Qualified is the strongest fit for Salesforce-based B2B teams that want to qualify website visitors and book meetings. Manychat is a better starting point when leads arrive through social DMs, while Gorgias suits Shopify merchants that want to answer product questions before shoppers buy. If your team already uses HubSpot and wants to try website chat, start there before adding another platform. qualified.com
The best conversational marketing software helps a buyer take the next useful step. That might be getting a compatibility question answered, comparing two products, or reaching the right sales rep. Start by identifying where buyers hesitate and what your team can do when a conversation starts. A chat widget can make it easier to ask a question, but somebody still needs to own the answer.
What is conversational marketing?
Conversational marketing uses two-way interactions such as website chat, messaging apps, and social DMs to help prospects make decisions. A conversational marketing platform can answer routine questions, collect information, and hand the conversation to a person or booking flow. Some teams also search for “conversional marketing” when looking for this approach. The focus is on what the conversation helps someone do. A shopper asking whether a product will fit needs an accurate recommendation. A B2B buyer asking about implementation may need a specialist. The same opening message and routing rules will rarely serve both.
Best conversational marketing tools compared
| Software | Best for | Where the conversation starts | Pricing or buying consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualified | B2B lead qualification and meeting booking | Website | Contact sales. Confirm routing, CRM setup, and capacity |
| Manychat | Social DM campaigns | Instagram, Messenger, and other supported channels | Free and paid tiers. Check channel access and active-contact limits |
| HubSpot Live Chat | Starting with CRM-connected website chat | Website | Free live chat available. Confirm premium automation requirements |
| Tidio | Small teams combining live chat and automation | Website | Check live conversation, Flows, and Lyro allowances separately |
| Gorgias | Shopify product recommendations | Storefront | Confirm AI Agent and Shopping Assistant access |
| Intercom | Teams sharing a messenger across sales and support | Website or app | Seat pricing plus usage charges for features such as Fin |
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1. Qualified — Best for Salesforce-based B2B pipeline
Qualified conversational marketing workflows are a strong fit when your sales team already uses Salesforce and needs to respond to high-intent visitors quickly. Qualified documents using Salesforce data to identify and qualify website visitors, route them to a rep, or book a meeting. Its Piper agent is positioned around inbound pipeline generation. Pricing is available from sales. Qualified pricing qualified.com
Test it with a visitor from an existing account, a net-new prospect, and someone who asks a support question. Check where each goes, what happens when a rep is unavailable, and which details reach the CRM. Qualified makes the strongest case when account ownership and qualification rules are already clear enough to automate. For a team that simply wants to answer occasional website questions, start with a lighter live chat setup.
2. Manychat — Best for social DM campaigns
Manychat suits creators and brands whose prospects already reach out on social media. A campaign could invite followers to message a keyword to receive a sizing guide, then ask whether they want help choosing a product. That gives the team a clearer next step than sending every follower to the same landing page.
Manychat’s pricing uses monthly active contacts, counted when messages are sent or received through the platform. Its pricing page lists a free plan and paid tiers with different channel access and contact allowances. Overage charges can apply, and Manychat documents a setting for controlling whether overages are allowed. Estimate volume from your busiest campaign, especially if paid promotion could bring in more conversations than usual. Manychat
3. HubSpot Live Chat — Best for teams already using HubSpot CRM
HubSpot offers free website live chat and documents a chatbot builder for qualifying leads and booking meetings. It also offers a shared conversations inbox. It’s a practical starting point for a small B2B team that already manages contacts in HubSpot and wants to test whether website visitors will use chat before investing in more automation. HubSpot
Start with one high-intent page, such as pricing. Use an opening question that helps the visitor explain what they need, then give your team a clear way to respond or offer a meeting. During the pilot, check whether a rep can pick up the conversation with enough context to avoid asking the same questions again. Verify which tier supports your required routing and workflow rules before expanding to more pages.
