When prospects are in the research stage, they may have objections about your products and services that they need to overcome before they arrive at a purchase decision. One solution is to offer an FAQ page to cover the most common questions that prospective customers have. However, nothing will get the job done better than offering a live chat window on your website where prospective customers can ask their questions directly to someone on your team.
Why Adding a Live Chat Feature to Your Website is Worth It
If you’re still wondering if adding live chat to your website is a worthwhile investment, here are several reasons why you need to consider this feature for 2019:
1. Increases Conversions
According to the American Marketing Association, companies that add a live chat feature to their websites realize a 20 percent increase on average in conversions. We don’t have to tell you that speed is king in the digital world. When today’s consumers interact with brands online, they expect a response within an hour. However, research shows that it takes brands an average of 10 hours to respond to customer service requests on social media and 12 hours via email. Offering a live chat feature on your website improves response times dramatically with an average response time of two minutes.
2. Saves Money
Providing customer support can be a significant expense for your business, especially if you’re relying on call centers to handle phone and email requests. However, transitioning away from a call center and primarily using the live chat feature on your website for customer service can actually save your organization as much as 50 percent. Also, because one team member can handle as many as six live chats at one time, you don’t need to have a large team in place to address customer service questions.
3. Builds Trust
The challenge with the rise of the digital storefront is that businesses don’t always get the opportunity to build rapport with prospective customers during the sales process. However, by offering a live chat feature on your website, you can give consumers the confidence that they can ask a question if needed and receive a prompt response. Without live chat, it’s more difficult for businesses to establish trust and build a relationship with customers that are strictly making purchases online.
4. Gives You a Competitive Advantage
Today’s consumers have become so accustomed to getting what they want right when they want it that they have high (and unrealistic) expectations for how promptly brands should respond to their online inquiries. A recent study showed that 33 percent of consumers expect websites to offer a live chat feature. However, in reality, research shows that only 9 percent of websites currently offer a live chat option. You can gain an edge on your competition by making live website chat part of your customer service strategy.
5. Increases Order Value
Without live chat, you don’t have the opportunity to talk with prospective buyers about their needs when they come to your website or cross-sell to increase order values. You’re basically leaving money on the table without this tool.
6. Leads to More Satisfied Customers
We’re committed to developing digital marketing strategies that make clients’ brands more memorable to their audiences. The level of customer service that your brand delivers will leave a lasting impression. If you want to take your customer service strategy up a notch, adding a live chat feature to your website will certainly help. Research shows that live chat offers the highest level of customer satisfaction when compared to email, social media, and the phone.
Do we have you convinced that adding a live chat feature to your website needs to be a priority for 2019? If so, you’ll want to choose the right digital marketing partner to help you start having live conversations with your website visitors.
Our team at New York Ave can help you to design an intuitive, user-friendly website that aligns with your company’s goals. If your goal is to increase website conversions, adding a live chat feature should be considered. Contact us to learn how we can help you to put your best foot forward with your online presence.
