What Are the Best Live Chat Tools for Lead Generation?
Finding a great live chat software in today’s overcrowded market can be a bit complicated. Nevertheless, it’s still something that all B2B companies should consider at the very least. Live chat has become increasingly popular in recent years, with around 63% of customers saying that they are more likely to return to a website that has this kind of capability. And the good news about live chat doesn’t stop here.
Surveys also show that around 38% of buyers have made a purchase as a direct result of a live chat session. When you manage to answer questions in real-time, the conversion rate goes through the roof. In fact, 44% of website visitors say that receiving customer support from a live person while making an online purchase is one of the most important features a site can offer. [bctt tweet=”Some 62% also say they are more likely to purchase from the site again if there is a chat widget there to greet them.”]
The Benefits of Using Live Chat as Lead Generation Software
There are many tangible benefits for using live chat’s direct, real-time communication capabilities as a means to generate leads. If used effectively, the live chat window can:
- Improve customer service
- Help reduce the bounce rate
- Increase conversions and sales
- Improve brand trust and loyalty
- Provide opportunities to upsell with relevant deals and offers
Live chat will also offer you reporting capabilities which will enable you to track the activities of those visiting your website. This data will then be provided to your marketing and sales teams for enablement, as well as for internal auditing. All in all, live chat software will make for a cost-effective and high-ROI lead-generating solution.
So what are some of the best live chat tools for lead generation, currently available on the market?
Intercom
Intercom has really taken the lead generation needs of sales reps to heart. The platform’s live chat tool will allow sales teams to chat with customers in real-time and answer their questions at a moment’s notice. But this is not what puts Intercom at the top of this list. What makes it among the most powerful live chat tool for lead generation is its lead qualifying capabilities.
The platform’s technology will schedule meetings and monitor all lead-capturing data. It also integrates with Salesforce, meaning that the information is kept up-to-date across the board. The qualified leads generated by Intercom will be sent to the right salesperson to close the deal. Intercom’s mobile app will alert team members every time a new lead has entered the system, letting them know that they can act on it.
The downsides of this platform are that its chat feature is geared more towards small-sized businesses. As your company grows, chances are you will need to look for a different solution. It can also a bit difficult to determine which customer requests need immediate attention.
Pricing starts at $87 per month.
Drift
Drift’s live chat messaging solution offers real-time conversations with customers from the company’s website and other channels. These conversations can be used as actual platforms to either promote products and services or close deals with customers.
The solution is highly flexible and scalable, making it a great option for companies of all sizes. It provides numerous features including automated lead qualification capabilities, sales call scheduling, real-time responses, as well as live chat across mobile, email, sites, etc.
Pricing for Drift starts at $50 per month but you can also opt for their available free/basic version.
Nextiva
Making use of NextOS, Nextiva’s chat software pulls data from customer interactions, allowing it to interact intelligently with website visitors. Though it is not as lead-gen oriented as Intercom, Nextiva still has several things going for it.
For starters, it has built-in shortcuts, which lets support staff choose frequently-sent responses and provide a timely experience to every potential customer. Every chat and interaction can be converted to a case and logged into the system for later reference. Team members can also set their available hours.
Internally, team members can communicate with each other, making it easy to broadcast messages to the entire team. You’ll also be able to see which support representatives are online at any given time.
Pricing for Nextiva’s chat software starts at $30 per user per month.
HubSpot Live Chat
Tied to the HubSpot CRM, the Live Chat software allows for seamless communication with website visitors. You will know who you are talking to every time you initiate contact. The contact’s history will tell you whether they are a prospect, a new contact, or a long-time customer.
All incoming chats are managed in the “Conversations” section. This is a shared inbox where the entire company can collaborate on any incoming messages. Everything from deals and tickets will be stored on the contact record in the CRM.
Pricing: The live chat software is included with the free HubSpot CRM.
ZenDesk Chat
The ZenDesk Chat feature is pretty well-known in the industry, and for good reason. Among it’s most noteworthy features are its in-depth agent analytics. With its built-in reporting capabilities, you can look at every agent’s productivity level as well as how many chats everyone has completed. You can also use ZenDesk to identify any areas where you can improve your customer service.
Another useful feature is the ability to launch a chat in context. For example, if a customer is at the checkout stage, you can reach out and offer additional assistance. Also, if a customer starts a chat, they will be invited to provide their email address and basic contact information. Likewise, you can ask them to provide feedback regarding their experience.
Pricing: The Lite plan, which includes one concurrent chat, chat rating, and 30-day chat history is free of charge.
ClickDesk
ClickDesk takes a somewhat different approach to live chat than most of its competitors. This solution offers your customers additional options when it comes to contacting you. Basically, ClickDesk also offers video and audio chat. With the audio chat feature, you gain local access to business numbers in over 40 different countries. The software can also integrate with Skype and Google Talk.
As for the video chat capability, your representatives don’t have to be camera-ready at all times. Each team member can choose when to be available for video conversations, and the same thing is possible for audio chat. Another great thing about ClickDesk is its easy setup which requires no installation. The software works directly in the web browser.
Unlike ZenDesk, ClickDesk doesn’t provide the same tracking and analytics capabilities. It only shows basic customer information like location and browser type. This can be a problem if you want to learn more about your prospects and customers.
Pricing: The tool is free for up to 10 users, but the free version doesn’t include video chat and several other features.
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