User experience is a top priority when it comes to your OKC web design. A short window exists to make a positive first impression on users through your website. As such, more companies are using automated and live chat features to enhance user experiences. However, chats have drawbacks that can impact a user’s impression of your company if done incorrectly.
The Downside to Chat Features
Users Want Connection
Automated chats tend to leave users more frustrated than satisfied. Chatbots respond with impersonal, cookie-cutter responses that never seem to answer users’ questions. They easily glitch and are often unable to understand basic questions outside of a limited vocabulary. It can be incredibly frustrating to fight back and forth with a chatbot to send you to a resource article or customer service phone line or ask for your email for a delayed response.
Users want to speak with an actual person for assistance, so if you are persistent on implementing a chat for your website, stick with a live chat.
Extra Time and Resources
Chat is only helpful if it’s live. However, live chats offer their list of downsides, including the use of time and resources. An employee (or more, depending on company size) should be trained to watch and respond to incoming messages for a live chat to be effective. This task takes extra time, possibly throwing a wrench into your employee’s schedule and workload.
Likewise, people hate to be on hold. If an inquiry is not responded to promptly, then it may be rendered as an ineffective resource. Once users see that their questions are not answered quickly, they will most likely reach out by phone, email, or contact form, search for an online resource, or leave your website altogether.
Noise and Nonsense
Another downside to online chat features is that it opens the gateway to noise and nonsense for your company and the user. Spammers will try to gather information about your business through an online chat and ask nonsensical questions. This can make it hard to filter which messages are legitimate requests and which should be disregarded.
Likewise, users do not want to utilize an automated chat only to be spammed with promotions and irrelevant emails later. Understandably, this frustrates users and encourages a negative, untrusting relationship between you and potential clients.
Why You Should Consider a Live Chat
If you are considering a chat feature for your website, it is best to stick with a live chat. When managed by real people, live chats offer several benefits to your OKC web design.
Enhanced Customer Service
Live chats can boost your company’s customer service experience if managed appropriately. Chatting with a live agent provides customers with resolutions to their most pressing needs quickly and efficiently. Customers are able to reach you at the exact moment they have questions, and there is no confusion about when they will receive a response.
Competitive Advantage
If your competitors don’t utilize a live chat, your company has more room to make a lasting impression on customers. When customers are deciding between products or services from different companies, they are more likely to choose the company that is easier to reach with questions and concerns. Likewise, customers are likely to return if they have an excellent chat experience.
Builds Rapport with Customers
Talking with a real person can build rapport and trust with your customers. Live chat agents can adjust their tone, content, and sentiment to best fit the customer’s situation. Live chat also allows agents to showcase their personalities versus that of a lifeless chatbot.
Increased Customer Engagement
With a reliable live chat service, customers are more likely to engage on your website. Many users abandon websites altogether when they cannot easily locate the information they are searching for. By providing an easily-accessible way for customers to get help, you give them all the more reason to browse your website and become a loyal customer.
Alternatives to Chat Features
If you are not interested in chat features, there are other alternatives to provide your customers with a positive experience on your website.
Contact Forms
A contact form is an excellent way to communicate with users without the hassle of chatbots or excessive monitoring. Contact forms allow users to input their contact information and requests, sending them directly to a desired email. You can have several contact forms on your website for multiple purposes, such as general inquiries, setting up appointments, or customer support. You often have the option of stating how long your response time may be for their requests, although it is recommended to reach out within 24 to 48 hours or less. Just make sure to set up notifications, so the inbox is being checked as needed to allow for timely responses.
Phone Call and Text
Nearly everyone has a phone, and there is a high likelihood that your customers are visiting your website via a mobile device. As such, linking your business phone number to your website makes it easier for customers to contact you within one click and maintains authentic communication. Having a dedicated text line for your customers is another helpful option; just make sure that your text line remains live to keep genuine contact the main priority.
Robust Resources
Whether you include contact forms or a chat, it is always recommended to have robust resources for users to access on your website. These can be listed as FAQs, individual articles, or other resources. It is crucial to anticipate user questions and prepare detailed resources accordingly, allowing users to quickly find their answers to common questions without reaching out. By utilizing live phone calls and texts, you are able to gauge the customer’s tone and respond accordingly to give a helpful experience.
Develop Positive User Experiences With Our OKC Web Design Team
User experiences can make or break client-to-company relationships, making it all the more important to invest in communication that is catered to your audience. At myheartcreative, we value user experience as a top priority in website design. Our team collaborates and implements effective design to help meet the needs of your audience. For more information about our website design services, please reach out. We look forward to creating with you.
