Having a website made involves many things. Something that should never be missed is the possibility to contact the website administrator. An obvious way is to get over the phone by email, but something new has surfaced lately.
The chat function! There is a lot of development in the possibilities of a chat function. The question is whether a chat function is really an added value for your website. It is of course a possibility to come into direct contact with the visitors. It is a fast way of communicating for both the customer and the seller. Getting an answer by e-mail often takes much longer.
Whether or not a chat function on your website
It is difficult to say whether the chat function will be the future. It seems that the presence of the chat becomes a norm for the visitor. The visitor often already assumes that they can use a chat instead of an email or telephone contact. This is especially true for web stores. Visitors can go directly to you with a question about the product. This prevents them from going to the competitor.
There is one big caveat to all these positive features of the chat function. If you decide to use this option, you will have to invest a lot of time in this. There is nothing worse than not responding to the questions being asked.
If visitors use a chat, they expect a quick response that can actually help them immediately. If there is no response, they will have a negative feeling and chances are that they will go to the competitor. If you cannot guarantee a fast response, then you might be better off not applying this function.
Numbers
Research has shown that websites with a chat function have more customers who actually make a purchase. So if you have a web store, this feature can have a lot to offer you. A number of remarkable figures can be seen from the study:
- 44% of the visitors indicate that they experience a chat as positive. It helps them on their way quickly with their purchase.
- 62% of visitors return to a website when it contains a chat function.
- 56% of visitors prefer chatting as opposed to emailing or calling.
Implementing a chat function
Especially on WordPress there are numerous plug-ins available to implement a chat function in your website. The only question is, which is the right one? The plug-in that works well for this is called Zopim, but there are also other suitable plug-ins. Also think carefully about how you shape the function within your WordPress web design.
It can be difficult to shape the chat nicely. The function has to stand out in order to attract the visitor’s attention, but it should also not be disturbing and in the way.
Tip: let the chat open automatically when a visitor is present on the website for a certain time.
The visitor knows that contact may be sought and it seems that this option comes from you. The feeling arises that the visitor expects you to respond faster.
