How to Use Live Chat Software for e-Commerce Business

1. How to Use Live Chat Software for e-Commerce Business

2. Ecommerce businesses know how hard it is to lead a customer through the sales funnel and get them to purchase goods or services. This is sad, but true: many customers leave your website without making a purchase. To solve the problem of website abandonment and increase the profitability of your e-commerce business, you can use live chat - an instant messaging tool for fast customer support that is embedded in your website. Modern live chat software serve as integral ecosystems that do not help you provide customer support and inform customers about website options. You can also turn visitors into leads and real buyers by using live chat for business. In this post we take a closer look at how live chat service help you build more loyal customers and share tips on how to select live support software and train your live chat agents. Benefits Of Live Chat For Business At first glance, live chats seem to be neat and fast tools that help you with regular customer support tasks. However, businesses still have not unlocked the potential of live chat, for example, their proactive approach. In general, customer support tools are differentiated into reactive and proactive types. For example, email and phone support is reactive - you only start getting entangled with customers after starting a conversation. Live chat is active, because you can see a user's activity on a website and wedge at a critical moment, for example, when a customer is in the checkout stage. According to a New York Times article, people first find it difficult to ask for help. With live chat support software, you are able to get the upper hand and provide support whenever you feel necessary. Apart from this, there are other advantages of live chat software for business that you should focus on: 1. Fast Response The competitive advantage of live chat over traditional customer support tools such as telephone and email is its speed. Traditionally, calling on the phone is a frustrating experience: often, the line is busy or there is no response. According to an American Express survey, about 67% of people hang up after not being able to come in contact with a living person on the other end. Communication is delayed due to email. Compared to a live chat, people are not quick to respond to emails, so replies can take up to 24 hours. Live chat is built on top of instant messaging techniques, so the customer is able to briefly describe an issue and get immediate feedback. Most live chat software enables operators to get a preview of a recipient that the recipient is typing. Therefore, operators are able to answer before the question is

3. asked. A good benefit of live chat is a timer that can give customers the chance to ensure that they will get an answer in a specific time frame, such as 30 seconds or one minute. 2. Convenience of Usage In customer support, it is important to minimize the effort required on the part of the customer to achieve the desired result. Your customers don't want to access their cell phone to dial a number and follow the numerical options; Neither do they want to fill a form on your website with your personal information, so that you can reach them via email. A live chat service works directly in the online store's page, so customers don't have to interrupt the shopping experience to answer their questions. Forrester Research has found that 44% of ecommerce customers have live chat on the website while shopping. In addition, people are comfortable with live chat because they are not as intimate as telephone calls. Live chats free your customers from interacting with a stranger; Instead, your customers can type in their queries whenever it is convenient for them and avoid too much personal contact. 3. Improved Customer Loyalty According to an article in the American Marketing Association, 2017 is the year to build strong relationships with customers. To win a fight for a customer, you have to be a brand with an excellent reputation and provide timely service. Customers, in turn, acknowledge that customer service is the top reason why they become loyal to a brand: Great customer service was important to 97% of respondents. Live chat is the preferred tool for resolving issues; 56% of US people preferred live chat over phone calls. People indicate the spontaneity and immediate response that is inherent to live chat. 4. Lower Cost Most customer support tools, including live chat, require a human workforce, so live chat does not reduce your costs 100% and automates the entire process. However, a major advantage of live chat is that it allows for multitasking. This means that support operators are able to switch between chat windows and have some conversations at the same time. Therefore, you can cut workforce costs (fewer people handle more tasks) and response time. In addition, live chat support service does not require expensive equipment and investment in toll-free numbers in the form of telephones, so pricing for live chat is much cheaper than telephone calls.

