Live Chat Ultimate Guide

What is Live Chat? The Ultimate Guide for Businesses

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Live Chat Ultimate Guide

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Execute targeted marketing through personalized messages while directing queries to the right department

Team Inbox

Enables collaboration and efficient handling of customer queries by multiple agents. Agents can assign conversations to specific team members, ensuring a seamless customer support experience.

Self-Service Knowledge Base

Provides customers with a self-help resource to find answers and troubleshoot issues. Empowers customers & reduces the workload on support teams.

Chat & Email Campaigns

Facilitates targeted marketing campaigns through personalized chat and email messages. Businesses can engage with customers proactively & drive sales.

Workflows & Routing Rules

Ensures customer queries are directed to the right department or person. Enable businesses to manage incoming chats effectively, ensuring that customers are connected with the most suitable agent.

Branding & Customization

Customizable chat widget appearance to align with business branding. Businesses can enhance their overall customer experience by maintaining consistency in branding.

AI Chatbots

Artificial intelligence-powered chatbots that can handle queries and provide instant responses. Integrates seamlessly with live chat software, providing businesses with 24/7 support capabilities.

Your customers may face various disruptions over phone calls being in different time-zone. Self-service options may fail to simplify certain technicalities at times. Emails may get delayed in responses. Then, what’s the way out? Customer satisfaction is a crucial aspect of every successful business. Customers now expect instant and personalized support as well as live chat provides exactly that.

In this ultimate guide, we will explore what is live chat: benefits, various use cases, and best practices for managing on your website. Whether you’re a small startup or a large enterprise, implementing live chat revolutionizes your customer support experience and boosts your overall success.

What is Live Chat?

Live chat refers to a real-time conversations tool that allows website visitors to interact with businesses through instant messaging. Unlike traditional methods such as emails or phone calls, it provides instant responses and enables a more personalized customer experience.

Live chat tools have become an essential component of modern conversational strategies, enabling businesses to seek assistance, ask questions, or provide feedback while they are actively browsing a website or using an application.

Key objectives:

  • Deliver exceptional customer service: Live chat enables businesses to provide prompt and personalized support, addressing customer inquiries and resolving issues in real-time, leading to increased customer satisfaction and retention.
  • Increase online conversions: Live chat enables businesses to engage with potential customers in the crucial moments when they are likely to make a purchase either through real time help or by automating the lead generation process with appointment bookings.
  • Improve overall experience: Live chat enhances customer engagement by forging a direct and personalized communication channel. Facilitating real-time conversations builds stronger connections while making customers feel valued and heard.
  • Gather valuable customer insights: Live chat conversations can provide businesses with insights into customer preferences, pain points, and behavior, enabling them to make data-driven improvements.

How does Live Chat Work?

One of the key reasons live chat is important compared to other customer channels is its efficiency. Customers appreciate the quick response times and the ability to multitask while interacting with a live chat representative.

How does Live Chat Work

Here is the step by step process of how live chat is used on your website:

1. Live Chat Installation
The business installs live chat software on their website while customizing it to match its branding and other business configuration.
2. Chat Invitation Received
When a visitor lands on the website, they are greeted with an invite to the chat window. The action can be triggered automatically after a certain amount of time or based on specific user actions.
3. Begin Chat with User
Once the visitor accepts the invitation, they can start chatting with a live chat agent. The agent answers their questions, provides product information, or assists them with any issues they may have through the chat window.
4. Handle Multiple Chat Conversation
Live chat features allow agents to handle multiple chat conversations simultaneously. Thus, increasing efficiency while also reducing customer wait times.
5. Transcript is Received
After the chat ends, the agent can send a transcript to the visitor for reference. They also get to use the opportunity to collect feedback from the customer’s chat experience and provide additional resources when asked for.

