Did you know that over 80% of consumers want to be able to chat with businesses online through a web chat feature? Unfortunately for those consumers, only about 9% of businesses are delivering on that demand. This lack of effective communication is good news for your business, because using it to your advantage will help you stand out in the crowd. 

68% of customers prefer to communicate with a business through a chatbot. Why? Because that’s the way our world is moving with constantly updating technology and increased convenience in every industry. Webchat features provide your customers with exactly what they want, including:

• Immediate Responses: Consumers don’t have to wait the average 24-48 hours to get a response back from a business when they have a question or concern. Instead, most inquiries can be resolved in real-time, making life easier for you and your customers. 

• Reliable Customer Service: Unlike working with humans, who sometimes have bad days or aren’t available when they’re needed, chatbots provide customer service that is always consistent and is always satisfying for consumers. The truth is, response time is part of the customer service puzzle, so offering 24/7 support is a great idea for all businesses- big, small and in between. 

• Decreased Errors and Incorrect Responses: Your customers are busy, and even if they’re not, they don’t want to be inconvenienced by receiving incorrect responses to their questions. Errors in conversations with customers lead to a poor customer experience, even if they’re dealt with correctly after the fact. Utilizing a chat feature on your website means you don’t have to worry that misinformation is being given out to your customers. You decide how the bots respond to customer questions, and you know the answers will stay consistent, which is a win-win for business owners and consumers alike.  

At the end of the day, if you want happy customers who appreciate your service to them, you should connect with them through web chat. If you want to increase leads, appointments and sales, the answer is yes to utilizing chatbot features on your website. 

FreshLime offers a Messenger platform that provides business owners with the ability to receive notifications and personally respond to web chats right away. With FreshLime’s software, you can also use chatbots who will respond to commonly asked questions with answers that you provide. If you’re ready to make the 80% of consumers searching for businesses like yours happier, schedule a free demo today!

For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and Twitter. If any of these tips have helped you or if you have anything to add, please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!