How to add a chat function to your website: the complete guide

Why a chat function on your website is essential

Visitors leave your website if they do not get quick answers. Research shows that 79% of consumers prefer live chat over other communication channels because of the speed. A website chat function lets you answer questions in real time, remove doubts, and guide visitors toward a purchase or inquiry. The result: higher conversions, lower bounce rates, and satisfied customers. A chat widget also provides valuable insights into what your visitors care about, helping you continuously improve your website and services.

79% of consumers prefer live chat over other channels because of the instant response time.

Choosing the right chat solution for your website

There are dozens of chat solutions on the market, from simple chat widgets to full omnichannel platforms. When choosing a chat integration for your website, consider a few key factors. First: does the chat integrate with the tools your team already uses? If your organisation uses Microsoft Teams, a solution that works directly in Teams is by far the most convenient. Agents do not need to switch between applications. Second: does the tool offer AI chatbot capabilities? An AI chatbot answers common questions automatically, 24/7, even outside business hours. Third: what about multilingual support? Real-time translation is a huge advantage for international visitors. Finally: what are the costs? Many providers offer a free tier so you can test before you invest.

Setting up a chat function with uWebChat

Adding a chat function to your website with uWebChat is surprisingly simple and takes just a few minutes. Step 1: install the uWebChat app from Microsoft AppSource into your Teams environment. Step 2: configure your chat groups and add agents — uWebChat uses your existing Teams users. Step 3: copy the widget code snippet and paste it into your website HTML. That is it. No complex integrations, no IT projects, no external servers. The chat widget appears immediately and is ready to use. For popular platforms like WordPress, Joomla, and Shopify, ready-made plugins are available so you do not need to touch any code.

In 3 minutes you have a working chat function on your website — no technical knowledge required.

Connecting website chat with Microsoft Teams

The power of uWebChat lies in its seamless integration with Microsoft Teams. When a visitor starts a chat on your website, the conversation appears directly as a chat in Teams. Your agents respond from Teams and the visitor sees the reply on the website. Presence-based routing automatically directs chats to available agents based on their Teams status. No more missed chats because someone was in a meeting. Agents can also loop in colleagues, share files, or escalate conversations — all without leaving Teams. With the mobile Teams app, your team can even respond to website chats on the go.

Your team is already in Teams all day. Why make them switch to another app for customer chat?

AI chatbot: automatically answer common questions

A website chat function becomes truly powerful when you add an AI chatbot. The uWebChat AI chatbot answers frequently asked questions automatically, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Think of questions about opening hours, pricing, delivery times, or return policies. The chatbot learns from your website content and knowledge base, and provides relevant answers in the visitor's language. When the chatbot cannot resolve an issue, the conversation is seamlessly handed off to a human agent — including all context already gathered. This way you combine the speed of AI with the empathy of your team. The result: 40-60% of all chat queries are handled automatically, freeing your agents to focus on complex conversations that truly need attention.

Costs of a chat function for your website

What does a website chat function cost? That depends on your needs and the number of agents. uWebChat offers a free tier so you can get started right away. This is ideal for testing whether a chat function fits your organisation. The free version includes the basic chat widget, Microsoft Teams integration, and a limited number of conversations per month. For more features, such as the AI chatbot, real-time translation in 68 languages, WhatsApp integration, and advanced routing, you can upgrade to a paid plan. Costs start from just a few euros per agent per month — significantly lower than many competing chat solutions. Plus, you do not need additional software: everything runs within your existing Microsoft 365 environment.

Start free and upgrade only when you need more features.

Advanced features: video chat, translation, and more

A website chat function with uWebChat goes beyond text. With one click, you can escalate any chat to a video call — the visitor joins via their browser with no app download required. Ideal for product demos, complex support, or personal advice. Real-time translation in 68 languages ensures language barriers disappear: your agent types in English, the visitor reads it in Japanese, and vice versa. uWebChat also offers detailed reporting, visitor insights, custom widget branding, and WhatsApp integration so customers can reach you through their preferred channel.

Start today with a chat function on your website

Adding a chat function to your website does not have to be complicated. With uWebChat, you can have a professional website chat running in minutes, fully integrated with Microsoft Teams. Whether you are a small business just getting started with live chat or a larger organisation looking for a scalable chat integration — uWebChat grows with you. Start today with the free version and discover how a chat widget transforms your customer communication. Your visitors already expect it. Give them what they want: direct contact, instant answers.