{"id":10124,"date":"2017-06-09T07:28:34","date_gmt":"2017-06-09T07:28:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/c\/?p=10124"},"modified":"2026-04-21T10:52:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T10:52:29","slug":"things-to-consider-before-buying-a-live-chat-software","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/things-to-consider-before-buying-a-live-chat-software\/","title":{"rendered":"Things to Consider Before Buying a Live Chat Software"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><br><strong>Do you really need a Live Chat Software for your Business?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t need to be a marketing guru to figure out that quality customer service&nbsp;<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is the key to long-term success of any business.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your customers are your best bet when it comes to spreading the word about your products or services. And by offering the good support, you can help turn them into evangelists who help grow your customer base further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One way that businesses have been creating an engaging experience for their customers is by installing a live chat software on their website that offers real-time answers to their <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">questions<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A live chat service not only <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">helps to build&nbsp;customer\u2019s<\/span> confidence as they shop online but also <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">assists to boost conversion rates.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to Choose the Best Live Chat Software\" width=\"1120\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Wq95cr4g-Z8?list=PLVIvGGPD9_DoUyLSMqa5TAAXNBi0S5xA7\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Read more about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/benefits-of-live-chat-software\/\">benefits of live chat software<\/a> here!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this post, we are going to talk about :<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Things to consider before buying best live chat system for your business <\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some useful information like features to look for in selecting live chat solution<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Few_things_to_Consider_as_you_Look_to_grow_your_Business\"><\/span><strong>Few things to Consider as you Look to grow your Business<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a business owner with an online presence, probably the most important thing <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on your mind is to engag<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">e with your website visitors.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s only possible if you:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provide instant support<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be more proactive<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provide instant resolution<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provide self-help articles<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to Reduce Shopping Cart Abandonment Using Live Chat | ProProfs Chat\" width=\"1120\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sFDimkz9Mco?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understand this, instant help will allow your business to increase conversions. And what better way to be instant than a live chat. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to having offering support via a live chat software, some of your business objectives would be:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/real-time-visitor-tracking\/\">track and monitor your website visitors in real-time<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maximize customer delight and satisfaction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Capture more leads and boost your sales<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/reduce-shopping-cart-abandonment-using-live-chat\/\">Reduce cart abandonment rates<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reduce support costs, and&nbsp;so on.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cloud-self-hosted\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Cloud-Based_vs_Self-Hosted_Live_Chat_Apps\"><\/span><strong>1. Cloud-Based vs Self-Hosted Live Chat Apps<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The first question that you need to answer when going shopping for a live chat software is whether to purchase a self-hosted service or to go cloud. Let\u2019s talk about the differences between the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the case of self-hosted (or on-premise) services, the applications are hosted on the organization\u2019s own technical infrastructures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cloud-hosted software, on the other hand, resides on a third-party server and is facilitated by the Internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are pros and cons to using either, but there are some clear <strong>advantages to using a cloud-hosted application<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>#1: Regular Upgrades<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New product features are released regularly that help you stay up to date automatically.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>#2: Cheaper and You Pay Only for What You Use<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cloud-based<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> applications are generally much cheaper as compared to self-hosted ones, and there are flexible payment options that allow you to pay only for what you use. It\u2019s easy to upgrade or downgrade your contract to tiers that are based on usage.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>#3: No IT Infrastructure Needed<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since the application is hosted on third-party servers, you<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> don\u2019t need to invest in costly infrastructure and your IT team is free to focus on your core business instead.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>#4: Anywhere, Anytime Access<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Probably the hallmark of all cloud-hosted applications is their anywhere, anytime accessibility. All you need is an Internet-enabled device (desktops, laptops, tablets, or mobile devices) to access your applications from anywhere in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>#5: Security &amp; Bug Control<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most cloud-hosted apps offer enterprise-level security and quick bug resolutions.