It is challenging to manage many customer complaints daily from multiple channels. Businesses that receive huge volumes of support tickets need a reliable, scalable, and high-speed performance solution.
A web helpdesk might just be what you need to achieve customer service excellence. Improve your customer service by allowing your support teams to efficiently provide on-time customer support from any location, with minimum losses of data and enhanced security.
This blog will discuss what a helpdesk is, its features and benefits, and provide a list of the 13 best web helpdesks to help you get started.
What is a web help desk?
A web help desk is a support system accessible through the internet, allowing support agents to manage customer inquiries online.
As opposed to conventional helpdesks that need installation and frequent updates, web-based helpdesks function over the internet, doing away with the need for installation.
The web-based help desk is accessible through any internet-enabled devices, such as smart mobile and iPads, laptops, and desktop computers.
It is cloud-based, making it more flexible and scalable without being weighed down by complicated setups and maintenance processes.
This type of helpdesk aids businesses’ efficiency; support agents can handle customer queries wherever location they are, provided they are connected.
Differences between on-premises help desk and web-based help desk
Although web help desk and on-premise helpdesks have similar purposes; they differ significantly on various aspects like ease of use, accessibility, cost, and infrastructure.
| Criteria | On-premises help desk | Web-based help desk |
| Accessibility | Only accessed within the organization’s network. | It is easily accessible from any location, provided there is an internet connection. |
| Cost | Need for infrastructure, maintenance costs, and software licenses leading to higher costs. | Users subscribe for the features they need, resulting in lower costs. |
| Convenience and efficiency | Oftenly requires additional downloads and updates. | Accessed in real-time without the need for installation, and you can easily acquire the latest version. |
| Scalability | Scaling up can be expensive and complicated, requiring extra infrastructure and licensing. | Scale up easily by upgrading to a higher plan without the need for additional infrastructure. |
| Data security | Physical security measures protect servers and networks from unauthorized personnel. | Operates on a unified platform making it easier to enforce security policies, track user activity, and identify potential security threats. |
| Location | Physically located within an organization. | Hosted on the provider’s servers, accessible through the web or mobile app. |
Key characteristics of a web help desk
A web help desk contains several features in order to facilitate customer service and increase efficiency; they include the following:
Ticketing system
The ticketing system converts incoming customer requests to tickets, categorizes, prioritizes, and routes them to the right support agent for resolution.
It helps support teams to easily track customer issues and manage support operations.
Knowledge base
A web help desk includes a knowledge base that stores information for employees and customers. Support agents can quickly access information required to solve inquiries, reducing ticket resolution time.
Customers can access information on their questions and resolve issues independently at any given time.
Live chat
Live chat is a real-time communication tool enabling clients to raise complaints and receive immediate help via a chat window on websites or apps. Support agents can manage multiple chats and save chat conversations for easy reference and follow-up.
Omnichannel support
A web helpdesk features omnichannel inbox that allow businesses to centrally manage conversations from various channels.
Unifying each customer interaction on a single platform ensures your team collaborates more efficiently. Businesses can access the customer journey from one place; personalized and informed responses ensure no customer inquiry goes unresolved.
Artificial intelligence (AI)
Web helpdesk has artificial intelligence features that aid support agents in their daily customer service operations.
AI features help support agents:
- Efficiently address customer inquiries by offering automated suggestions to customer queries
- Automate repetitive tasks
- To create knowledge base articles
- Analyse ticket content to understand customer sentiments
- Provide instant multilingual customer support
- Summarize articles and ticket conversations
Reporting and analytics
A web-based help desk has built-in reporting and analytics dashboards such as:
SLA dashboard: that provides reports on how teams have been meeting your company’s SLA policies.
Agent performance dashboard: Gives data on the performance of specific agents and groups of agents.
Support traffic dashboard: Monitoring the number of incoming support tickets and their statuses.
These metrics can be used by support operation managers for evaluation of the overall company’s support system.
Task management
A task management system breaks down complex issues into smaller tasks to be resolved by different support agents.
When different agents are working on a single ticket, the resolution time reduces, improving customer service.
Onboarding duties can be broken down into several simpler tasks, such that assigning laptops, installing software, and holding onboarding meetings are assigned to multiple teams under a primary ticket.
Advantages of adopting a web-based help desk
Implementing a helpdesk web is essential for managing customer support operations in any business. A web-based help desk offers numerous benefits to organizations of all sizes.
Enhanced accessibility and availability
Using web-based helpdesk agents can provide support to customers at any given time.
Teams can operate from remote areas with the web-based help desk and perform tasks efficiently.
