Recently, Facebook has launched a customer chat widget for Messenger. It allows your customers to message directly from your Joomla website to your Facebook Page. By combining interactions from the Messenger App and the plugin on your page, you'll be able to engage with your customer and keep them drawn into your site.
We've been tinkering with the beta version of the widget here on sourcecoast.com and have had some great conversations with users. Some have asked for support, others have asked pre-sales questions and existing subscribers have repeatedly requested to add this into JFBConnect. In all, we've seen how useful a chat widget can be to help get a conversation with your audience going. We heard you! In the newest version of JFBConnect v8.2.3, we've included the Messenger Chat functionality. Continue reading for instructions on how to add chat to your site.
If you'd like to add the customer chat to your website, there are just a few simple steps to add the functionality with JFBConnect.
To allow Messenger to work, you must configure your Facebook Page to allow chats. To do this, go to your Facebook Page and click the "Settings" button in the top right. In the left menu of settings, go to the General section (the top, default area). In the list of settings on the right, find the "Messages" option, click into it and check the "Allow users to message me privately" setting. Make sure to click "Save Changes" when done.
Next, in the same Page settings area, go to the Messenger Platform section on the left. In that area, add your domain to Whitelisted domains.
In the JFBConnect backend > Social > Messenger area, configure the widget. The only required information is the Page Id (which can be found on your Facebook Page's > About section).
The above steps should be all that's required to get started with adding chat to your Joomla site. However, you can delve even further into customizing Facebook Messenger. Set up automated responses and set contact hours for a more reactive experience, thus keeping your customers engaged and happy.
