“No way! I’m much too small.” Was that you’re initial response? For many SMBs, implementing online chat on their website seems to be overkill. But is it?
In today’s competitive business environment, customer satisfaction is the key to survival. Moreover, if you’re an SMB, you have to stand out from the crowd. You need to go the extra mile. You need to impress customers. You need to make it easy for them to do business with your company. That’s why online chat is making a comeback.
Live chat is the #1 choice of consumers
Over the last decade, live chat has won the battle against phone and email support to claim top spot in the eyes of consumers. Here are some statistics that may surprise you:
- 79% of consumers prefer live chat because it offers an instant response
- 41% of consumers prefer live chat as the channel for contacting support teams
- 92% of live chat interactions result in consumer satisfaction—more than any other channel
Live chat is more than just a support tool
While many of us have used live chat for support, it’s now become a key mechanism for boosting sales. Because of its being less intrusive than cold calls or emails, consumers are willing to use it since it gives them a feeling of empowerment; or being in control. According to one survey:
- 79 of respondents used live chat for sales while only 63% used it for customer support
- 49% of respondents saw an increase in conversions due to live chat within 2 years of implementation
- 43% of respondents said they had a better understanding of their customers within 1 year of deploying live chat
However, I still haven’t answered the question: If you’re an SMB, should you invest in online chat?
Is live chat for SMBs?
Based on the above, you may still be inclined to think that we’re talking about big corporations with 100s or 1000s of employees and multi-million—or multi-billion—revenues. Nothing could be further than the truth!
- 56% of organizations adopted live chat when they had less than 100 customers
- 74% of organizations implemented live chat when they had less than 10 employees
- 25% of businesses adopted live chat when they were less than one year old
- 28% of businesses had an annual revenue of less than $50,000 when they adopted live chat
Is live chat right for your business?
It could be, but now is not the time to put off the decision. In my next blog, I’ll discuss why now is the right time to implement live chat.
In the meantime, feel free to contact me via Live Chat at http://creologic.ca/ to set up a time to discuss how live chat can boost your business! Alternatively, email me at info@creologic.ca.
About the author
Kelly Grainger is the Founder and President of CreoLogic Design Inc., a leading website and SEO company based in Edmonton, Canada. Leveraging 20-years’ experience, Kelly’s focus is on helping local companies take advantage of digital transformation to enhance services and create competitive differentiation.
