Today’s customers are used to the speed of accessing information in the digital world, and want answers to their queries at the same pace as well. This means that comments, forms on websites or emails to your brand ID may not be enough any more. You need a method that is intuitive to use, and that connects your customers to the answers they need in the shortest possible time.
Though call centers are one mechanism for customers to directly contact your service personnel, it is a known fact that many are daunted by the long waiting times involved. There is now another simple answer to the question of how you could enable a customer to reach you quickly and easily. We are referring to the Live Chat function that could make a big difference to your business.
Here are 5 reasons why you should implement Live Chat on your eCommerce website:
Preferred medium of online customers:Chat is a way of communicating that most web users are very comfortable with, and they would definitely prefer to type out a few lines rather than to pick up the phone and call. According to a survey quoted in this article, about 56% of respondents in the age group of 18-34 preferred live chat over the phone as a means of contacting customer service. If this is a significant part of your target demographic, you have a compelling reason to add live chat to your website. It should also be noted that live chat is not only a choice for younger customers, but a very convenient one for seniors as well. This is because it is straightforward and simple to use, and could get their queries answered very quickly as well.
Higher satisfaction rates:It is tough to satisfy customers on any medium of communication, but live chat seems to provide some advantages in this area. Of the customers who use live chat, 73% are happy with their experience with the method. As this econsultancy.com blogpost points out, this compares favorably with most other points of customer connection including email, apps, social media and phone. A big reason for this is because customers feel that this medium gets their questions answerednearly immediately. Live Chat also makes it convenient for customers to keep track of the flow of conversation unlike in a phone call, which could contribute to the satisfaction rate as well.
Improves business results: This article quotes a study by Forrester Research that about 44% of customers feel that live chat availability during an online purchase is a significant feature that helps complete their transaction. It is definitely a way to form that good first impression on your customer, as it could be the first communication that he or she might have with your brand. With a well trained team answering questions at the other end of the chat window, customers are sure to appreciate the value it provides both in terms of getting to know your website as a first-time user and also with customer service during and after a purchase. A survey quoted in this article shows that live chat helps bring back a user after a first visit, and also contributes to more sales conversions.
Emerging value addition: Ecommerce can be a challenging area for any brand, and it is definitely the website that provides more value to the customer that will rule the day. The functionality of Live Chat is still an emerging trend, and has not been exploited by many websites in the ecommerce domain. This is a pressing reason why you need to use this useful feature at the earliest to make an impact on your customers.
Cost efficiency:Customer service can make a big dent in your finances, especially when you are committed to making a success of this aspect of your business. Setting up the infrastructure and training of service agents are two of the major headings which can set you back both in terms of time and money. After this, you would also be limited in terms of bandwidth of each agent, as only one customer can be answered at any point of time. With live chat, your agents can engage multiple customers at a time, once they are experienced enough to answer simple questions about your brand with ease. By offering an easily accessible medium for new visitors, you would also be saving effort on your other service contact points.
Whether you are a new ecommerce business or an established one trying to reinvent, live chat definitely seems like a smart choice. Just like businesses need to pay attention to customer preferences in other aspects, adding this functionality to your ecommerce website would be in trend with the digital times we live in.
We hope you found this information useful to help you make decisions for your business. Do leave your feedback and questions in the comments section below!