set-up help desk application enables your teams to handle customer interactions and requests efficiently across any channel. The live chat tool is uniquely capable of handling offline scenarios. The shared inbox tool allows agents to have critical customer information at any time, to facilitate the best customer experience possible.

What is unique about Kayako?

1. The power of shared inbox. Unique conversation assignments, tags and views empower your teams to have the key information even before they start dealing with any customer.
2. Let customers help themselves. A powerful knowledge base ensures your customers will have answers to their questions if they prefer not to deal with agents in person.
3. Do away with mundane, repetitive tasks. Automation in Kayako takes care of tasks that take agents away from the tasks that could make them productive.
4. Act from deep insight. Kayako provides comprehensive reporting of key metrics to guide your next decisions and actions.
5. Score customer response. With CSAT Scores, Kayako provides a way to measure customer receptiveness to your service, which should make it easy to fine-tune your succeeding approaches.

14. Drift

Drift is touted as a one-of-a-kind conversational marketing and sales platform, able to turn each customers’ question or inquiry into a productive sales meeting. With years of experience in the industry, Drift combines effective targeting and nurturing in a simple-to-use communication package, assembles features in plans tailored to different marketing tiers, and gets rid of traditional forms and follow-ups with real-time virtual assistance.

It will secure access to slider messages, full-page takeovers, targeting, and custom triggers for agents to send the right messages in the right time, as well as an artificial intelligence bot that will collect and arrange information while they’re doing it. Drift will integrate easily with the rest of your software ecosystem, including leading CMS platforms, CRM solutions, and international marketplaces.

What is unique about Drift?

1. Chat targeting. Drift lets you pre-qualify conversations and connect with right people, and decide where the chat box will appear on your website or application. You can even rely on filmographic data to choose the ideal placement for it.
2. Activity history. Drift keeps all key visitors and interactions arranged on a single timeline, and gives you access to the entire conversation history, playbook interactions, and events.
3. Continuity via chat & email. Drift lets visitors continue their conversations even after they abandon your website, as they will receive an email containing the link to the chat widget, and be able to reply with a direct message.
4. Pulls in all important customer data. Drift is designed predominantly for sales agents and teams, as it pulls in all relevant data as soon as a visitor identifies himself. This means that you will have access to their locations, job and company information, social profiles, and more.
5. Canned responses. Drift will give your agents the possibility to save common responses; arrange them in a detailed library, and pull them back in with a single click once a similar case emerges.

15. Intercom Live Chat

Intercom Live Chat is another customer support and tracking suite that offers a dedicated chat module that small businesses can purchase independently. It targets primarily sales teams looking to acquire more leads, by enabling them to respond and engage random visitors from their own website.

In the meanwhile, the smart tool captures and qualifies lead information with a Lead Qualification Bot, and redirects data to a dedicated team inbox for easier reporting. For a more pleasant customer journey, Intercom also puts in place a variety of engagement tools, as for instance auto-messaging, email campaigns, adept A/B testing, and message progress insights. All messages are prepared using behavior, referral URL, and Clearbit Reveal data as sources of information, which means you will be able to build up the right approach for each and every customer.

What is unique about Intercom Live Chat?

1. Customer intelligence. Thanks to its advanced live chat features, Intercom Live Chat allows you to see where your users come from, the number of times they have visited your site, their timezone, and get the information of their social profiles and operating system.
2. Multi-language support. Intercom Live Chat gives you an option to select other languages on your messenger. Just click “add language” and then click “make default” so all of the UI languages will appear on your messenger and you and your team can chat with users from all around the world.
3. Fully customizable messenger. Intercom Live Chat lets you customize your messenger and make the chat function available for selected users. You can also add a link of your product in the messenger and create a custom launcher for your iOS and Android apps.
4. Easy import/export of data. Intercom Live Chat also allows you to import your user data from CSV, MailChimp, and Mixpanel to your Intercom account. You can update user data and add new features for selected users, and update their email in Intercom account.
5. Live lead profiles. Intercom Live Chat collects and organizes lead information in detailed profiles, so that your agents are able to predict a customer’s request, and respond to it accurately and in time.

16. LivePerson

LivePerson provides advanced and comprehensive business communication tools ranging from SMS, instant messaging, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp among others. Enabling this application is a powerful, patented AI engine under the hood, powering businesses to make the most of their customer interactions from any channel.

