Live Chat: Why Businesses and Customers Love It

When you have a question, what do you do?

Ask someone!

Live chat software is transforming the way businesses build relationships with consumers. And expectations are growing. To stay at the competitive forefront, every brand needs to maximize the power of this support delivery system.

Here are five reasons why your business and customer require Live Chat

Sales Success

Making money – that’s the bottom line. Live chat proves its worth every day with higher conversions, larger purchases, and increased sales.

Because consumers get their questions answered quickly, they reach “yes” faster and more often. Over half of the customers are more likely to make the purchase when the brand offers live chat. And 29% buy even when they don’t use it.

Furthermore, the average order value increases by 10% for customers who do use live chat.

Ease of Use

Customer service shouldn’t be difficult, yet sometimes it is. Live chat can clear up communications and keep the consumer satisfied.

Why is this?

More than half of customers say they prefer to live chat because it allows them to multitask. Twenty-one percent claim they use it to allow them to shop while working. And 44% think live chat is a necessary requirement for any e-commerce site.

Fast Response

The expansion of social media and mobile devices encourages consumers to expect rapid results when they reach out to any brand. Live chat answers this demand for instant response.

First, customers wait just one minute on average for live chat support. Responses take an average of 23 seconds. Then, the entire live chat conversation generally wraps up in 6-12 minutes.

How’s that for speed!

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that nearly 80% of consumers prefer live chat because of its immediacy.

Growing Expectations

Live chat usage took off over the last decade, but the growth is particularly noticeable in recent years. From 2015 to now, live chat grew by 400%.

That increase fuels expectations. Over half of online shoppers say they will abandon an order if the responses to their questions are not quick. And 46% believe live chat is the most efficient way to receive support.

Those expectations require diligence on the part of brands.

The satisfaction rate for various support options is especially relevant: live chat leads the pack with 92%.

Added Value

Not only is live chat preferred by customers, but it’s also cheaper than other common channels of communication.

Live chat costs less than phone support – by 400%! Over 40% of businesses report live chat reduces phone calls. Each support agent solves as many problems by chatting as 15 email support personnel.

As a result, the value factor is exceptional. Conversion rates increase by 40% for chatting customers. Revenue grows by nearly 50% per hour for those who chat. Website visitors who chat are worth 4.5 times those who don’t.

Therefore, live chat software implementation proves to be worth the cost, with a return on investment typically around 300%.

Live chat isn’t just the future of online support – it’s the present. With customer demands now instant and mobile, this support format will continue to dominate.