Modern-day businesses have to overcome a myriad range of challenges to stay competitive and relevant. How can businesses decrease operational costs? How can an eCommerce store increase conversion rate and sales?
Every business owner who wants to become successful would look forward to the answers to these questions. But one thing remains constant for businesses nowadays, i.e. customers. The technological advancements in recent times have increased the expectations of the customers to a new extent.
Reliable and fast customer service is a must for brands. But have you ever wondered what is the best way to provide flawless customer service? The answer to this question is – live chat.
Maintaining healthy communication with your users is imperative for every business. Virtual assistants in the form of live chat can converse with customers without much supervision. They can use both oral and written messages to boost your brand’s engagement rate. Modern brands are of the view that customer loyalty is built through a human approach.
Integrating a live chat into your website and using it to engage customers can drastically improve your customer service. Investing in proactive chat provides you with a great ROI which is simply outstanding. However, you have to be careful while implementing a proactive chat.
Poor implementation of a proactive chat can deter your users from visiting your website. Proactive live chat increases the satisfaction of the clients by developing a feeling of inclusivity. So with these things in mind, let’s take a glance at the importance of proactive chat for an online store.
Here is a glimpse of proactive chat on the MilesWeb website:
Why should online stores and businesses opt for a proactive chat in place of a reactive chat?
Brands usually wonder why they should use the proactive chat in the first place. Reactive chat has been the norm for businesses for quite some time, and it is still quite effective. Moreover, reactive chat emphasizes that customers should come to you when they need assistance.
But there is a slight problem associated with reactive chat. Many users usually don’t acknowledge that they have a question. They tend to move to the following search result. This is precisely where proactive chat comes in.
As soon as your visitor depicts signs of doubt, he/she is reminded that they can chat to find an ideal solution.
With proactive chat, brands can enjoy a greater chat-to-lead conversion rate. Online stores and business websites should deploy proactive chat on pages that need extra attention. Reactive chat is problematic as it makes the visitor feel hesitant about asking for assistance.
When is it right to use proactive chat?
Having a proactive chat on your website is similar to a salesperson in a retail store. Proactive chat pops up with a message before the visitor even clicks on the chat widget. Usually, we have a perception that salespersons annoy us.
But if you think closely, they can provide helpful information too. If you are too shy to ask a question, the salesperson could support you. Hence, it is essential to use the same tact online that you would have worked in a brick-and-mortar store.
When implementing proactive chat, refrain from bothering customers. You need to approach the customers with something that they might want to ask. Customers should be able to communicate in real-time.
In online stores, proactive chat can appear when the visitor lands on your website. If you want to facilitate a better in-store experience, you should wait until the user is on your site for long. Moreover, if a loyal customer visits your store, you shouldn’t pop up the same proactive live chat.
Note that this type of personalized experience would help your online store convert leads into customers.
One of the key highlights of proactive chats is that they are customizable. You can customize the proactive chat based on the preferences of your users too.
Assist Your Customers Before They Leave Your Website
The last thing you want is to see your customers leaving your website. Implementing proactive chat is vital as it helps users to get relevant answers. With proactive messages, you can easily target your users and impress them. With the help of proactive chat, you can make their browsing experience comfortable and seamless.
Related: Guide To Reduce Bounce Rate Of Your Website
Get More Customers & Increase Revenue
If increasing sales and revenue is your main concern, send your customers a targeted message. If you notice that the user is searching for expensive items in your store, a fair bit of personalization is necessary.
For instance, if you notice that the visitor is browsing a $5000 sofa, you can send them an automated message. The message should ask if they have any specific queries about warranties and other aspects. Based on the number of things they are buying from your store, you can provide them with a discount coupon.
Proactive chat has the highest customer satisfaction rate. Moreover, online stores that deploy proactive chat always stay ahead of their competitors.
Related: How To Get Reluctant Customers To Buy From You
Provide A Seamless Support Experience
When you implement proactive chat for your website, it implies top-notch customer service. Furthermore, it keeps the user’s communications on the brand. Proactive chat also helps you to address the queries of the customers.
You can sort out the answers of the users relevantly. With the increase in customer experience, the overall user experience also increases to a great extent. You get the chance to convert these organic leads into customers with proactive chat.
Instantly Access Information With Real-Time Communication
As the owner of an online store, you might be well aware that real-time communication allows instant information transfer. One may argue that there are various channels of instant communication apart from proactive chat.
However, with proactive chat, your customer care representatives can quickly recognize unsatisfied users. Moreover, proactive chat lets you address their issues quickly. Proactive chat in your online store would augment customer satisfaction and bolster the brand image.
Some of the main attributes of proactive chat are easy-to-use and accurate. When you engage with your customers in a personalized manner, it improves bounce rates. It also decreases cart abandonment to a great extent. A large number of online companies are deploying proactive chat capabilities.
Keep Your Visitors Alert
It is usual for online stores or business websites to have an intimidating amount of information. Moreover, if the check-out process of your store is complex, you have to assist your customers. People nowadays have shorter attention spans, and they could lose interest quickly if the transaction process takes a long time to complete.
With the help of proactive chat, you can keep your customers alert. You can also encourage them to complete the transaction through a proactive chat.
Related: Your Website Visitors Are Evolving: Are You Changing With The Trend?
Prevent Abandonment Of Shopping Carts
If your customer is stuck on the payment page for an extended period, it was evident that they need help. In this situation, you should implement a time-sensitive proactive chat. A time-sensitive proactive chat can keep the customer engaged and would inspire him/her to complete the transaction. A proactive chat would help in preventing abandoned carts.
Related: 10 Proven Ways To Mitigate Shopping Cart Abandonment
Maintain The Affinity Of Your Brand
Users who are willing to chat with a representative are three times more likely to convert.
If someone is browsing your website, even for general information, you can send a proactive message to get the visitor talking.
In short, you should make your customers and visitors feel that they belong to your website.
It would be best if you never forgot that recognition goes a long way in fostering the loyalty of your brand. So apart from excellent customer service, deploying proactive chat would also increase your relevancy in the current market.
Engage The Returning Website Visitors
It is pretty standard for you to give all visitors a warm welcome to your website. However, in the case of a returning user or visitor, you should personalize your message. This is a great way to make them feel special.
Note that you can use several types of triggers like the frequency of visits and number of chats. When you engage returning users or visitors proactively, you would see a surge in conversion rates.
Related: How Can You Improve The Trust Of Visitors On Your Website?
Address The Issues Of The FAQ Page Visitors
When visitors are browsing the FAQ section, they can be existing customers or prospective customers. With proactive chat, you would be able to address their issues in a personalized manner. You can trigger a proactive chat when the user lands on the FAQ section of your website. Make sure that they are on the page for long before triggering the proactive chat.
Increase The Efficiency Of Your Team
If your online store or business website offers excellent customer service with proactive chat, the number of support calls you receive will be decreased. You have to trigger the users on the contact or the FAQ page before they hit the button. In simple words, proactive chat can reduce the stress of your customer care executives. This would help them concentrate on other essential tasks.
Over to you…
Proactive chat lets you visualize your website through your customer’s eyes.
It enables you to make new connections and to communicate effectively. Implementing proactive chat for your business website or online store is a great way to increase the efficiency of customer care. It is important to get the attention of the visitors in the nick of time when they are on your website and proactive chat helps you do that perfectly!
