One of the most enticing benefits of chatbots from a marketing perspective is that messages sent via bots have much higher open and click-through rates than email.A less obvious benefit that chatbots have over email marketing is that users have to provide very clear consent to receive messages.An email has worked for several decades. People send emails daily, making it a great channel to reach customers. And it still works well. The only problem is that it’s working less well with each passing year. Live chat and chatbots, on the other hand, are gaining steam.
How are Companies Winning with Chatbots?
This year’s conference will focus on how companies are using chatbots and AI as a way to increase revenues and decrease costs.We will look at vertical solutions and industry based solutions. For example, how are bots affecting industries like E-commerce, Finance, Banking, Beauty, Entertainment. Additionally, we will look at chatbots as vertical solutions in domains like HR, Customer Service, Sales, Marketing and B2E.
But are they viable for scaling a business and collecting and nurturing leads like email? Research shows that 63% of consumers are more likely to return if you offer live chat support. And new features are making it easier for companies to answer customer queries in seconds (rather than the minutes or hours for email).
But email marketing still boasts a $38 return for every dollar spent, making it one of the most profitable marketing channels out there.
So, which do you choose? Which is better? Let’s break down performance across the board to find out which channel is outperforming the other.
Live-Chat Converts at Higher Rates than Email:
Conversion rate is one of the holy grail metrics that everyone asks about when comparing any marketing tactic. What is the average conversion rate for emails? The average email marketing open rate is 24.79% across all industries. Not bad, huh?
While it seems great on the surface, breaking down the statistics past the open rate isn’t as sweet. The average click-through rate is a measly 4.19%. And, naturally, the actual conversion rate sits even lower, likely somewhere between 1% and 2%.
In other words, a lot of people open your emails, a few people click, and even fewer people buy. That, of course, isn’t a recipe for online success. Now, let's compare those results with live chat stats.
The American Marketing Association ran a study that showed that adding live chat to business websites often increases conversions by at least 20%. And after Viktor Zeman, the CEO of QualityUnit, implemented live chat on his website, he’s quoted as saying:
“After implementing live chat on our website, Post Affiliate Pro’s conversion rates increased by 23%.”
If it can work for him, why not you? But it’s not just the conversion rate that soars with live chat. It’s also your overall ROI. In fact, the ROI of businesses that use live chat is 305% higher:
Not to mention that customers are three times more likely to buy from a website that has live chat integration.Evidently, live chat is quite convincing. But that’s really no surprise. People prefer live chat because it’s fast, convenient, and easy. Email, on the other hand? Not so much. Consumers even prefer live chat on a website over SMS.
Live-Chat Is the Fastest for Responding to Customer Inquiries:
Purchasing products online is tricky. You don’t want to buy until you get your question answered because the answer might impact your decision to buy. But you also want the product or service ASAP.
So you go to the support page and what do you find? A measly contact form. You’ve been there, right? You want to get your question answered fast but you can’t because you have to wait a few days for a reply. Chances are, you ignore it.
And if you ignored it, you can bet that your prospects and customers did the same. In fact, that follow up and availability is notoriously critical for sales teams everywhere. According to the DMA, it takes anywhere from 7 to 13 touches to build a single, qualified lead.
But the horror doesn’t end there. People don’t just want you to follow up with them. They want you to follow up instantaneously. Fortunately, speed pays. When salespeople follow up with a lead within 60 seconds, the chances of converting that person increases five times.
Additionally, if you’re the first business to contact the lead — rather than a competitor — you can increase your conversion rate by 238%.
Live Chat Excels at Capturing Leads :
Perhaps the biggest reason that live chat is so great for consumers — and thus, your business — is because it’s remarkably convenient to use. Think about it from the point of view of the consumer: If you have a question to ask, you don’t have to travel to your email server to send an email that you may or may not receive a reply from.
Instead, all you have to do is click on the little box in the corner and ask a question to a friendly face:
In fact, the top reasons that people prefer live chat to other customer support options are:
Getting questions answered faster
Multi-tasking ability
Efficiency of communication (faster and easier)
Enjoying the usability of live-chat
If you need help with creating Chatbot , a social media strategy using Facebook ads, Email marketing, Messenger Marketing, Whatsapp Marketing, to help your business generate more leads and sales. You can Live Chat with us now https://m.me/emmazonco (See how does it work)
Comments