The Future of Live Chat: Essential Customer Engagement Features for 2023

The Future of Live Chat: Essential Customer Engagement Features for 2023

It has been more than 20 years since live chat for support and engagement became mainstream. Almost all websites these days have some sort of live chat tool embedded, and most website builders come with an integrated live chat software solution. So, if every business has a live chat facility, why do only a few reap the benefits of great engagement and customer satisfaction?

It is because most of these online support tools only grant you the ability to connect with your customers and do not go beyond that. Only a few tools have put more thought into this and provided an effective solution that actually makes a difference. Now, let us see what sets these tools apart from the others. You can use this as a checklist to choose your business's next engagement and support solution.

Thinking past the reactive support and engagement

In 2023, in the post-pandemic era, the world is shaping itself to new norms every day. Are you expecting your customers to visit your website, stay online, wait for a reply from your operators, and be online until the issue is resolved? With remote work being widely adopted, everyone works at their convenience from different time zones. So, do you expect a prospective entrepreneur customer to stay on your website while you provide support when they are busy with their schedule? The answer must be no.

Your customers and prospects should be able to engage with you whenever they can. The only way that is possible is by providing a non-reactive engagement, just like a messaging app. What is better than connecting with them from their favorite messaging platforms like Instagram or WhatsApp?

The live chat solution you use should enable your team to connect with your customers and prospects via multiple instant messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram from a single dashboard. In Zoho SalesIQ, by linking your IM channels, you can assist all your visitors directly from SalesIQ. Thereby allowing your customers to connect with your business from their go-to messaging application and respond when they find time.

Zoho SalesIQ supports the following IM applications:
Pro tip 💡: Setup chatbots to assist your IM and social media audience when you are away.

Connecting on a call with just a click



When you have an emergency, would you prefer to call or text and wait for a reply? You would want to call, right? That is exactly how your customers would feel. Non-reactive chats have their own set of benefits for most businesses, but for a time-sensitive business like hospitality and tourism, your customers would want to get in touch with you immediately. For example, if they are lost in a foreign country and unable to find or connect with their tour guide, the first thing your customers would want is to connect with you and seek a solution.

Such situations can be easily aided by having Zoho SalesIQ's Click-to-Call feature in your business.
  • To enable Click-to-call for your visitors, navigate to Settings > Brands > {Your brand name} > Installation. Now, check the Call option under Communication mode. This will add a call option in your Zoho SalesIQ chat window, allowing your visitors to connect with you via an audio call with just one click.
Pro tip 💡: Enable call recording to keep a recording of all your calls for future analysis, audit, training purposes. 

Prioritizing your  high-value clients



A high-value client who has signed a $50K deal with you would expect instant, exceptional service from an expert and wouldn’t want to be routed to the general customer support team. They wouldn’t be keen on waiting in long queues to get the necessary assistance. Delaying support can negatively impact your clients’ perceptions of your brand. Therefore, it is imperative to provide the most reliable and instant support possible.

The solution to this is to prioritize your VIP and high-priority customers by routing them straight to your experts. By doing so, you can ensure that your top clients receive dedicated, personalized support promptly. Having a dedicated routing system in place can help you attain the following:
  • Satisfaction
  • Loyalty
  • Advocacy and reputation
In SalesIQ, using the Chat Routing or Chatbot's audience criteria feature helps you prioritize your visitors based on a wide range of metrics and conditions, so your high-value customers and VIPs can get the adequate support without any delay. Check out this post to know more about chat routing.

Pro tip 💡: Integrate Zoho SalesIQ with CRM to unlock more metrics like deal amount and deal stage, etc., to prioritize your visitors better.

In conclusion, having a live chat facility on your website is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. However, having a live chat tool is not enough to provide great engagement and support satisfaction to your customers. You need to go beyond just reactive support and engage with your customers on their preferred messaging platforms. Additionally, offering a click-to-call feature for easy connection and prioritizing VIP customers for dedicated support can make a significant difference in your business's performance. By incorporating these key features, your business can enhance its engagement and support capabilities and stand out from the competition. But remember that these features are not the ultimate solution, but rather a facilitator. 

