[ad_1]
Businesses thrive by engaging with visitors effectively on their websites, apps and other channels, with personalized interactions. Customer service solutions bring effective answers to this. However, selecting the right solution among tens of others can be challenging.
In this article, we present a list of the top 7 live chat website tools to help businesses select a platform aligning with their business needs.
Vendor selection criteria & market leaders
| Vendors | Total number of reviews | Average rating* |
|---|---|---|
| Zoho | 359 | 4.4 |
| Helpshift | 406 | 4.1 |
| Freshdesk | 6,109 | 4.4 |
| Intercom | 3,817 | 4.5 |
| LiveAgent | 2,987 | 4.6 |
| Front | 2,135 | 4.6 |
| Tidio | 1,819 | 4.7 |
*Ratings are out of 5. The vendors are listed based on the ratings they recieved, except Zoho (see the transparency statement below).
As there are various vendors offering live chat software, we narrowed down our benchmarking based on certain criteria, such as the popularity of the product within the market through the number of B2B reviews. We selected these criteria as they are public and verifiable through vendors’ websites or software review platforms. We included companies with:
- 15+ employees on LinkedIn
- 300+ reviews on software review platforms G2 and Capterra
- Average rating above 4.0 out of 5
Comparison of Live Chat Software Market Leaders
| Vendors | Intelligent chatbots | Social media integrations | Visitor tracking | Language support | Audio assist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho SalesIQ | ✅ | Facebook |
✅ | 28 | ✅ |
| Freshdesk | ✅ | Facebook |
✖️ | 50 | ✖️ |
| Intercom | ✖️ | Facebook |
✅ | 35 | ✖️ |
| LiveAgent | ✖️ | Facebook |
✅ | 40 | ✖️ |
| Front | ✖️ | Facebook |
✖️ | 180 | ✖️ |
| Tidio | ✅ | Facebook |
✅ | Contact Tidio | ✖️ |
| Helpshift | ✅ | ✖️ | 180 | ✖️ |
Live Chat Software Market Leaders
1- Zoho SalesIQ
Zoho SalesIQ is a customer service and sales solution that focuses on live chat and website analytics.
Pros
Users appreciate Zoho SalesIQ’s ability to measure and report the analytics such as website traffic, the time they spend on the website, the origin, etc.
Source: Capterra1
Cons
Not easy to set up2
2- Helpshift
Helpshift is a digital customer service platform allowing businesses to facilitate live chat and deliver support across multiple channels, focusing on in-app support for mobile applications.
Pros
Agents and customers can send attachments and images.3
Cons
Some users are unhappy with Helpshift’s analytics, citing a lack of depth and limited capacity for tracking individual and team performance.
Source: G24
- Many businesses express concerns over Helpshift’s multi-channel support capabilities, particularly noting its insufficient support for certain text-based communication channels like WhatsApp and Apple Business Chat.5
3- Freshdesk
Freshdesk is a cloud-based customer support software that helps businesses streamline their customer conversations across various channels such as email, social media, phone, and web.
Pros
Users find the analytics and reporting features robust and instrumental in gaining detailed insights into various aspects of customer support performance such as:
- Ticket resolution times
- Customer satisfaction ratings
- Agent productivity metrics
Cons
Some users express the desire for more advanced capabilities, including:
- Customizable reports
- Deeper data insights
- More options for visualizing and exporting data6
4- Intercom
Intercom is a customer communication platform that allows businesses to engage with and support customers through various channels. The platform includes a suite of applications for messaging, automation, and external customer support.
Pros
Reviewers are satisfied with Intercom’s ability to efficiently pull in analytics for each contact. They also appreciate the platform’s ability to track team performance effectively.7
Cons
Building a robust multi-channel program in Intercom can come with some challenges. Some users mentioned that it is not easy to establish such a program without sacrificing some channels.
Source: G28
5- LiveAgent
LiveAgent is a comprehensive customer support software that brings together various channels including email, live chat, call center, and social media, into a single dashboard for efficient management and response.
Pros
LiveAgent is described as intuitive and user-friendly, contributing to a positive user experience.9
Cons
Users find the software expensive, especially when needing only specific features like chat and web call support. They express a desire for more tailored package options.10
6- Front
Front is a software platform designed to streamline team communication and collaboration by centralizing email, customer communication channels, and apps into one unified inbox. It allows teams to manage their workflow, assign tasks, and ensure customer communication.
Pros
Advanced collaboration tools and seamless integration with other tools are highlighted as beneficial.11
Cons
Some users report occasional snags, although the support team promptly addresses these issues.12
7- Tidio
Tidio is a communication tool designed for businesses to easily connect with their customers. It combines live chat, chatbots, and email marketing features to facilitate efficient communication.
Pros
Tidio provides ready-made templates, aiding users in quickly setting up the chatbot for their websites.13
Cons
Tidio’s basic reporting features leave users wanting more advanced analytics and reporting capabilities to optimize chat performance.14
Key Features of Live Chat Software
Having an effective live chat software is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. Businesses striving to offer the best customer service are constantly looking for the best live chat software solutions that can seamlessly integrate into their existing infrastructure. With the plenty of choices available, here are some key features that set the best apart:
Intelligent chatbots
One of the highlights of modern live chat software is the integration of intelligent chatbots that are powered by generative AI technology. These chatbots can handle preliminary chat conversations, providing immediate responses to frequently asked questions. Not only does this feature offer quick customer service solutions, but it also frees up the support team to handle more complex queries.