4. 5. Valuable Insight Live chat software for business provides comprehensive reporting and analytics tools that allow you to keep up to date with staff performance and customer satisfaction. While telephone support can also be recorded, further analysis of phone calls can be difficult and time consuming, as it is very inconvenient to listen to each conversation or transfer a voice record. A common reporting functionality of live chat software includes metrics on total chat, customer satisfaction, response time, chat duration, and number of available operators. Live chat can help a business get reports that allow them to: - Evaluate The Performance Of Employees - Data on each operator's workload, such as the number of completed chats and resolved issues, gives each employee an opportunity to assess adequately. - Optimize Your Workforce - Metrics such as wait times and the number of queued customers can help plan the workforce needed to service each customer as much as possible. - Get Insights On Customer Satisfaction - Surveys and ratings show that all customers' inquiries were resolved and customers were satisfied. How To Choose Live Chat Software When you start looking for live chat software, you realize how versatile the options are. Not to get lost in the sea of offerings, consider these tips to choose a live chat service provider that suits you. 1. Select The Features You Need The rich functionality of live support software may distract you from the very beginning. To choose features wisely, consider the size of your business and your business goals. For example, if you have three to five representatives in a support team, you will not need an advanced software that charges extra for scalability and customer handling. Go for live chat providers that target small and medium-sized businesses, such as Duvim Chat or WhatsApp, which are capable of specific live support features and, if necessary, additional functionality. 2. Consider The Deployment Type Live chat software is also differentiated according to how it is deployed: web-based or installed locally. Web-based deployment means that software is delivered (software as a service) according to SaaS. SaaS software is convenient: you do not have to appoint a team of experts to install and maintain software on your server. Instead, you use SaaS software directly in your browser and maintenance, like necessary updates and fixes, is done by the provider's team.

5. The installed software needs to be set on your computer or mobile device. This model is not as popular as mother-in-law; However, some providers allow users to deploy software by installing it on their devices. For example, LiveChat, Chatra, and HappyFox Chat both provide SaaS versions and installed software that can be run on Windows and Mac operating systems as well as mobile platforms such as Android and iOS. 3. Ensure That Live Chat Software Integrates With Online Services If you are already using CRM such as Salesforce, consider purchasing live chat software with that CRM and with any other services you use. Integration is convenient: you can get instant access to the necessary information in a live chat. Integration and plug-ins allow you to connect to third-party services such as: E-commerce platforms like Shopify, Volusion and BigCommerce Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software such as Salesforce and SugarCRM Email marketing tools like MailChimp and Bronto Social Media like Facebook, Google, and Gravatar Analytics tools like Google Analytics Ticketing systems like Zendesk File sharing services like Dropbox Desktop sharing software like Join.me and TeamViewer Invoice services like Freshbook Team communication tools like Slack Often, live chats (Duvim Chat, LiveChat, Zoho SalesIQ, Olark) provide APIs that allow integration with a large number of services. In this case, you will need the assistance of the developer to create the necessary integration. How To Train Your Live Chat Agents Live chat undoubtedly improves the customer experience and increases conversion rates. Without a well-trained team, however, all your efforts can be counterproductive. Here are some tips that can help you take full advantage of live chat software: Improvement In Empathy - Remember that the main goal of live chat for business is to help their customers, so support agents should be empathetic and patient. For example, your live chat agent may use reassuring phrases such as "You are completely right" or "Tell me if I am getting your issue right" so that customers feel special and confident that their question is resolved Used to be. Sound Polite - A sense of humility and modesty creates a "wow" effect in your customers. For example, the 6pm team gives a casual compliment ("By the way, I accept the bag you ordered!"), Interacting with their customers, thus breaking the ice and gaining loyal customers.

6. Mix Mixed Messages And Phrases Of An Agent - Packaged messages can be life-saving: they save time and allow concurrent live chat sessions. However, make sure your support team mixes canned messages with their own phrases so that your agents don't sound too robotic. Live chat is about humans, not pre-made answers. Avoid Spelling And Grammar Mistakes - Typos and spelling and grammar mistakes have nothing to do with productive conversations via live chat. While Typos can simply annoy, misspellings and grammar can cause misunderstandings and deviations to your customers. To prevent this problem, you can choose live chat software with built-in spelling and grammar tools. One of such helpful writing tools is grammarly. Use Real Photos And Names - Do not try to fool your customers with shutterstock pictures and fake names of your agents. Your customers expect to talk to real people on live support, so use real names and pictures to build rapport and a sense of trust towards a live chat representative. Speak Customer Language - Talk to your customers in simple and concise language, especially when asking questions, so as not to avoid conversation. Also, avoid professional jargon and foreign and obscure words that your customers cannot understand or which may be confusing. Online chat support can significantly increase conversion rates and give your visitors a smooth experience and thanks to your loyal customers. Fortunately, the modern market for live chat solutions offers many options, so it is up to you which device you have to choose. If you feel like discussing or comparing chat solutions for business, feel free to mention us on Twitter or message us on Facebook!