The internet has made shopping faster, more convenient, and more comfortable. The amount of time consumers spend shopping while sitting at home, relaxing in their pajamas seems to only increase every year thanks to major sites like Amazon or eBay. While those sites are great for small items or novelty gifts, major purchases require a little more effort on the seller’s part.
The Problem: People Don’t Like Calling Anymore
This is, of course, a generalization. There are still plenty of people who have no issues picking up the phone and calling to get more information. However, almost everyone – including those “brave” souls who aren’t afraid of making a call – can agree that they hate calling a company and being left on hold or having to navigate through a robotic menu. It makes it easier for businesses by weeding out easy questions like “What are your hours?” or “Where are you located?” but anything more complicated can get lost in the mix.
Then we have the still sizable part of the population that doesn’t like to make phone calls, whether it’s out of laziness or anxiety. The rise of text messaging and email have made it far too easy to get all your work done without actually interacting with somebody else. Of course, the other problem that comes with this is the need for instant gratification. It’s a bit of an interesting paradox: people want quick results but also don’t want to call and get those quick results. So what can businesses do, aside from losing out on potential customers?
The Solution: Live Chat Software
Live chat software is essentially the perfect answer to this costly problem. It provides answers in a way that’s still 
quick and painless. It also eliminates the frustration of waiting to be taken off hold because, even if there is a delay before a customer service representative can respond to the customer, they are still sitting on their computer with endless forms of entertainment at their fingertips.
The software isn’t just intuitive for customers. Live chats tend to be faster and give you the power to check your information and perfect your messages before hitting “send.” This eliminates the possibility of misspeaking or losing your train of thought because all your previous messages are readily available on the screen. You can resolve issues faster and move on to the next customer, thus growing your clientele even more.
The Right Way to Use Live Chat
While having a live chat feature on your website is beneficial, it isn’t quite enough to just have the software. The real 
benefits come from learning how to use it properly. Here are some tips to make the most of out your new tool:
Put Your Best Foot Forward
You have to remember that, for many customers, this interaction will be their first impression of you. There’s no smiling, shaking hands, or anything like that. It’s purely written communication, which means you have to be very good at it. Always be kind and use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation so that you appear professional. If you can’t take the time to spell correctly, why should customers trust you to provide a good product to them?
Some people recommend smiling when talking on the phone because even though the other person can’t see it, they can “hear the smile.” According to a study by American Express, 78% have bailed on a transaction because they felt like they were receiving poor customer service. Avoid this by keeping your messages upbeat without going over the top so that the customers feel wanted.
Sell Yourself, Not Just the Product
Similar to the last tip, you have to remember that you’re not just selling the product, you’re selling yourself and your company as well. You want the customer to like you and trust your company. Become the voice of authority and experience for them so that in the future, when they need to buy something else or a friend asks them for a recommendation, they go directly to you. The quality of your product is obviously going to play a part in this, but customer service is a major selling point for a lot of people.
Get to Know Your Customers
Some chat software companies, like HelpOnClick, boast improved conversion rates of up to 40%. This improvement in sales is substantial and obviously what you’re after, but the reality is that not every interaction is going to result in a sale. It’s essential that you learn from every interaction, especially the ones that don’t result in a sale. Consider some questions to ask yourself. What happened? Why did the customer visit, if not to make a purchase? What could I do to make their experience better or make them more likely to purchase?By using this technique, you’ll continue to improve your conversion rate and better shape your company to be more approachable. You’ll learn what customers are looking for and how you can deliver that to them in the future.
Be Prepared for Questions
The number one reason why customers initiate a chat with you is to learn something, whether it be about a specific product or about a general company policy. Obviously, you’re going to want to be able to respond to these questions with clear (and correct!) answers. Try to be as specific as you can so that visitors feel more confident with their purchase and become customers. Remember, online chat suggests a faster solution, so be ready to answer questions quickly!
The Way Forward
There’s no doubt about it: live chat software is the customer service of the future. It’s used by companies all over the world, both big and small, and is helping them to manage their customer service and help desk responsibilities. If you haven’t added chat capabilities to your site yet, you are missing out on an easy way to increase your customer base. Thanks to affordable prices and the ability to use the software options from nearly anywhere in the world, there’s no reason not to implement it on your website.
Improve your business with live chat software today – you won’t regret it!
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