Did you know that 79% of customers prefer live chat for customer support over other channels? That's right - in today's digital age, customers expect instant support and answers to their queries.
In fact, according to a study by Econsultancy, live chat has the highest satisfaction levels for any customer service channel, with 73% of customers being satisfied with their experience. And it's not just customers who benefit - businesses that use live chat have seen increased sales and customer retention.
But why specifically a free live chat app? For starters, it's a cost-effective way to provide real-time customer support without breaking the bank. And with so many free options available, there's no reason not to take advantage of this powerful tool.
In this blog, we'll dive into six reasons your business needs a free live chat app, from increased customer satisfaction to improved efficiency and productivity. So grab a cup of coffee, and let's get started!
What is Live Chat?
Live chat is a form of online communication that allows website visitors and customers to chat in real time with a customer service representative or support agent. Businesses of all sizes use a popular communication channel to provide instant customer support, answer questions, and help customers resolve issues quickly and efficiently.
Live chat software typically includes a chat widget that can be added to a website or mobile app, allowing customers to initiate a conversation with a customer service representative by clicking on the widget. Once the conversation is initiated, the customer service representative can respond to the customer's inquiries in real-time, providing helpful information and assistance.
Customers often prefer live chat over other communication channels like phone or email because it's faster and more convenient. Additionally, live chat allows businesses to manage multiple conversations at once, making it an efficient way to handle customer inquiries and support requests.
What can Live chat do for your business?
In today's fast-paced business environment, staying connected with customers and providing exceptional service is important. One way to do this is through the use of live chat. Live chat is an online messaging system that allows customers to communicate with a representative in real time. Here are some of the ways live chat can benefit your business:
. Improved Customer Service
Live chat can improve customer service by providing immediate assistance to customers. When a customer has a question or problem, they don't want to wait on hold or send an email and wait for a response. Live chat lets customers get help quickly, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
. Increased Sales
Live chat can also help increase sales by providing a more personalized experience for customers. When customers feel valued and supported, they are more likely to purchase. Live chat allows businesses to offer customized recommendations and assistance, which can lead to increased sales.
. Cost-Effective
Live Chat is also a cost-effective option for businesses. Live chat can be more efficient and less expensive than phone support or in-person assistance. Businesses can handle multiple chat conversations simultaneously, allowing representatives to assist more customers in less time.
. Improved Efficiency
Live chat can improve efficiency by reducing wait times and streamlining communication. Representatives can handle multiple chats simultaneously, reducing customers' need to wait in line or on hold. Additionally, live chat can be integrated with other tools, such as chatbots or knowledge bases, to answer common questions quickly and efficiently.
. Competitive Advantage
Offering live chat can also give businesses a competitive advantage. Customers appreciate the convenience and personalized attention that live chat provides and may choose to do business with companies that offer this service over those that don't.
Top features of Live Chat software.
A live chat is a real-time communication channel that enables businesses to provide instant customer support and assistance. Live chat software typically includes a chat widget that can be added to a website or mobile app, allowing customers to initiate a conversation with a customer service representative by clicking on the widget. Here are some common features of live chat software:
- Chat Window Customization: Live chat software typically allows businesses to customize the chat window with their brand colors, logo, and messaging. This helps to create a consistent brand experience for customers.
- Proactive Chat: Some live chat software includes a proactive chat feature, which enables businesses to initiate a conversation with customers based on certain criteria, such as time spent on a page or previous purchases. This can help to improve engagement and conversions.
- File Sharing: Live chat software often includes sharing files, such as screenshots, images, or PDFs. This can help to resolve issues more quickly and efficiently.
- Chat Transcripts: Live chat software usually records chat transcripts, allowing businesses to review past conversations with customers. This can be useful for training purposes or for resolving disputes.
- Multi-Chat Support: Many live chat software allows customer service representatives to handle multiple chats simultaneously. This can help to improve efficiency and reduce wait times for customers.
- Automated Responses: Some live chat software can generate automated responses to common inquiries. This can improve response times and reduce the workload for customer service representatives.
- Mobile App Support: Much live chat software includes a mobile app, allowing customer service representatives to manage chats on the go.
Overall, live chat software is a powerful tool for businesses that want to provide exceptional customer service and support. Its features and capabilities can improve engagement, increase sales, and boost customer satisfaction.
List of the Top 6 Perks of Free Live Chat for Business
1. Solve customer problems in a flash.
Knowledge bases and help articles are wonderful ways to support and assist consumers in resolving issues. Customers or users need help rapidly accessing or using such documents or assistance articles if they have many online.
