In the highly competitive realm of online business, it is crucial to offer outstanding customer support to establish trust, improve sales, and foster customer loyalty.
One of the most efficient methods to provide immediate assistance and interact with your online customers is by utilizing live chat applications.
Fortunately, if you operate your store on Shopify, you have access to a collection of live chat apps that can enhance your customer support. In this article, we will examine the top 5 Shopify live chat apps that have the potential to elevate your customer support to new heights.
What is Shopify Live Chat?
Shopify live chat refers to the functionality provided by various apps or integrations that allow online store owners to engage in real-time conversations with their website visitors or customers.
This empowers businesses to provide instant support, address inquiries, offer guidance, and swiftly resolve issues. Normally, Shopify live chat apps offer a chat widget that can be seamlessly integrated into the website, enabling visitors to initiate conversations. Store owners or support agents can then respond and interact directly through a chat interface.
This feature significantly improves the customer experience, fosters trust, and enhances sales conversions by delivering timely and personalized assistance.
5 Best Shopify Live Chat Apps to Supercharge Your Shopify Store:
1. NestDesk:
NestDesk is a comprehensive customer service platform that aims to enhance sales and optimize support processes across various stores and channels.
By incorporating functionalities such as live chat, helpdesk, chatbot, and more, NestDesk consolidates support discussions, provides customized sales prospects, and ensures round-the-clock proactive customer service. Utilizing NestDesk, you’ll create happier customers, increase sales, and take your customer service to the next level.
Key Features:
- Multichannel Integration: Seamlessly connect Live Chat and Facebook Messenger, consolidating all messages in a single, convenient location.
- Effortless Self-Service: Utilize a scenario-based chatbot, predefined help desk, and order tracking within the chat widget itself.
- Access Order and Conversation History: Retrieve detailed customer information and review previous interactions to respond with better context.
- Product Recommendations: Tag products in conversations and delight customers with personalized product suggestions.
- Draft Orders and Checkout Links: Create draft orders and instantly send checkout links to customers directly from the chat inbox, streamlining the purchasing process.
- Efficient Conversation Management: Utilize tags and ticket assignments, automated responses using macros, and private notes for seamless communication among agents.
- Real-Time Notifications: Boost responsiveness with browser and email notifications.
- Mobile Accessibility: Stay connected and productive with NestDesk mobile, ensuring accessibility wherever you are.
- Performance Insights: Gain comprehensive insights into conversations, revenue, and store performance to monitor progress and make data-driven decisions.
- Customizable Chat Widget: Add your logo, adjust favorite colors and placement text, and utilize an extensive library of emojis.
Pros:
- User-friendly interface.
- Helpdesk, FAQ, and chatbot for efficient support and improved customer experience.
- Order tracking within the chat widget reduces the need for customer inquiries.
- Centralized inbox and integration with various apps.
- Real-time support and sales opportunities.
- Enhanced efficiency through streamlined support processes and multitasking capabilities.
- Mobile Accessibility.
- Customizable branded chat widget.
- Branded chat widget customization.
Cons:
NestDesk is currently limited to integration with Shopify, with plans for integration with other eCommerce platforms in the future.
Pricing:
NestDesk offers a completely free pricing plan with the following benefits:
- Unlimited Conversations: Consolidate customer messages from different stores and channels into a unified dashboard, simplifying your customer support workflow.
- Unlimited Agents: Scale your business team effortlessly and enhance productivity by leveraging your existing agents effectively.
- Unlimited Sales: Transform every customer interaction into a real-time sales opportunity. Offer support while simultaneously promoting and selling your products or services.
Who is NestDesk for?
NestDesk is designed to meet the needs of businesses seeking live chat functionality. It is an excellent choice for small and medium-sized businesses aiming to improve customer support, drive sales, and take advantage of a feature-rich platform, all at no cost.
Also Read: Shopify Online Shopping: The Ultimate Guide for eCommerce Entrepreneurs
2. Gorgias:
Gorgias is a robust customer support application that integrates live chat, helpdesk, and automation to streamline customer interactions effectively.
With its deep integration with Shopify, Gorgias enables support agents to access order details, shipping information, and customer profiles within the chat window, facilitating personalized assistance.
The app’s automation features automate repetitive tasks and enable quick responses, ensuring efficient customer service. Gorgias also provides a comprehensive knowledge base and ticketing system to effectively manage customer queries.
Key Features:
- Centralize 1:1 Interactions: Prioritize email, chat, voice, SMS, WhatsApp, and social comments/DMs in a single feed.
- Access Order History: Gain full customer context with order and conversation history before responding.
- Manage Orders in the Chat: View, edit, and cancel Shopify orders without leaving the Gorgias customer view.
- Automate your Work: Automation add-on, Rules, Macros, Help Center.
- Measure and Improve your Support: Track team activity and support metrics on live dashboards.
- Self-Service Menus: Instantly address shopper questions with self-service menus, eliminating the need for agent intervention.
Pros:
- Omnichannel Support: Gorgias offers a unified platform for managing multiple channels, including email, live chat, social media, and phone.
