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Live Chat Software
Live chat software is a simple to use software solution that gives businesses the option to chat live with visitors to their website. Live chat software is becoming more common these days, and most web users have probably seen a chat box before.
Here's an example of a chat box on Go Daddy's home page:
Website visitors simply click on the chat box to start talking to a business representative.
Live chat software is a good investment for any business provided they have the staff to cover it. Live chat software works from a browser, which means team members can multi task and keep an eye on live chat while continuing their usual business activities. Live chat has lots of benefits for a business, including:
•Customers can get answers to their questions quickly
•Customers can get any issues dealt with, which means they're more likely to stick around and make a purchase.
•Customers like being able to talk to a person in real time rather than wait for a support request ticket to be answered.
•Customers feel like help is at hand and their time and comfort matter to the business.
Live chat is a powerful tool that helps a business to boost customer satisfaction, which ultimately boosts the bottom line.
In fact, a survey conduced by Forrester showed that 44% of respondents felt that having a live person available to answer their questions while make an online purchase was one of the features they most looked for in a website.
Live chat is growing in popularity among customers of all ages, though younger customers tend to lean towards it more than older customers. For businesses, that means that by providing live chat, they are providing many customers with their preferred support option.
Research by Econsultancy shows that 79% of customers prefer live chat over any method, because of its immediate nature.
Here are just some of the reasons live chat is such a great choice for businesses who are looking for better customer engagement and increased profits.
Live Chat Software Is Easy Yet Effective
As this short introductory video from live chat providers Olark explains, live chat is quick and easy to use, and yet offers many ways to connect better with customers and learn more about them.
As Olark make clear, setting up live chat is quick and easy for businesses, yet when live chat is set up, the results are impressive. Live chat doesn't require much in the way of technical knowledge: All a business needs to do is copy a simple piece of code and add it to their business website.
That will allow the live chat box to show up on the website, while they will have access to a browser-based control panel that makes it easy to manage chat sessions.
For something that is so easy to set up, and quite frequently reasonably priced, live chat can provide impressive benefits to a business.
For example, when Airfarenow introduced live chat on their website, they noticed a rise in customer satisfaction, such that they would “highly recommend” live chat to any business.
The White House Office of Consumer affairs estimates that it's 6 – 7 times more costly to attract a new customer than it is to retain an existing one.
With live chat software, businesses can connect with customers both new and old in real time, encouraging a good rapport and increased customer retention.
Live Chat Software Increases Sales
The lack of a live chat option can drive customers away. The ability to get questions answered in real time is a strong draw for customers, and that alone makes chat software a worthwhile investment.
In fact, 38% of customers have said that they have made a purchase following a good live chat session. By providing live chat on their website, businesses are opening the door for increased sales.
Customer service agents can talk to customers and find out where they are in the process, and what their isssues are. That means they can lead the customer through the sales funnel in real time and guide them towards buying.
Live Chat Software Improves The Customer Experience
Happy customers are more likely to buy, and more likely to come back and buy again. That's why customer satisfaction is vital when it comes to standing out from the competition and making those all important sales.
Live chat can help businesses do just that. Statistics show that customers are more likely to come back to a website that has live chat.
Customers expect fast service and immediate answers to questions, and live chat allows a business to offer them that. In fact, Business2Community reports that 73% of customer satisfaction comes from live chat. That kind of customer satisfaction is worth a lot of dollars to a business.
Using Live Chat To Respond To Customer Needs
As Salesforce point out in their graphic, 45% of customers will abandon an online transaction if their concerns aren't addressed quickly enough. Customers who are making a purchase decision, or who have another query, need answers fast.
Using live chat to address concerns in real time lets customers know that they're valued, and shows them that help is at hand when they need it. That makes them more likely to spend with the business.
Statistics show that only 17% of customers will recommend a brand if their solutions are slow, even if those solution are effective. Live chat offers the expediency that customers want.
Live Chat Works Best With A Plan
Businesses can garner greater success with live chat if they have a plan. For example, where should live chat appear? On which parts of the website? Some businesses might choose to show it only after a customer has been browsing for a while, or when they're on a certain page
Businesses don't have to wait for customers to come to them. Many live chat software providers give the option for businesses to initiate a chat.
The above screencap is from The Simply Group, who have set their software to reach out and offer help via live chat if a customer seems to be having problems with payment.
Business who plan out their live chat software use will see dividends. For example, Total Gym found that after they implemented live chat, it helped yield 39% of their online orders.
The Value Of Knowledgeable Agents
Well trained agents are a must for businesses who want to increase their sales using online chat. A well trained agent is the difference between whether or not customers have a helpful and satisfying customer service experience.
With 89% of customers putting a halt to dealings with a company after a poor customer service experience, giving good customer service is a must.
Well trained agents know the business and products inside out, and know how to build a good rapport with customers and really listen to their concerns.
Learn More About Customers' Live Chat Use
Understanding customers helps businesses to deliver better service and make more sales. Live chat can help with that.
For example, Pure Chat lets users see where their visitors are located. This helps businesses to understand how best to help each individual customer. For example, the range of available products and services might differ between locations.
Shipping prices might be different. Businesses can also use this information to offer greetings or chats in another language.
Most live chat software offers a range of statistics that businesses can use. They can learn about which ages prefer live chat, whether customers are more likely to use chat for specific types of queries, and even whether live chat is linked to increased sales.
All of this information helps businesses to understand how and when to use live chat for the best effect. The more businesses understand, the more they can decide what to do next, and how to maximize their profits.
Getting Feedback For Better Future Performance
Finding out how satisfied customers are with live chat is a must for businesses, which is why businesses should choose a live chat provider whose statistics cover customer satisfaction.
In the above screenshot from Live Chat Inc, users can see what percentage of customers are satisfied with their live chat experience.
As shown above, customers are unlikely to return to a business who didn't offer them a positive and satisfactory customer service experience. Customer satisfaction statistics let businesses see in concrete terms just how happy customers are with their live chat experience.
It doesn't take long to ask a customer for feedback – it can be as easy as asking them to click a star rating – but the insights offered to the business are highly valuable.
Customer feedback helps a business to fix any problems, and to keep doing what is working. That means more satisfied customers in the future, and ultimately more sales.
The Importance Of Choosing The Right Software
When it comes to live chat, choosing the right chat software is vital. After all, a business can provide well trained agents and a commitment to outstanding customer service, but they still need the right software to help them achieve that.
Live chat software should be easy to get started with. The example control panel above is from Provide Support, and lets users see at a glance who is waiting to chat. Users should also be able to open more than one chat at a time to make sure as many customers as possible get help without waiting.
Good live chat software should be functional, easy to use and customize, and offer easy to understand information in the form of real-time info on visitors, and comprehensive statistics for use later.
Businesses should also be on the lookout for live chat software that integrates well with other applications such as social media and CRM software. Fully integrated chat will ultimately offer a better customer experience, and more useable information for the business.
Businesses everywhere are looking to increase their bottom line, and happy, satisfied customers are key to that. Customers who feel valued and are confident that they can get the help and answers they need are more likely to buy, and more likely to come back.
Live chat software is a useful tool that helps businesses to offer customers the level of support they need. Customers these days prefer live chat, thanks to its speedy responses and low wait times. With live chat software, businesses can gain rapid insights into their website visitors and their needs, and offer them immediate solutions to any problems.