Do you run a small business with a small budget, but a big heart and a big desire to amp up your customer service? Maybe it’s time for you to start utilizing technology like a chat widget to get at more leads and customers.
If you look at trends in customer service you will notice that 40% of customers expect live chat widgets on websites and that number goes up to 50% if they are browsing the website on a smartphone. Those are some astounding numbers. It’s time you took your customer service to the next level.
Let’s read on to see what a chat widget is and how you can use it to your business advantage.
What Is a Chat Widget?
A chat widget is a ready-to-use chat window that pops up on your website when someone (a potential lead or a current customer) is browsing your website. These live chat widgets are customizable and can display a particular image, by-line, or a call-to-action.
You can make it so the chat widget can answer certain common questions with preordained answers. For example, if you always get people asking you what are your average shipping times, you can enter in a generic answer to that question, every time someone asks it in the chat widget.
Of course, if you have a live customer service person, they can be available on the chat window to interact with anyone who wants answers to their questions or is looking for information about their account or shipped goods. This can improve customer communication greatly, as you can imagine.
There are also many options for what to do after the person is finished chatting in your chat window. They can either receive a transcript of their conversation in an email they provide or provide feedback on the conversation and customer service.
As you can see, a chat widget is highly customizable to you and your business needs.
Advantages of Using a Chat Window on Your Website
There are many advantages of using live chat widgets on your website. Let’s look at some of them below.
24/7 Customer Service
Let’s face it. No matter how much you wish to have 24/7 customer service, sometimes it’s just not feasible. Not only is it exorbitantly expensive to have 24/7 customer service, but it can also be a huge logistical nightmare.
If you are a small business owner who would like the convenience and advantages of a 24/7 customer service team without paying the big bucks, getting a chat widget for your website is a great way to do it. A chat widget is always available on your website, 24/7/365 answering questions, getting feedback, and more.
Boost Engagement with a Chatbot
If you use an AI chatbot in your chat window, that can boost your customer communication ratings. A chatbot will be able to answer certain questions that are in its database with generic answers. It could be as simple as saying, “I’m sorry but a live agent isn’t available right now. They will be back at 9 am EST tomorrow.”
Or it could be more complex where they answer particular details about certain order numbers or flight details. Certain airlines are using chatbots to answer questions about flights purchased, or canceled, and refunds issued.
This requires a bit of upfront work from you to furnish the chatbot database with the right information. But as you can imagine, it will save you and your company oodles of money and time in the future.
Increase Customer Satisfaction
As seen above, customers and potential leads want your website to have a chat widget and are disappointed when there isn’t one. It’s also likely that they had to choose between two websites, one with a chat widget and one without, they would go for one that has a chat window present.
If you wish to increase your current customer satisfaction, AND boost leads coming into your business, consider a chat widget as a mandatory online marketing tool.
Increase Sales
Perhaps you are missing out on sales in your business because your customers (potential or current) aren’t getting their questions answered in time. People are impatient nowadays. This is the age of instant gratification. Customers want their questions answered right now, otherwise, they are likely to take their business elsewhere.
If you wish to boost your sales, a chat widget can help you answer frequent questions that customers come up with, so you can move them along the sales cycle easier and quicker.
Automate Your Customer Service Work (and Save On Costs)
The great thing about a chat widget is that you will see trends in the kind of questions customers ask frequently. If the same question keeps coming up repeatedly, you can set up an automation where the question gets answered satisfactorily.
It will also give you an idea of what kind of content you need to include on your website and your FAQ. Fill in the gaps in your customer service using your chat widget’s analytics.
Of course, getting a chat widget is much cheaper than hiring a full-time 24/7 customer service team. Not only that, but a chat widget never goes out for lunch or a break, and never takes holidays. Just like your website is always online, working 365 days a year to drum up business for you, a chat widget does the same.
Don’t Lag on Your Customer Service Any Longer
If you feel like your customer service is lackluster and could use a boost, consider getting a chat widget from GP Chat today. Instantly respond to your customers and leads. Don’t leave them hanging.
You can also add an SMS text feature to your chat widget, where your customers can text your business and receive instant gratification. Schedule a demo today and find out how GP Chat can help you boost your revenue by 25%.