How Can I Sell More with a Live Chat on a Website or Landing Page?

Having a landing page in one’s online business is virtually mandatory nowadays. They are responsible for bringing more leads and giving a focused user experience. However, despite its more conversion-centric format, the performance of landing pages can always be improved with additional tools or features. And in this text, I will talk about a change, which is one of those we tend to describe as small but mighty! Let me introduce a… chat!

It’s so common to see the chat widget in the corner of the screen that we rarely stop to think about why it’s there at all.

Though it’s sometimes associated with customer support, its importance in sales or business pages is not to be overestimated. No wonder we can currently choose from the wide range of apps to be integrated with your site. WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Zendesk, LiveChat, and Freshchat are only most common examples.

Yet, one thing is to have a chat, and the other is to turn it into an effective marketing tool. From this guide, you’ll learn not only what a chat really is and which functions it may cover in your business but also what are the key benefits of using it and how to select the best live chat software tools for your company.

Now straight ahead to the nitty-gritty!

What is and What is Not a Chat?

Firstly, let’s look up a dictionary. It’s said that a chat is a real-time, interactive form of communication conducted through text-based messages exchanged between individuals or groups over the internet.

In today’s digital age, live chat serves as a vital feature on websites, enabling immediate and direct communication between visitors and company representatives (customer support, sales, etc.). This dynamic platform empowers businesses to provide instant assistance, address queries, and offer solutions promptly.

By integrating chat widgets seamlessly into your website or a landing page, your company can engage with potential customers proactively, guide them through purchasing decisions, and even seize cross-selling or upselling opportunities.

With its growing prevalence and user-friendly nature, live chat has emerged as a fundamental tool to enhance customer support and elevate the overall functionality of websites.

Is Live Chat Really Live?

The term “live chat” might lead us to assume immediate human interaction, but the reality may surprise you.

While live chat is indeed a real-time communication channel on websites, it doesn’t always involve a live human agent!

Some businesses opt for chatbots or AI-powered virtual assistants to handle initial queries. Though these AI-driven solutions provide instant responses, they lack the human touch and empathy that customers often seek.

On the other hand, some companies do offer genuine live chat support with real human representatives, ensuring personalized and empathetic assistance.

Understanding the distinction between AI-driven and human-powered live chat is crucial for businesses seeking to deliver top-notch customer service while managing customer expectations effectively.

When (and How) may a Bot Assist Us?

Regardless of the above, most companies combine using bots with live support provided in real-time. This is due to limited human resources or the huge number of questions that cannot be addressed in a while. In such a case, using a bot as a communication first step is a good idea. It may welcome the site visitor and provide some basic information.

Even if a bot’s answers do not fully cover the subject, they should be sufficient to ensure the user that he is on the right path to solve his problem or receive answers to questions he reached us with. As he probably perceives contact as established, he could wait a bit longer to speak to a real person.

In the meantime, your benefit is winning some time and increasing the chances of fitting the right person from your team to take over and manage the conversation. Yeah, an intelligent and properly configured chatbot allows for effective support or sales ticket management, so it is a must, especially for big companies.

What Exactly Does “Real-Time” Mean?

When we encounter the term “real-time” in the context of live chat, it refers to the instantaneous nature of communication. In real-time chat, interactions occur without any noticeable delay, allowing for immediate responses between users and company representatives. This swift exchange of messages enables businesses to address customer queries promptly, resulting in enhanced customer satisfaction.

But how to understand the term “instantaneous”? Online communication is not ping pong, and feedback is not coming through in a second. Let’s suppose you’ve received your answer on chat after one minute – is it instantaneous or not? Presumably yes! But what if your query is answered in five minutes – is it still instantaneous?

There is no magical border between what is and what is not instantaneous.

But “real-time” communication is basically different than, for example, correspondence, as both sender and recipient have the right to expect their messages will be answered immediately. Immediately means “with no delay”, not “just right now”!

If you are asked questions but, unfortunately, are also unable to answer them due to a knowledge gap, let the user know that his inquiry has been redirected to customer service agents, and one of them will shortly come back with the answer. Of course, earlier, you should notify the right person from your support teams.

If the question is asked outside of business hours or you or your support agents are not online, exploit the chatbot to notify the user of this fact. It’s more than a pure courtesy, as it may prevent visitors from losing interest in your offer.

And what about… ChatGPT?

In the last months, ChatGPT is for sure one of the most exploited software tools across the world. It’d be a rough challenge to find an internet user who hasn’t used or – at least – heard about it.

But cutting to the chase: yes, ChatGPT is real-time and is available globally 24 hours a day (like other AI chat platforms). Thus, maybe you are wondering why not implement a tool like this on your page. I am sure some of the following ideas pop up in your mind:

• no need to hire support agents,
• full availability every moment,
• instant messaging,
• answers to all the questions,
• no additional live chat support software required.

Unfortunately, at the moment, it’s a pure dream to have all of these features, no matter which service or AI tool you bet for.

