If you’re reading this post, you’ve likely come across a live chat widget as you browsed online before today. In fact, you may have even seen ours on https://www.sellersmile.com/.
Some shoppers enjoy the perks, while others may find it a nuisance. Regardless, live chat support has become a growing trend over the last several years, and may now even be considered an expected type of support.
But what is live chat really? Is it worth your time to implement a live chat solution for your e-commerce website?
Let’s start with the basics. In sum, live chat is a medium that allows instant messaging on your website. Think of it as a live and instantaneous text conversation between a shopper and a store. What might have before been an email thread of 2+ emails spanning multiple days, can now be a 5 or 10-minute live chat conversation. Even with the “live” dynamic, the conversation is asynchronous, so each side can respond on their own time, as they’re available.
In our society of wider bandwidths and instant gratification, speed matters. If you were to ask someone what they value in a new piece of technology or service, most will say something along the lines of “I want it to do what I want, and fast!”
In today’s shopping culture, Amazon has redefined expectations for the amount of time an online purchase should take. This includes every touch point starting at the discovery phase, along through the checkout process and shipment.
It’s no surprise that shoppers are willing to pay more for faster service. Amazon Prime has over 101 million members and growing. These are shoppers who are willing to pay an additional fee to enjoy perks such as two-day delivery (and soon one-day delivery). Shoppers expect to receive what they want quickly, without complications.
When it comes to most customer service interactions, however, these expectations are not being met. How many times have you tried to get in touch with a company, maybe your internet or phone provider, and been given the run around before finally reaching an actual agent that can help you?
Recent research shows that the average email response times take longer than 12 hours and that 62% of companies do not even respond to customer service emails at all! These practices are not keeping up with demand, which will only continue to grow, and will result in shopper distrust.
Many companies on social media have adopted some form of communication with their customers on these platforms as well, but even this medium can still lag behind customer’s expectations. When someone logs on to Facebook or Twitter to ask a question, they want an answer right away. If you’re unable to provide this type of service, your customers may feel frustrated and disappointed.
As our technology and online communities continue to speed up, many companies may find their customer service is stuck playing the catch-up game. One of the best ways to increase customer satisfaction and to get ahead of your competition is by offering live chat support for your e-commerce store. Live chat support is a sure-fire way for your company to stand out.
As face-to-face interaction becomes less of the norm in the buyer-seller relationship, the way e-commerce sellers communicate with their buyers will only become more important. The average shopper may already feel naturally hesitant about reaching out to someone about a question or issue. Live chat allows companies to bridge that gap with consumers, keeping the human element alive in the brand experience, while building trust at the same time.
A study from ATG (Oracle) in Global Consumer Trends found that 90% of customers said the “Live Chat” button gives them confidence that they can get help if they need it. Imagine 9 out of 10 consumers on your site reaching out knowing they can have their inquiry addressed within minutes, that’s a huge leap!
A 2013 study by J.D. Power, one of the most well-known marketing research mediums, further reinforces the power live chat brings to the customer and to your site. It found that more than 42% of people found live chat to be the easiest and most welcome help solution and that overall customer satisfaction was higher through the chat option versus email or phone.
Not only will live chat help improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, but it may also bring in guaranteed revenue. In a recent survey conducted by Kayako, it was found that of customers who visited the site: 38% are likely to make a purchase solely based off of the live chat option, and 51% would stay or come back in the future to make another purchase.
Whether it be offering assistance navigating your website, or answering a product FAQ; live chat gave those customers the confidence to make a purchasing decision and did so with immediacy. Evidence in a marketing poll conducted by eDigital Research suggests that of the customers who used live chat for their shopping, many would place orders within the same visit.
In today’s day and age, there is no doubt that live chat is the best help solution on the customer service scene. For brands that are adopting the latest innovations, it’s no longer just an optional bonus, but a proven necessity and competitive advantage. Live chat allows shoppers a channel to immediate help and a sense of being cared for by a company, in each stage of their purchase. What was once a slow and chaotic process has been streamlined and made effortless through the use of instant digital communication.
Your shoppers and customers want access to fast and efficient help. This is why SellerSmile has introduced live chat support.
If you’d like to learn more about our live chat services, shoot us a message through our live chat or schedule a call with us at SellerSmile.com/Schedule.
If you want to enjoy a free week of live chat support, start your 7-day free trial today at SellerSmile.com/TrialStart.
Start providing faster support for your website. Your buyers will thank you.
Keep Smiling!
