We live in a world where many consumers expect information instantly, and any ambiguity or uncertainty could be the difference between them choosing to do business with you or another agent.
Using live chat support software enables you to be on the spot to immediately answer any questions – but will they really have a measurable impact on your business?
THE FACTS
According to survey data compiled by eConsultancy, live chat has earned the highest consumer satisfaction rates of any customer service channel at 73%, with email coming in at 61%, phone at 44% and SMS registering just 41%.
Additionally, BoldChat conducted a study which found that 31% of online shoppers from both the USA and UK would make a purchase based solely on live chat responses. BoldChat also found that once the live chat interaction was initiated, 94% of respondents said they were either ‘very satisfied’ or ‘somewhat satisfied’ with the experience.
Live chat is improving the customer experience when interacting with a myriad of businesses across a range of industries, but the benefits go beyond winning points for convenience.
BENEFITS OF LIVE CHAT
- Allows customers to get instant answers without having to leave your website – and the longer you keep them engaged with your content, the stronger the quality of lead you will get in return
- Many customers are time poor and are seeking information during their lunch break or on the commute to and from work. By being there for them when they are interacting with your website you will secure mindshare and establish your business as being easy to deal with and therefore a preference
- Strategy can be employed so that the chat is initiated at a specific point in the consumer journey, whether it be while they are browsing your inventory, looking for physical locations, trying to find pricing information or whatever buying signals you want to jump on
5 WIDGETS TO GET YOU CHATTING
Here are five of the best widgets currently available that can seamlessly be added to any site built in WordPress:
- SendinBlue
While it is a great live chat enabler, the real power of SendinBlue lies in its ability to replace a range of other marketing tools with one package that is simply embedded within the code on the footer of your website.
It allows agents to:
- Send email newsletters and EDM’s
- Set up automated emails
- Set up and manage Facebook ads
- Build landing pages
- Send SMS messages
- And, of course, live chat
- Olark
A fully featured live chat solution, Olark is connected to your website via what is essentially a basic piece of code. Agents who use this software get a detailed breakdown of the user’s in-site activity, including which pages they’ve visited and what they did on those pages.
It offers advanced features, such as detailed reports (chat frequency, operator responsiveness, customer satisfaction, etc), CRM integration with Salesforce and a range of other systems, helpdesk integration, plus it is fully customisable, so your branding is consistently reinforced across every aspect of your site.
- Tidio Live Chat
One of the best live chat plugin options in terms of ease of set up, Tidio chat boxes come in three designs that can be fully tailored to suit your branding and style guidelines.
You can engage in the chat from your WordPress dashboard or manage them via desktop, iOS or Android apps. And if you are unable to chat for any reason, offline messages are generated and hit your inbox instantly.
Another handy feature is the offline chatting option, which is facilitated smoothly via an email service.
- Pure Chat
Known for its stunningly designed chat boxes and user interface, any part of the Pure Chat experience can be personalised, with unlimited colours, amazing animations and custom images all readily available and easily integrated into your style motif.
Outside of visuals, it is a powerful chat tool in its own right, with functionality extending to cover intricate analytics, multi-chat management and proactive chat triggers (like a mini call to action for either the user or agent).
In addition, you can also schedule when the live chat function is online and offline – and when it is offline, the user’s chat box automatically converts into an opt-in form for EDM’s, further adding to the power of your marketing initiatives.
- LiveChat
LiveChat presents users with a chat box that is always accessible with a single click throughout the site. Once the chat is concluded, customers can leave reviews and feedback and even give you a shout out on social media!
It is well geared towards agents, as it enables you to control the conversation from a handy dashboard, provides customer chat history logs so you can make a greater connection and a customisable interface to make life easier for prospects and clients. Plus, there’s support apps that can be used on laptops, tablets and mobile devices, so you can be responsive while you’re on the go.
FINAL WORD
Live chat has proven itself to be a valuable tool for all kinds of businesses – including real estate professionals.
While there are many great options for live chat software, the best choice for your business is one that is affordable, easy to use, easy to integrate with existing systems, and comes with a set of features that will help you generate more leads and boost your conversion rate.
Founding and operating digital web services businesses, Ryan has a passion for technology and over 10 years experience delivering online services to the classifieds verticals in Australia, New Zealand and Asia.