Cobrowsing tools and features are rapidly becoming the cornerstone of modern customer support. By allowing your team to interact with users in real time, these solutions can drastically reduce resolution times, boost sales, and elevate the overall customer experience. In fact, businesses that adopt cobrowsing have observed a 396% return on investment within six months, with an 83% jump in year-on-year revenue growth as reported by SupportYourApp. That kind of transformation is hard to ignore.
Below, you will find an in-depth guide to the most essential cobrowsing capabilities and how they compare to traditional screen sharing. By the end, you should have a clear sense of the features to prioritize, how to successfully integrate them, and how they translate into real-world benefits for your contact center.
Explore the impact of cobrowsing
Cobrowsing is much more than a simple screen-sharing tool. Unlike screen sharing, cobrowsing is essentially a shared browser session, letting you and your customer see and manipulate the same webpage in real time without exposing other parts of the user’s device. This level of immediacy and privacy can lead to dramatically increased customer satisfaction, with LogMeIn noting faster resolutions and a more personalized online experience.
- Faster resolutions: Because your agent sees exactly what a customer sees, you can quickly pinpoint the source of confusion or technical errors.
- Less friction: Customers don’t need to install any external software. Most cobrowsing solutions work with a code snippet or a no-code setup, making it simple to start a session.
- Greater revenue potential: Some organizations, such as leading UK lender Nationwide, experienced a 62% rise in mortgage sales after integrating visual engagement tools like cobrowsing (SupportYourApp).
- Scalability: Over 9,300 companies are already using cobrowsing, with My LiveChat, Giosg, and BoldChat leading the pack in market share (6sense).
When done well, cobrowsing bridges the gap between physical interaction and virtual engagement, helping you deliver humanized service remotely.
Key features you should prioritize
Not all cobrowsing platforms are created equal. Below are the most crucial features you should look for to ensure your solution meets the needs of your customers and your business.
Data masking and privacy controls
One of the biggest advantages of cobrowsing over full screen sharing is the inherent focus on data protection. You want a platform that allows you to mask sensitive fields or block certain on-screen elements so they remain hidden from agents. According to LogMeIn, these data-masking capabilities preserve customer trust by keeping financial information and other sensitive data off-limits.
Key benefits:
- Compliance with industry regulations (HIPAA, Hitrust, AICPA).
- Sensitive inputs remain hidden from the agent’s view.
- Boosted customer confidence in your support experience.
Full device mode
Some cobrowsing solutions offer the ability to view the entire device interface instead of only a single browser window. While standard cobrowsing focuses on a shared web page, a full device mode can provide a more comprehensive look at the user experience, especially for mobile apps. This feature is invaluable for troubleshooting issues that span multiple sites or apps, though it’s important to ensure robust privacy settings.
Cross-platform SDK and API integration
For a seamless workflow, you’ll want an option that integrates smoothly with your existing infrastructure. Cobrowsing platforms like Cobrowse.io provide software development kits (SDKs) for iOS, Android, and web, letting you adopt cobrowsing with just a few lines of code. These SDKs also tie into popular CRMs like Salesforce and Zendesk, so your agents can launch sessions and log interactions without juggling multiple tools.
Benefits include:
- Rapid deployment and easy maintenance.
- Straightforward customization using APIs.
- Consistency across different devices and platforms.
Real-time annotations
Visual cues are key when guiding a customer through a confusing form or complex process. Annotation tools let you highlight, draw, or point out elements on the shared screen, speeding up the support process. According to RingCentral, annotations are part of what makes cobrowsing faster, more convenient, and secure compared to traditional screen sharing.
Things to keep in mind:
- Make sure the annotation feature is easy to enable and disable.
- Look for the option to highlight key fields without fully controlling the customer’s browser. This gives users independence while still receiving hands-on guidance.
