Online chat = more conversions
In 2021, online chatting is no longer a secret to anyone. Instant messaging and chat are commonly used in all industries. Chat systems are mainly found on social networking platforms as well as on company websites that use them mainly for customer service. Nowadays, on most of the websites you visit, you will find a button to chat instantly with a member of their team.
One of the reasons why online chat is so popular is that it allows for a quick and interactive discussion unlike email. So, let's take a closer look at how chat rooms work and the software they use.
How to set up an online chat
If you are considering implementing a chat system on your company's website, you must first select chat software. Live chat software is a tool that will allow you to offer an online service in real time. It allows your website visitors to get immediate assistance or information via a chat window or bubble. Thus, when the website visitor writes a message in the chat session, an employee responds instantly within minutes.
When choosing an instant messaging software, you must first consider your needs in this area. There are a variety of software programs that look similar, but each has its own features and functionality. Here are some examples of the most commonly used chat software:
LiveChat
Userlike
Olark
Smartsupp
SnapEngage
Tidio Cat
Pure Chat
LiveAgent
You can learn more about the features of each of them. Some software, such as LiveChat, has several integrations that facilitate the sending of newsletters or the connection to your company's CRM, for example.
Two interfaces
When implementing a chat system, a client interface and an employee interface will be set up. On the client interface, only the chat box or chat bubble will be visible. On the employee interface, client messages will be accessible from one tab to another. The chat manager will be able to navigate from one conversation to another, in order to answer several clients at the same time.
Offer a real-time online service
Online chats allow you to offer a quick and interactive service to current or potential customers, directly from your website. In addition to being very useful, there are many features and options available to you. You will also be able to choose the package that best suits your business.
An example of an option you can choose is chat queues. They will help you find the right balance between waiting time and internal resources. They avoid a simultaneous chat overload for agents, while keeping your customers up to date while waiting.
In addition, you can choose to categorize the chat to guide customers to the right agents. For example, if they have a question about a certain department, they will speak to an agent in that specific department.
Finally, many companies choose to offer 24-hour chat. However, this does not mean that they actually have agents present all the time, but rather, they choose to leave the chat present and a robot will answer you with "prepared" messages or, you can send your request and you will be answered later when an agent is present again.
There are many options in the world of online chat, just ask around and take note of which options are most beneficial to your services and needs.
The advantage over your competition
Online chat has many benefits. Here are a few to strongly consider:
First, live chat improves the customer support experience and facilitates customer acquisition and onboarding, so many companies have seen their conversions increase with the implementation of live chat.
Live chat also allows your agents to build a relationship with customers and greatly reduce repetition for your customers. Live chat increases the productivity of your customer service team. In short, this tool can give you a significant advantage over your competitors.
If you are interested in online chat and would like to integrate it into your website, the Planning Media team is here for you. We can help you implement the software. Don't hesitate to ask about our services in this regard.
