What is live chat?

Live chat (sometimes called web chat or live web chat) is a tool you can add to your website that allows you to communicate with visitors in real time.

Similar to the instant messenger functions on social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, live chat usually appears as a small window in the bottom-right corner of your website. Live chat is most commonly used by consumers who want to ask questions or get help from businesses quickly and without having to call.

If you’re not sure whether live chat is right for your business, it’s worth asking yourself the question; What is my website for? If it was created to answer questions about your products and services, communicate with both existing and potential customers, sell products or generate new leads then it’s a no brainer; you should think seriously about adding live chat to your website.

42% of live chats result in new business

Live chat allows you to engage with customers in a whole new way. It catches the growing number of millennial consumers who communicate primarily by text and email, those who might not be compelled to call but have questions that you can answer. By offering the chance to speak to you via an instant, no-pressure medium you will grow your customer base exponentially. Moreover, you will stop impatient browsers from moving on when they don’t see what they want right away.

37% of live chats occur outside of core business hours

It is essential that you choose a live chat system that shows customers whether you are on or offline. This ensures that expectations are managed and nobody sits on your website expecting a reply that won’t come. You can choose either to hide the live chat button when you’re unavailable, or change your ‘chat now’ call to action to ‘contact us’.

For businesses who want to offer an enhanced customer experience and ensure maximum lead generation, it’s worth partnering with an outsourced service provider who can help manage your chats on an overflow basis, when you’re unavailable or even 24/7. With a high quality live chat partner, you won’t miss out on leads when you’re carrying out core business tasks – you’ll even snag new enquiries when you’re out on lunch, on holiday, sick and even sleeping!

Moneypenny handles 2 million chats per year

We are revolutionising the way businesses manage their live chat, combining gold-standard software with amazing Moneypenny PAs to ensure no chat goes unanswered. Our complete people and technology solution is the ultimate live chat service for any business keen to maximise the value of every website visitor.

Try our Live Chat service absolutely free for one week with no ongoing commitment. You can use the free trial to see how many new enquiries you’ll gain, and decide if live chat is right for you. Call us on 0333 202 1005 now or get in touch via our own live chat service!