The most of online shoppers prefer to contact a real person before making a purchase. Email support is too slow for this purpose, and phone calls may be inconvenient. Live chat for e-commerce service is the best way to communicate with customers on a website.
Customers always hesitate about online purchases. “Is it the right size for me?” “Do they have it in blue?” “Can I have a discount?” “How can I return it if it does not fit?” These are only a few questions that customers have, and there are several times more. Just one unanswered question can become a reason for a customer not to buy. Unanswered questions lead to abandoned carts and lost sales.
Live chat is a must for online business. It is not a competitive advantage, but an essential part of e-Commerce websites. People do not like waiting. If they are not able to get answers to their questions immediately, they will go shopping to another website. Live chat allows to provide instant assistance. It shows customers that they are buying from real people, who care about customers’ needs and worries.
Live chat is a great opportunity for up-sell. Online assistants can offer customers better value for a little additional cost, or offer a discount for a bulk purchase. Live chat also allows to cross-sell. Customers may need accessories for their purchase, delivery service or additional insurance. Online assistants have better chances to sell extra products and services, than website information. Researchers say that customers who chat with a store representative during purchase process have 40% higher check on average.
Studies from Forrester Research show that live chat for e-Commerce can push up average order values (AOV), conversion rates and CSAT scores. It can also help reduce abandonment and encourage a transaction to take place where previously it was unlikely.