Today there is a lot of competition for these properties in the bottom right corner of every website.
Support. Offer. Marketing: Every department wants to be able to talk to potential customers in real time.
And while each department has its own goals and priorities,52% of respondents to our latest report said that lead generation is the top priority for any website or in-app communication.
27% of respondents said selling (scheduling meetings and/or scheduling demos) was their top priority, while another 21% said providing customer service.

Unsurprisingly, given the plethora of features that website chat offers, there are a number of solutions that businesses can employ. Some are cross-functional (think HubSpot), while others focus more on specific features like support (think Help Scout).
We asked respondents to indicate which tool(s) they use. (Respondents were instructed to select all applicable tools.)
35% of respondents say they useHubSpot Conversations Tool, while Intercom and Drift each got 20% of the total number of votes.

This led to our next question: how many chat tools are companies using?
41% of respondents reported using only one tool, while 30% reported using two, 13% 3 and 11% 5 (or more) chat tools.

But no matter how many tools you use, what you use them for, or which applications you prefer, you still need an effective strategy to generate a good response rate and efficiently serve your leads and customers.
We spoke to 46 marketers about their approach to maintaining a high response rate for website chats. This is what we learned.
Customize your notices
"Personalization is the best way to increase engagement and response rate in a live chat on a website," he says.IntuitiveIt's Casey Phillips. "Without customization, users will assume your site's chat is another one of those so-called 'chatbots,' which are annoyingly robotic and relatively useless. Customizing the conversation based on a specific user's specifications doesn't just make the chatbot more useful. , but also generates trust and curiosity in the user”.

Marketers recommend a few different personalization strategies:
Customize chat requests per page
Rebecca Graves foradetect agives this advice:
“Make your chat message relevant to the page you're on. Instead of the generic "Any questions? I'm here to help", change the message to match the page. If you're on a pricing page, something as simple as "Want to know which package is best for you?" may be more attractive to the visitor".
"If you use the same greeting everywhere [on your website]," says Henri Pallonen ofbrilliant marketing, "You can't pinpoint how it could help and that's not as appealing as specific greetings."
Dennis Seymour foraSerioMDemphasizes the location of the most important pages on your site.
“Determine your most important pages by looking at your stats. In my experience, the homepage isn't exactly the best when it comes to performance and engagement, even though it gets the most traffic most of the time,” said Seymour. “For some it's the pricing page, for others it's the resources or case study pages. Once you've determined those sides, experiment with when the message is triggered, and then A/B test your message."
jennifer notoCaroline TIHeed this tip: "To increase response rates, we set up custom messaging for each service page to specifically target what the potential customer is looking for on the site."
Find the right message
"When a user browses your pricing page, have the chatbot ask questions at the decision stage or ask the user to schedule a free demo or trial," says Kalie Fry ofMcMahon-Marketing. "Not only do you want to adapt the bot script to the theme of the page, but to reduce as much friction for the buyer as possible."
Edmond Pouillyoxygen"I have found that having an attractive 'pop-up' question with direct links to the page the visitor is viewing will help significantly increase engagement. A good example of this would be if you have a website page about starting a business in China, your chatbot might say something like "Hello! Do you have a question about doing business in China?'”
"In this example, the question is directly related to the content the visitor is viewing and almost 'feels' like someone in a retail store offering help navigating the web."
User behavior tracking
"Most live chat tools provide information about how your visitors are behaving on your site," he says.Certain Technological Solutions"Colton de Vos. “Users can see how long visitors have been on the site, how many times they've visited, and which pages they've visited. a better response In my own experience, this can increase response rates by up to 30% by reaching only the most qualified visitors with a message relevant to their interests."
Nguyen hung upsmall pdfgives some examples of how this information can be used:
“If the user has frequently visited your pricing page or demo page multiple times, ask if they need help by contacting your sales representative. If they've dropped out multiple times after visiting your platform or they're on your support/FAQ page, focus on helping them answer product-related questions.”
pepper rangeMyrna Arroyo also recommends using Traffic Source to customize your live chat.
