Businesses looking to choose the right live chat software for them and their customers should be on the lookout for these fifteen key features:

1.) Easy set up - The software should be quick and easy to set up in just a few clicks. Businesses should be able to get their chat box online and start chatting with customers with minimal effort.

 

2.) Customer queue information - A business should be able to see at a glance how many customers are in the queue to chat, and who has been waiting the longest. This makes sure no one gets missed, and helps representatives to prioritize their chats.

 

3.) Multiple chats at a time - Allowing multiple chats means staff members can multi task and help more than one customer at a time, which ultimately improves response time and means less customers are left hanging.

 

4.) Canned responses - Being able to send pre-written responses to common questions will save representatives valuable time spent typing out the same response over and over.

 

5.) “Party is typing” notifications - It's a simple thing, but a “party is typing” notification lets the customer know that the agent it still there and talking to them.

 

6.) Geographic and system information - Being able to see where a customer is and what operating system and browser they are using helps staff to troubleshoot issues.

 

7.) Feedback - Giving customers a way to leave ratings and reviews is vital. Customer feedback options give a business a way to see what customers think of their live chat, and what needs to improve.

 

8.) Branding - It should be easy to customize the live chat window to fit the look of the brand and website. This keeps the website looking professional while still offering live chat functionality.

 

9.) Chat logs - Staff members need to be able to go back and check chat logs. This is important for quality control, and to see a customer's history if they need to chat more than once.

 

10.) Integration - The best live chat software options are designed to be integrated with other software applications. These might include social media, CRM software, shopfronts, telephone helplines and more.

 

11.) Security - Customers will often offer personal details or may even need to give payment details during a live chat, so stringent security is a must.

 

12.) Statistics - Statistics regarding chat volumes, response times, customer satisfaction, specific team members and more are a must. Access to statistics lets a business see how well their live chat service is working, and where they need to improve.

 

13.) Chat invites - Chat invites mean the chat box will pop up periodically and prompt customers to click if they need to chat. Customers will be reminded that the chat is there if they need it, and won't need to go searching for help.

 

14.) Team management - Businesses need to manage which team members have access to chat, who is logged in at which time, and whether specific team members are assigned specific roles. The ability to monitor chats or start a group chat is also useful.

 

15.) Mobile friendly - Businesses shouldn't be constricted to providing great customer service only when an agent can be at a desk or using a laptop. Mobile friendly chat software means customers can get the support they need even if the agent is out and about.