Here’s the scenario: Waking up early with a toothache, you go online and navigate to the website of a local dentist. The surgery is closed, and there’s no way for you to get the information you want before they open and you can call. So, you leave their website and go to a competing dentist’s site. You can’t find exactly what you’re after on their website either, but you notice a pop-up chat widget. You click, engage in conversation, and get answers to your questions in just a few minutes.
Which dentist are you going to choose to visit? Naturally, it’s the one that gave you the details you wanted to know right away.
Doctors, mechanics, lawyers, car dealerships… this similar scenario plays out daily for consumers looking to engage with service-related businesses. And, if you don’t have the means to give website visitors the information they want when they want it, you could be missing out on converting valuable customers!
Here are three clear-cut reasons live chat is the secret weapon your businesses’ website shouldn’t be without!
1. Live Chat Makes You Available After Hours
We all lead busy lives, and often when we get the chance to search for a business it’s later in the evening. The clear downside to this is that after work hours for us typically mean’s it’s after hours for the business as well, and they may be unreachable.
Like in the scenario above, providing your website visitors with the information they need when they need it is valuable in turning that visitor into a customer. With a live chat solution, your business can extend your business hours and have someone available to answer visitors’ questions and provide information even when you’re physically closed, giving you an edge over your competitors.
2. Live Chat Captures Lead Information
Another way live chat benefits your business is by capturing lead information. When a live chat operator starts chatting with a website visitor, they can ask for contact information including their name, email address, and a phone number.
These details can then be stored in a lead management system allowing you to quickly and easily follow up with them the next day. As Ricky Bobby says in Talladega Nights, “if you’re not first, you’re last.” That applies here, because at least 50% of leads will choose the first business that responds to them.
3. Live Chat Encourages Repeat Web Visitors
One survey notes that 63% of consumers are more likely to return to a website that offers live chat. Offering your website visitors multiple ways to get information about your business, and engage with you quickly shows you’re committed to providing great customer service and will give a positive first impression.
As one LocaliQ New Zealand live chat client says, “We are able to see what people are asking, and what they are looking for. From there we can personalise the script to narrow down those questions and quickly get our customers what they need.”
Learn more about the ways live chat can help your business convert more customers with this infosheet.
Emma Reid
Interesting information. Thank you for writing this post, it really helps lots of people.