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many other reasons to consider a cloud-hosted live chat software as they are more user-friendly, flexible, offer better data backups and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakivo.com\/blog\/components-disaster-recovery-plan-checklist\/\">disaster recovery<\/a> as well as round-the-clock 24\/7 support.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Onboarding\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Onboarding\"><\/span><strong>2. Onboarding<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While considering, \u2018how to choose the best live chat software\u2019, do ensure that it offers the ease of use and integrates in your website in a few minutes.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is best to go for a solution that will require you to simply copy and paste the chat code on the web page. Such simplicity allows your operators to get started and reach your visitors in no time.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Going for a tool that offers ease<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of use ensures that you don\u2019t<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> waste time to understand how it works and can focus on things which are more important for your business.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"multi-channel-livechat\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Simple_Live_Chat_or_Multi-Channel_Live_Chat_Support\"><\/span><strong>3. <b>Simple Live Chat or Multi-Channel Live Chat Support<\/b><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Based on your business requiremen<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ts, y<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ou also need to decide if all you need is a simple live chat tool or if you would like to provide something more. Today<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> there are several modern live chat software available in the market that <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">provides <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">additional functionality like integration with a knowledge base, NPS surveys, call back-suppor<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">t,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and more.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ideally, you would want to go for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/best-live-chat-software\/\">best live chat&nbsp;tools<\/a> that allow you to extend support and offer a complete 360-degree support for your prospects and customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Integration with a knowledge base software, for example, that answers their questions instantly and in detail would help you go the extra mile when it comes to customer delight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"banner-btn btn-desk\"><a class=\"try-btn\" title=\"Try Live Chat for Free\" href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/signup\/\">Try Live Chat for Free<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Mobile-Support\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Seamless_Mobile_Support\"><\/span><strong>4. <b>Seamless Mobile Support<\/b><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"videoWrapperyoutube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VzycUl-IXZk?rel=0&amp;controls=0&amp;showinfo=0\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure that the chat support software you choose is mobile responsive. It is also one of the most important features to look for in selecting live chat solution.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With a mobile friendly chat tool, you will:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Never miss a lead<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provide anytime, anywhere support<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Help customers make informed decision<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep customers delighted with 24\/7 support<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Need for On the Go Support<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With more and more people accessing websites via mobile devices and shopping on the go, it\u2019s important that a live chat software is mobile ready for both <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.live2support&amp;hl=en\">Android <\/a>and <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/live-chat-software-by-proprofs\/id396424818\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noindex noopener\">iOS<\/a> platforms. So as you shop for a live chat, ask if the application works across all mobile devices or not.<\/span>You do not want to find excuses for users who have to <a href=\"https:\/\/backlightblog.com\/uninstall-apps-on-iphone\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"undefined (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"follow noopener\">uninstall the app<\/a> because they could not make it work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Customizations\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Easy_Customizations_to_Match_Your_Brand\"><\/span><strong>5. Easy Customizations to Match Your Brand<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"videoWrapperyoutube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eanb9XWa_KQ?autoplay=1&amp;rel=0\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Most businesses work on building an image for their brand \u2013 something that their customers can easily identify. You too need to work on maintaining a consistent visual experience on your web pages that reflect your brand&#8217;s look and feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The live chat application (especially if hosted by a third party) should be an extension of your brand and design guidelines as well. T<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">herefore, things to consider before buying a live chat software should also be inclusive of endless settings options that help you:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customize the chat window experience for customers and operators <\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Promote brand image in a cohesive manner.