Whether it’s a B2B website, a productivity software or the latest social networking app, live chats have changed the way we purchase, work, and play. They’ve also become an essential part of the customer experience, the missing piece to improve the user journey and scale your business strategy.
When it comes to engagement and retention, in fact, a live chat can ensure a seamless connection, driven by the user intent and not pushed by the company. No better way to establish trust and build a stronger relationship. If loyalty is the most precious asset, a live chat might be your greatest weapon.
The numbers show how critical live communications are for business: while 43% of companies know that their customer communication efforts need improvement, the live chat software market is expected to reach $997 million by 2023. Still wondering where a live chat would fit in your strategy? Here are some relevant live chat statistics that sum up the impact and reach of this powerful tool.
The power of live chats for businesses
As customer engagement rises, so does service expectations for businesses across different industries–how can your business make sure that it doesn’t fall behind the competition? Live chats and chatbots take the guesswork out of customer service and allow for many benefits, which include higher conversion rates, customer loyalty, and all around better online experience.
With the live chat market rising everyday, businesses should integrate this capability to truly stand out and experience unprecedented growth.
1. Live chats are an all-around great addition to businesses: 79% of businesses say offering live chat has had a positive effect on sales, revenue, and customer loyalty.
2. Live chat is also a popular channel among many platforms and countries: 40% of businesses in the United States, Europe, and China leveraged chatbots and virtual agents as of 2020.
3. And getting to know your customers is vital to jumping ahead of the competition–43% of businesses claim that they have a better understanding of their customers within one year of implementing live chat.
4. And businesses are finally catching up to the chatbot trend: 67% of global consumers had an interaction with a chatbot over the last 12 months.
5. 55% of businesses that use chatbots also generate more high-quality leads.
6. More efficiency and opportunity for engagement means improved conversion rates: Online store visitors who use live chat are 513% more likely to become your customers.
7. As customer expectations rise, businesses who integrate chat into their platform have a great advantage–51% of customers are likely to buy again from a company if they offer live chats.
8. If you are still searching for an industry to focus on, these are the ones with the highest percentage of mobile live chats: Media, entertainment & recreation (86%), consumer services (65%), and technology (26%).
9. And the future looks bright for companies: Gartner states that more than 85% of businesses will offer live chat support in some form by 2022 (Gartner)
10. Finally, the time for businesses to integrate live chats is now: This software market is expected to reach $997 million by 2023!
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The power of live chats for customers
Customers are always at the beginning and end of a company’s growth journey. With live chats, this journey takes on a whole new level as growth and satisfaction levels skyrocket. Customers need simple and effective tools at their disposal, but most importantly, they want to remain loyal and engaged with brands that deliver meaningful solutions to them. Here, live chats are the key to a personalized experience.
As you will see below, the power of live chats for customers is clear: More immediacy, positive online experiences, high satisfaction rates, and much more.
11. Since Covid-19, 80% consumers expect better customer service and live chats are stepping up to the occasion.
12. Moreover, nearly 40% of internet users worldwide prefer interacting with chatbots than virtual agents.
13. Things are moving quickly! 79% of customers say they prefer live chat because of the immediacy it provides.
14. The second major reason why more than half of customers (51%) favor live chat is their ability to multitask while reaching out to a company via live chat.
15. Chats are also very popular among younger generations: 42% of users aged 18-24 have used live chat at least once.
16. And especially among millennials: 60% of millennials prefer live chat to traditional media
17. According to recent data from Gorgias, about 86% of live chats end with a satisfied customer.
18. Chats are also an opportunity to engage with like-minded people: 29% of customers say they’ve shared a positive live chat experience with friends.
19. Most importantly, chats turn users into loyal brand ambassadors who are not afraid to invest – chatters spend 60% more per purchase than non-chatters.
20. And of course, chats are great for sales, but they are also a powerful marketing tool: In 29% of cases, according to a study, live chat is used for marketing awareness.
Integrate live chat features for a complete app experience
Let’s face it – from gaining more knowledge on your customers to advertising your latest products and promotions, live chat is one of the most powerful tools that can be integrated into web or mobile applications. And with customer expectations rising, it’s only a matter of time before live chats take over digital platforms and our way of interacting with others along the way. The stage is set–and the numbers speak for themselves.
