What is eCommerce Live Chat and how does it work?

What is eCommerce Live Chat and how does it work?  eCommerce Live Chat is the ability to have real-time communication between sales support and a prospective customer in order to minimize barriers to purchase and reduce shopping cart abandonment.  When sales support is signed into Live Chat from their WSM dashboard, they can easily monitor and respond to real-time online customer chat requests.  The chat requests are announced with a ‘ding’ so your sales staff can go about their work while listening for a customer's chat request. 

What are the Benefits of eCommerce and Live Chat?  With a brick and mortar store there is face to face contact between sales support and customers.  With eCommerce the ability for face to face interactions is eliminated and may leave some consumers looking for an instantaneous interaction with a real human.  WSM eCommerce Live Chat works like the sales team on the floor.  It allows you the ability to engage leads so that they don’t leave the site for answers, and shows your commitment to customer service and care.  It may also increase time on the site which will lead to a deeper understanding of the product and company, and long term increases in sales.

eCommerce Live Chat Benefits and Features

1. Increased Conversions - According to Garrett Hurley of GFH Boards -

"When utilizing a live chat feature on the GFH Boards web site we are able
to engage and more accurately answer questions that a potential customer
might have. Our ability to answer a direct question in "real time" has significantly
increased our conversion success rate.”

Seems pretty good right?  Live Chat makes sense for most eCommerce and online shopping sites but should especially be considered by companies that have many SKUs or high tech products as more products lead to more questions.    

2. Real Time Customer Service and Support – Live Chat provides the ability to provide real-time customer service to your online shopper at the critical moment when they have a question. Other eCommerce customer support options such as email work in some cases, but if you are in a competive marketplace or offer products or services that are impulse buys, you may lose the sale unless their question can be answered right then and there. Their will be those customers that will want to hear a voice, but as Live Chat popularity continues to climb, more and more online shoppers will equate Live Chat to speaking with support and look for that option at your online store.

3. Reduced Online Order Errors – Live Chat shows a level of commitment to customer care that people will feel reassured by.  The customer can engage real-time with sales support to help make the right buying decision which is exceedingly important for companies with a complicated return policy, or none at all.  The best way to eliminate unwanted confusion is to be there to help direct the buying decision.  In return, it will cut down on product returns, and costly support phone calls to rectify the situations.

"When engaging with a customer who has come to our site with the intent to
purchase; using a live chat feature allows us to often sell an item that
would be a better fit for a customer. We often have parents coming to the
site looking for a longboard skateboard or a retro mini cruiser and our
guidance allows them to purchase an item that best suits their child's size,
weight and overall interest in longboard skateboards. Using a live chat
feature has reduced our item return rate. Customers are able to gain advice
from a sales associate and purchase the right item the first time." -Garrett Hurley, GFH Boards 

4. Shared Support - Spread the support load among associates by utilizing chats as a way to minimize time.  Chats are typically much faster than phone calls because chats are initiated from the site rather than perusing a cumbersome catalog.  That means time spent with customers is direct and to the point so that in the long run there is more time for sales follow up and lead generation.

5. Distributed Resources - The number of chats that can be handled simultaneously varies by industry.  However, the number for optimum effectiveness is somewhere around 2-5 chats.   Considering that a phone call would tie up a customer service representative with a single person, you can see where this would reduce overhead costs on both personnel and phone expenses.

6. Optimized Up Selling – When the opportunity presents itself to sales support they should be able to guide the customer in a direction that is helpful, and increases the bottom line.  Take for instance this personnel case study from The Internet Marketing Driver where he ended up spending $100 more than was originally in his cart.  The company made an extra $100 from one transaction, and the customer left knowing that they purchased exactly what they needed.  Just one sale would more than cover the cost of the Live Chat feature!

How does eCommerce Live Chat work?

1. Web Shop Manager's eCommerce solution makes it incredibly easy to use the Live Chat feature. You simply need to be signed into the WSM dashboard, and click on ‘Chat Login’.  The screen will say “there are no active chats at this time”, and then you would close that window.

2. Now that you are signed in, the Live Chat button will appear on your website pages letting your customers know you are available to answer their product or sales questions. 

3. This is the point where a customer with a question can be engaged in conversation that will lead to closing the deal.  The customer will click on the Live Chat button and be connected real-time with the signed in customer service representative.

4. The customer types a question, hits send, and your representative will be notified with a ding.

5. The chat screen will appear to the representative with the question to be answered.  Respond, and send. 

At this time another customer can click on the Live Chat icon and multiple chats can be handled simultaneously, separated by tabs at the top of the chat screen. 

Now your potential customer makes their first purchase based on the real-advice from your helpful staff over the Live Chat and becomes a life long customer that tells all their friends and family about your impeccable customer service. 

Perhaps the best way to think of Live Chat is another tool in your sales arsenal, one more touch point in the sales process.  To find out how you could benefit from WSM’s Live Chat contact us today.  You might be missing an opportunity to sell right now!