Ecommerce businesses know how hard it is to lead a customer through a sales funnel and get them to purchase goods or services. It’s sad, but true: many customers just leave your website without making a purchase. To address the problem of website abandonment and to increase the profit of your e-commerce business, you should know how to incorporate effective live chat for business websites. Live chat solution is an instant messaging tool for rapid customer support that’s embedded in your website.

In general, customer support tools are differentiated into reactive and proactive types. For example, email and phone support are reactive ‒ you only start engaging with customers after they initiate a conversation. Live chat for business websites is proactive, since you’re able to view a user’s activity on a website and wedge in at crucial moment, for example, when a client is at the checkout stage.

FAST RESPONSE WITH LIVE CHAT

The competitive advantage of live chat for business websites over traditional client support tools like telephone and email is its speed.

Live chat is built on top of instant messaging technologies, so a customer is able to briefly describe a problem and get an immediate response. Most live chat software enables operators to get a preview of what a recipient is typing. Therefore, operators are able to provide replies even before questions are asked. A nice advantage of live chat is a timer that can let customers be sure they’ll get a reply in a specific timeframe, such as 30 seconds or one minute.

IMPROVED CUSTOMER LOYALTY

To win a battle for a client, you have to be a brand with an excellent reputation and provide timely service. Customers, in turn, admit that customer service is a top reason why they become loyal to a brand: great customer service was important for 97% of respondents.

Live chat for business websites is the preferred tool for resolving issues; as many as 56% of US respondents preferred a live chat over a phone call. People point out the effortlessness and immediate response that is inherent to live chats.

CONVENIENCE OF USAGE

In customer support, it’s important to reduce the effort required on the customer’s part to get the desired result. Your customers don’t want to reach for their cell phones to dial a number and follow numeric options; neither do they want to fill in a form on your website with their personal details so you’ll reach them via email.

A live chat works straight in an online store’s page, so customers don’t have to interrupt their shopping experience to have their questions answered.

Moreover, people are comfortable with live chats for business websites because they aren’t as intimate as telephone calls. Live chats free your customers from keeping up a conversation with a stranger; instead, your customers can type their questions whenever it’s convenient for them and avoid too much personal contact.