Customer support gets a bad rap: You email about a product only to receive radio silence or talk to a rude representative on the phone. Scenarios like this aren’t just frustrating; they often make brands lose out on business.
Brick-and-mortar can save face during in-person interactions, but for e-commerce, your website is your identity. You need to be able to solve challenges easily if you want to please prospects and customers and secure conversions. E-commerce live chat enables instant support and user-friendly engagement opportunities to drive the customer journey forward.
Perks of Using Live Chat on Your E-Commerce Site
Shorter phone queues, conversations that are a bit less uncomfortable ... e-commerce live chat makes service interactions better for brands and customers alike. The benefits you achieve may vary from your neighbor down the street, but just about anyone can take advantage of what we’ll call the “four I’s”:
1. Immediate Support
As we all know thanks to a meme-worthy 2012 interview, “Ain’t nobody got time for that!” Customers need answers now, or they may bolt. E-commerce live chat provides real-time assistance exactly when people need it, zapping the wait times customers and prospects might otherwise spend on traditional email or phone support. The rapid response enhances customer service by showing that you value their time—and you can take this even further by leveraging automated chatbots and message templates to address common questions.
2. Improved Customer Experience
Get closer to an in-person experience by offering more personalized interactions on your website. E-commerce live chat fills the gaps, ranging from pre-programmed greetings such as “Hi, how can I help?” to more in-depth, one-on-one human support.
Using customer data, you can tailor conversations and recommend relevant upsells and cross-sells based on their interests. Live chat not only provides a more engaging shopping experience but also helps build rapport with customers, allowing you to adapt the conversation to meet their specific needs and resolve issues in the moment.
3. Increased Conversions
It’s common sense that quick, responsive support increases conversions. If you have the power to answer customers’ questions right away, why wouldn’t you use it? E-commerce live chat guides prospects and customers toward conversion by addressing their queries in real time so they have the confidence to do business with you.
By tracking customer behavior on your website via analytics, you can pinpoint and address friction points that interfere with customer experience and conversion. And by resolving those issues quickly, live chat can help your brand significantly reduce cart abandonment.
4. Invaluable Convenience
We’ve all been there: You call a support line, only to jam to elevator music for what feels like forever. It forces would-be shoppers to hit pause on their shopping experience to find answers and takes time away from their daily lives. E-commerce live chat allows customers to multitask—whether that means continuing to browse or doing laundry—while they receive support, keeping the process seamless and efficient.
Plus, going virtual minimizes repetition. Instead of having customers repeat their problem to five different people, you can collect the information once or even pull in their previous support history.
Ensuring Top-Notch Customer Satisfaction
The common theme for live chat is its customer focus. You may win more sales, but your brand is meeting the customer where they are to make them happy. And an e-commerce live chat experience grows satisfaction in so many ways.
Offering Quick Solutions
If customers can get what they need easily, they’re more likely to stick with you. Live chat offers faster problem-solving so they can proceed with purchases.
Zendesk found that live chat support outperforms other support channels, achieving an 85 percent customer satisfaction rate that beats help centers, email, and social media. When all is said and done, the customers you chat with are not only more likely to feel satisfied with the support they receive but are also likely to stay engaged with your website.
Maintaining 24/7 Support Availability
Do you have customers across the country or even on the other side of the world? Do service requests come in around the clock? Offering 24/7 e-commerce live chat helps you support customers across time zones, so no one’s left stranded. Customers get the freedom to initiate conversations at their convenience, and support staff can respond during or after hours.
Combine this level of access with a robust knowledge base of information, and customers can get what they need at every turn. Talk about a smooth and stress-free experience!
Humanizing Digital Shopping
Convenient though it may be, e-commerce removes the bustling, social side of shopping. But you can at least mimic some of the hallmarks of in-store interactions with retail associates.
Live chat adds a human element to online shopping, helping customers feel valued and connected. Personalizing these interactions by using the customer's name or tailoring responses to their specific needs can make their experience more engaging and satisfying, building long-term trust and loyalty.
Effective E-Commerce Live Chat Examples to Inspire You
OK, but what does all this look like on my website, and does it really matter that much?
Glad you asked—and heck yes, it does.
As a web user yourself, you see chat options all over the internet, and you know some experiences are clunkier than others. But with the right approach and a thoughtful design, live chat really is a game changer. Consider a few examples as food for thought.
Blazy Susan Chatbot and Live Chat
SmartBug client Blazy Susan is the premier provider of marijuana rolling papers and smoking accessories, and the company knows a thing or two about interacting with customers. With a little assist from our expert marketing team, Blazy Susan paired an AI chatbot with live chat to improve resolution times.
“Blazy Bot” is accessible via a chat bubble in the corner of each page, giving customers a quick and easy way to ask questions. If necessary, Blazy Bot reroutes to a live chat system to initiate conversations and address questions or issues. Customers see a simple message prompt before speaking to a live agent:
Blazy Susan’s agents are well trained on the company’s product catalog to answer any possible concerns, and each one has smokin’ customer service skills to ensure customers keep coming back again and again.
Chewy Customer Care
Story time! If I had to pick my own best live chat experience in recent memory, it’d have to be Chewy. The brand has a stellar customer service reputation, in part because of the famed sympathy bouquets they send when furry friends pass on. But I have to say the live chat is top-notch, too. Not only do they offer 24/7 support from a real person, but their prompts also easily point customers to the right agent to streamline the experience. And if you want the absolute best experience possible, you can create profiles for your pets so support agents can refer to them by name and ask how they’re doing.
But back to my story.
Not long ago, I had to talk to Chewy support about how my cat Rocket’s wet food order had been canceled. I’m used to wrangling tough situations (I work in marketing, after all!), but I was cranky about the situation as the chat began. Still, the agent remained patient and helpful as she collected details about my issue, showing empathy and having a casual conversation with me as she looked for a solution.
By the end of our chat, she not only resolved my problem but had me in stitches and wished Rocket well, too. The experience made me feel closer to the Chewy brand—and your e-commerce live chat solution should work to do the same.
Ace Your Marketing with Live Chat
Whether you’re striving to provide instant support or grow conversions and sales, e-commerce live chat has the power to shape customer experiences for the better. And as the flurry of Black Friday and Cyber Monday season approaches, live chat also offers your brand a competitive edge. Maximize your holiday marketing push—download our BFCM Full Customer Lifecycle Playbook for expert insights on incorporating chat functions and other winning strategies the whole season long.
Tutorials, Tools, & Customizable Templates
Skyrocket BFCM revenue with our Full Customer Lifecycle Playbook
Other insights you might like
