September 12, 2016
Live Chat for Improved Online Client Services
By Wes Dowding, Operations and Technology Director at Romax Marketing & Distribution.
At Romax we recognise that timing is everything when it comes to sales, which is why it’s so important to reach the customer at the right time, with the right message – something we help promote with our digital marketing communications offering. So this leads on for us to ensure we better engage customers, in real-time, while they are viewing our website.
This is why we decided to take the plunge and invest in a live chat facility on our website.
What is live chat?
We all have come across a live chat window at some point during our online browsing. In a nutshell, it’s a customer service software that integrates with your website to initiate real-time communication with visitors to your site.
Live chat is extremely convenient for customers as it allows them immediate access to support, but it’s also a powerful marketing and sales tool that allows you to engage visitors to your site and start a relationship with them at the point when they’re most interested in learning more about you.
How does live chat work?
Typically a small customisable chat window (see image of our site above) will pop up on the user’s screen inviting them to chat with customer support while still viewing your website. The chat window is usually discrete, yet noticeable and designed to look like part of your website to give users the peace of mind that they will not be directed away from your site. We have also allowed the visitor to minimise the window so it does not “get in the way” of the website itself.
Live chat systems are more affordable than you think
The cost to add live chat varies from supplier to supplier. Most are dependent on how many licences or “agents” can sign in and answer enquiries. Within our solution, we have a dashboard that also gives some top line analytics, for example, number of website visits, chat history and visitors engagement path. However overall, the price is very low and the management, if built correctly into the website, is minimal. You can even have automated responses if the facility is left unmanned, for example, overnight.
Why choose live chat?
According to a survey conducted by eDigital live chat has the highest satisfaction levels for any customer service channel, with 73%, compared with 61% for email and 44% for phone.
Live chat is a powerful way to communicate with customers immediately and can reduce your need for phone support and works complementary to other channels such as social media.
The speed of response is the Live Chat’s greatest asset, prompt communication in a chat window will keep your visitors engaged and creates a greater potential to convert them into clients.
How to optimise your live chat
Live chat communication should be warm and friendly to assist customers in their website experience. One simple way to do this is by using photo avatars that customers can associate with chat representatives as a reminder that they are chatting with a real person. Something to avoid is “robotic” responses so if you have automated responses make sure they are warm and friendly too.
What are you waiting for?
Live chat is a powerful and cost-effective way to get a leg-up on the competition, tap into your website visitors to get them out of research mode, and convert visitors into clients. Still unsure? Read this great case study from Roku here
If you would like to discuss any of our direct marketing services please complete the form below or live chat us!
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