What is in-app support?
Definition: In-app support is a customer support service that is provided within a software, application, or website, allowing users to get help without leaving the app or website.
It can include features such as chatbots, knowledge bases, FAQs, and support messaging. In-app support aims to provide a seamless and efficient support experience, without the need to leave the product and contact different support channels.
It can improve user satisfaction and reduce support costs for businesses.
Importance of in-app support
Customer experience and satisfaction are among the most important aspects of any product. Customers expect assistance in every step, undisrupted product use, and their problems to be solved.
In-app support helps companies meet these expectations by offering:
- Onboarding customers with visual queues and pop-ups explaining every feature and taking them on a product tour.
- Seamless product use by allowing customers to request support without needing to leave the product.
- Immediate assistance through live chats and chatbots that allow them to get answers in real-time without email and phone delays.
- Personalized support that offers guidance based on their needs and preferences.
- Interactive user experience that provides users with information relevant to their current situation while using the product.
- Continuous support regardless of the time the customer uses the product.
Besides meeting customer expectations, in-app support is important to companies because it:
- Lowers support costs by reducing the need for email and phone support, as customers can solve problems on their own.
- Provides insights into user behavior that can be used to improve the product and support systems.
- Differentiates the company from competitors that don’t offer in-app support.
In-app support examples
Slack provides customers with its help center with videos, articles, and other resources with the option to search for specific questions by clicking the “help” button.
Grammarly's built-in chatbot lets customers ask questions and get specific answers. The chatbot also makes suggestions of problems the customer may need to solve in their current situation, making identifying the problem easier.
Trello presents its users with an in-app tutorial the first time they start using the platform, taking them through every feature and explaining how they work with visual queues.
Zoom lets customers report problems directly to the support team with the ability to include the meeting log where the problem occurred. After this, the support team contacts them directly to resolve the issue.