- Auto Reply and Macros: Automate repetitive tasks and create macros for common responses.
- Integration Capabilities: Gorgias integrates with top eCommerce platforms like Shopify and Magento, as well as other third-party tools.
- Customer Insights: Gorgias provides valuable customer data and insights, including order history, previous interactions, and customer segmentation.
Cons:
- Very High Price: Gorgias is a premium customer support solution, and the pricing might be a factor for businesses with limited budgets or smaller customer support teams.
- Difficult to Use: Gorgias offers a comprehensive set of features, which may require some time for new users to learn and navigate the platform effectively. Some customers also reported that they had difficulty using the app or had trouble dealing with subscriptions.
- Lack of Chatbot: Gorgias does not offer a built-in chatbot feature.
Pricing:
Gorgias offers four different plans, starting from $10/month to $900/month, including:
- Starter plan: $10/month
- Basic plan: $60/month
- Pro plan: $360/month
- Advanced plan: $900/month
Besides, additional fees per ticket may apply if ticket volumes exceed the limit.
Who is Gorgias for?
Gorgias is suitable for eCommerce businesses and customer support teams that prioritize delivering excellent customer service across multiple channels.
It is particularly beneficial for businesses dealing with a high volume of customer inquiries and requiring automation tools, integration with eCommerce platforms, and collaboration features among support agents.
Also Read: How to Increase Customer Loyalty with Automatic Discounts on Shopify
3. Richpanel:
Richpanel is an advanced customer engagement tool that aims to transform online interactions and support businesses in delivering exceptional customer service.
With its real-time messaging capabilities, Richpanel empowers businesses to engage with website visitors, promptly resolve queries, provide personalized assistance, and address concerns effectively.
This innovative platform seamlessly integrates with websites, enabling businesses to effortlessly communicate with customers and establish meaningful connections.
By utilizing Richpanel Live Chat, businesses can elevate their customer service efforts, increase conversion rate, and drive overall business growth.
Key Features:
- Multichannel Support: Manage email, live chat, SMS, phone, and social media from a single unified platform.
- Agent Console: Resolve tickets faster with order data and personalized customer data inside the inbox.
- Automation & Assignments: Connect customers with the right team and agent, automate redundant tasks, and allocate time where it matters most.
- Reporting & Analytics: Gain valuable insights such as revenue from support, resolution speed, popular topics, customer satisfaction, agent performance, and more.
- Integrations: Boost rep productivity and run cool workflows with multiple integrations.
- Customer Timeline: Access a unified view of all order details, conversations, and website visit history for better context.
- Powerful Self-Service Portal: Order management, returns, exchanges, branded help center, custom workflows, and subscription management.
Pros:
- User-friendly interface.
- Multi-language customization options.
- Integration capabilities with various Shopify apps.
Cons:
- The cost of Richpanel may be a consideration for businesses with limited budgets or smaller customer support teams.
- No chatbot is available.
Pricing:
Richpanel has three plans for customers to choose from, namely:
- Starter: $29/month
- Regular: $49/month
- Pro: $99/month
Moreover, the app offers a self-service add-on with billing starting from $100/month and charges additional monthly fees for additional users.
Who is Richpanel for?
Richpanel is designed for eCommerce businesses and customer support teams seeking to deliver exceptional customer service and enhance their overall customer experience.
It is particularly suitable for businesses that value real-time communication with website visitors, personalized interactions, and streamlined support processes across various channels.
4. Tidio:
Tidio Live Chat is the best Shopify app that offers a comprehensive range of features to enhance your customer support efforts. With Tidio, you can effectively engage with customers through live chat, chatbots, and email.
The app’s AI-powered chatbots can handle basic customer queries, freeing up valuable time for your support team.
Moreover, Tidio’s mobile app ensures that you receive all customer inquiries, allowing you to respond promptly from anywhere. With its sleek design and customization options, Tidio Live Chat seamlessly integrates into your Shopify store, creating a seamless customer experience.
Key Features:
- Unified Communication: Consolidate live chat, email, and Messenger in one platform for streamlined interactions.
- Customizable Live Chat: Tailor the live chat interface to align with your brand image at no additional cost.
- Order Management: Shopping cart preview, order history, recommend products, cancel orders, refund orders, add coupon codes, etc.
- Chatbots: Use chatbots to automate your conversations, sales, and processes. Ready to go with a few clicks.
- AI Response Bots: Automate your conversations based on the most common questions asked by your clients.
- Ticketing: Efficiently track, tag, and prioritize client issues to provide effective resolutions and maintain customer satisfaction.
- Departments: Direct clients to the appropriate support personnel with the relevant knowledge to address their concerns.
- Robust Analytics: Gain insights into your team’s performance and make data-driven decisions.
- Various Integrations: Seamlessly integrate with various third-party software solutions.
Pros:
- Enhanced Tracking and Insights: Access a comprehensive range of tracking and insight features.
- Intuitive User Interface: Smart and user-friendly interface that simplifies navigation and improves usability.
Cons:
- High Price: The pricing may be relatively high for Shopify merchants, potentially impacting the overall cost-effectiveness.
