Choosing the ideal live chat software for your business can be challenging. The market is saturated with tons of solutions that offer different types of functionality. So how can you pick the right one? Read on to find out!
Determine your requirements
Determine what kind of functionality you want to get out of your live chat software. Will you use it to simply place a live chat widget on your website? Do you need advanced reporting features as a part of your solution? How about an internal chat to contact your colleagues?
When determining your business’s needs, don’t forget to consider the size of your customer support team as well as the industry you’re in. The ideal software should be able to scale and adapt to your needs as they grow and change.
Research
After you’ve determined your needs, it’s time to conduct thorough research of all the software that is available, within your price range, and has all the functionality that you need. Check out esteemed review portals such as G2, Software Advice, Capterra, Trustpilot, or GetApp to get a comprehensive overview of each software.
Compare alternatives
Once you’ve read through each software’s reviews, its time to narrow down your favorites and compare them to their alternatives. Capterra enables you to create a side by side comparison report of each software’s price, functionality, user-friendliness, and support.
Request a demo
Now that you’ve compares alternatives, it’s time to reach out to each individual live chat software provider and request a demo. By requesting a demo you’ll get a preview of both the service and software you’ll be receiving. Focus on the experience that is provided to you from start to finish — from requesting a demo on the merchant’s website, to the level of service provided by the sales reps. Notice whether you received a prompt response to your demo request, how easy it was to get in contact with the business, and other factors such as their willingness to answer your questions thoroughly.
Try a free trial
If you feel like the demo process went well, request a free trial. Most live chat software providers offer free 14-day trials that give users time to explore the software’s full functionality on their own. If you feel like 14 days isn’t enough time, they’ll happily extend your trial by a few more days. Make sure you utilize this testing period to reach out to your designated sales rep with any questions you might have about the software’s functionality.
If you aren’t convinced after the trial, request a demo from different providers and repeat as necessary. Once you feel like you’ve found the right fit, request a free data migration or implementation. Most software providers will be happy to provide it.
