The world of customer communications is changing. Companies that previously relied on the phone to provide customer support are now exploring more cost-effective online and social channels, including online chat.

Online chat is a powerful engagement platform that's secure, personal and cost effective. However, when a customer asks for support, they are expecting two things - for it to be both easy and quick.

This is the crux of the issue. Online chat, if not managed carefully, can confuse customers and unclear communication increases rather than diminishes frustration.

So how should you talk to customers online? My top tips are below:

• Style: Keep online chat short and to the point. Limit the number of words you use and respond directly to the customer's question.

• Information: Include one or two ideas in each response. Research shows that people digest information differently online; they scan content looking for key words, rather than read it carefully. The more simplistic your responses are, the happier customers will be.

• Language: Avoid slang, clichés and technical terms that not everyone understands. Also think before using words like 'cool' and 'awesome' as they're better suited for casual, not professional conversations.

• Personalization: Use your customer's name and other customer-specific information to personalize your response when relevant.

• Tone: The tone and voice of responses should reflect your brand's personality. To explain, the voice reflects the company's basic personality (e.g. informative, professional, innovative, knowledgeable) while the tone reflects the feeling of the voice (e.g. friendly, upbeat, conversational, courteous).

• Spelling: It's important to spell and capitalize accurately to sustain credibility. You can use spell checkers but remember they don't check context and meaning so double-check yourself too.

• Humor: Use humor sparingly. It can be misinterpreted online, where your vocal tones and facial expressions aren't visible.

It goes without saying that it's the responsibility of the chat agent to ensure the grammar and wording is clear. Customers shouldn't have to repeat questions or re-read responses to understand the meaning.

The tips above should allow conversations to flow easily, preventing awkward moments with customers. What other rules do you think chat agents should follow?