8 Great Use Cases And Examples Of Cobrowsing

Cobrowsing is a technology that allows two or more people to use multi-cursor screen control to interact with a website or web browser together in real time.

It's an essential tool for customer support teams that want to provide a more personal and effective support experience. By being able to see what your user is seeing, you can quickly diagnose problems and provide solutions.

In addition, cobrowsing allows you to share links and other materials with your user in real-time, making it easy to collaborate on projects, close deals and go through documents. And because cobrowsing takes place in real-time, it can help to speed up resolution times, saving both you and your user time and frustration.

We've already covered what cobrowsing is and how cobrowsing differs from screen sharing. And we've also reviewed some of the best cobrowsing software on the market for different use cases.

In this article, we'll explore the different types and use cases of cobrowsing in greater detail to help give you a better idea of how cobrowsing can be used to benefit your business.

Types of cobrowsing

All cobrowsing isn't created equal. Different solutions work in different ways and are meant for different purposes.

Some of the most common types of cobrowsing are: 

• Embedded or web cobrowsing
• Desktop cobrowsing or remote access
• Universal cobrowsing
• Mobile cobrowsing

Embedded or web cobrowsing

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In embedded or web cobrowsing, the cobrowsing functionality is directly integrated into a website or web application using Javascript or other client-side technologies. This allows two or more people to simultaneously control or interact with a website or web application using multi-player screen control.

Some important features of embedded cobrowsing are: 

• Seamless integration: Embedded cobrowsing seamlessly integrates with the existing UI of the application it is installed it and cobrowsing happens within that application rather than on a third-party application like Zoom or Google Meet. This eliminates the need for downloads, link sharing or coordinating meeting times.
• Customizable UIs: Embedded cobrowsing also gives the application owner control over UI elements so they can customize the experience to fit with their overall branding and design guidelines. Most embedded cobrowsing tools also have in-call chat functions and annotation tools.
• Limited to web applications: Embedded cobrowsing is limited to websites or web applications. It does not give people control over entire computer systems or desktops.
• Security and compliance: Most embedded cobrowsing tools — like Fullview — have a high degree of security and data privacy baked in to remain compliant with laws like GDPR. Sensitive data is automatically blurred out. In addition to that, application owners can further customize what fields they want to mask during cobrowsing calls. In the case of Fullview, all data is stored on servers in the EU (in Germany) making it 100% GDPR compliant.

Desktop cobrowsing or remote access

In desktop cobrowsing, two or more people can remotely control an entire computer system or desktop together, including web applications, file managers, software tools, etc. This is in contrast to embedded or web cobrowsing, where agents only have control over the browser tab or web app the cobrowsing session is taking place in. This difference makes remote access more versatile but less secure than web cobrowsing. An example of a desktop remote access solution is TeamViewer. Due to the security risks inherent to remote access, it is typically more suitable for internal use by IT departments, rather than things like sales or customer support.

Universal cobrowsing

Universal cobrowsing allows two or more people to cobrowse across different devices and platforms, which makes sense when you're solving a problem that requires access to more than one website or web application. However, given that universal cobrowsing is device and platform-agnostic, implementation can be challenging and there are a lot of things to account for, such as differences in screen sizes and operating systems, to name just a few of the issues you are likely to encounter. The security risks are also higher than something like embedded or web cobrowsing.

Mobile cobrowsing

Mobile cobrowsing is just what it sounds like: cobrowsing on iOS and Android. It's typically implemented on mobile applications through an SDK, so agents can see what users are doing and draw/highlight on screen using annotation tools.

Cobrowsing use cases

Cobrowsing is useful in a number of different situations. Here are just a few: 

• Customer support
• Customer success
• Customer onboarding
• Sales
• Consultations
• Online banking and wealth management
• Insurance
• Online hospitality and travel

First use case: Customer support

Getting on the same page as your customers so you can solve customer support tickets quickly and efficiently is a top priority (or should be) for any support team. But that isn't always easy when your primary method of communication is chat and email. Not only can it be frustrating and difficult for customers to explain the issues they're having, it can be challenging to tell them how to fix it — especially for complicated technical support issues.

