Thanksgiving is a time where people gather together with their friends and loved ones to express gratitude, togetherness, and to kick off the holiday season. Thanksgiving is not just limited to personal relationships; it also holds great potential for businesses seeking to enhance their lead generation and customer acquisition efforts. The Thanksgiving and holiday seasons can help businesses connect with their audience and create a meaningful impact that resonates long after the holiday festivities have ended. We are going to review ways utilizing online chat for lead generation can be leveraged to cultivate gratitude and create new connections, during this season of thanks.
Understanding the Value of Online Chat
Chat gives your company an additional way for your website visitors to interact with your business. From gathering reviews, to messaging customers about appointments and collecting payment, chat can save customers and your business time, all while increasing interactions with your company. With chat, you can collect your website visitors’ contact information so you can follow up with them later and continue the conversation. There is much value in having live chat on your website.
Chat is not just to serve as a customer service tool, you can and should use it collect leads and gain new customers. 92% of customers feel satisfied when they use the live chat feature when dealing with businesses, more than any other communication option. 50% of consumers say that having a live person answer questions in the middle of a purchasing decision is one of the most important features a brand can offer. According to the American Marketing Association, companies who use live chat see, on average, a 20% increase in conversions. Another study found that 35% more people make a purchase online after using live chat.
Utilizing Online Chat for Lead Generation and Customer Acquisition
The holiday season is a time of increased consumer activity and heightened competition for businesses. To stand out from the crowd and maximize your lead generation and customer acquisition efforts during this time of the year, it’s crucial to leverage effective tools and strategies. One such tool, that can make a significant impact, is online chat. Below, we are going to explore how online chat can be utilized to help you generate leads and acquire customers during the holiday season and beyond.
- Instant Communication and Engagement: Let’s face it, in this day and age, and especially over the holiday season, people want and expect immediate answers and results. Chat provides a faster response time than almost all other communication methods, making your website and business less likely to lose a person’s interest or for them to go elsewhere for the product or service they are looking for. This instant engagement creates a positive customer experience and helps build trust and credibility for your brand.
- Personalized Assistance: During the holiday season, customers often have specific needs, unique gift ideas, or urgent questions. Online chat provides a direct and real-time communication channel to engage with potential customers and offer personalized assistance. Live chat is a great way to improve customer support and provide a memorable customer experience on your website. This personalized approach not only increases customer satisfaction but also enhances the likelihood of lead conversion, as prospects feel valued and understood. One study found that 90% of customers said that online chat gives them confidence that they can get help if they need it, and increases their trust in the business.
- Lead Generation: Since we are reviewing how utilizing online chat for lead generation can help you gain new customers, it seems only right that we talk about how chat gives you a great tool to qualify leads and gather valuable customer insights. Online chat can be utilized as a proactive or interactive lead generation tool. By asking targeted questions during chat interactions, companies can gather information about a person’s needs, preferences, and what they are trying to solve for. Not every person who is communicated with in live chat will convert to a sale immediately; however, they were looking for your products and services, and are a warm lead for your organization.
- Customer Feedback: As mentioned above, online chat provides a great way for gathering feedback from people who are already interested in your business and on your website. Positive feedback can be used as testimonials, while negative feedback can provide insights for improvement. By actively seeking and responding to customer feedback through online chat, businesses demonstrate their commitment to customer satisfaction and build trust with potential leads and gain awareness into ways they can improve to increase future sales.
Online chat offers a dynamic and personalized approach to engaging with website visitors, qualifying leads, and providing exceptional customer support. The holiday season is a prime time for businesses to boost lead generation and customer acquisition efforts. Check out our article on “How to Utilize Online Chat in Your Marketing Efforts”, for more tips.
Water Bear Marketing is here for your online chat needs. With Water Bear Marketing’s chat feature, your website visitors can interact with your business and you can give them something to be extra grateful for during this season of thanks. Contact us to schedule a free consultation today.