7 key factors to consider when researching live chat apps.

Live chat became an essential part of great customer support in 2022. Customer service through live chat apps brings a lot of benefits to your everyday work. But how do you choose the right live chat app when there are so many options available?

There are many live chat apps on the market. With so many features, integrations and different use cases, choosing the right one can be quite a challenge. Let us look at some of the factors you should add to your list when looking for the best live chat app for your business.

What are live chat tools?

Live chat is a widget on your website that lets your users talk to you in real time. It allows your business to communicate directly with website users and gives you a space to answer any question they have. It usually appears as a small pop-up window embedded in your website, almost always in a bottom corner.

It can appear as a small icon that expands when clicked, or directly as a live chat box, encouraging your website visitors to come closer and start a conversation.

Why should you use live chat?

Before we go into more detail, here are a few reasons to use a live chat app on your website. There are more advantages than the ones we mention, but we just want to list a few to whet your appetite.

#1 People are more inclined to write than to call

Customers who need help usually prefer to contact a company through live chat. One study says that more than half of people choose this method of communication over others.

Many people do not even want to call to order a pizza, let alone a support line to make a complaint. Thanks to live chat, you can give them a simple way to solve that problem in a couple of minutes.

#2 It offers a fast communication solution

Replying quickly to customer enquiries improves the user experience. A study by SuperOffice (see the study) shows that someone who gets an instant answer to a question or an enquiry is more satisfied and may revisit your website more often.

What is more, according to the statistics, 79% of users prefer support through live chat, which offers instant answers.

Why? Because in general, people hate waiting. Fast answers make users feel important. Real-time support can have a positive impact on the experience and bring you closer to your business goals.

#3 Live chat drives sales

The numbers speak for themselves. A study shows that 62% of customers who shop online would buy more products if live chat support were available. Being able to talk to customers instantly matters for deciding whether a transaction will be completed. People usually are not very keen on making calls to solve their problems.

Calling can also be complicated for your staff, because it takes time to route a phone call to the right place. On top of that, there is a lot of research into how stressful talking on the phone can be, for customers and staff alike. Waiting (or talking) can be uncomfortable on both ends of the line.

Factors to take into account when choosing a live chat app

Now that you know how many benefits live chat brings, here is our checklist of key features to look at when choosing your live chat solution.

#1 Pricing plans

A typical live chat app costs between €10 and €50 a month. Besides that, there are apps that offer basic free options so you can start without paying anything. Price is one of the first factors people take into account when buying anything. Compare the pricing options and features that the various live chat apps offer. If you are looking for a free live chat, Smartsupp is a great solution.

You can install Smartsupp on your website and make the most of live chat with your customers. It is ideal for businesses such as e-commerce stores or SaaS websites. What is more, if you choose Smartsupp, know that upgrading from your basic plan is very easy. Alongside the free version there are 3 premium plans:

• Standard – recommended for small teams, €22.50 a month

• PRO – recommended for large teams, €108 a month

• Ultimate – recommended for any entrepreneur who wants a tailored solution, €2,000 a year or around €167 a month

It is always worth checking what is hiding behind the price tag. Some solutions may offer "free" packages, but it can soon turn out that your business is paying a high price somewhere else.

#2 Features

After checking whether an app fits your budget, it is time to go through the features. Look at what general set of features the app offers and how much you have to pay for them.

• file sharing – it offers a lot of benefits for both agents and customers. Agents find it easier to accept a complaint when they can see an image, and the problem can be verified instantly. In that case, if there is a problem, they can share advice with the customer on what to do straight away.

• team statistics and routing – check whether you can export the conversation history from the live chat app to your system. Make sure all the information and data are in one place.

• conversation history – this feature lets you go back to customer chats and gain valuable information. You can look up past enquiries and customer needs.

• agents – check how many agents can help customers at the same time. Being able to share the work and delegate tasks between colleagues can improve their job satisfaction.

• data privacy and security – pay attention to the data storage method. Make sure the live chat app looks after your privacy and security.

All of these factors can increase the satisfaction of staff and customers alike. Smartsupp offers a range of features depending on the pricing plan you have. If you want to use the best tools for your business, take a look at what Smartsupp offers.

#3 All messages in one place

People who want to contact you can do so in many ways, such as Facebook messages, emails and live chat. That is a lot of channels to handle, is it not?

Multichannel communication is a great enabler, because it lets you route all customer messages to a single place. That way you do not have to jump between communication channels, because you have everything in one spot and can reply to your customers in an instant.

What is more, you have an overview of your messages in one place, which makes analytics and collaboration in your team easier. When looking for a live chat app, check whether it supports multichannel communication.

#4 Detailed analytics

A very useful feature worth checking is the delivery of statistics and data. With the right data you will be able to analyse your support processes and improve your customer service.

For example, you may want to know what the average waiting time in your chats is. Having that figure makes it easier to set goals for yourself and your staff and to improve. This feature also helps you assess how your agents are performing.

Analytics show your company's strengths and weaknesses. You can monitor the average response time, which is one of the most important points in a live chat service. It is also useful to have information about the individual performance of agents. That way you can reward the best staff and offer training to those who do not perform as well in the chat support team.

When you use many communication channels, having access to detailed analytics can be a challenge. There are so many metrics to cover…

However, as we mentioned earlier, many live chat apps support analytics across different platforms so that you can make informed business decisions and analyse your performance on a large scale.

#5 Video recordings

Recordings also save a lot of time and can leave customers more satisfied with the support they receive. Video recordings help you find out where customers get lost on your website or how they navigate it.

For example, some customers have trouble making payments because they click on an image instead of the right button. Without a video recording feature, customers have to explain the whole process, which can sometimes be long and detailed. That can be really demotivating and lead to them giving up on your services.

Video recordings are an incredible support tool that lets you discover where the problem really is. And Smartsupp is a solution that offers video recordings of its visitors.

Thanks to this feature, customers can solve problems easily using the video recording option. Video recording helps track customers' movements on the website and send the video through the live chat channel to a support agent. That way agents see exactly what is happening and respond quickly to help and interact with the customer.

#6 Perfect integration with your website

Do not ignore the visual side. Make sure the live chat app you choose lets you adapt the chat window. Try changing the icons, the colours and the size of the chat window so that it fits perfectly into your website.

An element that appears on the screen out of nowhere is not convincing at all. It usually makes customers close the window as fast as possible, because it feels intrusive and untrustworthy. A lack of customisation options can be an obstacle.

With Smartsupp you can easily integrate the chat window into your website. Thanks to the option of adapting the chat window, you can keep it consistent with the design of your web page.

#7 Mobile app

We live in a mobile world where support should be available 24/7. Check whether the live chat service offers you a mobile app for your business. That way agents have access to customer messages at any time and in any place: on the train, at the airport or away from the desk.

Chat through a mobile app is a feature that deserves attention. Check whether support can be provided from mobile devices such as phones or tablets. That is a big benefit for service agents.

A mobile app can improve response times and the customer experience.

Now you know what is worth considering

Live chat is a must-have for your business. To pick one from so many options on the market, make sure it meets your expectations and those of your customers. We hope this checklist is useful and helps you choose the right live chat application.

If you are still hesitating, try Smartsupp. Smartsupp gives you great customer support. Live chat, chatbots and video recordings will help you save time and turn visitors into customers. Start a free trial today and make sure your customers have a positive experience with your chat support.