Regards,
Naveen


      Zoho Campaigns Resources


        • Desk Community Learning Series


        • Digest


        • Functions


        • Meetups


        • Kbase


        • Resources


        • Glossary


        • Desk Marketplace


        • MVP Corner


        • Word of the Day


        • Ask the Experts


          Zoho CRM Plus Resources

            Zoho Books Resources


              Zoho Subscriptions Resources

                Zoho Projects Resources


                  Zoho Sprints Resources


                    Zoho Orchestly Resources


                      Zoho Creator Resources


                        Zoho WorkDrive Resources



                          Zoho CRM Resources

                          • CRM Community Learning Series

                            CRM Community Learning Series


                          • Tips

                            Tips

                          • Functions

                            Functions

                          • Meetups

                            Meetups

                          • Kbase

                            Kbase

                          • Resources

                            Resources

                          • Digest

                            Digest

                          • CRM Marketplace

                            CRM Marketplace

                          • MVP Corner

                            MVP Corner




                            Zoho Writer Writer

                            Get Started. Write Away!

                            Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                              Zoho CRM コンテンツ



                                ご検討中の方

                                  • Recent Topics

                                  • Introducing Connected Records to bring business context to every aspect of your work in Zoho CRM for Everyone

                                    Hello Everyone, We are excited to unveil phase one of a powerful enhancement to CRM for Everyone - Connected Records, available only in CRM's Nextgen UI. With CRM for Everyone, businesses can onboard all customer-facing teams onto the CRM platform to
                                  • Unknown table or alias 'A1'

                                    I would like to create a subquery but i am getting the following error: Unknown table or alias 'A1' used in select query. This is the sql statement:  SELECT A1.active_paying_customers, A1.active_trial_customers, A1.new_paying_signup, date(A1.date_active_customers), 
                                  • in the Zoho creator i have address field based the customer lookup im selecting the addresss , some times the customer address getting as null i want to show as blank

                                    in the Zoho creator i have address field based the customer lookup im selecting the addresss , some times the customer address getting as null ,i want to show as blank instead of showing null. input.Billing_Address.address_line_1 = ifNUll(input.Customers_Name.Address.address_line_1,"");
                                  • Question about upgrade and storage space Zoho Notebook

                                    After upgarding my Zoho Notebook plan, I am running into the following issue. I just upgraded from a free Zoho Notebook subscription to Pro Lite after I got a notification in my Window Zoho Notebook desktop app saying that I had run out of space. However,
                                  • how to add email to existing organization i w

                                    I am already registered my organization and i have an email id. I need one more email id but i can't find anywhere .i want the cheapest email id . how to add ?
                                  • add zoho account

                                    How to add a zoho mail to previous zoho account? I have two
                                  • Name changed in settings for mailbox but still not changed when typed in To field

                                    In the email account secretary@ i have updaetd the new staff members details but the old members name still appears when I type secretary@ in the To field. I cant work out where Zoho is finding the old name from. I have deleted the browser cache. If I
                                  • Printing to a brother label maker

                                    I see allot of really old unanswered posts asking how to print to a label maker from a zoho creator app. Has their been any progress on providing the capability to create a customized height & width page or print template or whatever to print labels?
                                  • Sync desktop folders instantly with WorkDrive TrueSync (Beta)

                                    Keeping your important files backed up and accessible has never been easier! With WorkDrive desktop app (TrueSync), you can now automatically sync specific desktop folders to WorkDrive Web, ensuring seamless, real-time updates across devices. Important:
                                  • Track online, in-office, and client location meetings separately with the new meeting venue option

                                    Hello everyone! We’re excited to announce meeting enhancements in Zoho CRM that bring more clarity and structure to how meetings are categorized. You can now specify the meeting venue to clearly indicate whether a meeting is being held online, at the
                                  • Calling the new 'Custom API' feature from within a Custom Widget

