Drift

I like that i can access new conversations not only form my desktop but smartphones so i can communicate a much a possible with website visitors. And also the option for someone to put in the email and name without asking

I do not like that the free version is limited as it pertains to automated messages. I guess thats similar for other chat apps.

Overall the concept of this platform is great and I had high hopes because of all the good reviews. The bot got more engagement than a just a basic chat box I had before that. Having the ability to use other popups etc was good too but pretty limited flexibility around the design of those.

I think some things may have changed since all the positive reviews regarding the software. I think this happens sometimes when companies go into growth mode. The support wasn't good, they tried but seemed too busy, often didn't take the time to read the detailed steps to reproduce I included in all my support tickets. Before anything was actioned we had to bounce a bunch of emails back and forth answering questions with info I already included in my original tickets which meant days past before we even started to get some actual help. Then often the problems were just bugs with their platform. There seemed to be quite a few things that just didn't work as described.

Seems quite expensive compared to something like Intercom that has a much broader feature set. I'm a Solo founder though with a niche platform, so pricing won't be an issue if you are a bigger business I suppose.

Also just a tip, they have a 30 day notice period and no trial so if you don't like it within the first month you'll still need to pay for a full two months of the software so make sure you budget for that. I didn't. My fault for not reading the terms.

Even when they break the news to you that you'll be charged another amount for something you don't want to use. At least they still end their emails by saying "have a fantastic day" even when breaking bad news. I'll try!

Drift is an easy way to bring chat to your site - especially when people are less and less willing to browse your site for answers and don't trust you'll ever respond to your "contact us" form. We've enjoyed using Drift and really like how seamlessly it integrates in with HubSpot.

The only complaint I have about drift is some of the functionality that's behind a paywall. I understand they need to make money, but some functionality that seems like a basic requirement to me is behind a paywall and eliminates itself from the conversation of some smaller businesses that don't always have someone able to answer immediately at all times. That being said, even Drift's paywall is easily justifiable for the benefit it provides.

The thing about Drift that I like the most is, without a doubt, its chatbot creation feature.

There are plenty of chatbot platforms and apps out there, but what makes Drift stand out its the ability it gives you to provide website visitors with a tailored experience, answers to their questions and solutions to their needs...all on autopilot!

You put in the work once – to create the chatbot – and then, you can let the platform work its magic and help you increase website visitor engagement and other KPIs in your business.

If you're planning to put together a quite robust and sophisticated chatbot, you'll need to carve out some time. While this is to be expect, I sometimes feel that one can feel a bit overwhelmed in the chatbot creation process...