THE REASON FOR website chat
Most websites selling online do not offer enterprise live chat. Why is that? Are these businesses missing out on something or is there no place for live chat for sales on websites?
Well the main reason this question is generally not even thought about is exactly the reason why most sites should have Live Chat. You see it is taken for granted right into our mentality and our attitude that with the development of the internet everything can and should be automated. You hear it all the time especially from the so called internet marketing experts. Build a site, optimise it, use google adwords, get a shopping cart and hey presto you are getting traffic to the site. Now what is the assumption behind this way of doing business?
Well the hidden assumption here is that people are just going to turn up, have a look round and order. BUT statistics demonstrate that most people click away before buying or even leaving contact details. Now either this fact is known and accepted as “that’s the nature of the internet for you” OR as in most cases, whilst this statistic may be known, the significance of it remains certainly unknown . And in the majority of cases not even known at all.
The emphasis has been on getting traffic to the site and then relying on what? Sales copy. That is words and images. But if most people are clicking away is that enough? Of course some people do order this way and of course some people do manage to find your phone number which is typically buried away deep down on a “contact us” page and indeed some people will fill in your opt in form BUT most people will avoid contacting you and will move away from your site despite having the ability to phone you and e-mail you.
This is like having a bucket which you keep filling with water whilst not plugging the holes at the other end.
The people keep falling out through the holes.
So why do people leave? Where do they go? That is the big mystery. And it is the biggest mystery of all for any site owner. Or rather it should be the biggest mystery for any site owner but typically isn’t because they are too busy worrying about traffic, and not converting EXISTING traffic.
Live Chat has the potential to engage this whole segment of people who are not buying for whatever reason.
Now this does not mean of course that the 98% of people who will click away are all suddenly going to use Live Chat and buy something from you, BUT it will provide an additional medium to engage your site visitors in Real Time that you don’t currently have.
Within the segment of the people who you would ordinarily lose from your website are going to be people who will have questions about your product or services that your site will not necessarily answer. Moreover within this segment are also going to be people who even if they are comfortable with all of your content will still want to have some kind of “reassurance” about who and what they are dealing with. And here we come to the crux of the matter.
Live Chat provides the opportunity for a human connection, a chance to find out if that great looking website is a one man band without the ability to service its clients. It provides an opportunity to move from that feeling of “yes I think I might order from them BUT I’m not sure and I don’t know why “, to one of interactive clarity.
It enables an unconscious feeling of uncertainty to be made conscious and for the site visitor to be moved to take action. This is the reason most people click away. People buy or don’t buy largely because of a feel good factor or lack of one. For example I prefer shopping in Waitrose over Asda. Why? Asda has more or less the same food and is cheaper and even nearer. BUT the mood of the place, the vibe at Asda is so downbeat. The layout and décor is depressing. Waitrose tends to be more welcoming somehow. The isles seem to have more space. Etc etc. What impression does your online store create?
At least Asda has the potential to find out what affect its layout has upon its visitors because it has what?
Yes human staff to interact with you in real time? (The fact that they do not make best use of their staff to interact with you is not the point) They have the ability to find out customer perceptions whilst an online store without Live Chat does not. Its like walking around Asda and not finding anyone to ask “Where is the pasta kept please”? Live Chat enables the light switch to go on in your online store and to be able to gather customer perceptions which amongst other things may lead to buyers.
Let’s talk about customer perceptions.
Just think I might be shopping in Asda if someone had asked “sorry to interrupt are you finding everything you need right now?” – thus giving me the chance to open up, and as the question has no sales pressure element built into it I might just have. I could have given them feedback about the layout of the store, the fact that I’m actually physically cold in here and cant wait to get out etc etc. Live Chat enables the possibility for someone to give you that kind of feedback about your site even if they don’t buy. And even if they don’t buy first time, you have got good feedback about your site, which means you can improve your website content!!
Read more about free live chat and online chat webpages.
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