Digital Support 101: How to Offer Online Customer Care

Online customer support has become the new bread and butter for most businesses. Efficient support means better business and satisfied customers. Since customer service is largely digitalized, customers expect fast, convenient, and personalized digital support that works for them. But how can you offer it effectively?

We’ve put together this guide to walk you through digital support and explain why it’s important. We’ll also cover the essential strategies and tools for business owners and contact centers to deliver exceptional digital support and build lasting customer relationships. But first…

Why Digital Support Matters

While phone calls still hold a place in customer support, digital channels like live chat, email, and social media are becoming the preferred communication channels.

Why the shift?

• 63% of customers use live chat to contact businesses. This preference is likely linked to the speed and efficiency of live chat interactions.
• 52% of consumers want their support queries resolved within 24 hours. Long wait times and drawn-out email exchanges simply won’t cut it.
• AI chat and online chat are ranked as the most effective and customer-preferred support platforms. Customers are embracing the convenience and personalization these digital channels offer.

Clearly, businesses need to adapt to changing customer preferences and prioritize digital support initiatives to meet modern customer expectations.

How Online Support Differs From Offline Channels

Traditional offline channels like phone calls and in-person visits have long been the primary modes of customer support. However, digital support introduces key differences that businesses must understand.

Immediate expectation

Digital support often demands faster response times. Customers want near-instant replies, with 67% of customers expecting issue resolution within three hours or less, especially for digital channels. A delayed response could lead to frustration, poor customer experiences, and worse, a lost customer.

For example, if a customer encounters a technical issue on your website, they can simply use the live chat option to request immediate assistance through AI-powered chatbots. For more nuanced queries, omnichannel support services can have agents intervene and respond via live chat, social media messaging, email, or wherever customers prefer to be reached.

Asynchronous communication

Digital channels like email, support tickets, and social media unlock asynchronous communication. This means customers can contact your support team at any time, without waiting on hold.

They simply leave a message and carry on with their day. This approach is particularly effective for resolving complex issues that require ongoing communication. Customers get timely updates, and proactive problem-solving enhances the customer experience.

Data-driven results

70% of customers expect personalized support from agents who have a complete understanding of their issue, and digital channels are key to meeting this expectation.

They provide rich customer data and insights for businesses to tailor every customer interaction. This means understanding a customer’s needs and preferences to deliver truly personalized support.

In fact, Nextiva’s 2024 State of Customer Experience (CX) Report found that delivering empathy and creating enjoyable interactions are top priorities for businesses when personalizing the customer experience. For example, e-commerce companies can track browsing history and past purchases to offer relevant product recommendations and support resources.

Global reach

Digital support transcends geographical boundaries. While phone support is limited by international calling costs and time zone differences, digital channels overcome these challenges.

Chatbots and asynchronous communication connect businesses with customers worldwide, no matter the location or time. For brands that want to scale globally, offering online support is a no-brainer and a must.

What Makes a Well-Rounded Digital Support Strategy?

Simply launching online support channels isn’t enough. You need a dedicated digital support strategy that guides your digital transformation journey. Let’s explore four key components of building a successful digital support plan.

1. Multiple communication channels

Customers expect omnichannel support, meaning they want to quickly connect with your business across various platforms. This includes live chat (with instant chatbot responses), social media messaging, email, SMS, and more.

To meet these expectations, you should have a consistent presence and provide support across all these popular touchpoints. Contact center software is a great tool for managing this omnichannel approach and offering digital support services, enabling your agents to respond to inquiries from a single dashboard, regardless of the communication channel.

2. 24/7 availability with self-service options

Unlike traditional support, digital platforms help businesses provide 24/7 support through self-service options and automated systems like chatbots and knowledge bases.

A well-designed FAQ page or knowledge base lets customers find solutions on their own, reducing their dependence on agents. Customers get instant answers to common questions, and your support team is freed up to handle more complex issues.

In fact, studies show that most customers prefer self-service. For example, 81% try to resolve issues themselves before contacting support. By offering effective self-service options, you can fend off simple requests, reduce wait times, and improve customer satisfaction.

While self-service is valuable, it’s not the final solution. Research shows that most customer issues still require agent intervention. Create a smooth escalation path for customers to get in touch with live agents when needed.

3. Quick response time

Online users expect faster responses, even more than with offline interactions. Aim for near-instant responses, especially on live chat and social media DMs.

Even a quick email confirmation that acknowledges receipt of the request and provides a time frame for a detailed response can significantly reduce anxiety and improve the customer experience.

