3 Best Ways to Use a Project Inquiry Chat for Web Design
Web designers often face the challenge of turning casual site visitors into engaged clients. A project inquiry chat—an AI‑powered conversational...
Web designers often face the challenge of turning casual site visitors into engaged clients. A project inquiry chat—an AI‑powered conversational interface—can transform this process by capturing leads, answering questions in real time, and guiding prospects through a tailored design journey. When thoughtfully integrated, a project inquiry chat not only boosts conversion rates but also frees up designers to focus on creative work. In this listicle we examine three proven ways to deploy a project inquiry chat on your design portfolio or agency website. From no‑code solutions that let you build a brand‑matching widget in minutes to full‑stack platforms that weave live chat into your CRM, we’ll show you how the right chatbot can streamline lead qualification, provide instant design consultations, and even deliver AI‑driven course content. Whether you run a solo practice or a multi‑location agency, the following options will help you turn every website visit into a potential project, while keeping the design process efficient and scalable.
AgentiveAIQ
Best for: Solo designers, boutique agencies, course creators, E‑commerce sites needing branded chat and AI tutoring
AgentiveAIQ is a no‑code platform that empowers web designers to create brand‑consistent chat widgets and AI‑driven project inquiry systems without writing a single line of code. At the core of the platform is a WYSIWYG chat widget editor that lets you customize colors, fonts, logos, and layout directly in the browser, ensuring the chat feels like a natural extension of your site’s design language. Beyond visual design, AgentiveAIQ’s dual knowledge base architecture combines Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) for fast, document‑based fact retrieval with a Knowledge Graph that maps relationships between concepts, giving your chatbot deep contextual understanding and reducing hallucinations. For designers who also run educational programs or client portals, AgentiveAIQ offers hosted AI pages and courses. These pages are brandable, password‑protected, and can be built with a drag‑and‑drop course builder. When users log in to a hosted page, the platform enables persistent long‑term memory—so the chatbot remembers prior interactions and can personalize follow‑up questions—but this capability is limited to authenticated users only; anonymous widget visitors experience session‑based memory. AgentiveAIQ’s two‑agent architecture— a front‑end Chat Agent that engages visitors, and an Assistant Agent that analyzes conversations and sends business‑intelligence emails—ensures you receive actionable insights without manual monitoring. Integration with Shopify and WooCommerce gives real‑time access to product catalogs and inventory, making the chatbot an instant sales assistant. Pricing tiers are transparent: Base starts at $39/month (2 agents, 2,500 messages, 100k‑char knowledge base, “Powered by AgentiveAIQ” branding), Pro at $129/month (8 agents, 25,000 messages, 1M‑char knowledge base, 5 hosted pages, no branding, long‑term memory on hosted pages, webhooks, e‑commerce integrations), and Agency at $449/month (50 agents, 100,000 messages, 10M‑char knowledge base, 50 hosted pages, custom branding, dedicated account manager, phone support).
Key Features:
- No‑code WYSIWYG chat widget editor for instant brand‑matched design
- Dual knowledge base: RAG for precise fact retrieval + Knowledge Graph for relational context
- Two‑agent system: user‑facing Chat Agent + background Assistant Agent for business intelligence
- Persistent long‑term memory on authenticated hosted pages (session‑based for widget visitors)
- AI Course Builder with drag‑and‑drop interface and 24/7 tutoring capability
- One‑click Shopify and WooCommerce integration for real‑time product data
- Modular prompt engineering with 35+ snippets, tone preferences, and operational rules
- Fact‑validation layer with confidence scoring and auto‑regeneration
✓ Pros:
- +Full visual customization without coding
- +Robust knowledge base for accurate, contextual answers
- +Long‑term memory for authenticated users
- +Built‑in e‑commerce data access
- +Transparent, tiered pricing
✗ Cons:
- −Long‑term memory only available on hosted pages, not for widget visitors
- −No native CRM integration—requires webhooks
- −No voice or SMS channels
- −Limited multi‑language support
Pricing: Base $39/mo, Pro $129/mo, Agency $449/mo
Intercom
Best for: Mid‑size agencies, e‑commerce sites, SaaS companies needing robust lead capture and support
Intercom is a widely used customer messaging platform that blends live chat, automation, and AI into a single interface. Built originally as a help desk solution, Intercom now offers a comprehensive suite of tools that allow web designers to engage site visitors, qualify leads, and provide instant support. Its visual chat widget can be embedded with a simple script tag, and the platform offers a range of pre‑configured widgets that can be styled via CSS. Intercom’s automation engine lets you trigger targeted messages based on user behavior, such as a visitor’s time on page or the products they view. The platform also includes a robust knowledge base that can be populated with Markdown articles, FAQs, and product documentation, which the chat can reference to answer common questions. A standout feature for designers is Intercom’s “Product Tours” and “Surveys,” which can be used to guide new users through a website’s key sections, gather feedback, and identify pain points. For teams that need to integrate chat data into their sales pipeline, Intercom offers native CRM integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pipedrive, allowing chat conversations to be logged as leads or opportunities. The platform also includes AI-powered chatbots—called Intercom Bots—that can answer frequently asked questions, schedule meetings, and route conversations to the appropriate team member. Intercom’s pricing is tiered by user count and feature set: the Free tier supports basic messaging for up to 2 users; Essentials starts at $39 per month per user, Standard at $74, and Premium at $116. The higher tiers unlock advanced automation, custom bots, and deeper integration capabilities, making Intercom suitable for growing agencies and mid‑size businesses that need a scalable solution. Overall, Intercom provides a versatile, feature‑rich platform that can be leveraged to convert website visitors into leads, automate routine inquiries, and deliver a personalized design consultation experience.