Remember that user behavior is not just about the actions people take on your site, it's also about how people already interact most with your site's chat.
"It's important to have enough data to know which questions your visitors are asking most often, so you can build the chatbot to consistently answer them first," said Jennifer Lux ofLyton's Web. “Then use the data to track those questions to completion. When visitors end these standard chat sessions with a "thank you" message instead of a request to speak with a live representative, you'll know your requests were successful."
Pro Tip: This is the ideal dashboard to measure the performance of your customer support team
Regardless of your role in customer service (agent, manager, or vice president), your primary focus will be on ensuring that customer issues, complaints, and information requests are always resolved quickly and efficiently. But to keep up, you can spend hours manually pulling together the data from different tools into one comprehensive report. Now you can quickly monitor and analyze Intercom customer service performance data in a single dashboard that tracks critical metrics such as:
- new conversations. Track the total number of new conversations your customer support team handles daily, weekly, monthly, or within a specified date range.
- Conversations opened by team member. See the total number of open conversations in your support inbox and find out which team members are working on them.
- directs. Track the number of leads generated by your customer support team within a specified date range. Dive in to learn the types of messages that help convert visitors to leads, and use your insights to improve future conversations.
- Users by tag name. See the total number of conversations your customer support team handled over time, and see how your colleagues flagged those messages in Intercom. Using tags makes it easy for anyone overseeing the dashboard to learn more about the customer's needs, interests, and issues.
Now you can benefit from the expertise of our customer service experts who have created aPlug-and-Play-Databox-Vorlagecontaining all the essential metrics to monitor and analyze the performance of your account managers. It's easy to implement and use as a standalone dashboard or in customer service reporting, and best of all, it's free!
You can easily set it up with just a few clicks, no coding required.
To configure the dashboard, follow these 3 simple steps:
Step 1:get the model
Step 2:Connect your intercom account to the Databox.
Stage 3:Watch your board fill up in seconds.
Get the free template
test your customization
Once you've started customizing your chat prompts, it's time to test your options.
Steve Latronica asSL developmentrecommends testing to find the best message: "Try chat with prompts that address common questions or test points for shoppers considering your product or service."
Get the right time and place
"One of the most important aspects of live chat optimization is timing," he says.SIXIt's David Pagotto. "For example if they are sitting on the pricing page for more than 3 minutes."
Some Kazan moreSuperar.aisays: "Opening the chat window too early can be intimidating. When approaching someone, it should be related to where the user is and whether they are ready to chat."
“Asking questions in advance [is important],” he says.MilagroTREIt's Ryker Taylor. "Whenever we run an advertising campaign to drive traffic to our website, we use Intercom's 'Messages' feature to ask site visitors questions based on the pages they are viewing. We've seen the response rate increase by more than 2x when we have this system in place compared to when we don't."
Rick Ramos ofjoy of healthSaid this:
“I think you need to find out where on your site the response rates have increased and try to understand why. Typically, certain pages have a higher response rate because people are at different stages of the buyer's journey learning more about your product and service. I think you should focus on the pages with the most responses as it clearly shows something."
YSCIENCEEric Quanstrom from Eric Quanstrom offers practical advice: "Make the pop-up chat (window expander) appear where the visitor sees it."
“Active chats, available from a bot or human, will dramatically increase response rates compared to passive chat clients that require the user to open and launch. Obviously, there are tradeoffs here... as a chat popup ages quickly (and causes bounces and chat closes) on any page a visitor navigates to. The sweet spot is to combine strategic pops on pages the visitor is likely to engage with.”
Ask questions to get answers
"Always start with a question," suggests Andrew McLoughlinhummingbirds. "Nothing as vague as 'How can I help you today?' or "Did you like the content?", but something more dynamic. Consider asking a visitor for their opinion on the topic of the content. For example, if you have a marketing blog, you could ask what other sources a visitor searched or what they brought back them to make it clear that there is a real person on the other end of the chat with a genuine interest who wants to help move the conversation forward.”
