Website Live Chat Widget using Microsoft Teams

In today's fast-paced digital world, every second a customer spends on your website is valuable. If they have a question, you want to get them an answer as quickly and seamlessly as possible. That's where the new live chat widget functionality comes in, changing the way businesses interact with their customers online.

What is the Live Chat Widget?

The live chat widget is a tool that allows businesses to support one-to-one chat with their customers directly from their website. The feature is integrated with Microsoft Teams, enabling representatives to respond to questions in real-time. This feature is only available to users who have the Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Microsoft 365 Business Standard, or Microsoft 365 Business Premium license.

Key Benefits of the Live Chat Widget

1. Instant Customer Support: With the live chat widget, customers can get immediate assistance without having to leave your website. This real-time interaction helps in resolving issues quickly and efficiently.
2. Improved Customer Engagement: Engaging with customers through live chat can lead to higher conversion rates. Prospective customers are more likely to make a purchase when their questions are answered promptly.
3. Seamless Integration with Microsoft Teams: The live chat widget is seamlessly integrated with Microsoft Teams, allowing your customer service team to manage all interactions from a single platform.

Setting Up the Widget

Setting up the live chat widget on your website is straightforward. Here are the steps to get started:

1. Access the Setup Guide: Visit Set up Live chat in Teams – Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn for detailed instructions on how to configure the live chat widget.
2. Admin App in Teams: Access the Admin app within Microsoft Teams client and go to the Live chat menu.

   

3. Customize the Widget: Customize the chat widget with an appropriate name and select the appropriate settings for your site. The process walks through creating a team within Microsoft Teams, selecting members to be notified when a visitor uses the widget (maximum of 25 users). You will also need to select your ‘support hours' when the widget will indicate to the site visitor that they will be connected with someone straightaway.
4. Deploy and Test: Once configured, deploy the widget on your website and test it to ensure it works as expected.

   

One Issue

When adding the widget to my site, an error was caused due to the variable “environmentid” in the script.

“environmentid” came with a capital I from the setup process in Teams, but it should be lowercase.

Customer Connect App

The widget is using the Microsoft Customer Connect app with Microsoft Teams to function. When you set the widget up, you will create a team within Microsoft Teams to use for the feature, as well as select the members who will be contacted when a visitor uses the widget.

Real-World Impact

Implementing a live chat widget on your website can enhance your customer service experience. By providing instant support, you can move prospective customers further along the sales journey, leading to higher conversion rates and improved customer satisfaction.

You can try this functionality out on my work website CollabFront – Microsoft 365 Consulting and Training