When you really think about it, competition is intrinsic to life. Its various forms are in a constant battle for food, resources and lebensraum. Humans, who are obviously a part of the natural environment, yet slightly above its plain, also engage in different types of competition at all times. As business in general has grown disproportionately in relation to time available to men, there’s been a fierce battle going on for customers’ attention. In this post I’d like to introduce several ways in which you can outdo your competitors using live chat, and thus increase your chances of becoming the go-to option in your niche. Let’s take a look.
On one hand, emulating the best and the most effective practices of your top business rivals is something you shouldn’t shy from. On the other, what you should strive for if you’re trying to outdo your competitors is at least some level of differentiation, being able to stand out in a positive way.
What I’m trying to say is that in order to gain an edge, you must offer some kind of value not found with your competition. Prices, as well as the range of offered products seem to be the first place most business owners turn to in order to generate this unique value not found elsewhere.
They’re not completely wrong in thinking that way, of course, as the amount one has to spend and what one gets for it are strong factors when it comes to choosing a business. However, I’d like to go ahead and argue there’s one simple and affordable way for you to outdo your competitors and attract more people to your website, and that is live chat.
Let’s see what kind of value it has to offer to your potential and existing customers.
Be quicker to react
Customer service remains a hot topic, regardless of the industry you’re in. People experiencing problems with your products or services want them solved and quick!
The digital age we live in saw live chat become a preferred mode of communication for customer in many sectors of the market. No wonder, since it’s free, instant and allows for multitasking on both ends of the communication channel.
How does this help you outdo your competitors?
Surprisingly, companies across many industries still don’t use live chat. Here’s your chance to answer customer needs in a comfortable and quick manner. It’s an opportunity to create a great impression and keep, as well as possibly attract new customers to your business.
Expand your business opportunities
Customer support sure is important and live chat can help improve the quality of yours. What many people don’t realize though is that it’s a tool of many tricks.
Group live chat is a legitimate, multifaceted business tool with multiple applications. Depending on what is it that your business does, you can utilize it for a variety of services other than customer support, whether paid or free.
For instance, Chatwee is used to provide consultancy/advice on various issues, as well as a tool supporting penny auctions and violin lessons! I’m sure you’ll be able to come up with even more ways to utilize live chat for business purposes.
How does this help you outdo your competitors?
By using live chat, you add another layer to your business operations, one that your rivals may not have. This way, you can outdo your competitors by expanding into areas they’re not yet in and pioneering services not yet offered in your sector.
Add human touch
Business operations tend to forgo the human factor sometimes. They become faceless, anonymous. Contacting them isn’t something you’d call a pleasant experience.
This is something your company can avoid by installing live chat on its website. Adding the human touch seems to be even more important when you’re an SME with a circle of clients smaller than the one of a huge corporation.
Your chat agents can upload their actual photos as avatars, which is a lot more customer-oriented practice than anonymously answering messages at the help@yourbusiness.com address.
How does this help you outdo your competitors?
By strengthening the human factor, you show that your business is comprised of real people, and not some abstract, never-seen entities. Your customers will be more likely to return, knowing you on a personal, direct level.
Build customer loyalty
And speaking of returning, loyal customers, how else can you make sure they keep coming back to your website?
Well, if you offer a specific product or a service and have been in operation for some time, it means there are people out there who genuinely care for it, otherwise you wouldn’t be in business.
Why not try bringing them closer together by providing a platform for real-time interaction, such as a group live chat? Adding a social dimension to your operations surely is a way for you to outdo your competitors, who may simply not care enough about stuff like that. Bad for them.
How does this help you outdo your competitors?
Having an online community on your site is always a boon. Not only are people more encouraged to visit and catch up with others, but you can also learn their preferences, pain points, as well as subtly market to them in real-time.
Make yourself stand out
Finally, remember that live chat is something that makes you stand out on its own, as not that many businesses actually take advantage of it. Of course, the solution isn’t anything extremely new or complicated in technical terms, but it’s a nice add-on anyway – a dynamic space where a lot can happen.
Any way you can differentiate yourself from competitors is good – why not use the fact you have live chat as a sales argument, then? “Visit our website and talk to an agent live!”, “Need help in choosing the right size? Log in to our live chat and talk to an assistant!”.
How does this help you outdo your competitors?
Having live chat on your website makes you look more modern and pro-customer – a fact often overlooked by many businesses, who rely solely on telephone and e-mail for contact points. See, there’s your chance to outdo your competitors with a mere installation of a widget!
Final word on how to outdo your competitors
Being in business, you already know the competition is fierce. You read all about the good practices, but are looking for ways to make your company stand out.
Live chat is a solution you should definitely look into, as it’s oriented towards facilitating communication between you and the customer – the bread and butter of your business. You can’t go wrong with providing him with means to talk to you directly, instantly and for free.
Also, as a business owner, remember that a single chat agent can hold multiple conversations at the same time, something that’s not possible over the phone, so there’s your opportunity to possibly trim down operational costs as well.
So there you have it – 5 ways to outdo your competitors using live chat. Let me know what you think in the comments below or tweet me @Chatwee
