Let’s talk about live chat. As consumers of the internet age, it’s hard to argue that we don’t all expect to be able to talk almost instantly not just with our friends, but with the companies we do business with, too.
Live chat is a relatively new addition to the Contact sections of most websites and many smaller businesses are wary of trying to add it, afraid that this means they will have to have someone (or many someones, depending on how much traffic your website gets) at a computer, day and night, trying to manage these conversations.
And while it’s true that you can go the live-human chat route, there are now chat bots available that can take on much of the burden of talking to customers as they arrive on your page. Of course, the question is not necessarily, how can we use live chat on our pages, but should we?
The short answer is yes.
Live chat has been shown to dramatically increase conversion rates, giving real time answers to the questions that users have right now, some of which might be preventing them from converting. When they get an immediate answer, their fears are assuaged and they are ready to buy. Here are just a few of the ways live chat can increase your conversion rates:
1. Convenience
Let’s be honest, most Contact Us methods take a fair amount of work. Even if you have a form where users can ask any question and get a reply within twenty-four hours, you are leaving yourself open to the opportunity that that user finds one of your competitors and purchases from them, instead.
When a potential customer wants a question answered, they want it answered as quickly as possible, in the most convenient way possible—and this is exactly what live chat provides.
Most plug-ins have the chat window pop up on the bottom of the screen as soon as a user arrives on the website, offering to answer any questions that that person might have, before they have an opportunity to get frustrated by the webpage and click away.
It’s easier than calling, easier than sending an email, and even easier than filling out a form.
2. Cuts cost per conversion
You might be letting some potential conversions go simply because it is too expensive to guide them through the sales funnel. Live chat can take away a lot of the expense that comes along with that process, lowering your average interaction costs, especially if you opt for a piece of software that does the chatting for you.
Not only can you cut down on the number of representatives that it takes to handle all of the chats that might be going on a single time, your website will be able to talk to many, many more people than live people are actually able to handle.
Your employees will be able to spend less time on the phone and more time on other tasks, making your company more efficient and more profitable in the long run.
3. A leg up
Most of your competitors will not have a live chat function on their website. In fact, many of them will be avoiding adding this feature to their website, because they do not yet know the benefits.
This means that you will have an edge over your competitors. If potential customers come to your website, see how easy it is for them to get answers to their questions, and compare that to how difficult it is to get answers from your competitors, they will choose you.
While this feature is still relatively new, it is becoming one of the fastest growing features. Soon, customers will come to expect live chat. Adding it to your website now gives you a definitely leg up over the competition.
4. Covers a pain point
You already know the term “paint point.” This is anything that frustrates your customer and makes them less likely to buy.
Most websites are designed to assuage those pain points—easy navigation, informative text and videos, clean layout and design, etc. But one pain point that has yet to be addressed is how to talk directly to a company quickly without having to leave their website, go to their social media, send them a message or a DM, and hope that they get back to you.
Live chat can allow your customers to talk to you instantly, right on your website, without even having to navigate to your Contact Us page. It soothes one of the biggest and most consistent pain point.
5. Walks customers to the sale
Wouldn’t you love to be able to walk your customer from their first interaction with your website, all the way to their purchase? This is exactly what live chat has the opportunity to offer.
Live chat is not just an opportunity to answer questions in a timely fashion, but to have a sales agent (or software that seems like a representative of your business), walk to consumer through every stage of the sale. This can significantly reduce your bounce rate and make sure that fewer shopping carts are abandoned, right before the sale is made.
Let’s talk about live chat. As consumers of the internet age, it’s hard to argue that we don’t all expect to be able to talk almost instantly not just with our friends, but with the companies we do business with, too.
Live chat is a relatively new addition to the Contact sections of most websites and many smaller businesses are wary of trying to add it, afraid that this means they will have to have someone (or many someones, depending on how much traffic your website gets) at a computer, day and night, trying to manage these conversations.
And while it’s true that you can go the live-human chat route, there are now chat bots available that can take on much of the burden of talking to customers as they arrive on your page. Of course, the question is not necessarily, how can we use live chat on our pages, but should we?
The short answer is yes.
Live chat has been shown to dramatically increase conversion rates, giving real time answers to the questions that users have right now, some of which might be preventing them from converting. When they get an immediate answer, their fears are assuaged and they are ready to buy. Here are just a few of the ways live chat can increase your conversion rates:
1. Convenience
Let’s be honest, most Contact Us methods take a fair amount of work. Even if you have a form where users can ask any question and get a reply within twenty-four hours, you are leaving yourself open to the opportunity that that user finds one of your competitors and purchases from them, instead.
When a potential customer wants a question answered, they want it answered as quickly as possible, in the most convenient way possible—and this is exactly what live chat provides.
Most plug-ins have the chat window pop up on the bottom of the screen as soon as a user arrives on the website, offering to answer any questions that that person might have, before they have an opportunity to get frustrated by the webpage and click away.
It’s easier than calling, easier than sending an email, and even easier than filling out a form.
2. Cuts cost per conversion
You might be letting some potential conversions go simply because it is too expensive to guide them through the sales funnel. Live chat can take away a lot of the expense that comes along with that process, lowering your average interaction costs, especially if you opt for a piece of software that does the chatting for you.
Not only can you cut down on the number of representatives that it takes to handle all of the chats that might be going on a single time, your website will be able to talk to many, many more people than live people are actually able to handle.
Your employees will be able to spend less time on the phone and more time on other tasks, making your company more efficient and more profitable in the long run.
3. A leg up
Most of your competitors will not have a live chat function on their website. In fact, many of them will be avoiding adding this feature to their website, because they do not yet know the benefits.
This means that you will have an edge over your competitors. If potential customers come to your website, see how easy it is for them to get answers to their questions, and compare that to how difficult it is to get answers from your competitors, they will choose you.
While this feature is still relatively new, it is becoming one of the fastest growing features. Soon, customers will come to expect live chat. Adding it to your website now gives you a definitely leg up over the competition.
4. Covers a pain point
You already know the term “paint point.” This is anything that frustrates your customer and makes them less likely to buy.
Most websites are designed to assuage those pain points—easy navigation, informative text and videos, clean layout and design, etc. But one pain point that has yet to be addressed is how to talk directly to a company quickly without having to leave their website, go to their social media, send them a message or a DM, and hope that they get back to you.
Live chat can allow your customers to talk to you instantly, right on your website, without even having to navigate to your Contact Us page. It soothes one of the biggest and most consistent pain point.
5. Walks customers to the sale
Wouldn’t you love to be able to walk your customer from their first interaction with your website, all the way to their purchase? This is exactly what live chat has the opportunity to offer.
Live chat is not just an opportunity to answer questions in a timely fashion, but to have a sales agent (or software that seems like a representative of your business), walk to consumer through every stage of the sale. This can significantly reduce your bounce rate and make sure that fewer shopping carts are abandoned, right before the sale is made.
Published on July 27, 2017
About the Author: Tatyana Mournier
