One of the ways you can seriously boost your customer service success is by implementing live chat on your storefront. Implementing an ecommerce chat program on your site alone can improve your conversion rates by up to 12%, with those who have interacted via chat being nearly 3X more likely to convert.
Ecommerce chat softwares makes this possible by specializing in various methods of both engaging with customers via chat, which cuts the costs of trying to do it on your own, and tracking the results of their interactions, allowing you full access to your chat 'campaigns' performance metrics.
An ecommerce chat service is a type of live chat software that businesses can use to communicate with customers in real-time. Ecommerce chat services are typically used to provide customer support, but they can also be used for sales and marketing purposes.
Thanks to technological advancements, ecommerce chat services can now operate more like softwares, even including features such as chatbots in order to cut costs by dealing with simpler tasks that would have otherwise been executed by a slew of expensive employees.
An automated chat, or chatbot, is a computer program that can simulate a conversation with a human. Chatbots are commonly used in customer service to answer simple questions or provide basic information.
However, they can also be used in ecommerce to help shoppers find products, place orders, and track shipments.
The fact that they can successfully perform these tasks at no cost in labor makes this chat format very valuable and scalable. You should really consider automated chat as a key component in your search for your ecommerce chat software.
When it comes to the more difficult tasks, you are better off having your customer talking to a live agent. This is where the costs will run up, but it is also where you will gain some of the best insight that you will gather from your ecommerce chat service.
If you haven't seen the synergies between these two chat methods, having a chatbot that can handle simple tickets and seamlessly pass on more complex problems to a dedicated team of professionals is the best way that I see a chat software running.
At scale, the bot just makes too much sense.
Choosing the right ecommerce chat service for your business will depend on your specific needs and budget. Regardless of your budget, you are going to want to really scour your options for the features that best service your business.
Here are some of the actions that you should expect your live chat software to offer:
In order to get you started on your search, I have compiled a list of what I believe to be the top 5 ecommerce chat tools available on the market.
You should note that these all have their own specialization in their offer, and that they aren't the only ones on the market. However, you will likely find one here that fits perfectly with your needs.
Let's jump in and see what the market has to offer for ecommerce chat softwares.
I am willing to bet that if you found this article via the SERP, you saw LiveChat littered throughout the meta descriptions of most of the top links.
That is because LiveChat is among the top performers in the market in 2022. Their offer covers a wide range of ecommerce needs and makes tracking and optimizing your chat performance very simple.
LiveChat is my top pick for the overall best ecommerce chat software on the market. It is geared towards ecommerce, offers a special plugin for WordPress, and has a plethora of features that make it ideal for scaling your company with one software.
When it comes to paying for LiveChat, you are ultimately paying by the number of agents that are available, and are going to have to decide which features are most important to you because each agent becomes more valuable the more features that they manage. Luckily, they offer a 14-day free trial of their Team Plan.
Hubspot offers a wide range of features for both paid and free users, making it a great option for businesses of all sizes.
One of the best things about Hubspot is that it integrates with a wide range of other softwares that are within its massive network.
This makes it easy to add live chat to your existing website or online store and have it seamlessly integrated with all of your other softwares if you are already utilizing Hubspot elsewhere.
If you're looking for a live chat tool that offers a lot of features for both paid and free users, Hubspot is a great option to consider.
Hubspot has made its name as the marketing hub, and because of that, this software is set up in a way that really focuses on driving conversions.
On top of that, because it offers so many business solutions, this might be the best option for a brand that is already on a paid plan with Hubspot.
Luckily, Hubspot's live chat feature is available in their free plan. However, if you want to remove the Hubspot branding, you will have to, at minimum, opt for the Starter Plan. Advanced chatbot features come at a heftier price, unlocked at the Professional Plan.
Tidio prides itself in the combination of automation and live chat, and their ability to operate the two seamlessly. This is exactly what I was talking about in the introduction: a software that understands the value of automation in scaling, and that is what you are here to do.
Tidio is the clear winner for small businesses that want to enjoy all of the features of the chat softwares that service scaled companies.
With the free plan offering live chat and their entry-level paid plan removing the 50 user live chat limit, at only $16 / month per operator, they've cornered the market.
Smartsupp is another great option for small companies that are looking for a real budget option. The thing here is, you get what you pay for, and you aren't paying for fantastic support services.
Regardless, if you are confident in your ability to problem solve on your own, this soluition might be a great way for you to keep costs low while retaining the features that you would pay an arm and a leg for elsewhere.
With the way that the plans are structured with Smartsupp, it is clear that this software is targeting the smallest businesses with a solution that can get them to the next level.
It might not be the most scalable solution on the market, but it is a clear winner for those who need to ramp up their customer service without breaking the bank.
Freshdesk is a cloud-based customer support software that comes with everything you need to provide excellent customer service. It includes a powerful ticketing system, a knowledge base, and a self-service portal.
The power behind Freshdesk's offer is how customizable it is based on your needs. They separate their offers between their basic chat services and an omnichannel approach that they use AI bots to manage.
This allows a hyper-focused view on either or both systems, and can be used to get the most out of the synergies between automated and live chat.
Because of the separate focus on automated and live chat, and the robust offer that Freshdesk touts, Freshdesk is easily the winner for big businesses that are serious about getting the best results possible out of their ecommerce chat software.
Live focus:
Automation focus:
There are a lot of different live chat tools available on the market, so it's important to find one that fits your needs. There are free and paid options available, so you can choose the one that best suits your budget.
They also all specialize in the features that they offer and their focus on automation or live chat, so it is important to get the big picture for what you are paying for before you commit to growing with an ecommerce chat software.
If you haven't found 'the one' here, now you at least have an idea of what specifics you are looking for in one of the endless array of ecommerce chat softwares out there. Happy pickings!