                                    From what I've learned it is not possible to call an endpoint from the new "Custom API" feature within a Creator Widget. The SDK's doesn't support it yet, when calling it natively you end up with CORS issues or at least I couldn't get it working even
                                  • Announcing new features in Trident for Mac (1.32.0)

                                    Hello everyone! We’re excited to introduce the latest updates to Trident, which are designed to reinforce email security and protect your inbox from evolving threats. Let’s take a quick look at what’s new. Deliver quarantined emails. Organization admins
                                  • Marketing Tip #5: Improve store speed with optimized images

                                    Slow-loading websites can turn visitors away. One of the biggest culprits? Large, uncompressed images. By optimizing your images, your store loads faster and creates a smoother shopping experience leading to higher sales. It also indirectly improves SEO.
                                  • SMS to customers from within Bigin

                                    Hi All, Is there anyone else crying out for Bigin SMS capability to send an SMS to customers directly from the Bigin interface? We have inbuilt telephony already with call recordings which works well. What's lacking is the ability to send and receive
                                  • Admins cannot see each others' Scheduled Reports?!

                                    Very frustrating that as an admin I cannot see what my reports my fellow admins have created and scheduled.  After asking about this on the help chat, I was told the issue is trust and security.  By giving someone Admin status, it means we trust them with those responsibilities. Please change this, it is not a good process to have to bother other users to change a report or change users within a report.
                                  • Automatically CC an address using Zoho CRM Email Templates

                                    Hi all - have searched but can't see a definitive answer. We have built multiple email templates in CRM. Every time we send this we want it to CC a particular address (the same address for every email sent) so that it populates the reply back into our
                                  • Writer update results in BitDefender blocking it as malware

                                    After updating Writer to latest update, Bitdefender blocked the app and writer no longer runs.
                                  • Is there a way to invoke deluge function from within a widget?

                                    Hi! I have custom functions in deluge and I was wondering whether there is any way to call this function through a widget? Something like on click of a button inside a widget, run the deluge custom function. Would this be possible?
                                  • Missing Import Options

                                    Hello, do I miss something or is there no space import option inside of this application? In ClickUp, you can import from every common application. We don't want to go through every page and export them one by one. That wastes time. We want to centralize
                                  • Zoho CRM Portal Field Level Permission Issue

                                    Hi Support Team, I am using the Zoho CRM Portal and configuring field-level editing permissions. However, we are unable to restrict portal users from editing certain fields. We have created a portal and provided View and Edit (Shared Only) access for
                                  • Why am I seeing deleted records in Zoho Analytics syncing with Zoho CRM?

                                    I have done a data sync between Zoho CRM and Zoho Analytics, and the recycle bin is empty. Why do I see deleted leads/deals/contacts in Zoho Analytics if it doesn't exist in Zoho CRM? How can I solve this problem? Thanks
                                  • Custom Fonts in Zoho CRM Template Builder

                                    Hi, I am currently creating a new template for our quotes using the Zoho CRM template builder. However, I noticed that there is no option to add custom fonts to the template builder. It would greatly enhance the flexibility and branding capabilities if
                                  • Introducing the Zoho Projects Learning Space

                                    Every product has its learning curve, and sometimes having a guided path makes the learning experience smoother. With that goal, we introduce a dedicated learning space for Zoho Projects, a platform where you can explore lessons, learn at your own pace,
                                  • All new Address Field in Zoho CRM: maintain structured and accurate address inputs

                                    The address field will be available exclusively for IN DC users. We'll keep you updated on the DC-specific rollout soon. It's currently available for all new sign-ups and for existing Zoho CRM orgs which are in the Professional edition. Latest update
                                  • Collaboration with customers made easy with Zoom Meeting and Zoho Desk integration

