How Rule Based Proactive Website Chat software can increase Sales
Proactive or rule based chat can be one of the most powerful elements of website chat software. However, it’s vital that it’s used properly.
Effective rule-based chat can reap huge rewards but it can also have the opposite effect if it is used without the right framework or thought
Most of us have experienced an overzealous sales assistant in a high street store. They tend to appear at the exact time that we are looking at the item we want or they interrupt us when we are browsing. The effect can be that we leave the shop and purchase our item elsewhere. The thought process that we engage to leave the shop is exactly the same online – in other words, when the user is completely in control and has found what they are looking to buy – then leave them alone. The only possible outcome of intervention may be annoyance and shopping cart abandonment.
The flip side of this is when the customer needs help. When we are in the high street store and we are desperately struggling to find what we want or need help then assistance is gratefully received. The key is recognising the difference.
How to set rule-based or proactive chat
In a high street store, when a customer picks up an item swiftly and goes straight to the till it’s highly unlikely they will welcome the intervention of an assistant. If, on the other hand, a customer picks up one item and then another and seems unsure, the sales assistant would be advised to offer help. While you naturally won’t get that interaction with an online customer, there are simple rules you can adopt to decide how to set up proactive chats:
- Time on page – proactive chat can be set up to prompt a customer if they spend a certain amount of time on a single page
- Time on website – if a customer spends a long time on the site it might be that they can’t find what they are looking for
- Number of pages viewed – if a customer views a lot of pages they might be struggling to find the product or products they are looking for
- Referring pages – customers visiting from certain urls might be responding to a certain marketing promotion or offer and looking for a specific product or information about an offer relating to it
Each business and website will be different. The key is to know your business and your website and be advised by experts. Website chat software from Click4Assistance is customisable and can be set up with pre-defined rules based on your business – talk to our account management team today for further information or click here to start your free trial.
