With every passing day, the pace of business is accelerating. Business owners are starting to realize the importance of real-time operations and the downfall of old school tactics. Marketing and technology provide us countless opportunities to reach the consumer with the message about your product or service. But what happens when the potential customer is already interested and is browsing your website right before he makes the purchase and there’s an issue? Or he has a question? This is the moment when he should be given the chance to contact you at this moment with real-time support.
As your website and social media accounts create your image, the customer service aspect vouches for your brand’s character. Thus, it might significantly improve the buying experience and create a long-lasting relationship. Lack of proper service, on the other hand, might be very harmful and discouraging for your potential clients – who might not close the deal and never return. The usual tool for customer service is by email or an 800 number. While the real-time tools can offer live chats or a direct phone number to tackle any questions or issues urgently.
What are the two most important benefits from real-time support or sales communication?
1. It helps to solve customer’s problems very quickly
Steve Krug, web usability expert, has written a book “Don’t Make Me Think” – this phrase should serve as a motto for e-v-e-r-y website owner. Our potential customer should see content and functionalities, which will be clear, intuitive and – most importantly – will answer his potential questions. However, what if we miss something? What if our Client has a question we have not predicted? Take a look at this example: a potential customer of a shop with exclusive chocolate products imported from the most distant part of the world is interested in purchasing a gift. He needs an unusual delivery, which at the moment is not available on the web page. The most convenient way for him would be to get in touch immediately. For the owner, the real-time reaction will be of key significance – while the user is still browsing the website.When using traditional e-mail, the customer must leave the website – once the email is sent, the page will probably be shut in the browser. The trigger for return might appear once the customer receives a reply (however, this might bring further questions…) or a paidremarketing ad .This is why real-time support is so precious: it allows to meet all of the customer’s doubts in one go and makes it easier for him to make a decision. Quick reaction here is of key significance! That has been confirmed with multiple research – for example, Cassie Mogilner & Jennifer Aaker of Stanford Graduate School of Business (2009) – if a customer can get something cheaper or quicker, most will go for the “quicker” option.
2. It makes expert sales easier
The prices of gaining customers are getting higher and higher with each year. Real-time support can let you save money – not only by closing the deal but also by cross-selling. For example, a user looks for winter tires and enters the website of a renowned tire shop, which has a very wide offer of brands: Dunlop, Pirelli, Michelin, Goodyear and many others. It is easy to get confused with such a range of brands, classes and purposes. Additionally, the price of a single purchase is pretty high and all the tires seem very similar…Real-time calls will explain a lot and will definitely help closing the deal – it also will have a long-lasting effect. Real-time support here is expert sales, similar to a personal shopping assistant: as consumers are overwhelmed with the amount of information available, such a service is of great value. And there’s more: such a customer is much less likely to make a return of the product.
Expert and immediate contact is a key point of efficient digital strategy:
- It increases the sales,
- It is convenient for the customer,
- It has a positive influence over his satisfaction
There is a reason that real-time marketing and real-time sales is a major trend nowadays. In the digital world, real-time interaction might be the deal breaker, without which you might miss a lot of opportunities.
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