Transparency is key. Clearly communicate expected response times on each platform. For example, display queue positions and estimated wait times for live chat, or state your service level agreements (e.g. “We aim to respond to all emails within 24 business hours”) on your website and email submission pages.

4. Proactive support

Use tools like AI-powered chatbots to offer proactive support by greeting website visitors or guiding users through common issues before they ask.

Many brands will generate a live chat pop-up when users stay on the site or specific pages for a few seconds. The chatbot will ask users how it can help and may include options like “product questions” or “contact sales.” Customers can also type in their own questions.

Top 10 Digital Support Solutions

Digital customer service platforms expand your communication channels and enrich your online support strategy. Here are 10 of the top-rated options to consider in 2025.

1. Nextiva

Nextiva offers an AI-powered contact center solution that combines voice, email, chat, and social media channels into a unified dashboard, giving your agents a 360-degree view of every customer.

But it’s not just about convenience. Nextiva is packed with AI-powered features to improve team efficiency and customer experience.

Here’s what makes Nextiva stand out:

• AI-powered assistance: From intelligent chatbots that handle simple queries to sentiment analysis that gauges customer emotions, Nextiva helps your team work smarter, not harder. Automatic call summaries and insightful analytics provide valuable data to improve performance.
• Workflow automation: Nextiva automates workflows, freeing up your agents to focus on complex and urgent customer issues.
• Real-time insights: Advanced analytics, detailed metrics, and direct customer feedback give a detailed picture of your contact center performance.
• CRM integrations: It’s easy to connect Nextiva with your CRM for better information flow and a consistent customer experience across all service channels.
• Transparent pricing and reliability: You get clear pricing plans and a platform known for its robust performance and reliability.

2. Zendesk

Zendesk is a known customer service software solution that offers a complete suite of tools to manage omnichannel customer interactions. With Zendesk, it’s easy to integrate live chat, email, and social media support and create a unified customer experience.

Here’s what makes Zendesk a popular choice:

• Robust ticketing system: Manage and track customer requests efficiently with a powerful ticketing system.
• AI-powered automation: Use artificial intelligence to automate tasks, improve response times, and free up time for agents.
• Self-service options and knowledge base: Enable customers to find answers themselves using comprehensive self-service options and an easily searchable knowledge base.

3. Intercom

Intercom’s specialty is real-time support via chat and messaging, which is ideal for businesses that prioritize instant customer interaction. While its core competency is live communication, Intercom also offers other valuable features such as automation and a knowledge base to increase efficiency and empower customers.

Here’s what Intercom offers:

• Omnichannel communications: Connect with customers across multiple channels, including chat, email, and social media, all on a unified platform.
• AI-powered agent support: Equip your support team with AI-powered tools that provide insights, automate tasks, and help them deliver faster, more effective support.
• Comprehensive analytics and reporting: Track key metrics, measure performance, and get important customer insights.
• Customer-focused help center: Help customers find answers and solve problems on their own with an easy-to-use help center and knowledge base.

4. Freshdesk

Freshdesk is a versatile customer service platform that brings all your support channels, ticketing, and self-service tools into one convenient place. You get better workflows, improved operations, and tools to help your team drive exceptional customer experiences.

Here are some of Freshdesk’s top features:

• Extensive integrations: Connect with a variety of communication apps to offer a cohesive digital support experience.
• Intelligent ticketing: Get an advanced ticketing system that uses AI-powered automation to prioritize issues and accelerate resolution times.
• AI-powered email responses: Use AI-powered email responses that automatically address common questions.
• Effortless onboarding: Get started quickly with an easy-to-use and intuitive interface.

5. LiveAgent

LiveAgent offers a combination of live chat, ticketing, and social media support with an easy-to-use interface and comprehensive reporting. It’s a strong support desk software option for small businesses.

Here’s why:

• Robust ticketing: Get over 130 features, ensuring efficient tracking, prioritization, and issue resolution.
• AI assistant: Help your agents provide faster and more accurate responses to common customer questions.
• Integrated support: Use the unified dashboard and social media integrations to expand your reach and help engage with customers on their preferred platforms.

6. HubSpot Service Hub

HubSpot’s Service Hub is integrated with the platform’s CRM, enabling businesses to provide email, chat, and knowledge base support while tracking all customer interactions without requiring any third-party integrations.

