Why is live chat important for a business, any business, not just retail? Live chat is one sales driver that business owners often forget to have on their site. Especially for retail or e-commerce sites, some business owners think that a contact number is enough to provide customer satisfaction.
The cold hard facts from a report conducted by Forrester called “Making Proactive Chat Work” found the following:
“Many online consumers want help from a live person while they are shopping online; in fact, 44% of online consumers say that having questions answered by a live person while in the middle of an online purchase is one of the most important features a Web site can offer.”
What many business owners don’t realise is that there are a lot of customers who need assistance and does not have the time or enough credits to make a call.
If you’re not entirely convinced about live chat for your website here are five great reasons as to why live chat is a must-have if you want to increase your conversion rates:
1. Adds To A Great Customer Experience
Imagine yourself scrolling through numerous websites trying to find an item you’re dying to buy. You then find what you’re looking for but you’re confused or have questions about their shipping information. So, you dial their digits to make clarifications. However, the line is always either busy or puts you on hold. Do you continue to wait or do you try to search for the item in another website? Most likely, you’ll do the latter.
This scenario is common for most websites without a live chat. Yes, a phone number may be efficient, but let’s be honest, unless you’re big enough to ask help from a contact center, you’re only able to cater to one customer at a time. Especially if you have international customers, calling a number may be too much of an inconvenience. Be ready to answer their questions without making them wait or making them spend for an overseas call. With live chat installed in your site, you can have cater to a number of customers simultaneously!
2. Helps Drive More Sales Thru Upselling
Would you like buy a pair of shoes to match with that fabulous dress you picked? You get a 20% discount if you do. Sounds familiar, ladies? Yes, I’d like those black stilettos, please. And yes, it sounds very familiar!
Having a live chat is also having the opportunity to make another sale!
3. Cuts Down Expenses
Live chats reduce expenses – both for the business owner and the customers. With live chat installed, business owners can cut down on phone expenses or having the need to use a contact center.
Meanwhile, as stated above, customers can save by not having to pay for every call, especially when you do not have any toll-free numbers.
4. Saves A Transcript Of Conversation
When dealing with hundreds or thousands of customers, it is very important to have a transcript of your “deal”. These transcripts are very useful in re-checking order numbers, dealing with returns, or processing any other special requests. Unless you have a recording software (again, an added expense!) for your phone calls; it would be difficult to hold a transcript of conversation for all your customers.
5. Addresses Customers Suggestions & Frustrations
In business, there will always be unhappy customers – the customers you must give more attention to. They are frustrated because they have unsolved conflicts. They are aggravated because they seek help, and it’s nowhere to be found. Now, if they have to dial a number and wait on the line (and sometimes get disconnected) to voice their concerns out, do you think they’d like to buy from you again in the future? Unhappy customers become loyal customers when their concerns are solved fast. It also makes it easier for customers to reach you as opposed to voicing their frustration on your Social Media page
With all the benefits a live chat can give to a site, especially to the retail ones, it is best to have them installed right away! It will surely bring you more sales, and will give your customers the kind of easy breezy online buying experience that they deserve.
Do you have a live chat installed in your website? Has it helped you increase your conversion rates? Or do you now plan to have one installed? Let us know in the comments below!