                                    Hello everyone! We are happy to announce that you can now integrate your Zoho Desk account with Zoom Meeting. The integration bridges the gap between digital communication and human connection, empowering teams to deliver timely support when it matters
                                  • CRM Canvas - Upload Attachments

                                    I am in the process of changing my screens to Canvas.  On one screen, I have tabs with related lists, one of which is attachments.  There doesn't appear to be a way to upload documents though.  Am I missing something really obvious?  Does anyone have
                                  • TrueSync regularly filling up my local disk

                                    Seems that WorkDrive's TrueSync randomly starts filling up my local hard drive space. None of the folders have been set as "Make Offline" but still it seems to randomly start making file offline. The settings of the app is so minimal and is of no real
                                  • Kaizen #194 : Trigger Client Script via Custom buttons

                                    Hello everyone! Welcome back to another interesting and useful Kaizen post. We know that Client Scripts can be triggered with Canvas buttons and we discussed this with a use case in Kaizen#180. Today, let us discuss how to trigger Client Script when a
                                  • [Webinar] A recap of Zoho Writer in 2025

                                    Hi Zoho Writer users, We're excited to announce Zoho Writer's webinar for January 2026: A recap of Zoho Writer in 2025. This webinar will provide a recap of the features and enhancements we added in 2025 to enhance your productivity. Choose your preferred
                                  • Picklist field shows "none" as default

                                    Hello, Is there an option to avoid showing "none" as the default value in a picklist field? I also don't want to see any option displayed. My expectation is to have a blank bar, and then when I display the drop-down list, I can choose whichever I wa
                                  • Stage-probability mapping feature in custom module

                                    Hi, I'm building a custom module for manage projects. I would like to implement the stage-probability feature that Potentials has. Is this possible?
                                  • Create static subforms in Zoho CRM: streamline data entry with pre-defined values

                                    Last modified on (9 July, 2025): This feature was available in early access and is currently being rolled out to customers in phases. Currently available for users in the the AU, CA, and SA DCs. It will be enabled for the remaining DCs in the next couple
                                  • Field Description is very small

                                    Hello, The field Description in the activity is very small. Why don't try open a new window, or a bigger popup, or increase the width of the "popup". Example:
                                  • StatusIQ

                                    Please add StatusIQ to data sources. We using site24x7 and StatusIQ together and site24x7 integration is already there. Thanks and regards, Torsten
                                  • In Zoho People, the Operations buttons are frequently not visible or do not appear consistently.

                                    In Zoho People, the Operations buttons are frequently not visible or do not appear consistently. We request you to please investigate and address this issue, as it is affecting daily HR operations and user access.
                                  • Marketing Tip #14: Increase cart value with product bundles

                                    Bundling products is a great way to increase average order value while giving customers more convenience. Think “camera + tripod + memory card” or “soap + lotion + bath salts.” Bundles make shopping easier and feel like a better deal. It’s a win-win for
                                  • Problem with Workdrive folders

                                    I'm having a problem a problem accessing files in a Zoho work drive folder when using the Zoho writer app. The problem folder appears grayed out in the Zoho work drive window in both the online and writer application. However I can open the folder in
                                  • Add RTL and Hebrew Support for Candidate Portal (and Other Zoho Recruit Portals)

                                    Dear Zoho Recruit Team, I hope you're doing well. We would like to request the ability to set the Candidate Portal to be Right-to-Left (RTL) and in Hebrew, similar to the existing functionality for the Career Site. Currently, when we set the Career Site
                                  • Auto tracking URL generation based on Carrier

                                    Hi, While creating a shipment order for a package in Zoho Books, I have a requirement that for example, if the carrier is Delhivery and tracking number is 1234, then can automatically the tracking link/URL be generated as www.delhivery.com/1234. Similary,
                                  • Zoho Bookings form pre-filled with Zoho Forms in

                                    Hi, I've got a contact page on my website and I'd like to have the option to book an appointment (redirected to zoho bookings page) after an option is submitted on the contact form. how would I go about doing this? thanks
                                  • Next Page