Published on February 6th, 2015 | by Diogo Costa

Why Business Websites Should Have a Chat

Way before the (now) famous Facebook or other social networks, chat was a very communication mechanism, especially among the students. Softwares like mIRC were way popular back then, mostly because of the relaxation that was inherent to text communication.

Throughout the years, chat has seen some evolutions, up until the models we see today on those same social networks and other dedicated services. Its use is actually gaining pace with all the mobile apps coming out, but is also being widely used in other distinct areas, such as business.

Today, chat is a valuable tool for e-commerce and customer service, being an almost indispensable mean of communication with customers. According to data from E-tailing Group (referring to 2011), in the United States of America and the United Kingdom, 67% of consumers have interacted with an online retailer using chat, 9% more when comparing to data from a year before. That same company estimated a growth up until 75% in 2013.

From the consumer’s point of view, chat is preferred due to its convenience and readiness. Unlike email, answers are far more immediate, without the anguish brought by the waiting (which can often be eternal). While it is true that writing takes longer than, for example, talking on the phone, using the chat eliminates the need to repeat certain things, avoids confusions, along with several other advantages.

That is why companies should opt for chatting services, like the one offered by Pure Chat, as they take all the hassle from the installation process by making it really easy. Together with what the chatting agent can do, like having some automated scripts, stock phrases ready or a history of contacts, will speed up the process of customer service and, at the same time, raise customer satisfaction with the company’s service.

Of course that, in a business context, there is not much space to clients and agents to be much worried about freedom of speech, in a democratic use of the channel or even the adoption of strange names like “prince”, “lover”, “batgirl” or “thebest123”. Things will not always be perfect, that is true, but they will surely be better when looking at the big picture.

Tags: business, chat, customers, websites