With all the technological advances over the past ten years, it is not uncommon to expect a certain level of immediateness when making a purchase. Automation and digitalization were supposed to streamline everything, right? Well, they have, and there’s no better example of that than the evolution of Live Chat functionalities currently being optimized on websites, mobile applications, and social media channels.
So what’s the pull for construction businesses to use Live Chat features? Aside from being very simple to implement, it allows contractors to create a better customer experience. How the customer feels during their time interacting with your organization lends a hand to generating more leads for the organization. In fact, live chat is turning out to be one of the most reliable sources of lead generation for the construction sector.
Let’s review the premier live chat options, along with the most notable reasons why you should be implementing live chat into the sales and marketing initiatives for your construction company.
Live Chat Options
At one point or another, you’ve likely engaged with a live chat specialist during an internet search of a product or service. Chat capabilities are functional on desktop computers, mobile devices, and social media applications, all of which offer similar conveniences for the consumer. The three most widely used chat options include live website chat, live mobile text coverage, and Facebook messenger.
Live Website Chat – Offers the convenience of live interactions with an agent in a chat box within a website browser. The importance of having a live chat agent is their ability to answer questions immediately versus making the customer send an email or pick up the phone.
From a consumer’s perspective, communicating with a company representative in real-time weighs heavily on their perception of the business. Furthermore, it catches the consumer when they are looking to make a purchase. Effectively managing the customer experience during that pivotal time is how many contractors are quickly racking up lead after lead.
Live Mobile Text Coverage – Allows you to interact and continue a conversation with a potential client long after the person has left your website. Once the consumer has sent your business a message, it is no longer critical to keep them on your website. As long as you reply within a relatively short timeframe (less than 5 minutes is optimal), you’ll keep them engaged, and they will continue the chat with you on their timing.
Facebook Messenger – Enables customers to interact with agents directly from the Facebook application. Facebook introduced the messenger feature in 2015, and its popularity among the business world has continued to gain momentum throughout the years.
Businesses use Facebook messenger to provide answers to common customer questions and help potential clients understand their products and services better.
Whether you choose to employ Live Website Chat, Text Coverage, or Facebook Messenger, contractors need to provide a more personalized, real-time customer experience to stand out from the competition.
Why Implement Live Chat Features
Responding quickly to a potential customer will always leave a better impression than making a customer wait for an answer. Being intentional about creating an optimal customer experience has a significant impact on their potential to be converted to a qualified lead or eventual client.
Email and phone conversations will always have a place in business; however, it’s the real-time assistance and personalized live chat features that keep clients engaged and prone to purchase.
Another benefit of incorporating digital customer-care features into your marketing strategy includes shortening the sales cycle by having agents qualify leads. Qualifying leads allows your team to follow up with individuals primed and ready to move forward with the product or service you provide. Questions live chat specialist may use to qualify leads include:
- What problem do you want help with?
- What is prompting you to reach out now?
- What have you done to try to solve this problem before now?
- Can this problem wait to be fixed?
Knowing where the customer is regarding the urgency of the product or service they need allows contractors to better understand their desire to move forward with a work order.
Conclusion
Live chat is quickly becoming the leading digital contact method for consumers. With that in mind, many contractors are leveraging live chat features to grow their business. Live Reply by Lead Revenue is the top-of-the-line chat, text, and social conversion tool on the market. With operators collecting contact data and then distributing that lead to you and your team, it just makes sense to have that piece of the customer cycle off your plate and in the hands of digital marketing experts. Are you ready to capitalize on your leads with Lead Revenue!