PDF co-browsing
For businesses dealing with forms and contracts, PDF co-browsing can be a game-changer. This functionality allows you to view and discuss PDF documents in real time, walking customers through essential paperwork during onboarding or troubleshooting. Having the ability to highlight text or complete forms together is especially useful in financial services, healthcare, and legal contexts.
Session recording and audit logs
Session recordings and audit trails track actions taken during a cobrowsing session, storing them for training or compliance purposes. Detailed logs prove valuable when reviewing agent performance or resolving disputes.
- Session recordings can be paused when sensitive data is displayed.
- Agents can revisit tricky sessions to refine their approach.
- Companies in heavily regulated industries can demonstrate compliance with communications guidelines.
Compare top solutions
Choosing a cobrowsing solution ultimately depends on your unique needs, but a quick snapshot can help you narrow down the search. Below is an example of how different providers might stack up:
| Feature | Cobrowse.io | LogMeIn | RingCentral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Privacy/Data Masking | Yes, with in-depth masking options | Yes, includes data-masking features (LogMeIn) | Yes, includes secure cobrowsing and field masking (RingCentral) |
| Full Device Mode | Available for mobile | Focused primarily on browser window | Often used for web interactions, with advanced device access depending on your plan |
| SDK and API | iOS & Android SDKs, plus web integrations | Offers integrations with major CRMs | API-based integration with third-party apps |
| PDF Co-browsing | Limited built-in PDF support | Screen sharing or separate PDF viewer | Generally integrated with broader contact center solutions |
| Session Recording & Audit Log | Yes, with pause/resume for sensitive data | Available in certain enterprise plans | Enabled for training and compliance |
| Annotation Tools | Highlights and cursors | On-screen pointers and remote assistance features | Allows highlighting and guiding customers in real time |
| Implementation | Code snippet or codeless approach, flexible setup | Usually code integration with support for codeless in certain use cases | Code-based approach with specialized contact center features |
Check out our cobrowse features comparison for a deeper look at additional platforms. The best fit for your organization should balance robust functionality, straightforward integration, and top-tier security.
Tips for successful implementation
Adopting new technology can be challenging, but thoughtful planning will help you capitalize on cobrowsing’s advantages from day one.
- Start small with a pilot program
- Begin with a limited subset of agents and customers to iron out any kinks.
- Collect feedback and refine your training materials based on real-world sessions.
- Train your support team thoroughly
- Offer hands-on training sessions so your staff feels confident using annotations, data masking, and other features.
- Circulate best practices on communicating with customers during a live cobrowsing session.
- Communicate security measures
- Inform users about the difference between cobrowsing and full screen sharing.
- Highlight the protections in place, such as masked fields, so customers know they stay in control of their private data.
- Integrate with existing tools
- Sync your cobrowsing solution with your CRM or help desk software to achieve a seamless workflow.
- Many solutions, like Cobrowse.io, provide easy-to-implement APIs that drastically reduce manual data entry.
- Monitor and optimize
- Review session recordings or audit logs regularly to identify patterns and pain points.
- Encourage agents to share success stories or new tricks that might shorten resolution times.
Next steps
Bringing cobrowsing into your customer experience toolkit is an investment in faster resolutions and stronger relationships. You can guide users more effectively, resolve confusion at pivotal moments, and demonstrate genuine collaboration. Remember not to just share screens but to harness the power of real-time engagement. Many platforms even offer free trials or proof-of-concept periods so you can see the benefits yourself.
If you are ready to compare in detail, look at our cobrowse features comparison for a deeper dive into specific solutions. Once you find the features that align with your business, book a demo to test things out firsthand. With the right combination of privacy, SDK power, annotation tools, and session recording, you can transform your contact center from a reactive cost center into a proactive revenue driver.
Leverage these insights to choose a cobrowsing solution that meets your regulations, scales with your organization, and delights your customers every single time. By focusing on robust features and seamless security, you’ll create a digital collaboration experience that is second to none. Your agents, your customers, and your bottom line will thank you.
