Facebook Inc. is creating a new way for companies to interact with the large subset of consumers who prefer communicating via chat.

The social network this morning introduced Customer Chat, a plugin that brings the ability to embed Messenger into an organization’s website. Users will thus gain the ability to contact companies without the hassle of launching the service in a new window. Just in case they might wish to follow up on a conversation via Facebook, however, the plugin syncs their chat history to the social network.

For companies, Customer Chat provides a potentially appealing means of adding the messaging features that consumers increasingly expect to their sites. The plugin offers access to all the major features in Messenger, including the ability to accept payments and build chatbots. The service also has the benefit of being familiar to users, which carries advantages such as making potential buyers more inclined to drop a question about a product of interest.

Facebook is rolling out Customer Chat as part of a new release of Messenger Platform, the development toolkit that it provides to help companies customize the service. The plugin is one of several features that the social network has added to produce more meaningful customer interactions.

Another significant change affects media sharing. With Messenger Platform 2.2, companies can attach a call-to-action button to videos, images and other content to more actively compete for users’ attention. A retailer, for example, might use the feature to encourage shoppers to take advantage of a discount.

Complementing the capability is Broadcast API, a new programming interface that lets companies deliver personalized content for users in bulk. By way of example, Facebook wrote in a blog post that a publisher could use the feature to push game score alerts to sports fans who follow a specific team. Brands will presumably gain the ability to take a similarly tailored approach with promotional content.

Broadcast API is currently available in open beta. Companies looking to take advantage of Customer Chat, meanwhile, will have to sign up for a waitlist.

Image: Facebook