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Five Live Chat Support Trends Everyone Should Know

Today's online shoppers expect to receive help when they want it, fast responses, and interactions with real people. No wonder they love businesses that offer live chat. The truth is that phone and...

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Today's online shoppers expect to receive help when they want it, fast responses, and interactions with real people. No wonder they love businesses that offer live chat. 

The truth is that phone and email support are losing traction with prospective customers while live chat continues to grow in popularity. Wonder why? 

Here are the top live chat support trends to know as a business. 

1. More Than 85% of Companies Say They Plan to Offer Live Chat by 2022

With 2.14 billion digital customers worldwide thus far in 2021, more and more companies are looking to enhance their online shopping experience. In fact, more than 85% of companies said they planned to offer live chat by 2022, according to Gartner.

If you're not already one of the companies taking advantage of live chat, you need to consider implementing it in the near term.

2. Customers Want Instant Support Through Live Chat

Live chat allows shoppers to ask questions and seek advice in real-time. Rather than struggling through an automated voice system on the phone or waiting 48 hours to receive an email response, shoppers can get instant support through live chat. 

Consider this fact: Forrester reports that more than two-thirds of customers equate excellent service with an efficient experience that shows a company values its time.

What does that mean for you? The more efficiently you can provide support, the better. When you can offer expedient one-on-one interactions through live chat, people will know they value their time — and customer satisfaction can rise.  

3. Millennials and Gen Z Prefer Live Chat Over Other Channels

It's no surprise that millennials and gen Z prefer live chat over other channels because they've grown up with technology. Sending an instant message is more natural to them than picking up the phone or typing a wordy email. 

Seeing as these two generations will likely spend trillions of dollars in the next decade, it only makes sense that your company caters to their shopping behaviors.

4. Live Chat Customer Satisfaction is Higher Than with Other Channels

No one likes waiting on hold for countless minutes or anxiously waiting for an email response in order to submit their online order. Those are two big reasons why live chat receives a higher satisfaction rating than its alternatives. 

In fact, an article in Forbes reported that more than 80% of customers felt satisfied with their live chat experiences. As businesses become more proficient in delivering quick and thorough live chat responses, these satisfaction rates can climb. 

5. Live Chat Can Motivate Customers to Convert

Don't think an investment in live chat will pay off in the end? Think again. 

Digital marketing guru Neil Patel explains that just 2% of visitors convert on a typical website — that is, they make an inquiry or purchase. With live chat, companies may see 10% to 50% of all visitors engaging with them. On average, one-third of those may buy or become viable prospects. 

Keep in mind that most companies don't let people buy directly from chat, according to Forrester's Consumer Technographics study. Instead, live chat allows businesses to influence a sale by reviewing product availability, explaining ordering options, and facilitating in-store appointments. 

What's more, that Forrester study found 42% of people agreed that having live chat was an important feature — with that percentage nearly doubling in two years. There's no doubt that live chat is here to say. Companies that use it effectively can meet customer demands and motivate more conversions.

Live Chat is Worth the Investment

We know implementing live chat takes time, money, and resources. But if live chat support trends tell you anything, it's that the investment will pay off. 

Not sure where to start? Helpware can assist you in creating an impressive digital customer experience and building a customized digital support team. We can help you ramp up your live chat while helping you deliver an omnichannel support experience that streamlines customer communications.

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