Although live chat has been getting good press for being customers’ preferred channel of communication and support, its true potential remains somewhat obscure. The fact is there are different chat apps out there, offering different features and capabilities. It’s not just about answering customer queries on e-commerce sites. Live chat is a great way to make your site more social and get visitors engaged. With that being said, I present to you seven ways to use live chat for business and pleasure.
Live chat’s widespread popularity stems from the fact it’s efficient, convenient, and fun to use. Texting as a form of communication is doing well and not showing any signs of becoming less popular.
Thus, if you’re looking to launch a website, you may want to consider making live chat a part of your operations. Wherever there’s potential and perhaps a wish for interaction, or creation of an online community, live chat will serve as a potent facilitator.
All chats are not created equal
And I don’t mean to say some are better or worse! They’re just different.
It’s worth noting there are two major types of chat apps. 1-to-1 chats, frequently used in ecommerce and for other business purposes, and social chats, chat rooms for people to hold public and private conversations.
They’re both great at facilitating real-time, text-based communication. It’s just that its nature differs from one to the other.
With that out of the way, let’s now take a look some of the ways you can use live chat for business and fun.
Unusual applications of live chat
Efficient communication is crucial in many aspects of life. Live chat comes in as a Swiss army knife, creating conditions for it in a variety of contexts. From sheer entertainment, to strictly business – applications of chat apps are diverse and exciting.
Here are seven of them to get you inspired and prompt you to enhance your site with a live chat feature.
Radio stations
Both online and traditional radio stations can implement chat rooms to foster engagement on their listeners’ part.
Members of the audience can interact with each other, leading to the creation of an online community, or chat with program hosts and guests in real time. They can also make song requests, react to on-air discussion taking place, and put forward suggestions for future segments.
HR departments
Headhunting must be tough work. I’ve had the opportunity to learn that finding the right person for the job isn’t easy.
Usually, there are multiple points of contact involved in the process. If you’re in the business, you might want to consider making live chat one of your communication channels. Frankly, I’m not saying it’s absolutely the best thing you can do, but maybe it’ll help you save time by being able to simultaneously talk to multiple candidates, run preliminary interviews, or make minor arrangements before the meeting.
Hobby sites
Niche interest sites are aplenty. People are naturally drawn to other individuals sharing their passions.
Having chat rooms installed on your website or forum will help you attract more visitors and will also allow them to build closer and more meaningful relations. Members of various clubs, associations, and all kinds of enthusiasts will surely appreciate the opportunity to get engaged with other like-minded individuals.
Internal employee communication
Day-to-day office communication usually takes place in person or via email.
A lot of it is rather minor, informal stuff, not worthy of stuffing one’s already overflowing inbox. Group live chat installed on the company website, accessible only to logged in workers can take some of the load off your email. On the other hand, live chat doesn’t have to be all fun and games. In fact, here’s a Slack alternative you may be interested in trying out at your organization.
Online courses and webinars
Webinars and online courses of all kinds have been gaining traction as a part of marketing plans and broader business operations.
The great thing about them is that they allow people to participate regardless of their location. On top of that, you can enhance the experience with a live chat feature, providing audiences with the opportunity to interact with each other and ask questions on the go. Take a look at this comprehensive webinar solution with a neat, built-in chat.
Networking sites
At first, you may think live chat isn’t a very professional form of communication but think about LinkedIn, which offers this feature indeed.
Personally, I don’t see anything improper about discussing any business-related topics via chat. What matters is whether or not the medium suits the individuals talking. If you’re planning to launch a site for specialists in a given field or industry, consider adding live chat to facilitate their networking. This will be huge for folks trying to advance their careers.
Live consultancy
Customer support delivered via live chat may be the most obvious example of “consultancy” utilizing the text-based communication channel.
There’s a lot more room for the service to grow, though. Medical or legal advice are just some of the most popular types of consultancy people often seek online. Also, live chat may be the best medium to communicate for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals.
Final word
As shown, live chat is a versatile tool whose capabilities go way beyond your regular customer service or informal interactions between random users. It can be easily implemented for a variety of business and entertainment purposes.
Becoming more community-oriented is never a bad business move, so if you’re thinking about expanding your operations, consider Chatwee social live chat. Use the form below to sign up for instant access to your free-forever account and start chatting today.