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A good chat software offers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/customization\/\">complete customization options for your chat window<\/a>, including fonts, colors, styles, customizable chat banners, languages and so on. It should be easy to use and intuitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You should be able to control every little aspect of the chat window like:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The messages you show on pre-chat and post-chat windows <\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The feedback collection mechanism <\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The way you view reports <\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The way you customize the offline message form for visitors<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Such ability will allow you to add or edit fields as per your business needs and reach your profit goals accordingly.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Features\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Advanced_Features\"><\/span><strong>6. Advanced Features<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Although most live chat software offers many useful features, there are certain must-have features that you should make sure the app of your choice offers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here is a list of some features to look for in selecting live chat solution:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><h3><strong>Proactive Chat<\/strong><\/h3><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The feature helps<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> your chat operators reac<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">h out to websit<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">e visitors and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">provide<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> instant help even before they ask a question. Proactive chat allows you to send invitations for initiating a chat with your customers and prospects anywhere on your website.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li> <h3><strong>Chat Rating<\/strong><\/h3><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This feature allows the customers to <a href=\"https:\/\/help.proprofschat.com\/chat-rating-report\">rate a chat conversation<\/a> with the support agents. It is an excellent way to understand if your clients are satisfied with your chat support, keep a close watch on the performance of the agents etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/chat-routing\/\"><strong>Chat Routing<\/strong><\/a><\/h3><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Clients look for prompt responses. Research shows that nearly 60% of clients hate to wait on hold for even a minute and they are most likely to abandon a website if they aren\u2019t offered quick support. It is key to ensure that the client satisfaction level doesn\u2019t waver and your support agents don\u2019t feel burned out when the chat volume rises. With chat routing feature, the support agents can transfer the chats to any of the free operators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\n<h3><strong>Operator Monitoring <\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This feature allows you to monitor your chat operators and provides valuable insights on which of your agents are performing and which aren\u2019t. You can check their chat transcripts in detail and use it to train and improve your chat support. The best live chat software allows for real-time chat monitoring as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/real-time-visitor-tracking\/\"><strong>Visitor Tracking<\/strong><\/a><\/h3><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This feature allows you to get a deeper understanding of your website visitor\u2019s behavior. This is a highly advanced feature of modern chat applications that make it easier to access and analyze the key metrics for success and allows you to optimize the entire process for both your customers as well as agents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/canned-responses\/\"><strong>Canned Responses<\/strong><\/a><\/h3><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/help.proprofschat.com\/add-a-pre-defined-canned-responses\">Canned responses<\/a> feature allows you to save snippets of text that you use frequently on chats and reuse them on subsequent chat sessions with just a few keystrokes. This allows your chat operators to speed up their chat response times and provide accurate answers in lesser time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\n<h3><strong>File Transfers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A good live chat software has built-in functions to transfer files between operators and visitors. It also provides control on allowed file types and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sizes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\n<h3><strong>Reports and Analytics<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"videoWrapperyoutube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9-fdJC8ociE?autoplay=1&amp;rel=0\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/help.proprofschat.com\/introduction-to-reports\">Detailed reporting and analytics<\/a> that allow you to monitor key metrics like visitor details, average time spent on chats, operator activities, conversion tracking, chat histories and so on are just some of the things you should be looking in a chat software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><h3><strong>Queue Times<\/strong><\/h3><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A&nbsp;good chat support system allows your visitors to get a close approximation of wait times before starting a conversation with a live chat agent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><h3><strong>Smart Triggers<\/strong><span style=\"color: initial; font-size: 18px;\"> <\/span><\/h3><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A&nbsp;smart chat system will allow you to set custom triggers for specific events on your website. For example, if a visitor is returning to the website for the third time, the operator could be notified about it, and he (or she) could start a proactive chat session with the visitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Integrations\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Third_Party_Software_Integrations\"><\/span><strong>7. Third Party Software Integrations<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/4-1.png\" alt=\"live chat integrations\" class=\"wp-image-10129\" title=\"Third Party live chat Integrations\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Most people these days have the luxury of selecting (or disqualifying products) based on how well they <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/integrations\/\">integrate with other applications<\/a>. Businesses today rely on powerful, feature-packed applications to help them stay ahead of the competition. Yours shouldn\u2019t be any different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure that your live chat application of choice integrates seamlessly with current business tools, for