- Limited Integration: The integration with Shopify and other eCommerce platforms may not be as seamless or comprehensive as desired, potentially limiting functionality and compatibility for specific users.
Pricing:
Tidio offers a wide pricing option, including:
- Free: A 7-day trial for all features, followed by a free forever plan with limited access.
- Communicator plan: $25/month
- Chatbots plan: $29/month
- Tidio+ plan: $394/month
Who is Tidio for?
Tidio is an ideal choice for beginners on Shopify with a free plan. However, your access and features will be limited. If you are seeking live chat solutions that provide plenty of features and automation for customer support and marketing, Tidio may be a suitable option.
5. Willdesk:
Willdesk is an innovative customer engagement solution that aims to enhance online interactions and support businesses in delivering exceptional customer service.
With its real-time messaging functionality, Willdesk empowers businesses to engage with website visitors, address their queries, provide personalized assistance, and promptly resolve concerns.
This versatile platform seamlessly integrates with websites, enabling businesses to effortlessly communicate with customers and establish meaningful connections.
Key Features:
- Self-Service Widget: Integrates with Order Tracking and FAQ, provides self-support, and lets customers resolve common issues.
- Boost Sales Through Live Chat: Convert valuable visitors into buyers through intimate live chat.
- Centralized Inbox for all Channels: Consolidate customer tickets from various channels, including Live chat, Email, WhatsApp, and Messenger, into a single feed.
- Completed Customer Index: Clearly understand the customer and all their interactions with your business, providing personalized service to increase your sales through CRM.
- Multi-Platform Integrations: Seamlessly integrate with multiple eCommerce platforms and marketing products.
Pros:
- 24/7 support for real-time assistance, resulting in enhanced customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Streamlined support processes that enable agents to handle multiple chats simultaneously and efficiently resolve queries.
- Visitor tracking and customization features to provide personalized experiences.
- Easy integration.
Cons:
- High Price: The pricing may be relatively high for small Shopify merchants, potentially impacting the overall cost-effectiveness.
- Integration Issues: While the app offers many integrations, some customers have reported technical issues when connecting Willdesk with their Outlook, for example.
Pricing:
The price range for this app is from $0 for the Free plan to $99.9/month for the Advance plan.
- Free: Full features with limited usage
- Basic: $9.90/month
- Pro: $29.90/month
- Advance: $99.90/month
Who is Willdesk for?
The Willdesk app is designed for businesses of all sizes and industries. However, the free plan may only provide full access to some features, so an upgrade may be necessary.
Willdesk might be more suitable if you have a large volume of support tickets and need a more powerful live chat app.
What to Look for in the Best Live Chat Apps:
After going through the top 5 live chat apps for Shopify, you might be amazed by all the features and benefits. So if you wonder what is the most suitable live chat app for your Shopify store, consider the following essential features:
1. Easy Setup:
Look for a live chat app that seamlessly integrates with your Shopify store. It should be user-friendly, allowing for easy installation and setup without requiring extensive technical knowledge or coding.
2. Customization Options:
Ensure that the app offers customization features to match the chat widget’s appearance with your store’s branding. The ability to customize chat window colors, fonts, and logos helps maintain a consistent visual experience for your customers.
3. Real-Time Messaging:
Choose a live chat app that provides instant messaging capabilities, enabling real-time conversations with customers. It should support simultaneous chats, allowing your support agents to handle multiple inquiries concurrently.
4. Mobile Accessibility:
Consider an app that offers mobile compatibility or a dedicated mobile app. This feature allows you or your support team to respond to customer inquiries on the go, ensuring prompt and efficient customer service.
5. Chat Transcripts and History:
The app should provide the ability to save chat transcripts and access chat history. This feature is valuable for reference purposes, allowing you to review previous conversations and maintain continuity in customer interactions.
6. Chatbot integration:
Look for an app that allows integration with chatbots. Chatbots can handle basic customer queries and provide automated responses, freeing up your support agents’ time to focus on more complex inquiries.
7. Reporting and Analytics:
A good live chat app should offer reporting and analytics features. This allows you to track key metrics such as chat volume, response time, customer satisfaction ratings, and other performance indicators.
These insights help you measure the effectiveness of your support team and identify areas for improvement.
8. Integration with Other Tools:
Check if the live chat app integrates with other tools you use for customer support, such as helpdesk software or CRM systems. Seamless integration can streamline your support processes and provide a unified view of customer interactions.
By considering these essential features, you can select a live chat app that aligns with your business needs and provides the necessary tools for delivering exceptional customer support on your Shopify store.
Choose the Optimal Solution for your Business:
When deciding on the ideal live chat app for your Shopify store, it’s crucial to take into account the distinct needs and requirements of your business.
To make an informed decision, assess the specific demands of your customer support strategy, your team’s capabilities, and the desired level of customization and automation.
In the end, the objective is to elevate your customer support experience, offer immediate assistance, and engage with your customers in a manner that amplifies satisfaction and increases conversions.
By choosing the appropriate live chat app, you can provide exceptional customer service, foster long-lasting relationships, and differentiate your Shopify store from competitors.