Technology changes and the COVID pandemic have driven dramatic increases in online traffic.
Even if you don’t sell products or services online, we know that your customers will certainly be researching you online – and your competitors.
In June 2020 Deloitte surveyed US online adults and found:
In Australia, according to the NAB Online Retail Sales Index, online retail sales as at June 2020 accounted for 10.7% of total retail, up from 9% at the same time last year. This is reflected in the 53% average increase in Australia Post domestic parcel quantities for the months April to August 2020.
There has also been a 233% increase in Live Chats in the Consumer Products & Services industry compared to pre-COVID.
While this may seem like a very welcome silver-lining to the COVID pandemic this sudden surge in online activity can actually be detrimental to your business if you aren’t prepared – particularly in the area of customer service.
In a survey of 10,000 consumers who had a bad customer service experience with a retailer…
But if you get customer service right the Harvard Business Review found that customers who had the best past experiences spend 140% more compared to those who had the poorest past experience.
So in summary…
We know that Live Chat is the preferred method of communication for Millennials and has the highest satisfaction rate of all communication channels.
But that 53% of customers are likely to abandon their online purchase if they can’t find a quick answer to their question.
Therefore it is critical that you prepare now and prepare well for the flood of online traffic that comes with the Christmas period.
Here are some tips that we provide to our Chat2 clients to drive better customer engagement and increased sales – 365 days of the year:
- Update your Knowledge Base with common questions about special hours or closures, shipping timeframes, and returns – use this to update your website FAQs for SEO benefits.
- Make sure your returns and shipping policies are clear and not too onerous.
- Use an auto-responder to re-direct people who communicate with you by email and phone to Chat2 us on your website or Facebook Messenger (we do both!) for instantaneous service. Make sure the contact page of your website also invites visitors to chat.
- Consider creating promotions, then tell us so we can share them with your online visitors and convert their visit into a sale.
Shopify asked over 50 online businesses to rank the effectiveness of 15 different holiday offers, deals, and discounts. The results were pretty clear cut as shown below.
To learn more about Maximising Online Revenue this Christmas, join Karen Lloyd-Collins, Chat2 COO, for a special 30-minute information session.
We use real, current data and examples from a range of industries to show you how Chat2 can drive your online sales and expand your sales funnel by generating more enquiries. Register here.
Or get started now with our amazing trial offer of 700 hours for just $30!
