The Single Best Way To Reach Your Online Sales Goals

October 11, 2013 Blogging Guide

Every online retailer is looking for a leg up on the competition. It’s been a full decade since the dot-com bubble and the introduction of Web 2.0 concepts, but confusion still reigns over what actually works in the retail world. However, some business basics remain the same: customers like to talk to a living, breathing human being. They also like having all the information they need to make an informed purchase.

That’s where live chat software comes in.

Live Chat Basics

Imagine you’re a customer. You’re on an auto parts website, and you need to purchase new brake lights because your current lights burned out. Unfortunately, you don’t know too much about cars, but you definitely don’t want to take your vehicle to the shop and pay $200 for something you know is a simple fix.

You see a colorful chat box on the right side of the screen, and a helpful customer service rep named Michelle asks if you require any assistance. Yes, you do need help, so you give Michelle the make and model of your car, and she tells you exactly which brake light you need to purchase. There’s absolutely no confusion, and you make your purchase in under five minutes. You’re now a happy customer.

Think of yourself as a business owner now — you’ve just made an extra sale. A large percentage of people who visit your website want to make a purchase. In fact, they know exactly what they want to buy. However, they might need a little extra help choosing a particular product, or they need some assistance checking out. Live chat software can help you provide that extra level of support.

Online Customer Support

Your store probably has a return policy, but if it doesn’t, that’s a different issue altogether. If a customer isn’t happy with a purchase or it breaks down, that customer will want to return it for a refund or a replacement.

Live chat software gives your employees the ability to quickly diagnose problems and recommend a solution. They can also use canned responses if they’re helping a customer solve a common problem. For example, your employees can copy and paste instructions on how to set a new smartphone to factory default settings, which can save time.

Have you ever tried to write down an address over the phone? If you need to provide an RMA number, mailing address, and other return information, live chat software eliminates miscommunication between employee and customer.

Streamlined Operations

Some customers prefer using an old fashioned telephone, but most prefer using live chat if possible. You can eliminate your toll free number and simply offer live chat and e-mail support instead. Most customers will choose live chat for immediate support, which will help you save money.

Increasing Conversion Rates

Live chat software is the digital equivalent of a friendly salesperson out on the showroom floor. You can quickly gauge how interested potential customers are, and you can guide them to sales or other special deals that you’re currently offering.

Customer interaction is a powerful way to turn casual browsers into customers. They might visit your website simply planning to take a look, but you can tell them why one product is better than another while quickly answering any questions that they have.

With support for customer monitoring, you’ll be able to see which pages they’re visiting. If you employ multiple customer service representatives, you can assign them to different parts of your store. Using the auto parts store example, you could assign one employee to tires, one to batteries, and one to engine parts. Instead of an ineffective one-size-fits-all solution, you can customize your customer support with live chat software.

Learn from Your Customers

No business is perfect. You make mistakes. Your employee makes mistakes. Your products will occasionally break down after a single use. Live chat allows your customers to express their concerns directly to you instead of airing their frustrations on a business review site.

They can also let you know when you’ve offered spectacular service or if your products have exceeded expectations. Perhaps your website is slightly difficult to navigate, or the checkout process wouldn’t work. Even if your customers run into problems, they’re largely forgiving if you make a genuine effort to help them out.

Use any criticism, both positive and negative, to improve your store’s level of service, and your customers will come back to shop again and again. They’ll also recommend your website to their friends and family. Remember — a high level of customer service today will help you generate residual sales in the future.