Any live chat solution will involve placing code on your website to allow for a two way conversation in real time between the website visitor and a company representative. At a basic level there are two different options for businesses to choose between when it comes to selecting a live chat solution for their business.
Live Chat Software
Live chat software packages typically consist of the software and supporting analytics in order for you to manage the chat yourself. It's usually fairly inexpensive in upfront costs, however the challenge (and the expense) for a business is how to ensure that you're always online when your prospective customers want to chat to you (spoiler alert it's often not during working hours). Here at Yomdel, 52% of chats occur outside of office working hours so self-managing a live chat service only during normal working hours can severely restrict the potential benefits to be gained.
Managed Live Chat
In comparison a fully managed live chat service makes no demands on your staffing resource. Chats conducted on your website are managed by a fully trained operator who acts as an extension to your internal team and are also fully trained to turn a chatter into a customer.
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The benefit of live chat is that it enables an immediate response to questions, based on on the idea that if you engage with them and can answer their questions then they are more likely to buy from you rather than bounce off your website and go to a competitors website. Not all companies have the manpower to dedicate the staff and resources needed to maintain a live chat and unfortunately if you leave someone waiting online whilst your staff are busy then you will be failing before you’ve started.
People expect a live chat to be manned whenever they are online, so yes, that means 24/7. This is one of the advantages of working with a managed live chat company such as Yomdel; there is no break in service due to being out of hours, or sickness or absenteeism of any kind. Covering such long periods inhouse can be a real financial strain on any company, which makes outsourcing a cost-effective solution.
One size doesn’t fit all
Even with the managed live chat option not all live chat service providers are the same. Some offer tightly scripted responses, which can come across as a hard sell. Others can also take several minutes between interactions, making it feel as though there is nothing live about the chat at all. Unlike ourselves, many providers in the UK do not offer a 24 /7 / 365 solution so the hours of service offered should be a key consideration. In order to assist anyone who is researching the managed live chat options available to them we have created a 'seven killer questions to ask a potential live chat provider'
Companies such as ourselves who provide a managed live chat solution with a real person ensure that the chat operators are comprehensively trained in order to be fully knowledgeable on the products and services that you sell. New customers starting the process of setting up are sometimes under the false illusion that getting to the point of going live can be an onerous and time-consuming process. The reality however couldn't be further from the truth with many new clients able to be set up within days.
A competitive edge
If you’re looking for a way to get the edge on your competitors, live chat can provide you with an amazing return on investment as well as delivering an incredibly professional first impression. Live chats allow you to generate leads and nurture them through your sales funnel, thus demonstrating that you’re a company that cares and so boosting your reputation. By making yourself stand out you have the potential to become an industry leader in your market, which in turn allows you to extend your reach and connect with new markets. Whether it is live or managed, chat will give you the competitive edge you need.
If you would like to investigate how managed live chat can benefit your business, get in touch.
Yomdel is proud to be the pioneer of truly intelligent managed live chat in the UK, offering the best live chat experience that significantly improves an organisation’s website lead generation, converts customers into fans, and which also adds significantly to its clients’ bottom lines.
For more information, please visit www.yomdel.com or email info@yomdel.com
Photo by Riccardo Annandale on Unsplash
