Live chats are any online conversation carried out by a human. Usually initiated by customers or prospects, chats can start from websites, emails, or other types of marketing channels.
The main benefit of live chats is their role in building strong and long-lasting relationships. Live chats add a human touch to web conversations. Therefore, they're more engaging and provide higher quality support.
There are two types of chats:
real-time – handled live, soon after a chat is submitted
asynchronous – handled after a period of time
Chatbots are types of chat interactions carried out by a machine. These types of conversations are useful for handling repetitive and simple inquiries. The value of chatbots usually depends on their intelligence and ability to solve particular issues and questions. Their main benefit is 24/7 availability.