The first commandment of customer support is all about providing customers what they need when they need it in an environment that suits their convenience and is well within their comfort zones. Given the fact that the number of customers accessing your website continues to grow dramatically year after year, it is best to reach out to your customers on their turf by letting them use the communication protocol with which they are most familiar. Let us take a brief moment to see what this protocol is and how you can integrate it by adding live chat software to your website or e-commerce portal.

 Texting on the Rise

 Whether it is Short Message Service (SMS) also called texting, WhatsApp or a similar platform, consumers and business professionals alike are becoming increasingly friendly with text-based communication. It saves time when compared to phone conversations, is precise and to the point, and leaves a paper trail. This might explain, in part, the growing popularity of live chat software on websites. Assuming that you are a convert and not a skeptic when it comes to effective live chat communication, live chat integration is no longer rocket science. The integration takes place seamlessly in no more than 15 minutes:

 Adding Live Chat Support to your existing Website

 · Choosing the Application – You should first take out the time to review and test drive at least three or four live chat support applications before you finalize the application you will use. Reviewing the feature lists and benchmarking them against your requirements is a good way to start. If you are new to live chat software service, it is a good idea to interact with the customer support reps of a few chat applications and listen to what they have to say. You should also read live chat support reviews on the Internet. Search using your favorite Internet browser and read the reviews objectively with a focus on hard core facts.

· Download the Trial Version – Many live chat support applications give website owners, entrepreneurs and stakeholders like you an opportunity to test the waters by allowing you to download a trial version of their live chat software application. Look for a trial copy with full functionality so that you are able to “experience” all the features in one go.

· Install the Application – Since live chat service on a website is serious business, you should select an application that not only supports desktops but also smartphones and handheld devices. Once you have finalized an application for testing, follow the provider company’s directions carefully. Usually, you need to extract a snippet of code using the application after downloading it, and paste the code on your home page. Re-upload the home page once you have pasted the code, log out from your server, and you are done.

·Test and Customize – Live chat support applications present a wide array of customization choices starting from chat windows, visitor monitoring, analytic to the fonts and type faces you can use in your chat interface. Fine-tuning the application to your like may take a while but it is well worth the effort and time well spent.