Key Features of Live Chat

Not all live chat tools are created equal and it’s important to understand which features are important for your business needs. Let’s explore some live chat features that you should look for:

Features of Live Chat

1. Omnichannel Inbox

A team inbox allows multiple agents to handle customer queries efficiently. It enables collaboration within the team, ensuring that no query goes unanswered or unattended. Agents can assign conversations to specific team members, ensuring a seamless customer support experience.

2. Self Service Knowledge Base

Live chat software often comes with a knowledge base feature that provides customers with access to a self-help resource. Customers get to find answers to common questions and troubleshoot issues on their own, reducing the need for agent intervention. It not only empowers customers but also reduces the workload on support teams.

3. Chat & Email Campaigns

The software can also facilitate targeted marketing campaigns by allowing businesses to send personalized chat and email messages to customers. By using live chat for sales, businesses can engage with customers in real-time, addressing their needs and preferences more effectively. The campaigns can be based on customer behavior, preferences, or specific events. Leverage these features to engage with customers proactively and drive sales.

4. Workflows & Routing

Ensure that customer queries are directed to the right department or person with the help of workflows and routing rules. The features help in managing incoming chats effectively, ensuring that customers are connected with the most suitable agent for their specific needs.

5. Branding & Customization

A live chat window can be customized to align with a business’s branding guidelines. It includes customization of chat widget appearance, colors, and logos. Businesses get to enhance their overall customer experience by maintaining brand consistency.

6. AI Chatbots

Artificial intelligence-powered chatbots are a game-changer in simplifying customer support. They handle simple queries, provide instant responses, and even escalate complex issues to human agents. AI chatbots integrate seamlessly with live chat software, providing businesses with 24/7 support capabilities.

7. Integrated Appointment Booking

Some live chat software offers integrated appointment booking capabilities. These chat features schedule appointments or meetings directly within the chat interface, eliminating the need for customers to switch between different platforms.

8. Chat Surveys

Businesses collect insightful feedback from customers. The surveys can be conducted at the end of chat sessions to assess customer satisfaction and gain information into areas for improvement. It lets businesses take necessary actions to enhance their services.

9. Video Chat

Video integration in live chat provides a more personalized and interactive support experience. It allows businesses to, resolving complex issues, and building stronger relationships with customers.

10. Reporting & Analytics

Live chat offers robust reporting and analytics features that provide deep insights into customer interactions. Businesses can track key metrics such as response times, customer satisfaction ratings along with conversion rates. Then, make data-driven decisions while continually improving customer support strategies.

Live Chat Use Cases

Live chat technology has a wide range of applications and benefits. Here, we will explore some of the most common use cases for live chat and how businesses can leverage this tool to achieve their goals.

Live Chat Use Cases

1. Sales & Online Conversions
Live chat is a great way to generate new leads and close more sales. Live chats allow customers to ask questions in real time, providing a much better user-experience than email or phone support. If a customer needs help figuring out what product or service to purchase, an online sales representative can assist them with their decision making process, helping them make an informed purchase.

2. Customer Support
Live chat allows companies to provide solutions to customer queries 24/7 without relying on long phone queues or waiting times via email correspondence. Leveraging sophisticated conversation support bots, organizations get to offer quick responses while passing complex queries to human agents. The structure improves overall CSAT scores and employee productivity.

3. Marketing
Live chat helps brands build lasting relationships with their customers. The interactive design enables live chat marketing by allowing users to engage with brands efficiently to get prompt answers. It eventually reduces call wait times and long time gaps for email responses from the marketing teams. It produces analytics data that companies can use later on efforts such as email marketing campaigns, A/B testing messages, targeting special offers at specific audiences.

4. Customer Success
Live chat bridges the communication gap between customers and companies after they have completed purchases. Post the purchase, sales agents stay connected with customers through this feature and help guide them with onboarding processes whilst addressing any difficulties they may be experiencing with the product or service.

Benefits of Live Chat on a Website

The benefits of live chat on a website are not just limited to customers; businesses can also reap numerous advantages by incorporating this feature. Let’s explore the various benefits that live chat can bring to both customers and businesses.

