It is no secret that live chat is transforming the customer service and support landscape. From generating sales, to enhancing customer experience, to increasing retention, live chat has emerged as a fundamentally way to communicate with and assist customers on your website.

A recent study found that a staggering 41% of consumers prefer live chat to other forms of support, such as phone, email, and social media — and it’s easy to see why.

On average, it takes a customer support team about 10 hours to respond on social media, and more than 12 hours to respond via email. This lag often degrades the customer’s experience and makes them more likely to seek other options. Live chat, however, is convenient and quick. It comes as no surprise that four out of ten customers prefer to do business with companies that offer live chat support.

The benefits of using live chat for customer service and support are clear, but how do you know you are using the right live software solution for your Chicago business’s website? Below, this live chat agency in Chicago, Illinois is going to explain everything you should look for in a live chat solution.

What Are the “Must-Haves”?

Like any other software solutions, certain live chat support products come with a laundry list of features — some of which you may not even understand and probably do not need. Beyond all the confetti, what features do you really need from a live chat solution?

Any software solution you buy is more about what it allows you to do than about its features. The best live chat support should empower your Chicago business to perform these three things:

  • Reduce response and handling times.
  • Reduce back and forth and customer dissatisfaction.
  • Increase sales and customer retention.

Customizability

Everything about your company, your offerings, your clients, and the way you support them is unique. Therefore, the most crucial feature that your live chat solution should have is the flexibility to customize things such as:

  • Which website pages display your live chat widget
  • Your welcome message (for example: Hello, my name is James. Can I help you with something?)
  • Automated workflows and notifications

What more does customizability offer?  Scalability. The best live chat software solution will be able to grow with your company. It offers you the simplicity you need right off the bat, as well as the flexibility and extensive suite of features you will need to support your growing business needs.

Proactive Chat Capability

One of the primary advantages of partnering with a live chat support agency in Chicago is that their software allows you to proactively reach out to your customers. That means you can be proactive in guiding customers through their buyer journey — you can quickly answer frequently asked questions and provide seamless experiences throughout the customer lifecycle.

Integration with Your Help Desk Software

Even the best live chat solution comes up short when chat conversations are siloed within the software. To get the most of your website’s live chat functionality and everything it has to offer your Chicago business, your team must be able to see the big picture when it comes to customer relationships.

That is only possible if your live chat solution integrates perfectly with your help desk software, allowing your team to stay on top of chat conversations and gain a holistic view of customer problems so that they can offer better solutions.

Looking to Partner with a Live Chat Agency in Chicago, Illinois?

If you are ready to empower your business with the best live chat support, you can trust the team at Digital Destination. As a leading live chat agency in Chicago, Illinois, we can provide top-quality operator assistance to increase the chances of converting your website visitors into clients.

Contact us today at (312) 933-6806 to learn more.