example,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/integrations\/microsoft-dynamics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/integrations\/microsoft-dynamics\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1539403765081000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHYkY7stF1TerRRNhN8aM355SCcIw\">Microsoft Dynamics CRM<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/integrations\/salesforce\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/integrations\/salesforce\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1539403765081000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHz0IMThR0HEdcyBXrebfPmEaO7xg\">Salesforce<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/integrations\/zendesk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/integrations\/zendesk\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1539403765081000&amp;usg=AFQjCNF3qEfoffA9CV21tWz242x6CwxMWg\">Zendesk<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/integrations\/mailchimp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/integrations\/mailchimp\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1539403765081000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGEEptyo1QhqvHDNSX6IH9Jo_vTVA\">Mailchimp<\/a>&nbsp;and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It should also be compatible with popular website platforms like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/integrations\/wordpress\/\">WordPress<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/integrations\/drupal\/\">Drupal<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/integrations\/joomla\/\">Joomla<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/integrations\/magento\/\">Magento<\/a> and so on. Having data flow easily and seamlessly between your toolset will not only save you a lot of hassle but time as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some common systems with which your live chat application should provide integrations with are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>CRM(Customer Relationship Management) systems<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofsdesk.com\/\">Helpdesk&nbsp;Ticketing systems<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Call center systems<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Analytics solutions (like Google Analytics)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Social media applications<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofskb.com\/blog\/best-knowledge-base-software\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"undefined (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Knowledge base software<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Pricing\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Pricing\"><\/span><strong>8. Pricing<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>All good live chat applications come with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/pricing\/\">flexible and competitive pricing plan<\/a> that charges you based on your requirements and should allow you to change plans as needed. That\u2019s what you should be looking for while going shopping for a live chat solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While deciding on how much you want to pay for live chat, ask yourselves things like how many chats you are expecting to handle every month, the kind of reporting you require, how many websites do you need to install live chat on, recurring payment options, discounts if any and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then look for chat apps that provide pricing around these points. Also, make sure you know what exactly is included in the price and if there will be any additional charges down the road. Some handy questions to ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Recurring Charges:<\/strong><br>These are the monthly\/yearly fees that you pay. These may be charged based on the number of chat operators, by chat numbers, or additional features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional Charges:<\/strong><br><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These can be seen f<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or things like technical support, software upgrades, backups, and maintenance.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Termination Policy:<\/strong><br>if you terminate the contract early, will you receive a refund or will you have to pay a penalty? Make sure that the termination policy is spelled out in detail.I<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Discount Policy:<\/strong><br>There may be discounts for things like multiple sites, non-profit status, schools, etc. Be sure to ask what discounts may be available to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure you understand the vendor\u2019s pricing properly so as to avoid any surprises down the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Infrastructure-Security\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_Infrastructure_Security\"><\/span><strong>9. <b>Infrastructure &amp; Security<\/b><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In today\u2019s era of data breaches and cyber hacking, having a robust chat application is an absolute necessity. If the chat software is cloud-hosted, you need to understand how frequently and extensively backups are performed and whether the data can be securely stored with your chosen provider, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/clumio.com\/rto\/aws-backup\/\">AWS Backup<\/a>. This approach gives you better control and reduces reliance on other services. Additionally, assess how well the application handles load during peak times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can ask your vendor some specific questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How well is the data protected against hacks and unauthorized access<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is there an active firewall to prevent data thefts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is the infrastructure in use and how does it compare with the top of line options<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is the vendor\u2019s data backup plan as well as recovery options<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What are the vendor\u2019s privacy policies in this regard<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Customer-Support\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_247_Customer_Support\"><\/span><strong>10. 24\/7 Customer Support<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Excellent customer support is the best way of delivering value to any product offering and it is <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">not a matter <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of 9-to-5 job anymore.