No one can question the importance that good customer service holds for the success of any business, and when it comes to e-commerce websites, its importance increases by many folds. This is because whilst making a transaction on a virtual medium, customers have their share of doubts and concerns which they want to clear immediately. No matter how well described your product description is, customers still have questions to ask. And, that is where live chat comes to the rescue.
Based on the concept of humanizing a website, the idea behind providing a chat service is to make online shopping synonymous to shopping in a brick and mortar store. The operators on the other end of the medium act as real time sales representatives, being available for customers 24/7. For retail stores, providing live chat service is important because:
It helps increasing sales
Yes, it is true, live chat does have a positive influence on your sales. And it makes sense why. See, majority of your customers leave empty handed because they are confused and they can’t find what they are looking for. With live assistance available, they would get their issues resolved instantly. Secondly, the medium proves to be effective in terms of e-marketing and sales promotion. While it might not shoot up your sales instantly, it will gradually lead to it.
It is cost effective
Live chat is a smart investment. Whether you have availed the services from another company or you have purchased your own software, live chat is not going to cost you a lot. That is because the software used for live chat has tremendous automated features, which let one operator handle multiple customers at a time. The benefits these features provide let you earn far more than what you invest on the service.
It helps you analyze your market better
No business strategy can work unless you completely understand your market needs. For online businesses, keeping a track of their market can be tough because of the heavy traffic. Yes of course, there are analytical tools out there for that purpose, but with live chat, this feat becomes easier. Not only can you gather information about your visitors, you can also track their movement and shopping pattern and you can review previous chat transcripts for further analysis.
It enhances customer experience
When customers get proper assistance and are given a channel that allows fast and easy communication, they would of course have a good experience dealing with you. Besides, once you have gathered extensive information regarding your market, you will employ strategies that will appease your customers and provide them with convenience. And, as far as customer convenience is concerned, it is the key that helps your business running.
So, is live chat a blessing in disguise for online retail stores? Yes, it certainly is.
Brian Smith
Brian Smith serves as a marketing executive at LiveAdmins LLC. LiveAdmins was established in 2002 and since then has transformed how online businesses carry out customer service through live chat support. By providing live chat software, e-commerce websites can increase more profit and sales revenue.