Live chat agents can easily "push" links to assistance or training documents via the chat window. Agents can guide visitors to the right document or material rather than through step-by-step problem and resolution processes.
Also, screen-sharing and co-browsing tools make it possible to quickly and effectively resolve even the most difficult problems to debug. This is simply not possible with phone help. With quick query resolution times, these capabilities greatly increase team productivity and customer experience (CX) for agents and organizations.
2. Cut costs.
Phone conversations necessitate one-on-one attention, whereas a Live Chat allows one application to manage several clients simultaneously. This reduces costs and saves the company's resources, as keeping a separate call center can be costly. The company must hire executives, buy phones, pay bills, and even implement call-routing software.
Compared to call centers, a live chat on the website helps reduce these costs. All that remains is to install the software, and you will be ready to go. Businesses can use this to stay in direct contact with their customers. Also, it is less expensive for the customers because they may talk to you without worrying about their phone expenses. Customers will be more inclined to trust you in the future, which will promote business.
3. Proactive Outreach.
It is impossible to overstate how live chat makes it possible for your visitors and customers to contact you immediately. Nevertheless, live chat's proactive outreach capabilities make it so effective and distinguish it as one of the major advantages of live chat.
Better live chat systems enable your agents to do the same as your website visitors, who can contact you anytime by hitting your chat button. The finest live chat platforms let agents start conversations. Live chat platforms may notify agents of website visitor arrivals using sophisticated monitoring and tracking technologies, and they can also give them useful information that they can use to start conversations.
Agents can manually or automatically send chat requests depending on pre-established rules. This proactive discussion initiation can speed up visitor information discovery and increase the number of browsers who become purchases.
4. Increase accessibility and availability.
Customers and prospects sometimes find contacting you through your website or principal communication channel challenging. You may need to bring assistance where they are. 54% of customers use social media to study items; instead of waiting for them to reach you, live chat can help you meet them during churn or buying. While live chat and social media crossover may appear difficult to create and manage, live chat integrations have always been challenging.
Live chat provides simple integrations with social network messengers, allowing you to initiate interactions with customers without having them leave the app. Therefore, live chat does not have to be limited to customer service. You may cultivate your potential audience with personalized communications to increase conversion and retention.
5. Keep your data secure.
Live chat platforms use encryption to protect messages exchanged between you and the customer service representative. This encryption helps to prevent eavesdropping and keeps your conversations private.
Many live chat platforms offer two-factor authentication for added security. This means that in addition to entering a password, you'll need to enter a code sent to your phone or email to log in. This can help prevent unauthorized access to your account.
Live chat platforms often store your chat history securely. This means your data will remain safe even if your device is lost or stolen. Live chat allows you to quickly and easily contact customer support if you suspect your data has been compromised or have any questions or concerns about security.
6. Increases Sales & Conversions.
Prospective clients may inquire about a product or service when exploring a website. Asking them to participate in a demonstration will help. Yet, most websites include many demo buttons and forms, which causes prospects to lose interest. When customers are still on your website and actively considering a purchase, live chat support can help you provide prompt replies. Even sharing calendars with your prospects so they may reserve a convenient time is possible with live chat tools. When used as standby sales assistants, live chat can promote conversions and sales by being helpful when needed and inconspicuous when not.
Live chat also raises revenue and average order value due to improved consumer profiling. A live chat option gives customer care representatives access to comprehensive consumer profiles, which they can utilize to personalize the service. A retailer online can simply find out if a customer abandoned their shopping basket and whose free offer is about to expire. Live chat essentially aids in pushing potential customers toward a purchase for your sales teams. In comparison to drip emails, it is easier.
Conclusion
In conclusion, incorporating a free live chat app into your business strategy is a no-brainer. It provides many benefits that can improve customer satisfaction, increase sales, and help your business stand out in a crowded market. With so many options available, choosing a chatbot provider that meets your specific needs is important.
This is where BotPenguin comes in. As one of the best free live chat software providers, BotPenguin offers a range of features and benefits that can take your customer support to the next level. From 24/7 support to customizable chatbots, BotPenguin provides a comprehensive solution to help your business achieve its goals.
Implementing a free live chat app like BotPenguin can streamline your customer support processes, provide quick and efficient service, and build stronger customer relationships. So why wait? Sign up for BotPenguin today and see how it can transform your business.