The web help desk system operates on different internet-connected devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, ensuring that end-users get help from their preferred device.
Scalability
A web-based help desk helps teams manage an increasing volume of support requests as businesses expand.
Your business can stay ahead of competitors since it can continue providing consistent customer service even after growth.
Enhance self-service
The web help desk offers a knowledge base feature enabling customers get solutions at their comfort, enhancing ticket deflection.
Web-based help desks enhance customer satisfaction by providing additional support layers, such as community forums, where users can ask questions and share solutions.
Businesses can reduce support costs, enhance customer satisfaction, and increase the efficiency of their support agents by implementing ticket deflection.
Cost efficiency
Web help desks often operate on cloud-based platforms and require less infrastructure compared to traditional help desks. It does not need installation and frequent updates.
Web help desks can be accessed remotely, reducing the need for office space as compared to traditional help desks that require physical space for offices, equipment, and agents.
Security
Web help desks allow for access control that ensures only authorized personnel can view and respond to support tickets.
Also, web-based help desks can be integrated with security tools like identity and access management systems and that help to provide a more secured solution.
Incident management
Incident management tools track customer inquiries from the time they are created to when they are resolved and update customers at each stage.
This ensures efficient ticket management and that customer problems are resolved comprehensively. Web helpdesk software facilitates effective problem solving and reduces customer interruptions.
Improved collaboration
Web-based help desks include essential tools such as private notes, collision detection, and an internal knowledge base for collaboration. Agents can collaborate in resolving issues regardless of their location.
Helpdesk web-based offers live chat functionality that allows agents to cooperate in real time with each other and with customers, facilitating quicker resolution of issues.
Top web helpdesk software
Budget and functionality are the main concerns for business owners searching for a web help desk. The best web help desk should be comprehensive.
Choosing the right helpdesk web can have an influence on how you manage your customer service operations. Here are the top web helpdesk software:
1. BoldDesk
BoldDesk is the best cloud-based help desk solution for small and medium-sized businesses looking to streamline their customer support operations online.
This web help desk has powerful features combined in a user-friendly interface, enabling teams to manage support operations, track customer requests, automate repetitive tasks, collaborate, and build stronger customer relationships with minimal effort.
Furthermore, BoldDesk is highly scalable and has flexible pricing plans that allow you to conveniently provide exceptional service over the internet.
Key features
BoldDesk has the following suite of features:
- The ticketing system automatically converts support emails into tickets and routes them to the appropriate agents based on your set rules.
- A knowledge base that allows support agents and customers to access information and solve issues independently.
- Live chat helps customers to interact directly with support agents via a website, enabling them to ask questions and get help instantly. Support agents can manage multiple chats simultaneously.
- Omnichannel inbox to manage all client interactions from a single unified inbox.
- Integration options for connecting BoldDesk with your favorite apps to streamline processes, data flow, and increase your productivity.
- Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation capabilities automate repetitive tasks to save time and improve productivity.
- A mobile app that helps support agents to conveniently receive notifications, access tickets, and respond to client inquiries.
- Multilanguage support that enables you to create and translate knowledge base articles and tickets in different languages.
- Customization features that let you tailor the helpdesk to match your brand design and your business needs.
- Task management feature tracks the progress of the internal team’s tasks, breaking down complex procedures required to solve an issue into smaller tasks.
- Reporting and analytics tools generate reports related to support performance, ticket resolution times, customer satisfaction, and agent productivity to make informed decisions.
Pricing Plan
BoldDesk has got all these features for you at unbeatable prices, as provided below:
- Scale: $12 per agent/month
- Momentum: $25 per agent/month
- Enterprise: $39/month for three agents
- Scale: $49/month for 10 agents
- Momentum: $129/month for 10 agents
- Enterprise: $199/month for 10 agents
- Essential: $799 per month
- Pro: $1499 per month ($1999 with live chat included)
- Business: Contact us
Contact BoldDesk to instantly access a 30-minute live demo and encounter how BoldDesk stands out with its extensive features, cost-effective pricing, user-friendly interface, and readily available support. To experience its main capabilities for yourself, sign up for a 15-day free trial.
2. Desk365
Desk365 is a web-based help desk that offers businesses a user-friendly interface to address and resolve customer inquiries.
Features
- Unified inbox
- Omnichannel support
- Ticket management
- Reporting and analytics features
Pricing: Starting at $12 per user/month
Free trial: 21 days
3. Jira
Jira is a web-based platform for issue tracking and project management. Jira helps teams to streamline workflows, improve communication, and receive customer insights.