Above all, external AI tools are trained on limited data, which are not so “specific” to fit perfectly to all communication profiles, business models, etc. Therefore, it’s very probable that after implementing a fully AI-powered liver chat on your landing page, you will have to spend a lot of money and devote much time to train it on your internal data in order to learn how it should communicate properly in line of your communication and business strategy.

Even then, however, it won’t replace at all contact with professionals from the live chat support team. AI live chat tools often have issues with answering compound questions or solving untypical problems. Only people can also express empathy and intentionally build a positive atmosphere, which is why (wo)man-to-(wo)man communication remains the finest pattern for customer interactions.

The Benefits of Live Chat on a Website or Landing Page

There are several goals in which achieving live chat can prove to be a great support.

Customer Engagement

Live chat serves as a powerful customer engagement tool, enabling interactions between marketers and website visitors. By offering instant assistance, personalized recommendations, and quick query resolution, marketers can actively engage potential customers, fostering a deeper connection and building brand loyalty.

The interactive nature of live chat encourages open communication, giving marketers valuable insights into customer preferences, pain points, and interests, which can be leveraged to tailor marketing strategies and enhance user experience.

Customer Satisfaction

One of the key advantages of live chat is its ability to significantly enhance customer satisfaction levels. With prompt responses and assistance, marketers can address customer concerns swiftly, leaving a positive impression and a sense of being valued.

Unlike traditional support channels, live chat eliminates long wait times, leading to improved customer experiences and higher levels of contentment.

Satisfied customers are more likely to become brand advocates, spreading positive word-of-mouth and contributing to the overall success of marketing efforts.

Lead Generation and Qualification

Live chat also acts as a potent lead generation and qualification tool for marketers. By engaging website visitors in real-time conversations, marketers can collect vital information, such as contact details and preferences, turning anonymous visitors into qualified leads.

Additionally, live chat allows marketers to engage in proactive outreach. Through active conversation, marketers can identify high-potential prospects and prioritize follow-ups, maximizing lead conversion rates and boosting overall sales performance.

Overcoming Purchase Obstacles

Finally, live chat plays a critical role in overcoming purchase obstacles that customers may encounter during their buying journey. Whether it’s addressing product inquiries, providing additional information, or resolving potential concerns, live chat enables marketers to facilitate seamless decision-making.

The availability of instant support can prevent cart abandonment and encourage hesitant customers to complete their purchases.

By offering personalized solutions and effectively addressing objections, marketers can streamline the sales process, ultimately leading to increased conversions and – of course – higher revenue.

Best Practices for Implementing Live Chat

There is no golden recipe on what while implementing live chat

Staff Training and Communication Skills

Invest in comprehensive staff training to equip your customer support representatives with the necessary skills and knowledge to utilize the live chat tool effectively. Emphasize the importance of active listening, empathy, and problem-solving skills to ensure that your support team can deliver a positive and personalized customer experience.

Find out here how you can improve your company’s customer support.

Encourage continuous learning and development to keep your team up-to-date with the latest product or service information, enabling them to address customer queries more efficiently and with confidence.

Make them aware of overall conversational skills, which are crucial in all communication channels and types.

Check out here the most common mistakes in live chat conversations and learn how to avoid them and not lose your customers.

Strategic Placement

Strategically place the live chat widget on your landing page to maximize its visibility and impact. Consider positioning it in a prominent corner or at the bottom right of the screen, ensuring that it doesn’t obstruct important content. By placing the live chat widget properly, you can capture the attention of visitors, making it convenient for them to seek assistance or engage in conversations.

Integrating with CRM and Sales Tools

Integrate your live chat system with your customer relationship management (CRM) and sales tools to streamline lead management and customer data collection. This integration will facilitate the smooth transfer of customer information between platforms, allowing your marketing and sales teams to access valuable insights from live chat interactions. By tracking customer behavior and preferences, you can identify potential prospects and tailor personalized marketing efforts, resulting in enhanced customer engagement and conversion rates.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Regularly monitor live chat (support or sales) interactions to assess the performance of your support team. Utilize chat monitoring tools to measure key performance indicators (KPIs) such as response times, customer satisfaction ratings, and issue resolution rates.

Analyzing these metrics will help you identify areas for improvement and provide constructive feedback to your team. Conducting periodic evaluations will enable you to maintain consistent and high-quality customer support, ultimately contributing to increased customer retention and loyalty.

Customer support satisfaction survey in Landingi. Yeah, this is a real-life example!

Mobile-compatible Design

According to Think with Google, 50% of web traffic comes from mobile. Ensure that the live chat feature is optimized for mobile users. A mobile-friendly design will enable seamless interactions for visitors accessing your landing page from smartphones and tablets, contributing to increased engagement and conversions.

Chat Transcripts and Analytics

Save and analyze chat transcripts to gain valuable insights into customer behavior, preferences, and pain points. Use this data to refine your marketing strategies, identify popular product/service requests, and enhance the overall user experience.