The benefits of live chat on a website are not just limited to customers; businesses can also reap numerous advantages by incorporating this feature. Let’s explore the various benefits that live chat can bring to both customers and businesses.

Benefits of Live Chat for your Business

1. Improved customer satisfaction: Live chat provides real-time support that eliminates frustration from long wait times, leading to improved customer satisfaction. It also enables attentive assistance as the agents focus on individual customers and respond accordingly.

2. Increased operational efficiency: Agents handle multiple conversations simultaneously which optimizes resource utilization. The multitasking capability translates into faster resolution times and improved productivity for customer service teams.

3. Build an excellent reputation: Offering live chat experience demonstrates a commitment to meeting customer expectations for instant communication. The convenient support channel helps businesses position themselves as customer-centric organizations.

4. Lower costs compared to phone support: Live chat is a cost-effective alternative to traditional phone support. Unlike phone lines that require dedicated infrastructure and staffing, agents here can handle multiple chat sessions, reducing the need for a large support team.

5. Opportunity to cross-sell and upsell: Businesses here get unique opportunities to engage with customers in real-time. Agents can offer personalized recommendations, suggest complementary products or services, and address any objections promptly.

Benefits of Live Chat for Customers

6. Instant support and faster resolution: Live chat offers customers the convenience of real-time communication with customer service representatives. Instead of waiting on hold or exchanging multiple emails, customers receive immediate assistance with their inquiries. The instant support leads to faster resolution times, reducing frustration and enhancing overall satisfaction.

7. Available across multiple platforms: Live chat features are accessible across various platforms, including websites, mobile apps, and even social media channels. The omnichannel approach ensures that customers can reach out for support from their preferred device. Whether they are at home, at work, or on-the-go, customers can easily initiate a live chat session without any hindrance.

8. Personalized and engaging experience: Live chat facilitates one-on-one interactions between customers and dedicated support agents. Agents tailor their assistance based on individual needs and preferences. Customers can also ask follow-up questions or seek clarification in real-time, ensuring a clear understanding and effective resolution of their concerns.

9. Lower costs compared to phone support: From a customer’s perspective, live chat eliminates the potential costs associated with making phone calls, such as long-distance charges or mobile data usage. The cost-effective support channel becomes an attractive option for customers who value cost savings as the interaction doesn’t incur any additional expenses.

10. Communication with clear audit trails: Live chat provides customers with transparent communication and clear audit trails. Chat transcripts can be easily reviewed for reference, ensuring accountability while reducing the risk of any misunderstandings. The transparency builds trust in the support process, as customers have a record of their interactions.

Best Live Chat Tools for Every Business

Consider factors such as pricing, ease of use, and integrations with other tools you use when choosing the best live chat software & tools for your business. Here are some top options to consider:

1. Veemo Chat

Best live chat software for omnichannel messaging

Veemo Chat

Veemo Chat is an omnichannel live chat software that helps businesses communicate with their customers in real-time, providing a seamless customer support experience.

Businesses use Veemo Chat to offer instant support to website visitors, resolve issues, and provide personalized recommendations. Another use case is sales, where businesses engage with potential customers, address their concerns, and guide them towards making a purchase.

Key features:

  • Intelligent routing: Veemo Chat intelligently routes incoming chats to the right agent based on predetermined criteria, ensuring efficient and personalized customer support.
  • Self-service and knowledge base integration: Integrates with a knowledge base to provide self-service options for customers, allowing them to find answers to common queries on their own.
  • Chatbots: Offers AI-powered chatbots that handle repetitive queries, provide quick responses, and offer basic assistance, freeing up agents to focus on more complexities.
  • Proactive messaging: Businesses get to initiate conversations with website visitors based on specific triggers or events, increasing engagement and conversions.
  • Team collaboration: Veemo Chat enables seamless collaboration among team members, allowing them to transfer chats, leave internal notes, and monitor ongoing conversations to provide a consistent customer experience.
  • Analytics and reporting: Provides businesses with valuable insights into customer satisfaction, response times, agent performance, and chat volume, helping them make data-driven decisions to improve their support processes.