Social media integrations
With the rise of platforms like Facebook Messenger and Instagram, the ability to bring proactive chat to your website from various social media channels is crucial. Live chat website software that integrates with social media ensures that businesses don’t miss out on any potential chat conversations, even if they originate from platforms outside the main website.
Visitor tracking
Knowing your website visitors is essential to offer tailored customer service. Live chat apps that come with website visitor tracking features provide invaluable customer data. This allows the support team to understand the visitor’s journey on the site, preferences, and more, ensuring a more personalized and efficient response.
Language support
With the global reach of online businesses, language can often be a barrier. The best live chat app options offer multilingual support, ensuring that no matter where your website visitors are from, their queries are addressed in a language they’re comfortable with, enhancing customer satisfaction.
Audio assist
While text-based chat conversations dominate the scene, the inclusion of audio assist in live chat support software adds an extra layer of convenience. Sometimes, issues are better explained verbally. Integrating audio into the chat widget ensures that customers have multiple avenues of communication, leading to faster resolution times.
Advantages of Live Chat Software Solutions
The introduction of live chat software solutions has improved the way businesses engage with their customers online. Here are some of the notable advantages:
1- Immediate Customer Support
One of the most significant benefits of a live chat solution is the ability to provide instant customer support. Instead of waiting for an email response or being on hold over the phone, customers can initiate a chat window and get immediate answers to their queries.
2- Cost-Effective
Many businesses are drawn to free live chat software because it offers a cost-effective way to enhance customer service. Even if companies opt for premium features, the return on investment with a live web chat software tends to be higher compared to traditional customer support channels.
3- Efficient Chat Routing
Modern live chat solutions come with advanced features like chat routing. This ensures that customers are directed to the appropriate department or representative who is best equipped to handle their specific issues or questions. Such efficient routing not only speeds up resolution times but also boosts customer satisfaction.
4- Broadened Service Scope
The very nature of a customer service chat includes the ability to serve multiple customers simultaneously. Unlike phone support where an agent can handle only one call at a time, live chat software allows representatives to manage multiple chat windows at once, optimizing their productivity.
5- Enhanced Customer Experience
Through live web chat software, businesses can offer a more personalized experience. With the capability to access previous chat histories and customer data, representatives can provide more tailored solutions and recommendations.
6- Innovative Customer Service Solutions
Live chat software isn’t just about answering queries. The advanced features and integrations in these tools can bring innovative customer service solutions, such as proactive chat prompts based on visitor behavior, chatbots for preliminary inquiries, and integrations with CRM and other platforms for a unified support experience.
If you are interested in customer service technologies, there are other tools and vendors you can check:
Transparency Statement
AIMultiple serves numerous technology vendors, including Zoho.
If you need help in finding vendors or have questions, feel free to contact us:
Find the Right Vendors
External Links
- “Zoho SalesIQ Pricing, Alternatives & More 2023.” Capterra, 9 October 2020, https://www.capterra.com/p/168135/Zoho-SalesIQ/reviews/368940/. Accessed 12 September 2023.
- “Zoho SalesIQ Reviews 2023: Details, Pricing, & Features.” G2, https://www.g2.com/products/zoho-salesiq/reviews/zoho-salesiq-review-7605388.
- “Helpshift Reviews 2023: Details, Pricing, & Features.” G2, https://www.g2.com/products/helpshift/reviews/helpshift-review-6661050.
- “Helpshift Reviews 2023: Details, Pricing, & Features.” G2, https://www.g2.com/products/helpshift/reviews/helpshift-review-3248764.
- “Helpshift Reviews 2023: Details, Pricing, & Features.” G2, https://www.g2.com/products/helpshift/reviews/helpshift-review-6660122.
- “Freshdesk Reviews 2023: Details, Pricing, & Features.” G2, https://www.g2.com/products/freshdesk/reviews/freshdesk-review-7919010.
- “Intercom Reviews 2023: Details, Pricing, & Features.” G2, https://www.g2.com/products/intercom/reviews/intercom-review-5307785.
- “Intercom Reviews 2023: Details, Pricing, & Features.” G2, https://www.g2.com/products/intercom/reviews/intercom-review-6588363.
- “LiveAgent Reviews 2023: Details, Pricing, & Features.” G2, https://www.g2.com/products/liveagent/reviews/liveagent-review-8236923.
- “LiveAgent Reviews 2023: Details, Pricing, & Features.” G2, https://www.g2.com/products/liveagent/reviews/liveagent-review-7467766.
- “Front Reviews 2023: Details, Pricing, & Features.” G2, https://www.g2.com/products/front/reviews/front-review-8341399.
- “Front Reviews 2023: Details, Pricing, & Features.” G2, https://www.g2.com/products/front/reviews/front-review-8506808.
- “Tidio Reviews 2023: Details, Pricing, & Features.” G2, https://www.g2.com/products/tidio/reviews/tidio-review-7932531.
- “Tidio Reviews 2023: Details, Pricing, & Features.” G2, https://www.g2.com/products/tidio/reviews/tidio-review-7798397.
Source link
