What are the Benefits of Using Live Chat?
"Live Chat" offers an opportunity to offer better communication with your customers right there on your website. Because people love to chat and most people would rather chat than talk to customer service over the phone or via email, live chat can improve customer service and lead generation. Additionally, it makes it more likely that they will return to your website since they can more easily connect with you or a member of your team via live chat. Having a live chat can also get your customer's questions answered quickly, perhaps avoiding the need for a phone call.
According to research, about 8-9% of companies are using live chat on their website. Therefore, offering live chat may be a great opportunity to grow your business and better engage with your potential customers. When customers speak with you in real-time through live chat, you are not only meeting their expectations, but you may be achieving a competitive advantage.
What is the general perception of Live Chat among consumers?
Here is some research from 99firm
- 79% of consumers prefer live chats because they offer instant responses.
- Live chat has the highest consumer satisfaction rate at 92%.
- For 41% of consumers, live chat is a preferred channel for contacting support teams.
- 63% of consumers who used live chat on a website are likely to return to that site.
- 42% of businesses think customers prefer phone support.
- More than half of all chats come from mobile.
- 70% of consumers prefer human agents to AI technologies.
Will Live Chat be good for my Business?
If your answer is “YES” to any of the following three questions, then your website would be a good fit for a new chat feature:
- Does your website sell products/services?
- Does your website have a community that will benefit from more engagement?
- Is there somebody in your team available to answer chat inquiries regularly?
Integration with WordPress Websites
The following integrates with WordPress.
They offer a free forever plan for low usage. The free plan has all the necessary features for basic live chat.
Live Chat is easy to set up and integrates with dozens of other services like Google Analytics, Zendesk, popular CRM tools, email marketing services, and more.
The live chat option is easy to use and integrates with other services like Salesforce, Zendesk, Highrise, Slack, Google Analytics, and more.
Pure Chat focuses on a simple live chat solution that is easy to use.
All of the live chat apps above offer a free trial. Looking to install Live Chat on your WordPress website? WP Beginner offers a detailed tutorial here.
While live chat on a website can be a valuable tool for customer support and engagement, it is not without its disadvantages.
Have you thought about the potential drawbacks of using Live Chat for your business?
While live chat on a website can be a valuable tool for customer support and engagement, it is not without its disadvantages. Here are some drawbacks to consider:
- Limited availability: Live chat requires staff to be available round the clock to respond to customer queries in real time. This can be challenging for small businesses or those with limited resources, leading to gaps in support during non-business hours. Newer versions of live chat allow businesses to set business hours availability without the chat box and give the option for a message to be sent outside these hours.
- Impersonal communication: Unlike phone calls or face-to-face interactions, live chat lacks the personal touch. It can be difficult to convey empathy and build rapport solely through text, potentially leaving customers feeling disconnected or frustrated.
- Potential for delays: While live chat is designed for immediate responses, there may be instances where customers have to wait due to high chat volumes or limited staff availability. This can lead to customer dissatisfaction and a negative experience.
- Language and cultural barriers: Live chat interactions may involve customers from different regions or countries, presenting challenges in language comprehension and cultural understanding. Miscommunication can occur, impacting customer satisfaction and hindering problem resolution.
- Technical issues: Live chat systems rely on stable internet connections and functioning software. Technical glitches or server downtime can disrupt the chat function, rendering it unavailable and inconveniencing customers.
- Multitasking challenges: Live chat agents often handle multiple chats simultaneously, which can impact response times and the quality of interactions. Balancing multiple conversations can increase the likelihood of errors or misunderstandings.
It is worth considering these disadvantages before making the decision to add Live Chat to your website.