Pricing: Veemo’s offers start from $29/month, $69/month to $129/month. It also gives customization offers that fits your business needs and budget. Try out a 14-days free trial and check out their additional offerings.

2. Omni24

Best live chat tool for conversational CX

Omni24

Omni24 allows companies to provide instant support to their website visitors, answer their queries, guide them through the buying process, and increase customer satisfaction. It is widely used by businesses across various industries, including e-commerce, customer service along with marketing.

Key features:

  • Omnichannel support: Omni24 integrates with various communication channels like email, social media, and SMS, allowing businesses to deliver seamless customer experiences across multiple platforms.
  • Real-time visitor monitoring: Provides real-time insights into website visitors’ behavior, allowing businesses to identify potential customers and engage with them proactively.
  • Chatbot automation: The platform offers chatbot capabilities, automating routine tasks and providing instant answers to frequently asked questions.
  • Multilingual: Omni24’s translation feature breaks down language barriers by allowing agents and customers to communicate seamlessly in their preferred languages, facilitating global customer interactions.
  • Analytics and reporting: You get business insights into customer behavior, agent performance along with overall chat efficiency. Hence, enabling continuous improvement along with optimization of customer interactions.

Pricing: Omni24 has 4-tier plans which are $29/month, $59/month, $99/month and $149/month. Each plan comes with its own unique set of features. Omni also offers a 14-day trial.

3. Tawk.to

Tawk.to is one of the most popular free live chat tools that empowers businesses to engage with their website visitors in real-time, providing exceptional customer support while boosting conversions. Setting up the live chat widget on your website is easy, and the intuitive dashboard makes managing chats while monitoring visitor activity straightforward.

You can personalize the chat widget to match your brand’s look and feel, ensuring a seamless user experience for the visitors. You can create pre-defined canned responses to streamline communication while saving time when addressing frequently asked questions. The tool also provides valuable insights to help you identify trends, measure customer satisfaction ratings, and make data driven decisions.

4. Intercom

Intercom is a robust customer messaging platform that enables businesses to interact with their customers through various channels, including website chat, in-app messaging, and email. It allows businesses to have personalized conversations at scale, ensuring that every customer feels heard.

Businesses automate their customer communication with the help of chatbots and autoresponders. The platform offers a wealth of data and analytics, providing insights into customer behavior, engagement metrics, along with conversation history. It also allows for team collaboration, enabling multiple team members to manage conversations, assign tasks while working together seamlessly.

Live Chat Best Practices for Online Conversations

Simply implementing live chat is not enough; it’s crucial to follow best practices to ensure its effective use and maximize its benefits. Here are seven live chat best practices for better customer support:

1. Define clear metrics: Before implementing live chat, establish clear metrics to measure its success. Determine whether you aim to improve response times, increase customer satisfaction, or drive sales. Define key performance indicators (KPIs) such as average response time, chat resolution rate, etc, to track your progress.

2. Train your live chat agents: Equip your live chat agents with product knowledge, effective communication skills, and the ability to handle various customer queries as well as scenarios. Encourage empathy, patience, and a customer-centric mindset to ensure positive interactions.

3. Provide omnichannel support: Integrate live chat seamlessly with your other customer support channels, such as email, phone, and social media. The omnichannel approach allows customers to move seamlessly between channels, ensuring a cohesive experience across all touchpoints.

4. Optimize chat availability and visibility: Display the live chat option on your website/app. Consider implementing chat invites based on specific customer triggers. However, strike a balance between being proactive and avoiding intrusive pop-ups.

5. Leverage canned responses and knowledge base integration: Develop a library of canned responses for common queries to ensure consistent and efficient responses. Integrate your live chat with a comprehensive knowledge base for quick access to the agents and share relevant information with customers.

