3 Reasons Why Your B2B Business Needs Live Chat In 2022 | #customersupport #supporticket

In today’s world, a proactive and communicative customer experience is a necessity. Companies can no longer afford to be aloof in the digital space. Live chat software connects businesses with their customers, drives revenue and growth, and provides a universally better experience that drives customer satisfaction. 

Given the continuous, digital transformation of the business world, the ongoing absence of live chat software only creates a void. The more stunted a company’s online communication and chat platform, the further they are from their customers, and the less poised they are for success in 2022 and beyond.

With 61% of B2B organizations using live chat, it’s clear that live chat software is only becoming more necessary to be successful in the digital age. As the shift to online conversations and conversation bots is increasingly cemented in B2B software, it’s more evident than ever that live chat isn’t an investment only for support and help desk software – it’s essential across all facets of a successful business and all customer-facing teams.

1. Live Chat Grows Business Revenue

Qualifying and converting leads, connecting with prospects, leading visitors to the right product – all are aspects of a successful live chat experience for Sales and Marketing initiatives in B2B software. In fact, customers that use live chat software are 60% more likely to make a purchase than those who don’t use it and they’re willing to spend 60% more per purchase than those who don’t (Software Advice & Hubspot).

Ignoring the necessity of live chat software amounts to ignoring your customers’ needs, their preferences, and their dollars. 

According to J.D. Power, live chat engagement metrics confirm that about 42% of customers prefer live chat platforms as their method of leaving contact information, making live chat the top lead-generating method for online visitors. 

For Sales teams, this means live chat software drives conversions and revenue, and connects prospective buyers with products in a quick and unobtrusive manner. Chat increases conversion rates by about 4%, making it easier and faster to obtain marketing leads. With 29% of live chat usage dedicated to Marketing teams securing MQLs, the percentage is only growing.

Want to see real results? Don’t just take our word for it, here are real live chat service success stories:

2. Live Chat Increases Customer Happiness

For Support and customer service software use cases in particular, live chat greatly increases engagement and visibility, connecting your business and your customers with unparalleled efficiency. It’s easier than ever to connect with your customers, and vice-versa. Most importantly, live chat platforms boost customers’ happiness. 

For most of our Live Chat customers, the average CSAT score skyrockets from around 70% to 95%. Increased CSAT scores for customers translates into numerous other fields, most notably optimized help desk software processes, better retention, and increased expansion. 

Roughly 73% of customers report that they find chat the most satisfactory method of communication with a business. When compared to email and phone support, clocking in at 51% and 44% respectively, live chat comes in first with a healthy lead. 

For those customers that use and prefer live chat software, 79% of them say that immediate answers to their questions is the primary reason for why they use it. Quick, expert answers and quality support are the bread-and-butter of a great live chat platform (and great Customer Support) experience. 

Not only do customers prefer live chat service, but it’s more cost-effective as well. Generally live chat software costs about half as much as maintaining phone support. For those who have only used other support systems (like phone support), live chat is significantly cheaper and much more efficient for customer service software needs. 

3. The Growing Expectations for B2B Live Chat

In today’s world of digital B2B experiences, more than 69% of US-based customers expect live chat. As the business landscape shifts over time, businesses will need to also shift their attention to what becomes the more dominant forms of communication. For businesses, this means keeping in mind that the younger generations of online buyers (ages 18-49) use live chat as their main method of communication. The dominance of this channel can only be expected to grow in the B2B space. 

But how much more likely are younger generations to use live chat? The millennial age group is 20% more likely to use live chat than any other form of communication with a business. 

For B2B businesses relying on strong online presences, live chat software is essential. According to J.D. Power’s findings, a leading 42% of customers prefer live chat, versus 23% for email and 32% for phone support. 

Yet only 62% of businesses have adopted live chat for desktop and only 55% for mobile sites. 

In 2018, an average of 52% of chat queries were from mobile devices. Each year since, there’s been a steady rise of 8%, accounting for an additional 23 million chats each year. 

Essentially, live chat is the communication channel of the future. That’s not just a tacky statement, it’s true – by 2022, 85% of businesses are projected to implement live chat support. More customers prefer live chat and buy more with it.