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You want to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/best-live-chat-software\/\">choose a live chat software<\/a> that offers 24\/7 customer support 365 days a year so that you can get instant assistance anytime you need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are looking to ensure the best customer support through a live chat application yourself, there is no reason why you shouldn\u2019t expect the same for yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You need to ensure that you can reach out to them anytime via phone, chat or email support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"videoWrapperyoutube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NVIjlCvOwuc?autoplay=1&amp;rel=0\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Considerations for Choosing a Live Chat Software<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you have made a decision to implement a live chat solution on your website, you&#8217;re well on your way to enhance and enrich your customers\u2019 experience. The benefits of having the best <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">live chat software on your website are clear, and we hope that this checklist allows you pick one that\u2019s just right for your business.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"banner-btn btn-desk\"><a class=\"try-btn\" title=\"Try Live Chat for Free\" href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/signup\/\">Try Live Chat for Free<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you really need a Live Chat Software for your Business? You don\u2019t need to be a marketing guru to figure out that quality customer service&nbsp;is the key to long-term success of any business. Your customers are your best bet when it comes to spreading the word about your products or services. And by offering&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":34641,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-live-chat"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>10 Considerations Before Buying a Live Chat Software<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Look at these 10 considerations before you buy live chat software for your website. Check this guide on choosing the best live chat software.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/things-to-consider-before-buying-a-live-chat-software\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"10 Considerations Before Buying a Live Chat Software\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Look at these 10 considerations before you buy live chat software for your website. Check this guide on choosing the best live chat software.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/things-to-consider-before-buying-a-live-chat-software\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Chat Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-06-09T07:28:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-21T10:52:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Picture1-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"ProProfs Editorial Team\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"ProProfs Editorial Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"10 Considerations Before Buying a Live Chat Software","description":"Look at these 10 considerations before you buy live chat software for your website. Check this guide on choosing the best live chat software.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/things-to-consider-before-buying-a-live-chat-software\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"10 Considerations Before Buying a Live Chat Software","og_description":"Look at these 10 considerations before you buy live chat software for your website. Check this guide on choosing the best live chat software.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/things-to-consider-before-buying-a-live-chat-software\/","og_site_name":"Chat Blog","article_published_time":"2017-06-09T07:28:34+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-21T10:52:29+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":500,"url":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Picture1-1.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"ProProfs Editorial Team","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"ProProfs Editorial Team","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/things-to-consider-before-buying-a-live-chat-software\/","url":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/things-to-consider-before-buying-a-live-chat-software\/","name":"10 Considerations Before Buying a Live Chat Software","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2017-06-09T07:28:34+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-21T10:52:29+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ab51f6a9083443b7dd0613d5ccd18c49"},"description":"Look at these 10 considerations before you buy live chat software for your website. Check this guide on choosing the best live chat software.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/things-to-consider-before-buying-a-live-chat-software\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/things-to-consider-before-buying-a-live-chat-software\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/things-to-consider-before-buying-a-live-chat-software\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Things to Consider Before Buying a Live Chat Software"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/","name":"Chat Blog","description":"ProProfs Chat Blog","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ab51f6a9083443b7dd0613d5ccd18c49","name":"ProProfs Editorial Team","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fd4f94bf064d2dbc3c244e9f508280147746419f64d3ae0c2fff507aeae8cd7a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fd4f94bf064d2dbc3c244e9f508280147746419f64d3ae0c2fff507aeae8cd7a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"ProProfs Editorial Team"},"description":"ProProfs Live Chat Editorial Team is a passionate group of customer service experts dedicated to empowering your live chat experiences with top-notch content. We stay ahead of the curve on trends, tackle technical hurdles, and provide practical tips to boost your business. With our commitment to quality and integrity, you can be confident you're getting the most reliable resources to enhance your customer support initiatives.","url":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/author\/editorial-team\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10124"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10124\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50569,"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10124\/revisions\/50569"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.proprofschat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}