Service Hub offers a range of features including:

• Omnichannel support: Connect with customers via email, chat, and social media.
• Self-service options: Empower customers with a searchable knowledge base.
• Automation tools: Improve agent productivity with AI-powered automation.
• CRM integration: Get a unified view of customer data and interactions thanks to native integration with the HubSpot CRM.
• Customer feedback tools: Gather and analyze customer feedback and improve service quality.

7. Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk is a feature-rich platform offering omnichannel communication, AI-powered tools, and automation capabilities, all within a user-friendly interface. Its focus on automation and integration with the Zoho suite makes it suitable for businesses that need customizable customer service solutions.

Top features include:

• Zoho ecosystem: Integrate with other Zoho applications, including its CRM, for a unified view of customer data and interactions.
• Customizable workspaces: Tailor agent dashboards and workflows to meet specific team needs and preferences.
• Real-time analytics: Monitor key performance indicators and track customer service trends.

8. Drift

Drift is a conversational marketing and sales platform that excels at real-time interaction with website visitors. While Drift is best known for its live chat functionality, it also offers AI-powered chatbots and email automation to improve lead generation and qualification efforts.

Key features of Drift include:

• AI chatbots: Deploy conversational AI chatbots to qualify leads, book meetings, and provide instant support, even outside business hours.
• Email follow-up automation: Nurture leads and maintain engagement with automated email sequences triggered by website activity or chat interactions.
• Buyer intent identification: Identify and prioritize high-intent leads based on their website behavior and engagement patterns.

9. Kustomer

Kustomer focuses on conversational support, combining customer service and CRM to offer multi-channel experiences through chat, social, and email.

Key features of Kustomer include:

• Conversational CRM: Drivegenuine conversations and personalized interactions with customers.
• AI features: Offer automated voice support and intelligent response suggestions.
• Customization options: Tailor workflows, agent workspaces, and other platform elements to align with your business needs.

10. Salesforce Service Cloud

Salesforce Service Cloud is an enterprise-level solution providing AI-driven support, robust CRM capabilities, and automation tools across multiple channels. It works well for businesses offering digital support at scale.

Some of its top features include:

• Generative AI responses: Tackle common customer concerns and offer personalized recommendations.
• Omnichannel engagement: Get email, chat, social media, and phone with intelligent routing capabilities.
• Workforce optimization: Optimize agent scheduling and resource allocation with service planning tools.

How to Modernize Your Digital Support in the Coming Years

Digital support is essential to the customer service experience, but technology is getting crazier, and so are customer expectations. Here’s how you can modernize your digital support to keep up with future trends.

AI and automation

AI and automation are major players in digital support, and that won’t change any time soon. Expect further advances in AI-driven chatbots, particularly machine learning, that will enable more accurate and human-like responses to routine queries.

Chatbots will become the primary service channel for 25% of organizations by 2027, with 54% of support teams already using AI platforms. You need to be prepared with a contact center platform that offers machine learning and AI chatbots to best support your future modernization efforts.

Voice and video integration

As digital support evolves, integrating voice and video into chat and email responses is becoming more common, providing a richer customer experience.

For example, when customers email an inquiry or message via live chat and need help troubleshooting, agents can send videos back in response. This can be more helpful, feel more personal, and improve the customer experience.

Proactive personalization

Personalization is important and expected by most customers. Fortunately, AI functionality can work wonders when it comes to personalization.

Research shows that 64% of business owners believe AI could improve customer relationships, with 80% of executives reporting improved customer satisfaction and contact center performance thanks to AI-based tools.

Use AI and analytics to provide proactive support tailored to individual customer needs. This can include personalized offers, assistance based on previous interactions, or predicting customer problems before they arise. AI is the future of customer service, and there has never been a better time to use it.

Seamless omnichannel support

Digital support will focus more on omnichannel strategies so customers can move between channels without losing context or repeating themselves.

Some companies choose standalone tools as new channels emerge. However, this can lead to data silos and complex processes. Omnichannel contact center platforms that provide support for multiple digital channels are critical to long-term customer experience growth.

Ramp Up Digital Customer Support With Nextiva

While offline support still matters, online customer support has become the predominant service option that customers are flocking to. And they now have higher expectations for timeliness, personalization, and quality of solutions.

Offering digital communication channels is a good start, but remember to back them up with the right tools, strategies, and agent training.

Nextiva’s full-featured customer experience platform can help you level up your digital support strategy across all support channels. Our AI-powered software delivers seamless customer experiences and advanced insights, automation, and suggestions for agents.

Learn more about our contact center solutions to get started.