Question

Direct chat support: find the best software

Answer 1

How to choose the best software for direct chat
Comparison table of the most relevant direct chat providers
Have you already decided on a software for live chat?

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Direct chat support: find the best software

In our article on Live Chat Support, we discuss the potential and benefits of this modern form of customer support. It also shows how alternatives to traditional forms of support are gaining relevance, playing a central role in generating and retaining customers. Implementing this new form of customer service is very simple: similar to the Google Analytics web analysis tool, a live chat software is integrated as a line of code in the source code of the page and is conveniently managed in a dashboard. online control. If you are considering enriching your web presence with a chat service, the following may interest you. So what is the best software solution?

How to choose the best software for direct chat

To be able to compare the offers of the different live chat software providers, it is necessary to know the criteria underlying this service. The most sophisticated program does not have to be the most suitable solution for all cases, since the choice depends on the requirements and previous knowledge of each one and the size of the project. A live chat solution that can be integrated for free is not, in general, worse than a paid one, although it is usually linked to greater technical efforts and a high level of knowledge in terms of server configuration and programming. The four decisive criteria when evaluating which is the best are:

• Price : soon, the set of available direct chat solutions can be divided into free and paid, but perhaps it is also convenient to take into account the different possible payment options, a monthly subscription or the purchase of the user license in a just pay . Nor should we forget that some payment solutions also have a simpler free version.

• Wingspan : talking about the scope of software means talking about design options and customization offered. Relevant in this sense could be, for example, the possibility that the contact can be established automatically, if it allows sending files or if it also includes an input system.

• Usability : here too this is a decisive factor. A very complete program but, on the other hand, very complex or difficult to understand not only affects the most inexperienced users. It is also important to consider whether the software is to be installed on your own server, which guarantees a certain degree of difficulty.

• Security : chat data is only stored on the server itself in the case of tools hosted on it. If they are saved in the direct chat provider, it is this who must take the necessary security measures. Likewise, SSL encryption of conversations is also recommended .

Comparison table of the most relevant direct chat providers

	Userlike	LiveChat	Zopim	LiveAgent
Monthly payment	?	?	?	?
One-time license	?	?	?	?
Price	medium	high	high	medium
Free version available	?	?	?	?
Chat history	?	?	?	?
Ticket system	?	?	?	?
SSL encryption	?	?	?	?
Visit monitoring	?	?	?	?
Sending files	?	?	?	?
Proactive chat	?	?	?	?
Popup Chat	?	?	?	?
Integrated chat	?	?	?	?
Commercial chat	?	?	?	?
Automatic invitations to chat	?	?	?	?
Chat for mobile terminals	?	?	?	?
Design Templates	?	?	?	?
Mobile apps	?	?	?	?
Desktop version	?	?	?	?
Transfer of chats and tickets to third parties	?	?	?	?
Translation to Spanish	?	?	?	?
Offline mode	?	?	?	?
Video chat	?	?	?	?

	LiveZilla	tawk.to	Mibew Web Messenger	Lime talk
Monthly payment	?	?	?	?
One-time license	?	?	?	?
Price	medium	gratuitous	gratuitous	low
Free version available	?	-	-	?
Chat history	?	?	?	?
Ticket system	?	?	?	?
SSL encryption	?	?	?	?
Visit monitoring	?	?	?	?
Sending files	?	?	?	?
Proactive chat	?	?	?	?
Popup Chat	?	?	?	?
Integrated chat	?	?	?	?
Commercial chat	?	?	?	?
Automatic invitations to chat	?	?	?	?
Chat for mobile terminals	?	?	?	?
Design Templates	?	?	?	?
Mobile apps	?	?	?	?
Desktop version	?	?	?	?
Translation to Spanish	?	?	?	?
Transfer of chats and tickets to third parties	?	?	?	?
Offline mode	?	?	?	?
Video chat	?	?	?	?

Have you already decided on a software for live chat?

This overview demonstrates the variety of options available. Beyond the points marked in the table, aspects such as the quality of the functions with respect to the user data that must be analyzed or the storage time of the chat messages also vary from one solution to another. Before starting your search for the best software, it is advisable to define your goals and personal abilities..

If you are looking for a program that can be hosted on your own server, the best options could be Live Agent or the free Miweb, of course, taking into account that the installation and administration will be the responsibility of the user. If you can't decide, you can sign up for the respective trial versions, which can generally be used for a period of two to four weeks. Zopim and Live Zilla offer free versions.

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