Most people are aware of the rise in live chat functions on websites across the internet and the positive impact it’s had on the ability of businesses to serve their customers.
As web chat has grown in popularity it’s become an essential tool for providing website visitors and customers the help they need to navigate their way through websites, products and provide excellent customer service which ultimately translates into sales.
Here we cover some of the numbers that help explain why live chat has seen such an explosive increase in demand over the last few years.
The numbers behind the success of web chat…
Huge growth.
According to superoffice.com, the live chat industry is projected to grow by up to 87% in the next 12-18 months. In a small market this number would be exceptional, but for an industry which is already well established, this number is staggering. There are very few industries globally which can report such figures, particularly in these difficult times. However, the statistics below may go some way to explaining this almost exponential growth.
Customer service response times.
This is where live chat excels versus other mediums. Here is the average response time for live chat compared with the other mainstream written media.
Live chat – 2 minutes*
Social media – 10 hours
Email – 17 hours.
Live chat is literally over 500 times faster than email. Not only that, but with email if the customers’ query is not answered in the first instance it will take a further 17 hours to get an additional response. Those of us who’ve been stuck in endless loops of email tennis lasting for weeks can attest to this. With live chat, the response is immediate and any additional questions are addressed on the spot,
This immediacy is unrivalled and is a major contributing factor to businesses that score highly in customer satisfaction surveys.
*2 minutes is the average response time across the industry. While this is great compared to other customer service tools, here at Live Web Chat we’d expect much faster response times!
Transparency.
The vast majority of live chat solutions allow the option of providing BOTH parties with a transcript of the chat afterwards. While not all businesses choose to employ this functionality, it’s clear that those with an excellent reputation for customer service will offer their customers’ complete transparency on what’s been agreed. Whilst it’s down to each individual business to decide on the merits of such a function, we would always encourage website owners to be as open as possible,
“Days are expensive. When you spend a day you have one less day to spend. So make sure you spend each one wisely.”
Jim Rohn
Saving you time.
Some live chat services offer not just the software, but also the staff to answer chats on your behalf. This can be a life saver, especially for smaller and medium sized businesses which don’t have the staff to dedicate to a full-time answering service.
If you’d like to try live chat on your website but have been put off by the cost, complexity or being tied into a long-term contract, then we can help. We offer free trials and always setup the software for you. We can also answer chats on your behalf using our professional staff who have been trained in your specific business. Our manned chat facility comes with a guarantee that you won’t have to worry about being on call 24/7 and that it will enhance your online presence.
How easy is it to install Live Web Chat onto your website?
Adding Live Web Chat to your website is much easier than most people realise as all of the complex coding and software installation is managed from our end, meaning that we can have you up and running in 24 hours. Our webchat software is also fully customisable to match the appearance of your website. Chat icons and windows match your website which gives a seamless experience for the user and gives them confidence that they are dealing with a professional organization.
Contact us today to find out more about how Live Web Chat can help you convert website visitors into paying clients. You can find out more about what we offer on our website, or by calling us on 01273 741113.