With so many companies shifting their businesses to the digital world, there is a great demand for software that integrates websites to help it work efficiently, including a 24/7 chat window. So, what are some of the best live chat software? And, how can you identify which one will be suitable for you?
If you’re wondering why you need chat boxes for your business to grow? The answer is simple! The multitudes of shoppers have passed their verdict, and they want to chat rather than dial a number. Studies from a research report by an Aberdeen Group found that the majority of online shoppers prefer the live chatbox rather than other forms of customer service.
Another research study performed by Oracle suggests that 90% of consumers felt confident about a website after seeing the live chat button available on the screen because they knew they could instantly get the help they needed.
So, here are a few ways on how you can choose a live chatbox that’s easy to operate and easy to use; all you have to do is keep reading on.
Why do you need a chat box for your website?
You may want to think twice if you’re still not convinced that you need a live chat box instead of just adding a number saying ‘call here’ for assistance. Here’s why:
1. Better customer service
Live chat topped the charts when a survey was conducted for digital customer service preferences; the results showed that 73% of online consumers preferred having a chat service compared to the 61% who preferred email and 44% who preferred calls. These numbers prove that sites with a free chatbox have more visits than sites that do not.
The online chat services allow you to initiate friendly customer rapport while resolving queries, which improves the quality of service and client satisfaction.
2. Curated support
Having a live chat free on your website means you’re offering the client personal support not just for issues but for product information too. Often, customers will want a more detailed explanation about the product you’re offering but may not call or email because of the time it takes to reach your support agent. A live chat service on the screen ensures that you’re meeting all the client’s needs and keeping them happy.
3. Saves time
In the 21st century, where everyone needs to be somewhere, spending about 15 minutes to reach a service agent or write an email seems a little wasteful. Clients who frequent sites with fast chat services are loyal consumers because they appreciate the fact that the company values time. Plus, with quick resolutions, you get to cater to more customers on a daily basis, which means you’ve got many happy customers at the end of the day.
4. Keeps an open line of communication
When there’s a chat box embedded in your website, you’re inviting the clients to keep an open line of communication. Most consumers will see this as a sign of transparency, and it will help build trust in your clients.
5. Analyze common issues faced by consumers.
A live chat feed is beneficial not only for the client but also for your business. If you’re looking to improve the business productivity and expand the company, you’ll need data that helps you pinpoint problem areas. If you have a high volume of customers contacting you about a specific issue, you can quickly resolve it, improving the company standard overall.
How to pick the right chatbox?
You need to look out for a few things if you want to set up a simple, easy, and seamless chat box for your website. Here are a few tips to ensure you’ve got the best live chat for your customers.
1. Price point
There is plenty of fantastic free chat software available in the market, and most of them have all the required attributes to fulfill client requirements. Most websites offer live chat free for their customers, but if you want a highly optimized chatbox, you might have to pay a certain fee to the software companies that make them. Applications like Hubspot, Live agent, Drift, etc., offer some of the best free live chat services with top ratings.
2. Quick access to knowledge base
The application should be able to identify queries and integrate the solutions provided in the knowledge base. This increases the response time, providing quick answers to customers.
3. Integrated canned responses
When chatting with customers, there are certain common responses that we need to use; these may be rapport-building statements and standard replies that don’t necessarily discuss company products but help improve the customer’s experience. The chatbox must be able to integrate these responses to save time.
4. Management of tickets
It’s necessary to have a feature that allows you to connect with the customer even when they are offline to show them that their query is being dealt with or remind them that you’re always available to assist.
Benefits of chat boxes
1. Cost-efficient.
Did you know that a live chat service will cost you much less than a phone call or email support? Studies conducted by Forrester Research show that a live chat service box is about 30% cheaper than other forms of service. The reason for this is simple, multitasking! When a seasoned agent takes multiple chats and provides resolutions on all of these chats, you’re providing service to 2 or more customers for the price of one.
2. Quick first contact resolution.
Since the chat box option is just a click away, most customers will use the service for quick resolutions. Also, a live chat box allows you to assist the customer and send links and screen share in real-time, which is quite challenging to achieve with email and calls.
Service agents can also multitask on multiple windows to check for numerous solutions and provide the best and easiest ones to the customer.
3. Keeps you ahead of the game.
Businesses that do not adapt and upgrade with the developing economy usually succumb because of the inability to maintain a steady customer base in a rapidly evolving market. Even though studies indicate about a 38% to 58% rise in chat preferences amongst the growing population (Forrester), only 9% of digital markets actively use live chat for real-time customer support (SuperOffice.com).
Having live chat support will help you reach your customers sooner and instantly provide resolutions, increasing customer satisfaction.
Summary
By opting in for a chat service, you’re putting your customer’s needs at the forefront, showing that your company prioritizes customers. This will improve clientele and overall improve your business.
