Most businesses have two contact options: a phone number and an email address. If your customer gets an answer within a few minutes, you may secure a conversion. However, emails are traditionally a slower form of communication. By the time you respond, your customer might have moved onto another website, causing you to miss out on a sale.
If the line is busy, phone calls are no better. Customers don’t want to call back or sit on hold for thirty minutes. Of course, you can’t be in multiple places at once–if you’re swamped with phone calls, there’s nothing you can do about it. How can you satisfy every customer without setting yourself up to fail?
Adding a live chat to your website revolutionizes the customer service experience. You’ll be able to reach dozens of customers at once–often with no effort on your part. Customers get instant answers to their questions without waiting for an email response. Best of all, there’s always a representative ready and waiting.
Every business could benefit from adding a live chat to their website. Here’s what you need to know about chatting with your customers.
What is Live Chat Marketing?
When your customers visit your website, they’ll see an icon at the bottom of your page. Some websites opt for a different design, but typically, the icon floats in the bottom-right corner. Here are a few chat icons that you might have seen on other websites:
- Single icon with no text
- Box with a header that invites customers to chat
- Icon with a picture of an available representative
- Text bubble inviting customers to chat or ask a question
- Text box that customers can use immediately
To grab the customer’s attention, some websites include flashing text in the page title that says something like “(1) unread message.” This reminds customers to come back to the page if they open another tab.
When the customer clicks the icon, they see a chatbox where they can talk to a representative. Some websites have pre-filled queries, while others allow customers to type their questions. If a representative is online, they’ll respond to the customer immediately. Otherwise, a bot will answer their questions by pulling information from your FAQ.
Instead of waiting for an email response, customers can get answers to their questions in seconds. They could also get a coupon code, set up an appointment, or request a follow-up–all through the chatbox. It’s the easiest way to help your customers.
How Does Live Chat Marketing Increase Conversions?
Hundreds of thousands of people visit your website every day, but only a fraction of those people click the “Order Now” button. This doesn’t mean that you have a bad marketing strategy–even the world’s most successful businesses make only a fraction of sales compared to their daily pageviews. Some people just want to browse before they click on the next website.
However, not all customers came to your website to browse. Some customers thought about making a purchase but gave up when they couldn’t get ahold of customer service. Others had trouble navigating your website, and the FAQ page didn’t have the answers. A few customers even add products to their cart but abandon your website when they can’t find the information they need.
A live chat increases your conversions by answering your customers’ questions in seconds. Does a customer want to know how much shipping costs? Your representative can tell them right away. Are there any sales going on? Your representative knows the answer immediately. What about services, events, or coupon codes? A chat representative can tell your customers just about anything.
With a live chat, you’ll retain the customers that would have otherwise left your website. The longer they stay on your website, the more likely they are to make a purchase. They’ll also be more likely to recommend your website and leave positive reviews, which means more conversions and page views. A live chat might not be on your marketing radar, but it’s a surprisingly effective way to grow your business.
How to Add a Live Chat to Your Website
If you search online, you’ll find dozens of live chat providers. However, not all live chat platforms are alike. Before you choose a platform, here’s what you should ask yourself:
- Do you want to assign live chats to your existing customer service representatives or get a new team of representatives through a third-party company?
- Do you want a chat with real people, a chatbot, or a combination of both?
- Which website platform do you use?
- Do you want a platform that integrates with other forms of customer service?
- What other features are you looking for?
Some “live chat” platforms are chatbots that don’t have a human agent. Bots offer quick customer service, but they can be a little frustrating if your customer wants to talk to a human being. Other platforms offer human representatives during office hours, then switch to bots when the agents log off for the day.
Before you sign up, note whether the platform comes with representatives or not. Some platforms require you to hire your own human representatives or use existing employees. Others come with a team of agents that work directly for the platform. These platforms are typically more expensive, but they’re also more convenient. An excellent live chat platform has a demo on their website, so you can ask questions and see how the software works simultaneously.
Once you’ve found the right platform for your WordPress site, it’s as simple as buying the plugin, installing it on your website, and activating the features. Reach out to Send it Rising if you need help installing the plugin or finding the right platform for your business.
Can I Turn Live Chat On/Off When Needed?
If you need to shut down the chat, most platforms have an option to shut off the chat at a moment’s notice. You can also choose a schedule for your live chats. For example, your chat feature could go live at 9 A.M. and shut down at 5 P.M. during the week. Typically, a chatbot takes over when a human agent isn’t available. Your customers could also still reach you through traditional channels.
Live Chat and Online Reputation
When a customer visits your website, they’ll see the live chat icon immediately. That alone lets customers know that you’re here to help, enhancing your business’s reputation. Live chats are also an essential component of modern websites. Having a live chat feature on your website shows your customers that you’re up to date on the latest technology–indicating that you offer a superior product.
For customers, talking to a real person builds confidence in your business. They’ll recommend your business to other customers and possibly feature your company on their blog. You’ll also accumulate positive reviews that you can feature on your website. Many customers leave reviews based solely on their customer service experience.
Additional Benefits of Live Chat Marketing
If you’re looking to increase your conversions, a live chat feature might give your business the boost that you needed. Here are a few more reasons why you should add a live chat to your website:
- You’ll reduce your workload by letting a third party handle a division of customer service.
- You’ll have fewer phone calls and emails to sift through.
- Your customers can be anonymous, which makes them more likely to ask for help.
- You’ll have an easy way to grab the customer’s attention and advertise sales and products.
- You can use a chatbot when a human representative isn’t available.
- Your customers can chat online if they’re not comfortable talking over the phone.
- Your customers can browse your website while they chat.
- You’ll have a text record of conversations that you might need to refer to later.
- Your customers connect with a representative immediately–unlike phone calls, which often take a few minutes.
- Your customers get access to additional features like file sharing.
Grow Your Business with Send it Rising
The best Internet marketing company doesn’t just install your software–they support you and offer live chat marketing tips during the process. Send it Rising helps you every step of the way to learn about the software, get the plugin running smoothly and eventually manage the platform yourself. Our SEO company offers several marketing services, including social media consultation, graphic design, web security, advanced SEO, and much more.
If you’ve never worked with an Internet marketing company before, contact us today to get a free audit. We’re available through phone, email, and live chat during regular business hours. To learn more, check out our selection of ebooks and training courses with everything you need to know about marketing your business.
