Online Live Help: Why Is It Becoming So Popular?

The presence of online live help is becoming more apparent on more sites. It’s clear that the service is becoming increasingly popular; the number of companies using online live help and the number of companies providing live chat software and services are rapidly increasing. Why is it becoming so popular though? And why should you consider implementing it into your online strategy? Here’s 4 reasons why we think online live help is becoming so popular and why you should give it some serious consideration.

1. Consumers prefer it

Plain and simple, consumers would prefer to get in touch with you through live chat rather than phone or email. Live chat has the highest satisfaction levels for any customer service channel, with 73%, compared with 61% for email and 44% for phone.

If customers prefer live chat to other customer service channels then you should be using online live help in order to encourage consumers to get in touch with you when they have a problem on your site.

Customers are often reluctant to bother with complaining when they have had a bad experience or leave any kind of feedback in general. If you are providing the contact method they prefer, which presents a friendly real time conversation, they will be more likely to get in touch with you so that you can solve their problem and prevent negative word of mouth.

Online live help in action for one of our client, the British Film Institute.

2. Increased sales

As well as providing online live help, live chat also produces sales. Live chat can increase conversions, increase average order value and decrease basket abandonment.

Live chat agents are able to offer a more personalised service with better recommendations than automated recommendation systems. This means that consumers view more products which they are more likely to buy and they have a better shopping experience due to not wasting their time looking at irrelevant products.

Because online live help can create trust with potential customers and provide reassurance on product choice, it can also increase average order value as well as optimising conversion rate. This ability to create trust, and also quickly solve problems means that basket abandonment is reduced. Problems faced at checkout are given a solution and potential customers trust the answers given.

3. Multiple chats

A customer service agent can only talk to one customer at a time via phone, but online live help allows a live chat agent to deal with multiple enquiries at one time; multiple enquiries, all with a fast and helpful level of service.

Being able to service multiple enquiries at once means a more efficient system for your company (meaning a cost saving) whilst providing a fast service for customers (meaning increased satisfaction).

Whilst the customer types, live chat agents can also set about putting other parts of your customer service support system into action or begin preparing other information sources should the customer need further explanation; meaning an all-round better experience for the customer.

4. Increased customer satisfaction

Consumers prefer using live chat and they get a better level of service when they do use it. Online live help means that customers can get quick help and can read through the full conversation which they have had/are having with the live chat agent. This means that customers don’t have to embarrassingly ask for instructions to be repeated and can re-read a piece of information if they are unsure on it.

Giving customers help whilst they are on your site means that not only does it stop them abandoning a purchase but also stops them from becoming unhappy from having to do so. Online live help is becoming so popular with customers as they can get quick help when it is needed.

Providing great service in the form in which your customers want it means increased customer satisfaction. Increased customer satisfaction means repeat custom and word of mouth promotion. Online live help means increased sales in the short and long run.

In charge of an eCommerce site? Not entirely convinced if live chat is the right option for you? Check out our infographic, Does Your Online Store Need Live Chat?