"Stand out from the crowd by showing genuine and honest interest, and you might learn something valuable in the process of improving your site."
Jonathan Aufray ausgrowth hackeragrees:
“To increase your website's live chat response rate, you need to ask a specific question. I see many companies end a message with words like "Thank you", "Sincerely", "I look forward to..." etc. or with very vague and unresponsive questions like "How are you today?", "How can I help you?", etc...
"Ask a specific question about a problem your visitor might encounter. Your product or service solves a problem. Ask your visitors if they have this problem."
ask closed questions
"Conversations need to be two-way," testifies Hillary Blackcovert ops. “That means you need to frequently ask the user open-ended questions to keep the conversation going while getting the information you need to help them. This keeps the user interested and has more fun along the way.”
John Kelleher foraESM inputagrees:
“Try to ask questions that are easy to answer but specific. For example, "Would you like to schedule a demo?" It is a closed question and easy to answer. It's certainly a lot easier than 'What questions do you have about our service?'”
Kelleher's advice seems to be the general consensus of most marketers. Databox CEO Peter Caputa IV recently polled marketers on Twitter with a similar question. They overwhelmingly agreed that asking simpler yes/no questions increases the likelihood of an answer. “Databox uses the Intercom.io chat app. We then tested those two messages with their A/B testing feature, sending them out to about 100 new records. The yes/no question received a higher response rate than my Twitter followers said.”
Quiz:
Which question do you think has the highest response rate in our in-app chat?
Both messages start with
"Hello <name>,
I'm online now helping new clients get ready."
Then ask one of these questions...
Which question do you think gets the most responses and why?
– Pedro Caputa IV (@pc4media)December 4, 2018
take the first step
“We use proactive greetings. So instead of waiting for the customer to start chatting with us, we say hello first, says Casey TonggRinkens CFR.
"Although they're repeat visitors, we appreciate them coming back and ask if there's anything we can do to help. We've found that by going to the customer first, we can answer questions they might not have asked."
.. no
Not all marketers agree that asking questions is the best way.
For example, after trying several methods to increase live chat response rates, Jesse Harrison ofHopeTree legal fundingSaid this:
"I ordered my chat company to remove all questions. People can just click and start chatting. The image of a human being also helps because it makes your site more human. When people see the face of the person they're with are chatting, they are more likely to feel connected to that person and initiate and continue the chat.”
Harrison also notes that "chats on websites should be as unobtrusive as possible. No 'how can we help?' (let's just say I learned the hard way), no floating animations, nothing intrusive".
sandra saiuMentionit also avoids questions: "We found that 'chat now' as a call to action or providing an estimated response time increased our response rate."
Have a dedicated and dynamic team
"If someone is chatting on your site and you don't have someone to respond in time (think 30 seconds), you'll probably lose control," he says.demanded to boostIt's AJ Alonso. “The reason people chat on your website in the first place is to get a quick response – if they wanted to wait, they would have used a traditional contact form. In that sense, be human. People aren't just talking to you to quickly get the information they want, they want to hear it from a live person.”
Kaitlyn Adan is worn outg2 crowdsays, “Increasing live chat response rates can be difficult, but we've found that being proactive in chat really makes a difference. When you provide quick, informative responses, your listener is less likely to get impatient and end the conversation.”
Adan continues: “It's extremely important that your team respond quickly to minimize the number of chats. The person on the other end of the line must feel that they are your first and only priority. That said, the opposite might apply to the person you're talking to. Even if you have to react quickly, don't be discouraged if he reacts slowly. People are usually at work when they talk to us, so there is often a long delay in the response due to other things on their minds. Do not close the chat even if this happens. If they see you're still there when they get back, they'll probably continue the conversation and thank you for your patience. like you. This, in turn, will create a stronger, more positive interaction.”
STDcheck.comfound an effective way to motivate live chat operators, says Lauren Crain:
“We found that one way to increase the response rate and (the quality of responses) from [live chat operators] is to incentivize them with bonuses. When our live chat reps get good reviews or make sales, they get bonuses.”

