[app url=”https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id872567558″]

We live in the age of the instantaneous. No one wants to wait for anything anymore. In some cases, such as with customer support, even an email isn’t quick enough – we want our questions answered right away. When it comes to running a website, what you need is something like Firehose Chat, quite possibly the easiest way to communicate directly with your site visitors.

Make customer feedback personal with real-time chat

A live chat box gives a website a personable feel that a contact form or traditional email affair just can’t match. When you hit that “Submit” button on a contact form, you have no idea if your words are being taken seriously or simply being spat into cyberspace. Firehose Chat, the latest project from developer Mysterious Trousers, solves that problem with ease.

Firehose 1   Firehose 2

Perhaps the biggest entry barrier for a web add-on like this is the coding involved to make it happen. Firehose Chat, however, requires nothing more than a snippet of code – generated from within the app on your iPhone – laid into your site’s HTML, and you’re good to go.

Firehose Chat takes care of the tricky coding aspects

It’s an elegant solution, with a neat, inoffensive chat box widget on the guest’s side and a pleasantly designed interface on the site owner’s end. iPhone notifications pop up to let you know that someone is looking to chat, so even if you’re away from your computer you never have to leave a visitor hanging.

Firehose 3   Firehose 4

If there’s one omission from the otherwise fantastic free version of Firehose Chat, it’s that your chat histories aren’t recorded – they saved that extra funtionality for Firehose Chat Premium. But that’s really the only notable concession that free users might want to complain about. The app interface is tidy, clearly designed for both novices and experienced users, with a feature set which makes Firehose Chat an essential piece of software for anyone looking to connect with their site guests.

Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus.