An increasing number of companies are offering live chat features on their website. While this is a great feature to have on a site, it does come with a few pros and cons. Here are a few distinct benefits and drawbacks that you should consider before asking your web design team to add a live chat box to your site.
Advantages:
- Better customer service: Today’s consumers are digital natives and they are more demanding than ever before. Few people are prepared to pick up the phone and call a business if they have a query these days, so being able to give instant feedback means you will be offering a more competitive service.
- Instant feedback: If your receptionist is currently the person answering phone calls, then you might be missing out on other potential clients who are trying to get through to your business. With a live chat box, you can chat to more people at the same time.
- Business insights: With a live chat box, you will be able to use analytics to find out what people are asking about and where you could potentially improve your product or service.
Disadvantages:
- Not all your customers will use or like it: While some website visitors will be inclined to ask a question if they see a live chat box, less computer-inclined people will probably avoid it. Make sure that you also provide a landline number and email address for those who prefer more traditional communication channels.
- Mobile compatibility: Make sure you discuss the live chat box with your web developers. It doesn’t always work seamlessly across different mobile platforms, so hire a company who can show you what the tool will look like on different types of phones and platforms.
- Support: You need to make sure that you have agents who are on-duty to answer chats in a timely fashion if you add this feature to your site.
Need advice on web design or about adding a live chat box to your site? Then contact us today.