Customer engagement is vital to your business. If customers visit your website and don’t connect, it’s a wasted opportunity for you both.
That being said, if your communication options aren’t easy and instantly accessible, you’re reducing the chances that customers will actually engage with your business – unless they’re already extremely motivated to be there.
Thankfully, there are some great choices that let you take a customer’s initial inquiry to their preferred device, allowing them to continue the conversation on the go. You’ll be able to see your contact history, message them directly, and literally put your business into their pocket.
Here at MyWork, our two main recommendations are Podium Webchat and Messenger.
Podium
The premium chat option, Podium Webchat lets you take live chat away from the computer, and turns your communication into a text conversation on your consumer’s end.
On visiting your website, the customer uses the Podium icon to enter their information and a message. Once they press submit, the message goes straight to your Podium account, where you can set an automatic response or reply directly.
Any communication you send to them will go to their phone as a text message. That’s beneficial for your customers, as they have easy access to the conversation and are much more likely to be engaged. It’s beneficial for your business as well – text messages have a 99% open rate, compared to a 10% open rate for emails. You’re virtually guaranteeing your communication will be read.
Podium has some other benefits, like a direct messaging button on your Google My Business page, team collaboration so your team can all stay up to date with the latest communication, and quick text links to your Google Reviews that greatly increase the chance that your customer will leave you one.
But the biggest benefit is having on-the-go communication, all in one place, along with a customer experience that is personalised, quick, and convenient.
Messenger
Facebook Messenger is available for your website – which means you can harness the world-renowned messaging system to help your business keep in touch with your customers.
Just like the Messenger app you have for private use, the Messenger plug-in offers a familiar messaging system for your site visitors. Your customers can chat directly over a trusted platform that they likely already use. For the very limited number of people who don’t already have a Messenger account, there is the option to chat in guest mode.
All your communication is in one location, which means you can scroll through your chat history on any device. You also have the option to set hours of availability, auto replies, and FAQ responses to maintain contact with your customers even when you’re not available.
Best of all, Facebook Messenger is free to use.
Lasting Engagement
Communicating with customers needs to be as simple and efficient as possible. That increases the chance of actual engagement with potential clients who can boost your business.
These webchat platforms utilise familiar messaging systems that your customers can access from their devices, with full chat history available. You can also set up automated replies and FAQs so that communication is occurring, even when you might not be available.
In a fast-paced world, you need a modern approach to communication. Speak to the team at MyWork about how you can integrate webchat into your website, and keep your customers informed, retained, and engaging with your business.