gone away
"One strategy that gets abused when it comes to a chat service is convincing everyone you talk to," says Ian McClarty.phoenix sun. "Not every conversation is a hard sell, and you must treat each person appropriately. Be informative, specific, friendly, and respectful. When an opportunity presents itself, treat it as you would in person: friendly and welcoming. This may be the answer. someone's first interaction with your company or organization, the last thing you want is to ruin the impression before you've had a chance to showcase your company's strengths."
“It's also critical that your customer service representatives are properly trained and understand the company's vision and purpose. Language is important, so agents should not copy and paste form responses during a chat conversation. It immediately shows disrespect and damages an organization's reputation."
Being helpful also means having a service mindset instead of just focusing on you and your product/service.
Diz Sara Pion, growth marketer daDrift, "Ask our initial question about the customer, not us," was most effective in continually improving response rates.
Adds Nick Francis, CEO ofscout help, it is about “added value, utility. Don't sell or just say, 'HEY, TALK TO ME!'”

Automate to save time
"One of the most effective ways to increase a website's chat response rate is through automated platforms and tools that help you be as assertive and responsive as possible," says Alejandra von.international gray group.
“One of the main reasons we as a digital marketing agency find that certain brands lose leads is that they are not as responsive in website chat as customers would like. Consumers want answers to their concerns and questions, and they don't like to wait. So automation is the answer.”
aurityuses Intercom templates, says Ivana Veljovic. “That way, support doesn't have to write the same answer again. With templates, it's great to have an FAQ page for users to help themselves and support to link to the answer."
Find out what works for your customers
Your website visitors are not the same as anyone else's. So you need to figure out what works for your specific customer base.
text questionFor example, it uses a system where live chat responses are sent to visitors' cell phones, says Kenneth Burke. “The same number of people initiate conversations with us, but the response and conversion rates are much higher. We can continue the conversation and offer service or close the sale much better by texting each other.”
Find the live chat strategy that works for your customers, optimize it, and enjoy higher response and conversion rates on your website.
FAQs
How can I increase my chat response rate? ›
You can maintain a good CRR by always responding to chat threads within 12 hours of receiving a new message or offer. Being consistent and prompt with your responses will also improve your Chat Response Time. Not all messages that you send and receive will affect your CRR.
Do 41% of customers prefer live chat? ›41% of customers prefer live chat over phone and email support, or social media, even though 42% of businesses believe consumers prefer phone support (kayako). Compared with the latter, web chat customer service teams rarely put customers on hold.
How can I improve my live chat service? ›- Set the right expectations. ...
- Cut first response time. ...
- Empower reps with context. ...
- Infuse live chat with your brand's touch. ...
- Ask for customer feedback.
Plus, chat is a great way to bring visitors back to your website, as Emarketer discovered that 63% of customers were more likely to return to a website that offers live chat. Here's the thing: Even without anyone using chat, you can still increase revenue.
What is a good response time for live chat? ›According to industry benchmarks, the fastest response time on chat is around 5 seconds, the average around 15 seconds, and everything more than 30 seconds is considered slow.
How is chat response rate calculated? ›Chat response rate is calculated when you have received at least 2 chat threads in the last 90 day. 4. Response is only counted when you reply within 12 hours of the message being sent. 5.
How many live chats can an agent handle? ›Most agents, once trained, can handle between three to five chats at any one time. It's not very efficient if three agents are each handling one chat conversation each. They won't be able to work on other tasks that demand their full attention, but they also aren't working at full capacity.
How do you engage with customers on live chat? ›- Respond as quickly as possible–customer satisfaction drops after 30 seconds of waiting. ...
- Keep chat sessions short. ...
- Limit yourself to 2 or 3 concurrent chats. ...
- Be a keen reader. ...
- Don't make the customer repeat information they've already provided. ...
- Be mindful of your tone in text.
Show your appreciation
Customers who feel valued are more likely to feel loyal to your business, come back again and recommend it to others. There are many ways you can show your gratitude, from a personal phone call to a written thank you note or a special reward, such as extra product or a discount.
