5 Reasons Why Your Business Needs Web Chat

Web chat is revolutionizing the way businesses serve customers, capture new leads, improve the customer experience, and increase revenue. Customers overwhelmingly prefer using web chat over emails, phone calls, and social media. Why? It's convenient and allows customers to contact your business on their own time and on their own terms.

Those are just 3 reasons why installing chat on your site is a smart move for your business. Read on to discover how using web chat can save you time, book more jobs, and most importantly, keep customers happy.

Web chat lets you connect with your customers using their preferred medium

More and more people prefer using live chat over calling a customer service rep. Why? Because messaging is quicker, way more convenient, and gives your customers and prospects time and space to write out all the facts.

Not to mention phone calls can be a little nerve-racking. Ever rehearsed an important phone call in your head before hopping on the horn? Your customers have, too.

There's an official name for the anxiety caused by making and receiving phone calls: “telephobia”. A UK study found that 70% of millennials and a surprising 40% of boomers have telephobia. It's no wonder why — calls put people on the spot and force them to think on their feet. 

As a business owner who values an excellent customer experience, you want to let your customers communicate your business using their preferred method. For many, that's web chat.

Web chat shows you value your customers' time

“All of our agents are busy assisting other customers. Your call is very important to us. Please stay on the line and we’ll be with you shortly.” 

(Cue cheesy hold music.)

But “shortly” ends up being 30 minutes. When an agent finally answers the call, the customer is already a bit agitated about the long wait. Then, once they’ve overcome their phone anxiety and explained their concern, they’re put back on hold while the rep pulls up their account details.

Your customers don't have time for that.

Web chat slashes that wait time to 2 minutes. If you’re using automated chat, your customers can get answers in seconds!

With web chat, customers get instant answers to important issues. You get a satisfied, more engaged customer base. It’s a win-win.

Web chat helps you multitask

You can only handle one phone call and one customer at a time. But managing multiple chat windows takes little effort (and saves you some major expenses in the long run).

Let's be honest: you're probably already overwhelmed just thinking about the idea of manually replying to every message. But with automated chat, you don't have to. Automation answers common questions about billing, scheduling, and so much more. (Which gives your team more time to spend addressing complex issues.)

Automation also provides after-hours access to your business. What if a customer asks to speak to a human? No prob. You'll get notifications for every chat, and you can jump in instantly to take over. Which makes web chat convenient not just for your customer, but also for you and your team.

Web chat protects customer privacy

Your customer might have a concern they don’t want to discuss out loud. Or maybe they’re in a public place and unable to call. (Or maybe they just prefer texting. That’s cool, too.)

Web chat is a discreet way of handling customer queries for all parties involved. No more politely excusing yourself to take a call out of earshot of your colleagues.

Web chat boosts customer loyalty and revenue

All of the above benefits add up to increased customer loyalty and revenue — yet another win-win.

Quickly and effectively resolving issues proves your competence and makes the customer happy. But web chat isn’t all about customer service. 

New leads can get instant answers to questions about your product or service, without wasting time filling out a clunky form. Existing customers can easily schedule and confirm appointments. And that’s just the beginning.

The bottom line: You need web chat for your business

Countless studies show that young customers, aptly nicknamed digital nomads, overwhelmingly prefer web chat over other communication channels.

But it’s not just the smartphone-savvy millennials who use web chat. Studies show Gen Xers also prefer web chat to phone calls. (In other words, the generational divide isn’t nearly as wide as you might think when it comes to communication preferences.)

Do you have to eliminate other communication channels to use web chat effectively? Not at all. But not having web chat puts you at risk of losing leads and conversions.

Ready to discover how web chat can transform your business? Click the chat bubble at the bottom right-hand corner of your screen to test it out for yourself. Or book your demo today and we'll give you a behind-the-scenes tour!