October 1, 2019
Would you like to develop your rapport with existing customers or get to know potential clients better? Or do you want to ensure the amount you’re investing in ad revenue is used to its fullest advantage? Perhaps you wish to increase the number of leads your website generates? Whatever your objectives are, managed live chat service providers have helped businesses across a wide variety of industries to achieve theirs.
The surge in the number of organisations turning to live chat support has been driven by the changing expectations of the customer. Research from a CRM software developer reveals that 51% of customers want businesses to be available 24/7.
A well-designed website is still paramount for enticing customers but even the most animated of landing pages will only go so far. Live chat brings life, literally, to your site and can make all the difference to the fundamental choice any potential customer will inevitably make – do they spend time finding the information they’re looking for on your site, or chat with a human who can give them an answer? Research has found that customers can have their queries answered in as little as two minutes compared to 10 hours via social media or 12 hours via email. Live chat service providers eliminate the prospect of waiting in a phone queue or wondering whether the message they sent to the info box has been picked up, prospects that the majority of customers are no longer willing to put up with.
Managed live chat service providers may not provide face-to-face contact but they present an opportunity to build rapport with your customer and elicit trust in your brand.
This will help to impact positively on your lead generation. Market research discovered that 63% of customers were more likely to return to a website that offers live chat, while a global marketing firm reported that live chat has become the leading digital contact method for online customers – 42% of customers prefer live chat compared to just 23% for email, and 16% for social media or forums.
But perhaps more importantly, live chat services can also make the difference between whether a sale is made or not. 44% of online consumers say that having questions answered by a live person during an online purchase is one of the most important features a website can offer.
Despite the positive statistics, only 9% of customers use live chat service providers. But with live chat expected to grow by as much as 87% in the next 12-18 months, how are different industries currently taking advantage of the benefits it brings to their customers – and ultimately their businesses?
Top industries benefitting from live chat
Real estate
According to a recent survey 92% of home buyers use the internet to search for a new home. Whether it’s a question about the cost of a home evaluation or what amenities a particular location has, real estate live chat can answer specific questions that a customer has in real time. They can also help to de-mystify the jargon and provide expert guidance on more complicated processes that include licensing, warranties and legal contracts.
Education
The days when universities could rely on their reputation or academic standing in leagues tables alone are long gone. The experience that a potential student has on any academic institution’s website will have a huge impact on their choice of university or college. Education live chat helps universities and academic institutions to deal with a large amount of queries from students across the globe, who might otherwise struggle to find an answer through the vast amount of information on their website. 24/7 round the clock chat agents can also free up time for universities to handle applications and reduce their number of calls and emails.
Hospitality
Hoteliers have long realised that their website needs to be as warm and as welcoming as the greeting their customers first receive on arrival. Hospitality live chat provides an opportunity for hoteliers to collate details of their potential customer, which will contribute to providing a bespoke service that’s tailored to their needs. It also enables potential customers to customise their bookings through real-time support.
Insurance
Typically in the past, customers have often had to endure lengthy question and answer processes over the phone when reviewing insurance. Insurance live chat agents can determine which pages potential customers are looking at, enabling them to provide information that’s tailored to their specific needs, without the customer having to go into details of their query. There is also less room for making mistakes when taking down details over the phone.
Ecommerce
From a complicated check out process to customer registration processes, it may not be a surprise that as many as seven out of ten shoppers abandon their cart without making a purchase. However, a poll found that almost 62% of internet consumers said they would purchase more products online if live chat services were available. Ecommerce live chat can help with any frustrating technical glitches the customer is experiencing and smooth out the overall process.
To find out more about how live chat can help you to achieve your businesses’ aims and objectives, contact CommVersion.
