Why Live Chat Will Give Your Online Holiday Shopping Business an Edge

How do you sell more of your products to consumers? The answer could be anything from slashing prices to introducing brand new features. But what if all you had to do is make it easier for customers to make purchases from your website? Live chat does precisely this.

Live chat is a customer service channel that reduces the effort customers exert to make decisions and buy products online. The fewer obstacles they face during the purchasing process, the likelier it is for them to push through with the transaction.

Some fast facts about live chat:

*Live chat is capable of delivering responses in real time
*More than half of customers have used live chat while browsing through websites
*The younger set (18-24) prefer live chat to phone
*Almost half of customers prefer to use live chat for questions related to online shopping

How do you make it work for your online holiday shopping business?

a. Show the option only when staff are available

The instantaneous nature of live chat gives it the edge of customer service channels such as phone and email. Customers generally expect to receive a response within a minute. That said, it is best practice to offer live chat as an option only when there are agents available to respond to queries. Otherwise, it would simply be a redundancy to existing customer service channels.

b. Offer it in a proactive manner

Live chat works best as a pop-up window that appears when a customer enters or lingers on the website. This sends them the message that an agent is ready to respond to queries in real time. Likewise, the pop-up window should be easy for customers to close down if they’re not interested.

c. Offer it at key points of the purchasing process

It is most strategic to offer live chat when a customer is browsing through the listed products, as well as check-out.

How do you sell more of your products to consumers? The answer could be anything from slashing prices to introducing brand new features. But what if all you had to do is make it easier for customers to make purchases from your website?

Will Live Chat Support Improve Sales this Christmas?

The answer is yes. There is a lot for shopping businesses to gain from this customer service channel, particularly is they use best practices. The majority of shoppers are receptive to pro-active live chat support, and there is a high level of satisfaction with the service they receive on this channel.

Live chat support helps businesses give customers an extra nudge while they scour online shops for gifts. There are two kinds of shoppers that live chat can assist. The first one would be the shoppers who know what they want to buy for themselves and the people in their lives. They may have specific questions about a product’s features and warranty, especially if it’s a high end gadget or home appliance. They may also be in the process of comparing prices and looking for the lowest mark-up they can find online. Pro-active customer service can add some extra persuasion and seal the deal because it gives agents the opportunity to say why the business offers the best bargain by discussing shipping rates, holiday deals and exchange policies.

It can also be helpful for shoppers who haven’t really thought of what to buy for friends and family. In this case, live chat agents can make suggestions and talk about the current trends in relation to the shoppers’ buying needs. The only problem is, it may take more resources to hire temporary workers, that is why probably it best to explore live chat outsourcing.

Live chat gives customers personal assistance and additional information while they make shopping decisions. It also assures them that they are talking to an actual expert on the business instead of an automated response machine. It is an effective sales driver for holiday shopping businesses interested in improving customer experience and expanding profit margins. Inquire about live chat outsourcing services.