Live chat improves the support experience for customers
The top reason why customers prefer live chat is that it lets them get their questions answered immediately. With live chat, you give customers a way to reach you in the exact moment that they have questions or problems they can't solve.
What is a perfect live chat? ›
Use a natural conversational tone.
Treat live chat like a natural conversation and use a friendly tone. Agents should always begin every chat with an introduction and ask for the customer's name as well. Let the customer know you are ready to help, and ask questions to clarify information when needed.
According to Google, the average response time should be under 200 milliseconds as it gives the feeling of an instant response. A web response time ranging between 200 milliseconds and 1 second is considered acceptable as users still likely won't notice the delay.
Is 13ms response time good? ›However, for slower-paced gaming and movie watching, any response time below 13ms is fine, and often you can get away with a slower response time too. The most significant cut-off for most uses, even with non-gaming monitors, is the 16ms figure that translates to the frame time of a 60Hz display.
Is a 40% response rate good? ›So, what is a good survey response rate? Factors that impact this include, how engaged your customers are with your brand, and whether you're delivering surveys in a way that's easy for them. Nevertheless, a good survey response rate ranges between 5% and 30%. An excellent response rate is 50% or higher.
Is a 50% response rate good? ›A typical survey response rate goes from 5 percent to 30 percent, while a response rate of 50 percent or higher is considered excellent. However, based on how you make and distribute your survey, you can expect the rate to fall anywhere between the high and the low end of this scale.
What is an example of response rate? ›For example, if there are 1000 eligible sample units, and we are able to contact 850 of them, and to interview 600 of them, then the response rate is 60%, while the contact rate is 850/1000 or 85%, and the cooperation rate is 600/850 or 70.6%.
What makes a good chat agent? ›- Subject-matter expertise. ...
- Understanding of brand voice. ...
- Fast response and resolution time. ...
- Impeccable writing skills. ...
- Empathy. ...
- Ask for feedback. ...
- Understanding of the live chat software. ...
- Understanding of other fundamental etiquettes.
- Reduce Customer Wait Time with Canned Messages. Using canned responses can be one of the few ways to help your operators reduce customer wait time and help them keep the visitors engaged during the conversation. ...
- Tackle Commonly Asked Questions with Knowledge Base.
How many chats can an agent handle per day? The answer to this question depends on a number of factors, including the agent's ability, the complexity of the chats, and the number of breaks the agent takes. However, a general guideline is that an agent should be able to handle between 30 and 50 chats per day.
How do you get customers attention? ›- Build your unique value proposition. ...
- Build trust. ...
- Have a crystal clear plan. ...
- Figure out who the right customers are. ...
- Understand prospects. ...
- Create connections with potential customers. ...
- Reach prospects via different communication channels. ...
- Inform customers about vital information.
How do you keep customers happy? ›
- Listen to them. ...
- Know your industry better than anyone. ...
- Reward loyal customers. ...
- Create ongoing, engaging content. ...
- Be transparent. ...
- Respond promptly to feedback. ...
- Commit to innovation. ...
- Anticipate their needs.
If a visitor engages with a live chat agent, they're 2.8 times more likely to end up purchasing a product. In fact, 38% of customers reported making a purchase after having a good session with a live chat agent. Valuing a customer's time and interest in your site will go a long way in converting a lead into a sale.
Why do customers prefer chat support? ›Chatbots and live chat agents can answer simple customer questions more quickly than phone support. Want to boost sales. Unlike phone support, live chat agents can initiate conversations with customers as they browse the organization's website.
Is live chat popular? ›In fact, digital shoppers aged 18 to 34 years were 21% more likely to choose live chat as their favorite support channel than those aged 35 to 54 years. Social media messaging and live chat are the fastest-growing channels for connecting with businesses. Another study by Software Advice confirms this trend.
Are chat rooms still popular? ›Are chat rooms still a thing 2022? Yes even its 2022, chat room are nonetheless energetic and have a good number of users.