Let’s be honest: most live chat tools promise the moon, but fall short when it’s time to actually help your sales or support team move the needle. If you’re in B2B, you’ve probably tried a few of them, only to end up with something that’s either too basic or so overcomplicated your team avoids it. That’s where Olark comes in. It’s not flashy, but it’s practical, affordable, and—if you use the right features—can actually help you engage customers and convert more leads without reinventing your workflow.
This guide is for B2B sales, marketing, and support folks who want to use live chat for more than just answering “do you have a free trial?” Let’s break down which Olark features actually move the needle, what to skip, and how to get the most out of it without wasting your day in a settings menu.
Why Live Chat Still Matters in B2B
Before we get into the features, quick reality check: is live chat still relevant for B2B? Yep. Even in industries where deals take months and involve lots of back-and-forth, buyers expect fast answers. If you make it easy for prospects to get what they need (and for your team to qualify them quickly), you’ll win more deals.
Olark doesn’t try to be an “all-in-one engagement platform” (thankfully). It sticks to doing live chat well, and focuses on features that actually help B2B sales and support teams.
1. Customizable Chatbox: Make It Look Like You, Not a Generic Widget
What works:
Olark’s chatbox is simple to set up and easy to brand. You can match your company colors, add your logo, and edit the welcome message. That means visitors see a familiar face, not a random chat vendor’s lookalike.
Why it matters:
B2B buyers are picky. If your chat feels like it’s bolted on, it shows you didn’t sweat the details. Small design touches build trust.
How to use it well: - Use a real photo of your team (not a stock headshot) in the chatbox. - Keep the welcome message specific—mention a product or pain point relevant to your most valuable visitors. - Don’t overdo pop-ups or animations. Keep it clean. If you annoy visitors, they’ll mute you.
What to ignore:
You don’t need to tweak every font or shadow. Get the basics right and move on.
2. Targeted Chat Rules: Proactive (But Not Pushy) Engagement
What works:
With Olark’s automation rules, you can trigger chat invitations based on real visitor behavior—like which page they’re on, how many times they’ve visited, or how long they’ve been stuck.
Why it matters:
Blanket pop-ups are annoying. But if someone’s stuck on your pricing page for five minutes, they’re either deep in thought or lost. That’s the perfect moment to offer help.
Pro tips for B2B: - Only trigger proactive chat on high-intent pages (demos, pricing, technical docs). - Set rules for new vs. returning visitors—don’t bombard repeat guests with the same pitch. - Use conditional logic: For example, only show a chat invite if someone’s in North America during business hours.
What to ignore:
Don’t set rules for every single page. You’ll create noise and confuse your team. Focus on where sales conversations actually happen.
3. Pre-Chat Forms: Qualify Leads Without a 20-Question Interrogation
What works:
Olark lets you ask for info (like name, email, company) before someone starts chatting. You control what’s required and what’s optional.
Why it matters:
In B2B, you don’t want your reps wasting time with anonymous drive-bys. But ask for too much up front, and you’ll scare off legit prospects.
How to balance it: - Ask for just enough to qualify the lead—usually name, email, and company. - Use custom fields if you really need to know “company size” or “use case,” but keep it short. - Review the data: If lots of visitors bail at the pre-chat form, dial it back.
What to ignore:
Don’t use pre-chat forms for basic support questions. People with urgent technical issues just want help, not a quiz.
4. Real-Time Visitor Insights: Know Who's on Your Site (and Why)
What works:
Olark’s dashboard shows you who’s browsing, what page they’re on, and even where they came from. If you connect it with your CRM, you can see if they’re an existing customer or a new prospect.
Why it matters:
This isn’t just for curiosity. If you see that someone from a target account is poking around your enterprise pricing page, you can prioritize that chat—or even route it to your top rep.
How to use it well: - Set up CRM integration (works with Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.) so your reps see context right inside Olark. - Use the transcript history to prep before jumping into a chat with a returning prospect. - Tag chats by topic or lead quality for easier follow-up.
What to ignore:
Don’t obsess over every anonymous visitor. Focus on the folks who match your ICP (ideal customer profile).
5. Team Routing and Chat Assignment: Get the Right Eyes on Every Lead
What works:
Olark lets you set up routing rules—so chats go to the right person or team based on availability, expertise, or even the visitor’s location.
Why it matters:
B2B buyers want answers fast, but they also want accurate info. If your SDRs get technical questions, or your support team gets sales pitches, everyone loses.
Best practices: - Assign sales chats to reps during business hours, and send support chats to your help desk. - Use tags or departments (like “Enterprise Sales” or “Product Support”) so visitors can pick who to talk to. - Set up fallback rules for when reps are offline—like offering email follow-up or routing to a general queue.
What to ignore:
Don’t make your routing rules so complex that nobody knows where to look for new chats. Clear beats clever.
6. Automated Transcripts and Integrations: Don’t Lose the Thread
What works:
Olark automatically saves chat transcripts. You can search them, tag them, and—if you connect your CRM—attach them to the right contact or deal.
Why it matters:
B2B sales cycles are long. People change jobs. If you don’t have a record of what was said, you’re flying blind when a lead comes back months later.
How to use it: - Set up automated transcript export to your CRM or help desk (this takes a little setup, but it’s worth it). - Use search and tags to review common objections or questions—great for training and content ideas. - Review transcripts before sales calls so you’re not repeating yourself.
What to ignore:
Don’t rely on email or Slack to track every conversation. It gets lost. Use the built-in transcript tools.
7. Canned Responses and Shortcuts: Stay Human, But Save Time
What works:
Olark’s “Shortcuts” let you set up canned replies for common questions (“What’s your uptime?”, “Do you integrate with Salesforce?”). Your team can drop these in with a couple keystrokes.
Why it matters:
Reps get the same five questions all day. Canned responses keep things moving, but they’re editable—so you can personalize before hitting send.
Smart ways to use shortcuts: - Standardize answers for technical questions or pricing details. - Add blanks or variables so reps can fill in names or specifics. - Avoid using them for complex or emotional issues—nobody likes a robot.
What to ignore:
Don’t overload your team with dozens of shortcuts. Focus on the top 10–15 questions.
8. Reporting: Just Enough Data to Make Decisions
What works:
Olark’s reporting isn’t fancy, but it covers the basics—volume, response times, lead capture rates, team performance.
Why it matters:
You don’t need a data scientist to see what’s working. If chat volume drops, or leads aren’t converting, you’ll know.
How to use it: - Track which pages generate the best chats and leads. - Watch for slow response times—if chats are piling up, it’s time to adjust staffing. - Review chat ratings and agent performance monthly, not daily.
What to ignore:
Don’t obsess over vanity metrics (like “total chats”). Focus on chats that led to pipeline or solved real customer issues.
A Few Features You Can Probably Skip
Olark has some add-ons—like co-browsing or advanced analytics—but honestly, most B2B teams don’t need them to get value. Unless you have a super-complex product or a giant support org, stick with the basics above.
Keep It Simple—Iterate as You Learn
Olark isn’t magic, but if you use its core features well, you’ll actually talk to more prospects, qualify leads faster, and make your team’s lives easier. Start with the basics, skip the bells and whistles, and tweak your setup as you learn what works for your audience.
Remember: it’s not about having the shiniest chat tool—it’s about making it dead simple for the right people to talk to your team, and for your team to follow up. Simple wins.