What is Live Chat?
Live chat is a real-time messaging feature on websites and apps that allows visitors to communicate directly with support agents or AI-powered chatbots.
Live chat has become essential for businesses — 79% of consumers prefer it over any other support channel because of instant response times. Modern live chat combines human agents with AI for optimal efficiency.
How Live Chat Works
A live chat widget is embedded on your website, typically as a small button in the bottom corner. When visitors click it, they can instantly start a conversation — with an AI agent, a human agent, or both.
Live Chat vs AI Chat
Traditional live chat requires human agents to be online. AI-powered chat works 24/7 automatically. The best approach combines both: AI handles routine questions instantly, and complex issues are handed off to human agents with full context.
- •Traditional live chat: Requires humans online, limited hours
- •AI chat: Available 24/7, handles 80%+ of inquiries automatically
- •Hybrid approach: AI-first with smart human handoff (what Otoq does)
Impact on Conversion Rates
Businesses with live chat see 40% higher conversion rates on average. Visitors who use chat are 2.8x more likely to purchase. Response time matters — 82% of consumers expect a response within 10 minutes.
- •40% increase in conversion rates
- •2.8x more likely to purchase after chatting
- •35% reduction in cart abandonment
- •50% decrease in support ticket volume
Related Terms
What is AI Chatbot?
An AI chatbot is a software application that uses artificial intelligence — typically natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning — to simulate human-like conversations with users.
What is Customer Engagement Platform?
A customer engagement platform is software that helps businesses interact with customers across multiple channels, using automation and AI to deliver personalized experiences at scale.
What is Conversational AI?
Conversational AI refers to technologies that enable computers to understand, process, and respond to human language in a natural, conversational manner.
Get AI-powered live chat for your website in 5 minutes — try Otoq free.
Free plan includes 50 AI conversations/month. No credit card required.