Its powerful, fully configurable chatbots allow companies to minimize human agents on board and take the best of what advanced technology can do for their companies. Its LiveEngage platform is equally powered by bots, with diverse functional capabilities like routing and real-time reporting.

What is unique about LivePerson?

1. The power of AI. LivePerson harnesses the power of AI in customer service scenarios, with the smart engine enabled to handle and deliver the majority of tasks at minimal intervention.
2. LiveEngage. The virtual command center of LivePerson works a fine balance among bots, live operators and their managers to deliver the ultimate in customer experience.
3. Deploy meaningful connection score. AI and natural language processing provide insight into real-time customer sentiment in the middle of live conversations, a window of opportunity that is not possible any other way.
4. Make the most of agent time with SmartCapacity. Another technological innovation, the SmartCapacity tool, determines how many conversations an agent can truly handle simultaneously before any breaking point.
5. Enterprise-grade security. LivePerson enlists only proven leading security measures to ensure your critical data stays in your system rather than predatory hands.

17. Slack

Slack has been retrofitted with collaboration features to become an enterprise-grade team messaging solution that makes more room for collaboration and smart functionalities. Its purchase of Stride in 2018 further consolidates Slack as a major cloud communication tool and that includes rolling out a more robust live chat. Apart from the staple chat feature, Slack has been imbued with additional capabilities such as an Actions and Decisions feature that lets you assign and isolate tasks in the form of messages. This way, other users are informed on a task’s current status. Important decisions can likewise be isolated from convos, which also stores them for future reference.

What is unique about Slack?

1. Instant video/audio meetings. A single click allows you to switch from audio to video conferencing. This way, a simple discussion can be quickly turned into a presentation, with the solution able to screen share.
2. Fewer distractions. Slack has a Focus Mode, which removes distractions and notifications by muting them. This allows you to allot more work time. However, messages, tasks and decisions are still gathered by the system for later review.
3. Task creation/assignment and decision marking. If you choose to, a chat can be marked as a decision so that you can review it upon completion. Tasks can likewise be created and assigned through the chat window.
4. Free plan. Aside from Slack’s flexible pricing models, it has a free plan, which is enough to improve team communication and collaboration. Unlimited user group chats are supported along with group video, direct messaging and voice meetings.

18. HelpCrunch

HelpCrunch is a cloud-based customer service application that features comprehensive communication tools including live chat, SMS, instant messaging and email. There’s a ticketing system for streamlining the helpdesk functionality, while auto messages and notifications ensure you are always on top of the conversations that matter to your business from any segment of the customer lifecycle.

HelpCrunch helps you drive sales by providing a complete picture of your visitors and customers, from which you can design specific messages or key content to sell any products or services that match their profiles.

What is unique about HelpCrunch?

1. Modern chat design. HelpCrunch takes inspiration from the latest trends in application design with chat interfaces that feel like home for even the most non-expert users.
2. Smart chat engine. Configure your chats with triggers for key visitor behavior like time spent on any section of your website.
3. Automate email campaigns. Set HelpCrunch to send special offers, product developments or just any important that could be key to customer purchase or loyalty.
4. Live data from any source. Always work with information that is just as fresh as it is from your desktop or from your mobile device.
5. Essential integrations. HelpCrunch accommodates your need for third-party applications with a tool that lets you easily integrate with leading tools like Squarespace, Slack, Magento, among others.

19. Olark

Olark is another prominent live chat solution you can embed on your website for sales and customer support teams. It is suitable for all types of businesses including small companies and aims to support their marketing efforts and sales funnel growth. Providing support and resolving issues is far from the only thing this widget can do; it will also help you acquire quality leads, with all conversations being neatly stored on your email, and all insights being translated to transcripts for better sales touch points.

Sales teams will also find the automated chat function beneficial, as it will provide them with enough information on each customer for a more personalized approach. A number of useful plugins are also offered for users to connect this widget to all popular marketplaces, email service providers, and business intelligence applications.

What is unique about Olark?