6. Implement chat routing and priority management: Implement intelligent chat routing to ensure queries are directed to the most appropriate agents based on their expertise or availability. Prioritize chats based on factors such as customer value, urgency, or the complexity of the query to optimize resource allocation.

7. Continuously monitor and improve: Regularly analyze live chat data, including transcripts, customer feedback, and performance metrics. Identify common pain points, knowledge gaps, or inefficient processes. Use these insights to refine your live chat strategy, update agent training, and optimize your overall customer service approach.

How to Measure Website Chat Performance?

Live chat has become increasingly popular as a customer support tool, allowing businesses to engage with their customers in real-time and provide immediate assistance. Here are five live chat metrics to consider:

How to Measure Website Chat Performance

Response Time

Response time refers to how quickly your customer support team responds to incoming chat requests. A fast response time is vital to maintaining customer satisfaction and preventing potential customers from leaving your website in frustration. Monitor the average response time and aim to keep it as low as possible.

Chat Duration

The chat duration metric measures the time it takes to resolve a customer query or issue through live chat. Analyzing the metric provides insights into the efficiency of your support team and the complexity of the problems they handle. Long chat durations may indicate that your team needs additional training or that certain issues require further optimization.

Customer Satisfaction

Customer satisfaction evaluates the effectiveness of your live chat software. After resolving a chat, prompt customers to rate their experience. Gathering feedback will help you understand if your software is meeting their expectations. Consider implementing post-chat surveys to gather more detailed feedback and identify areas for improvement.

First Contact Resolution

First contact resolution measures the percentage of customer issues that are resolved during the initial chat session. A high first contact resolution rate indicates efficient and effective support. If the rate is low, it may indicate a need for improved training, access to information, or the need to refine your chat routing system.

Chat Volume

Monitoring chat volume allows you to understand the demand for live chat support. Analyze chat volume trends to identify peak times and allocate adequate resources to handle increased traffic. It also helps in assessing the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns or website changes. If chat volume suddenly decreases, it may indicate a problem with the chat software integration or an issue with your website’s user experience.

Level Up your Live Chat Support with Veemo Chat

Brands must recognize the importance of utilizing live chat to assist customers across all touchpoints. Brands can engage with customers at every stage, from pre-purchase inquiries to post-purchase support with live chat. Not only is it highly effective in terms of return on investment (RoI), but it also ensures high customer satisfaction throughout the customer life cycle.

Tools like Veemo Chat offer a range of features such as real-time messaging, chatbots, workflow automation and video chat capabilities that empower brands to deliver personalized customer experiences. By investing in tools like Veemo, brands can enhance their live chat capabilities and provide personalized support to their customers, resulting in improved customer experiences.

FAQs about Live Chat for Websites

Live chat differs from other channels, such as phone or email support, in that it provides immediate responses. Customers do not have to wait on hold or wait for a response to their email. Live chat allows for quicker resolutions while saving valuable time for both customers and support agents.

Live chat can serve a variety of purposes. While customer support is one of its primary uses, live chat can also be utilized for sales inquiries, lead generation, product demos, and even technical support. It can be a versatile tool that caters to different aspects of business operations.

Live chat offers numerous benefits for businesses, including increased customer satisfaction, improved customer service efficiency, higher conversion rates along with better understanding of customer needs and preferences. It can also help businesses gain a competitive edge by providing a more personalized experience along with convenient experience for their customers.

Yes, live chat can be implemented on any website, regardless of the industry or size of the business. There are various live chat software available that cater to different needs along with budgets. It is essential to choose a reliable and user-friendly solution that integrates seamlessly with your website.

Businesses should ensure they have a dedicated team of trained support agents available to handle incoming chat inquiries promptly to effectively manage live chat. It is also crucial to set clear response time goals and monitor performance metrics to continuously improve the quality of service provided through live chat.

Yes, most live chat platforms prioritize security and privacy. They use encryption protocols to safeguard customer information while ensuring that sensitive data is protected. Businesses should still be cautious while selecting a reputable live chat provider with robust security measures in place.