Remember the good old days when people used to shop in stores? You know, instead of adding items to an online shopping cart, you would fill an actual cart with wheels? And the stores had people walking around in case you had trouble finding something or had a question about a specific product. That sure does bring me back...
Flash forward to present day, and products are mainly purchased online where buyers can shop comfortably in their pajamas with a cat snoozing on their lap. But, even though buyers are foregoing the physical shopping cart for the virtual one, that doesn’t mean they don’t have questions about the products or services your company offers. In fact, with no staff members readily available as they would be at a physical location, they may be craving support more than ever.
If you’re a business owner, you might be on the other spectrum of this dilemma: you want to provide your customers with exceptional online support at their convenience. In an ideal world, the customer would be able to contact a representative at any given time.
But wait a second…this superior customer service does exist – in the form of live chat. According to Kissmetrics, 63% of customers claimed that they would return to a site with live chat support and 62% were more likely to purchase from the site again. Not only will live chat keep your customers informed and satisfied, but it will give you a competitive edge and help you generate and nurture qualified leads. Here’s a closer look at how live chat will boost your lead generation and keep your customers coming back for more.
1) Pain Points Become Happy Points
No matter what your business, you want to provide the best customer experience possible so that your customers return to your site. If a customer’s questions or concerns remain unaddressed, you may lose them forever. These unanswered questions or concerns are otherwise known as “pain points.”
Live chat support allows customers to find a solution to these pain points or challenges. The customer can easily access a representative at any time with just the click of a button. Not only that, but their questions will be answered by a real person, not an automated system or FAQ page. When pain points are addressed quickly and efficiently, the customer is happy, you’re happy, and life is grand. Not to mention, the customer will appreciate the support and will be more likely to return to your site, provide their contact information, and, eventually, buy your product.
2) “Please continue to hold…”
(Insert eye roll here). There’s nothing worse than having an issue with a product and wanting immediate resolution, only to hear that awful automated voice at the other end of the line. Whether it’s asking the customer to continue to hold, providing an update on the estimated wait time, or promoting a product you don’t need, it never gives you the warm and fuzzies. Not to mention, we’re all way too familiar with the hold music you would otherwise only hear in an elevator or a bad B-horror movie.
When you add live chat to your website, the nightmare scenario of waiting on hold is avoided. There’s no dreaded wait times, awful music, or call centers. Your customers can ask their questions without waiting a ridiculous amount of time for an answer.
3) Domo Arigato, No Mr. Roboto
Live chat support eliminates the hassle of conversing with a robot and punching in a series of numbers all to (hopefully) get your question answered. Live chat adds a human factor to your website and lets your customers know that you care about resolving their issues. Customers have the opportunity to chat with a real live human, and they only have to click one button to open the chat.
4) Get a One-Up on Your Competition
After reading all of the awesome perks of live chat, you might be thinking you’re last to the party, right? Well, you’re in luck. Surprisingly, with all of the emerging digital marketing trends, live chat support has yet to catch on with many businesses. While live chat use is on the rise, there’s still many companies that have yet to offer it. If you want to stay ahead of the competition, add this feature and watch your customer satisfaction rates soar!
Adding live chat support will not only boost your lead generation, but keep your customers happy, and therefore, your business thriving. You’ve got nothing to lose and only more leads to gain.
