E-Commerce and Internet marketing are standard in the digital age. Nearly every successful business, retail or otherwise, uses some form of web-based sales or information distribution. However, although many customers are happy to do business online, at times Internet-based companies seem to lose the human touch. Offering a live chat service on your website can help you make more sales and provide instant customer support.
Customer Convenience
Having a 24-hour help desk available via telephone is beneficial, but your clients may be shopping online precisely because they do not want to make a phone call. Also factor in the time and pain factor of dealing with automated menus and waiting for a representative to answer a call. With a live chat tool, on the other hand, it is easy for your customers to continue whatever they were doing while they wait for a representative. The written word may be easier for some customers to understand and respond to, and the option to receive an emailed transcript of a chat after the fact is invaluable.
Technical Support
Providing technical support via chat can make the difference between keeping and losing a customer. If there is a problem with a client account or with the shopping experience, many people are likely to navigate away from your site and onto a competitor’s site. Live chat, however, may be able to solve a problem instantly, thus winning back your customer and increasing his or her satisfaction with your brand.
Being able to instantly assist users with account updates puts your company in the position of providing excellent customer service and possibly closing more sales. Having live chat operators on hand to solve your clients’ technical problems on the spot can have an enormous impact on customer retention.
Shopping Assistance
If you run an e-commerce site, live chat is indispensable. You may have shoppers visiting your site at any time of the day or night, from all over the world. If no one is available to answer visitor questions regarding product choices, customization, lead times and so on, your site’s bounce rate may be high, and you may be leaving money on the table.
In addition to answering product questions, your live chat operators should be prepared to respond to questions about shipping. This includes tracking items that have already shipped and helping customers decide whether or not your standard or expedited shipping will best meet their needs. Other shipping-related questions to anticipate include what gift wrap options are available and whether or not packages arrive with their contents visible.
Benefits to You
Providing a live chat option enhances the customer experience and provides a valuable service to your clientele. It also helps you run your business more efficiently. In addition to potentially increasing customer retention, live chat may cost your company less than telephone customer service. Your well-trained chat employees may be able to help more people in a shorter amount of time than they would be able to do on the phone.
Text-based customer service, such as live chat, has many benefits. It gives your clients instant access to support and provides your company with multiple upselling, customer care and lead-generation opportunities.