Having a great product or offering an excellent service will definitely bring in customers. What's going to keep those customers depends on what your business offers beyond the product or service. We all know customer service is what sets many businesses apart in terms of building a loyal customer base. When you have great customer service, you will, over time, grow a reputation that will keep customers loyal to your business and even become your advocates.

An important aspect that gains and keeps customers is convenience, whether on desktop or (increasingly) on mobile. Let’s face it. We live in an era where we can manage pretty much all aspects of our life right from our smartphones. We are now a generation where convenience has taken on a whole new meaning. We no longer want or need to make a call to get service. We can simply start a chat conversation with customer service while still shopping without missing a beat. This is one of the reasons your business should have live chat. Live chat is the perfect blend of great customer service and convenience.

What is the main reason to offer live Chat? Two words: instant gratification! Set yourself apart from your competitors by offering your customers the ability to connect with you instantly. Research shows that while shopping online, nearly 60% of users aged 25-44yrs prefer to use the chat feature over making a phone call. The reasons they give are, they value the no hold time and -ahem, convenience. The is a result of the age of the mobile-friendly smartphone. If you’re a business that doesn't sell product online, don't think this isn't for you. The same research asked individuals who were online for reasons other than shopping the same question and guess what? Nearly 70% of people aged 25-34 and over 50% of people aged 35-44 still prefer to ask questions via live chat rather than call in. Pretty substantial right?

 
Now consider that you also have the opportunity to increase sales while the customer is shopping in real time. As the customer is asking questions, a customer service representative can answer right away giving that shopper the confidence to proceed with the purchase. The shopper is much more likely to return to your site knowing someone will always be there to answer their questions or concerns. You can also make suggestions on other products or services the customer may benefit from.

Furthermore, you can use the chat transcripts to improve your customer service experience. You can then analyze trends and make website adjustments accordingly. Some content management systems, like BannerOS actually tie this chat data to its website analytics program. In offering this, you can make correlations regarding visits to your website and the questions asked during the chat session.

If you are considering adding live chat, it's a great way to give yourself an edge over competition. Make sure you train employees well in online customer service because the last thing you want is to offer this feature and then lack the skills to execute it properly. You can see where your staff may need improvement or where they excel. This is important for improving the quality of service you provide to current and potential customers. Follow best practices and you will be fine!

*Data and charts provided by Software Advice, a Gartner company.