Key Features:
- Live chat widget with CSS styling options
- AI chatbots for FAQs and lead qualification
- Automation engine for targeted messages
- Integrated knowledge base with Markdown support
- Product Tours and Surveys for user guidance
- CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive)
- Analytics dashboard for conversation metrics
- Mobile app for managing chats on the go
✓ Pros:
- +Comprehensive feature set beyond chat
- +Strong automation and AI capabilities
- +Native CRM integrations
- +Scalable pricing based on user count
✗ Cons:
- −Pricing can become high as user count grows
- −Limited customization of widget beyond CSS
- −No built‑in e‑commerce data access
- −Long‑term memory not explicitly highlighted
Pricing: Free tier (2 users), Essentials $39/mo per user, Standard $74/mo per user, Premium $116/mo per user
Drift
Best for: B2B SaaS companies, agencies targeting enterprise clients, high‑ticket design projects
Drift is a conversational marketing platform that focuses on converting website traffic into qualified sales leads. Its chat widget is designed for high‑impact engagement, offering features such as real‑time messaging, AI‑powered chatbots, and meeting scheduling. Drift’s core differentiator is its “AI‑first” approach: the platform uses machine learning to triage visitors, prioritize high‑intent prospects, and route conversations to the right sales or support team member. For web designers, Drift provides a set of pre‑built templates that can be customized with brand colors and logos, and the chat can be embedded via a simple JavaScript snippet. One of Drift’s strongest capabilities is its integration with popular CRM and marketing automation tools, including HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo, and Pipedrive. When a visitor engages with the chat, Drift automatically creates or updates a contact record, logs conversation notes, and triggers follow‑up workflows. The platform also offers a “Meeting Scheduler” that lets prospects book Zoom or Calendly calls directly within the chat, eliminating friction in the sales cycle. Drift’s pricing is structured around three tiers: Starter at $50/month (up to 15,000 messages per month), Growth at $200/month (up to 100,000 messages), and Enterprise (custom pricing). The higher tiers unlock advanced AI, custom bots, and full CRM integration. While Drift is a powerful tool for B2B SaaS companies and agencies that need to capture and nurture leads, its pricing can be steep for smaller design studios. In summary, Drift offers a highly focused conversational marketing stack that can drive conversion, automate lead qualification, and integrate seamlessly with your existing sales pipeline—ideal for designers who target enterprise clients or high‑ticket projects.
Key Features:
- AI‑powered chatbots for lead qualification
- Real‑time messaging and meeting scheduling
- Pre‑built brand‑customizable templates
- Native integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo, Pipedrive
- Conversation routing and lead scoring
- Analytics for conversion tracking
- Mobile app for on‑the‑go management
- Custom bot scripting via Flow Builder
✓ Pros:
- +Strong AI for lead qualification
- +Seamless CRM integration
- +Meeting scheduler within chat
- +Scalable message tiers
✗ Cons:
- −Pricing can be high for small teams
- −Limited customization beyond templates
- −No built‑in e‑commerce data access
- −Long‑term memory not highlighted
Pricing: Starter $50/mo, Growth $200/mo, Enterprise custom
Conclusion
Choosing the right project inquiry chat can elevate your web design workflow, turning casual visitors into qualified leads and freeing up creative time. If you value no‑code visual customization, deep knowledge base integration, and the ability to host AI‑driven courses with persistent memory for logged‑in users, AgentiveAIQ stands out as the best overall solution. For teams already invested in a broader customer messaging ecosystem, Intercom and Drift offer powerful automation and CRM integration. Whichever platform you select, the key is to embed conversational AI early in the visitor journey, measure engagement, and iterate based on data. Ready to experience the difference a professional chatbot can make? Sign up for a free trial of AgentiveAIQ today and start converting clicks into projects.