Things you may not know about Live Chat

May 22, 2015 Dilip Barot

At this point in time, most people have at least heard of Live Chat and have a basic idea of what it is, however, if not, let me give you a quick overview.  Live Chat is the means by which a customer can communicate with a representative from a particular business over an internet connection rather than having to make a phone call.  If you have ever been on the website of a retailer and seen a window pop up with a representative offering to help you, then you’ve seen Live Chat in action.  However, there may be some things about Live Chat that you did not know.

First, did you know that Etech Global Services is one of the pioneers in Live Chat technology?  I’m proud to say that Etech Global Services was one of the earliest call centers to offer Live Chat to our Ecommerce customers.  While many may think that Live Chat is a very recent technology, Etech has been helping some of the world’s leading organizations improve their ecommerce sales and service through the use of our sophisticated Live Chat customer service for over 17 years now..  We truly are pioneers with this technology that monitors web site visitors, identifies hot prospects (those likely to buy) and converts these prospects to customers, and can engage customers with very targeted offers.

Second, did you know that Live Chat is a far more convenient way for customers to communicate with your business than calling an 800 number and having to navigate through the maddening maze of options?  It allows the customer to have their issue resolved or their questions answered in far less time, making it more likely for customers to come back to you if you offer a Live Chat option on your website.

In addition to these benefits, here are some other benefits and statistics of Live Chat that you may not know:

• Live Chat cuts down on expenses by lowering average interaction costs, thus lowering over all contact center costs. Also, representatives can handle multiple calls at one time, reducing the need to hire more representatives.
• Live Chat increases sales by offering immediate help to the customer which reduces bounce rates (when a customer leaves your site).
• Live Chat gives you an edge over your competition by enhancing your sales and service capabilities.  This encourages return visits to your Ecommerce site; a definite advantage if your competition does not offer Live Chat.
• In a study conducted by Forrester Research, 44% of online consumers say that having questions answered by a live person while in the middle of an online purchase is one of the most important features a Web site can offer.
• According to a poll by Andersen Consulting, almost 62 percent of Internet consumers said they would purchase more products online if live customer support were available.

Here are some things you may not know about Etech’s Live Chat Services:

• Etech Global Services offers website live chat services 24/7/365 through our onshore, near shore and off-shore locations.
• Etech supports both English and Spanish speaking customers with our dedicated team of chat operators.
• You can view the progress of your website live chat program through our reports and analytics. In a single report, you can easily track close rates, sales per hour, average revenue per sale, and much more.
• Etech also provides a host of ad-hoc reports to meet all of your reporting and business needs.
• Etech offers 30 day free trials so that a business, small or large, can test the impact of live chat in real time.

Because we have been pioneers in this technology, we have published numerous articles over the years on developing a successful live chat service and we regularly speak at leading industry events about live chat trends.  One of these events is the IRCE, Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition coming to Chicago, June 2-5, 2015.  This event allows pioneers, such as Etech, the opportunity to share their expertise in the Ecommerce industry of which Live Chat has played a key role in its success.

Dilip Barot is the Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Etech Global Services, and founder of Creative Choice Group, headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.  Etech employs 2,500 team members across the US, India and Jamaica.  If you would like to learn more about Etech, contact info@etechgs.com for more information