Proactive Chat Invitations

Utilize proactive chat invitations to engage visitors on your landing page. By monitoring user behavior and triggers, such as exit intent or time spent on a page, initiate live chat invitations to offer personalized assistance, preventing potential customers from leaving without finding the information they need.

Proactive chat feature – template by LiveAgent.

Being proactive in catching the interest of site visitors is a clear message that you take care of them and they are somehow important for you, which ultimately improves overall customer experience.

Thus, don’t hesitate to initiate a chat conversation and take the first step in the communication process.

A/B Testing

Conduct A/B testing to optimize the performance of your landing page or website chat feature. Test different variations of the live chat widget, such as its design, colors, or invitation triggers, to identify which version generates the highest engagement and conversion rates.

By continuously experimenting with various elements, you can fine-tune your live chat strategy, delivering an exceptional user experience that aligns perfectly with your landing page’s objectives.

A/B testing allows you also to make data-driven decisions, ensuring that your live chat implementation yields the best results and delivers significant value to your marketing efforts.

A/B testing idea. A chat widget placement or its icon design should be selected based on previously collected data. A/B tests seem to be the most valuable source of them.

How to Choose Best Live Chat Software for Landing Pages

Live chat software and messaging apps are not limited to Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and a set of popular marketing tools. There is an infinite array of live chat apps to choose from. So the question is: how to select one that fits best for your business? Find below some issues worth your close attention.

Limits

When choosing a live chat app for your business website, pay close attention to any limitations imposed by the platform.

Some chat tools may have restrictions on the number of concurrent chats or the number of users, which could impact your customer support capabilities during peak hours. Assess the limitations of the application carefully to ensure it aligns with your business’s size and anticipated chat volume.

Opt for a chat solution that offers scalability and flexibility to accommodate your growing business needs.

Design and UX

When considering chat design for your business website, focus on selecting a chat application that offers a visually appealing and user-friendly chat widget.

The chat widget, often positioned at the bottom right corner of the page, acts as the entry point for customer interactions. Ensure that the chat window design seamlessly complements your website’s overall aesthetics and branding, fostering a cohesive user experience.

A well-designed chat window should be easily customizable to match your website’s color scheme and layout, presenting a professional and inviting interface for visitors to engage with your customer support team effortlessly.

Mobile-friendly

In today’s mobile-centric world, it is crucial to select a chat application that is mobile-friendly.

Verify that the chosen tool offers a responsive design, allowing seamless chat interactions for visitors accessing your website from smartphones and tablets. A mobile-friendly chat enhances user experience and accessibility, providing on-the-go support for your customers.

Additionally, look for chat applications that offer mobile apps for customer support agents, enabling them to respond to inquiries promptly, regardless of their location.

Prioritizing mobile-friendliness will ensure that your chat solution caters to the needs of your mobile audience effectively.

Tickets Management

An essential feature to consider in a chat application is its ticket management system. This functionality enables your customer support team to efficiently track and organize customer inquiries, ensuring that no issues fall through the cracks.

Look for a chat tool that allows seamless ticket creation, assignment, and prioritization, streamlining the resolution process.

A robust support tickets management system not only enhances customer satisfaction (learn more) but also empowers your team to address complex queries methodically and promptly.

Paid or Free

Best live chat software tools are paid but usually have a free trial option. It’s a perfect way to test some apps to check if they meet your requirements and verify their compatibility with other tools in your marketing ecosystem.

Free live chat solutions and apps are often limited in functions (chat limits, basic version of dashboard and metrics, no integrations with CRM, etc.), so they may be insufficient for big companies with huge traffic volumes and lots of customer inquiries received each hour. Additionally, free live chat software may not be so perfect in terms of design and UX (e.g., the chat widget or chat window may be too simple with no customization option).

Integrate Live Chat Apps to Your Landing Pages with Landingi

A landing page is a must in every business or marketing ecosystem. According to TechJury report, “77% of landing pages are positioned as a home page“. This means that a traditional website is becoming less and less necessary, which is no surprise if we take into account that landing pages are highly-engaging and conversion-focused in their nature, so they perfectly fit every business model (even if different businesses require different types of landing pages).

In Landingi creator, you may easily build fully-customizable landing pages at scale with no coding skills or technical knowledge.

Dive into our templates gallery, including over 400 patterns for your landing pages, page sections, or pop-ups. Use Smart Sections to move whole parts of your pages from one page to another with one click. Grab and incorporate into your landing pages thousands of free images and icons from the Unsplash gallery built into the creator.

Not to mention you can also integrate your pages created in Landingi with the best live chat software tools and apps like – for instance – WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, LiveChat, Zendesk Chat, Freshchat, Intercom, Olark, Simple Live (includes video chat), ManyChat and Huggy Chat.

Choose your plan and check it out! Fully-featured trial for each of them is currently completely free!