4. Tidio — Best for small teams that need live chat and automation
Tidio combines live chat with Flows and the Lyro AI Agent. Flows can guide visitors through a defined series of prompts, while Lyro can answer common questions. A small store could use a flow to find out what a shopper is looking for, then have a team member take over when the shopper needs advice on compatibility or delivery. tidio.com
Check the allowances separately. Tidio documents that accounts start with 50 one-time Lyro conversations. A recurring monthly allowance requires an eligible paid plan. Test common questions using your real store policies and decide what should go directly to a person. If your team rarely needs AI assistance, compare the cost of the live chat and Flows features you’ll actually use. tidio.com
5. Gorgias — Best for Shopify shopping assistance
Gorgias is worth shortlisting if your store receives questions such as “Which model fits my setup?” or “What’s the difference between these two products?” Its Shopping Assistant uses Shopify catalog information to recommend products. Merchants can prioritize or exclude products, and Gorgias says access may require an AI Agent upgrade. Gorgias Help Center
Review the catalog before you trial it. If two products have nearly identical descriptions, the assistant has less information to explain which one fits a shopper’s needs. Test an ambiguous request, an item you’ve excluded, and a question that requires a human answer. For a buying decision, compare the cost of the required plan with product clicks, add-to-cart activity, and the number of conversations your team still needs to handle.
6. Intercom — Best for shared sales and support conversations
Intercom is a good fit when prospects and customers reach the same team through a website or app. Its plans include a shared inbox, and its pricing page lists usage charges for features such as Fin. Intercom lists Fin at $0.99 per outcome, so ask what counts as a billable outcome in the workflows you plan to run. Plans for every team size
Design the handoff around the person’s intent. A prospect asking about product capabilities can go to sales. An existing customer asking about an invoice should reach the team that can resolve it. Test whether the assigned person can see what was already discussed. Intercom makes the most sense when sharing a messenger improves that handoff and your team can budget for both seats and usage.
Conversational marketing examples by buyer intent
A good conversation removes one obstacle at a time. Keep the opening question tied to the page, campaign, or product that brought the person there.
| Situation | Conversation to test | What to measure |
|---|---|---|
| A visitor opens a B2B pricing page | Ask about their use case and offer the appropriate rep or meeting | Qualified meetings held |
| A follower requests a social campaign resource | Deliver the resource and offer an optional product question | Resource delivery and qualified follow-up |
| A shopper compares two products | Ask what they need the product for and suggest a relevant option | Product clicks and purchases |
| An existing customer opens the sales chat | Recognize the support intent and transfer the conversation | Correct routing and time to a useful response |
How conversational advertising works
Conversational advertising starts with a paid placement that invites someone into a chat. Meta’s ads that click to WhatsApp can run on Facebook and Instagram and open a conversation with the business on WhatsApp. A furniture retailer could advertise a collection and invite shoppers to ask whether a piece fits their space. The opening prompt should pick up where the ad left off, so the shopper can ask about dimensions or availability immediately. WhatsApp Business click-to-WhatsApp ads Start new customer conversations
Measure cost per qualified conversation or sale alongside chat starts. In a hypothetical test, $300 in ad spend generates 100 chats, but only 15 meet the business’s qualification criteria. That’s $3 per chat and $20 per qualified conversation, before platform and staffing costs. If you only report the $3 figure, you can miss a mismatch between the ad audience and the people your team can help.
How to choose conversational marketing software
Pilot one workflow for two weeks or long enough to see a meaningful sample. Define the outcome first, such as a qualified meeting held or a shopper reaching the right product page. Then check four things.
Answer quality. Try real buyer questions, including ones with missing information. See whether the tool asks for clarification or passes the conversation to a person.
Handoff. Test an unavailable rep, an after-hours message, and a request sent to the wrong team. Check whether the conversation history survives the transfer.
Data quality. Verify what reaches the CRM or order system. A rep should be able to see what the buyer asked and what the system promised.
Total cost. Compare seats, active contacts, AI usage, messaging fees, and staff time using your expected campaign volume.
This research-based shortlist compares tools by their documented channels, qualification or shopping workflows, and pricing model. Start with Qualified for Salesforce-based inbound sales, Manychat for social DMs, or Gorgias for Shopify shopping assistance. If you’re still learning what visitors ask, a staffed HubSpot Live Chat or Tidio pilot can give you the questions you need before you automate them.