1. Hassle-free chatting. Olark is a hassle-free and straightforward live chat platform that enables you to monitor leads, create and find opportunities, and deliver top-notch support to your clients all from a single page.
2. Detailed reports. Olark provides you with beautiful, detailed reports you can use to track results and derive actionable insights, and use them for better business decisions and commercial success.
3. Multiple chat options. As an end-to-end customer service platform, Olark supplies you with a variety of advanced chatting options, including in-browser and target chat, chat ratings, offline messages, instant notifications, and more.
4. Reliable customer support. Olark users are provided 24/7 assistance by a reliable team of experts. You can reach support any time, via email, phone, live chat, or on-site tickets.
5. Suitable for all businesses. Olark’s live chat and customer support functionality serves equally well small, medium, and large businesses; and freelance agents. It will be useful to service suppliers from all branches and industries.

1. pplications for iOS and Android to start to chat with your clients from your phone, and stay in contact with them even when on a business trip.

20. Velaro

Velaro offers a customer engagement platform built around live chat, website visitor surveys, and integration with major social media networks. More advanced features include visitor monitoring, performance management backed by reporting and analytics. The chat tools include the capability for Push Pages, allowing agents to better work with customers on opening website inside the visitors’ browsers.

The basic live chat tool, called Click to Chat, comes with configurable buttons and easily customizable for brand matching. The social tools support Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook and Google Plus. For the survey feature, both pre- and post-chat surveys are available, along with support for agent surveys. Basic automation already includes canned messages for both personal and shared modes.

What is unique about Velaro?

1. Powered Chat. Velaro chat is supported by rich information about visitor behavior, which allows for more specific conversation and productive talk.
2. Expert Routing. Assign chats according to the expertise level of agents. Minimizes lost hours on an unproductive agent-customer conversation while ensuring customer satisfaction.
3. Capture Visitor Behavior. Get detailed information about the visitor for personalized chats, with their behavior fully depicted over any set time span.
4. Limit Agent Access. Define who among your agents can have full access to sensitive data. The access control can be configured easily based on the requirements of your organization.
5. Critical insight. Your live chat application is part of an organization-wide drive to increase your ROI. Velaro makes it possible to measure, analyze the contribution of your live chat software to your overall business goals.

Things to Consider When Purchasing Live Chat Software

Having learned what live chat software can do for your customer support, it’s easy to understand why you would want to invest in such a system. Now, if you’re planning to invest in a live chat platform, there are certain considerations that you will have to keep in mind. But for those looking for apps with full-blown customer support features, there are plenty of customer support programs out there. The following are things that you should be on the lookout for if you are to find the perfect system.

Audio and Video Chats

Audio and video chat functionalities engage customers more than any other communication channel. They practically give your company a face as customers get to talk to support agents face-to-face, resulting in personal engagement.

Screen Sharing

You should make sure that your live chat app comes with screen sharing tools as they are very effective when providing clients with real-time instructions. With this technology, your agents can guide site visitors. It is also useful in giving remote customer support, with agents getting a clear idea of customer concerns.

Omnichannel Chat Features

To better interact with clients, businesses are known to use omnichannel engagement. Putting all communications under a single platform eliminates the need to move from one software to another. Popular communication channels include social media, website live chats, and messaging apps.

Live Chat Widget Customization

Live chat software that comes with customization options helps companies retain their brands. This contributes to the customer experience by making them appear more professional to clients. Always remember that customers prefer to communicate with familiar brands, hence, the need for such.

Smart Routing

Live chat software helps your team’s performance while delivering a richer customer experience. Such is accomplished by making sure that customer concerns are routed to the right agents, allowing for faster and more efficient responses. But of course, you need to have a customer experience strategy to be able to pull this off.

And we’re done. Now that you know more about live chat solutions and what they can do for your company, you’re just about ready to go out and look for one. But before you do so, always remember what you require in such a system and make a checklist of them. Take two or three tools and personally evaluate their features by signing up for free trials. This way, you won’t have to go through the hassles of purchasing something that’s of little benefit to you. If you have specific small business requirements, there is a wide selection of live chat apps for small business as well. Or better yet, take our top tool, Birdeye, for a spin.

By Christopher Robinson

Christopher Robinson is a senior productivity research analyst who specializes in optimizing online collaboration and project management using Scrum and agile approaches. In his work, he always emphasizes the need for distributed work training and the formation of efficient work habits. His work was mentioned in various business publications, including Entrepreneur and InfoQ. He’s a strong proponent of the GTD model. He has been cooperating with the FinancesOnline team for 5 years now, and his publications always focus on practical aspects of productivity tools that can have an actual, transformative impact on a company.