Features
- Automation
- Desk reporting
- Desk chat
- Customization
Pricing: Starting at $7.16 per month/agent
Free trial: Contact Jira
4. Spiceworks
Spiceworks is a free web helpdesk developed to streamline management, especially for small businesses. It offers web helpdesk free features to simplify support processes, manage support requests, and analyze performance.
Features
- Ticketing system
- Self-service portal
- Automation tools
- Reporting tools
Pricing: Free
5. Salesforce
Salesforce offers a cloud-based solution for handling customer interactions across multiple channels.
It has CRM solutions featuring helpdesk capabilities via its service cloud platform.
Features
- Email automation
- SLA management
- Helpdesk reporting
- Integration
Pricing: Starting at $25 per month/agent
Free trial: 30 days
6. Hiver
Hiver offers a smooth and effective way to manage customer support tasks directly in your inbox. It transforms the email experience, making it advantageous for teams that completely rely on mail for support.
Features
- Automations
- AI capabilities
- Integration
- Collaboration
Pricing: Starts at $ 19 per month/agent
Free trial: 7 days
7. HappyFox
HappyFox is helpdesk web-based software with functionalities that allow businesses to optimize their support processes.
Features
- Knowledge base
- Task management
- Ticketing system
- Help desk report
Pricing: Starting at $39 per month/agent
Free trial: 14 days
8. SysAid
SysAid is a web-based help desk with multiple features for service management that ensure efficient and streamlined processes.
Features
- Ticketing system
- SLA management
- Self-service portal
- Workflow automations
Pricing: Contact SysAid
9. Front
Front is a web-based help desk that uses AI tool to improve teams’ efficiency. Front makes it easy to manage support inquiries from a unified inbox.
Features
- Collaboration tools
- Automation
- Shared inbox
- Knowledge base
Pricing: Starting at $19/month/agent
Free trial: 14 days
10. Dixa
Dixa is a web helpdesk that offers an effortless service experience for teams and customers. Incoming tickets are routed to support agents to ensure fast resolution.
Features
- AI and automations
- Omnichannel support
- Intelligent routing
- Intuitive workspace
Pricing: Starting at $39 per month/agent.
Free trial: Contact Dixa
11. Gorgias
Gorgias is a web helpdesk that seamlessly integrates with other apps, helping the support team to view, edit, and initiate orders directly in the chat interface.
Features
- Shared workspace
- AI and automation capabilities
- Integration with other apps
- Ticketing
Pricing: Starting at $19 per month/agent
Free trial: Contact Gorgias
12. Kustomer
Kustomer is a cloud-based help desk solution for managing support inquiries from multiple channels. Its features show all customer interactions in a continuous flow; agents can continue the conversation without handling multiple tickets.
Features
- AI features and automation
- Omnichannel support
- Integration with popular apps
- Multilingual knowledge base
Pricing: Starting at $89 per month/agent.
Free trial: Contact Kustomer
13. Vision Helpdesk
Vision Helpdesk is a cloud-based tool that offers multichannel helpdesk support to businesses of all sizes. It enables automatic routing of incoming tickets using round-robin assignment.
Features
- Shared inbox
- Multichannel support
- Workflow automations
- Reporting and analytics
Pricing: Starting at $12 per month/agent
Free trial: 30 days
How can I set up a web help desk?
Knowing how to set up a web help desk correctly can help you provide efficient customer support and enhance productivity.
You need to:
Identify the challenges in your current system: Analyze your current customer support systems to identify areas that need improvement. For example, there may be a lack of certain features or a need for a centralized system.
Pick the right web help desk software: Adopt a web help desk software that best addresses the challenges your team is facing.
Consider factors such as features, cost, free trial, simplicity to set up, scalability, and ease of use.
Install and customize the web help desk: Customize the tool to reflect your brand image and suit your operation.
Integration: Combine the web-based help desk with other productivity tools and customer support channels; centrally oversee customer inquiries, streamline processes, and monitor team productivity.
Add users to your web help desk: Add members to the web help desk and assign them to specific teams based on their area of expertise to help with ticket routing and workload distribution.
Determine the roles and permissions for users with varying access levels and capabilities.
Test its functionality and go live: Check the web help desk to ensure the system responds well on different devices, then launch.
Define performance metrics: Set up web help desk metrics like SLA, customer satisfaction, first response time, ticket resolution time, first contact resolution, and agent performance to give an overview of support quality and team performance.
Choose the best web help desk for your business
We hope that this guide will help you kickstart your journey of finding the best web help desk for your business. Remember, choose a platform that aligns with your specific needs and budget while also being scalable, easy to use, comprehensive, and considering customer reviews.
Are there any other tools or features we might have left behind? Please share in the comments section below.
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