Screenshots and screen sharing are somewhat effective at solving these challenges, but no where near effective enough. Cobrowsing solves many of these challenges.

Requesting a cobrowsing session with a user upon receiving a support ticket does a few things: 

• It makes it easy for the user to show you exactly what the problem is, meaning they don't have to struggle to explain something they may not really understand
• It makes it effortless for support agents to take control of the user's screen and solve the problem themselves, without having to explain how a user needs to go about it themselves.

With cobrowsing, you can provide a much more personalized support experience and ensure that your customers are getting the most out of your product.

This is better than screen sharing because you can take over their screen (meaning that you can navigate and click on it) or highlight elements to guide them through your product. It's also better than async videos (like loom), as there is actual collaboration, and if anything is not understood, it can be solved on the spot. 93% of customers are likely to make repeat purchases with companies that offer excellent customer service, and by cobrowsing, you can provide that excellent customer support.

Second use case: Customer success

If you have new features or products launching, and you want to show your existing customers how they can leverage them, cobrowsing is the perfect solution to have them see the product firsthand. You can take them on a tour of the new features and show them how the product works and how it can benefit them. This is a great way to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, as well as encourage customers to buy more from you as they can see the value in your offering.

Cobrowsing can also be used to show customers how to use your product so that they can get the most out of it and realize its full potential. By cobrowsing with them, you can ensure that they are making the most of your product and help to prevent churn.

Third use case: Customer onboarding

Customer onboarding is essential for software products, especially SaaS. With cobrowsing, you can make sure your newly landed customers are off to a great start and start seeing immediate value from your product. You can take them on a tour of your product, show them how to use it, and answer any questions they may have. 

From helping them set up their account to helping them choose a plan and key in payment details or use their first feature, cobrowsing can make your product's onboarding process much smoother for your customers and help to ensure they stick around for the long run.

Fourth use case: Sales experience

When it comes to complex sales processes such as finance or insurance, cobrowsing can be used to help customers understand what they're signing up for. You can use co-browsing to show them exactly what they're buying and help them fill out any paperwork or applications.

By cobrowsing with them, you can also show them how your product works and how it can benefit their business. For example, if you're selling an insurance policy, you can use co-browsing to show them how to make a claim or what cover they have. This way, you can help increase sales and customer satisfaction as they can see the value in your offering.

Fifth use case: Consultations

Cobrowsing can also be used for consultations, whether it's for sales, customer support, or customer success.

This is particularly useful for businesses that offer consulting services as it can help to build trust and credibility with potential clients. By cobrowsing with them, you can help them understand difficult information or help them complete complex forms or processes by controlling their screen.

Sixth use case: Online banking and wealth management

Online banking and wealth management often involve complicated proposals and information. Cobrowsing can help advisors and clients get on the same page, which can also strengthen the client-advisor relationship.

Seventh use case: Insurance

Insurance is tricky and, in most situations, there are a plethora of plans to choose from. With cobrowsing, insurance agents have the tools to demonstrate each one, as well as guide users through the difficult business of signing up for them. It can also help ease friction during the claims process.

Eighth use case: Online hospitality and travel

Helping customers through the process of choosing the right travel packages, booking airplane tickets and making hotel reservations would be a lot simpler if you could just point and click. With cobrowsing, you can do just that.

Wrapping things up

Cobrowsing is a versatile tool that can be used for various purposes, such as customer support, sales, customer success, onboarding, and consultations. It's a great way to improve customer experience and increase satisfaction as well as sales.

With Fullview's cobrowsing feature, you have the best chance of taking your customer support interactions and cobrowsing sessions to the next level. Not only is it incredibly easy to use, but it also offers a number of features while staying GPDR compliant to ensure the safety of your customer's data.