What is co-browsing?

Short for collaborative browse, co-browse is the ability for customer-facing teams and customers to view and navigate the same webpages together in real time. Co-browsing software allows agents to see what their customers are seeing in their browser and jointly navigate webpages with them in real-time to provide better customer support.

Why use co-browsing software?

While phone and chat are perfect for certain customer service situations, sometimes it's really difficult to describe, analyze and fix a problem through verbal or written communication alone. Co-browsing software enables your customer service agents to see exactly what the customer is seeing, leading to faster resolution of whatever problem the customer is having.

With co-browsing capabilities, your agents can help a customer:

• Fill out complicated forms
• Change account settings
• Navigate their way through a purchase
• Find the right page or product on the website
• Demonstrate features of a device or application

What are the benefits of co-browsing?

When you have the ability to co-browse with a customer, you can improve the customer experience, reduce shopping cart abandonment, increase sales, and build greater trust and loyalty with customers.

How? Co-browsing reduces customer effort. With quick help from an agent, a customer can find what they're looking for in a way that's much easier than figuring it out alone. In the case of repeatable tasks, like changing account settings or navigating through a purchase, co-browsing becomes an opportunity to teach the customer how to self-service a similar issue in the future, reducing call volume and instilling customer confidence.

How does co-browsing work?

First, you need co-browsing software. Each solution is different, but all should provide the basic capability of collaboratively browsing a webpage together.

As simple as co-browsing software sounds, not all solutions are built the same. Some co-browsing technology limits co-browsing on your web domain only. So if you wanted to jump from your site to another, you're out of luck. Some solutions require a download, which can be cumbersome and cause customers to worry. And some co-browse solutions are actually just one tool within a larger platform, which can be too heavy and complicated for simple, non-technical issues.

A best-in-class co-browse technology solution allows your agent and customer to co-browse any webpage, will not require a download so it's easy and lightweight, and works as a standalone solution, not a sub-feature. Agents can assist customers with what's happening on the web page without controlling any other part of the customer's device.

Key features to look for include data masking and button blocking to protect sensitive customer data. If a customer needs to enter banking information during the co-browsing session, for instance, the agent won't be able to see that data. With button blocking, agents are not able to click on an action button, like "Buy Now," on the customer's behalf for security and liability reasons. Annotation tools act as visual aids along the way. Agents can direct a customer's attention to a specific area clearly and effectively through gestures and highlighting content.

Is co-browsing safe?

We've already touched on a couple of technical features, like data masking and button blocking, that make co-browsing a safe technology. Like with any SaaS product, you want to make sure to use a trusted provider to maximize security.

Things to consider when analyzing co-browsing software:

1. Architecture – Consider the security architecture of co-browsing solutions.
2. Certifications – Look for security standards and certifications, such as GDPR compliance, SOC standards, and IETF protocols.
3. Company validation – This essentially maps any customer session PIN to a company ID. In other words, only session PIN codes generated by a legitimate business account would be allowed to start a session. Using a PIN into the wrong “domain” would generate an invalid PIN message and co-browsing would not begin. So, only agents that are provisioned under the legitimate company ID would be able to start a session with that PIN code.

What's the difference between screen sharing and co-browsing?

Co-browse is collaborative browsing where both parties can browse together on a website and interact with the page in real-time. It allows agents to see what the customer is seeing without being able to see other things on their device and masks certain fields containing sensitive information.

Screen sharing allows a user to share what's on their desktop. It is intended for group collaboration, does not include data masking, and only one party can have mouse/keyboard control at a time. Screen sharing offers a view of the customer's entire screen, so the agent can see things outside the browser that are open on the device.

How do I set up co-browse for my website?

Setup for co-browsing software depends on the technology that the solution leverages. There are options that require code to be added to the website, and there are codeless options.

• Codeless – No script needs to be added to your website, allowing you to get up and running almost instantly without calling in web development resources.
• With Code – Usually this is a line of code that needs to be added to your website. This is a one-time occurrence that does not require maintenance but does need to be done by your web team. Adding code to your website allows for the most integrated navigation experience.

LogMeIn Rescue Co-Browsing Technology

Rescue Live Guide is the co-browsing solution that enables seamless and secure visually guided agent assistance across any website, browser, or device. Customer-facing teams can jointly navigate webpages in real-time with customers and guide them through a variety of digital experiences across the customer journey, such as completing an online application, getting account assistance, or receiving product training.

What makes Rescue Live Guide different: Instant, Codeless Deployment Start co-browsing instantly. There's no code needed on your website to get started. Later down the line, you can insert a single line of code to your site a fully integrated on-site experience. Uniquely Flexible You're not limited to just your own website. Co-browse any webpage you want, on any device, in any mainstream browser. If there's an issue that requires more than co-browsing, simply escalate to Remote View to see the customer's desktop. Either way, there are no downloads. Secure from Top to Bottom As a LogMeIn solution, Rescue Live Guide is architected with TLS 1.2 transport security and AES-256-bit encryption. To offer the most secure co-browsing experience possible, all sessions are connected to an isolated browser in the cloud, not the end user's device. And data obfuscation keeps sensitive customer information private.