In today’s hyper-competitive ecommerce landscape, businesses need to make the most of every website interaction. To do so, many forward-thinking brands are already turning to proactive chat to strengthen customer relationships and drive conversions.
As a refresher, proactive chat is when a business reaches out to the customer instead of waiting for the customer to contact them first. Companies typically do this using AI and will have a live chat launch automatically — via their chatbot — based on preexisting parameters.
From there, customers can now self-service their problems or be quickly redirected to a product expert. Through this experience, businesses have a channel to connect with shoppers already in the funnel and (ideally) remove any roadblocks preventing them from making a purchase.
For a deep dive into the benefits of proactive chat, be sure to check out our sister blog: Proactive vs Reactive Customer Service and How to Use Both
To truly drive revenue in this way, simply having proactive chat on your website isn’t enough. To get tangible results, it’s important to know when and where to launch proactive chat. Doing so at just the right place and time can be the difference between securing a sale and another abandoned cart casualty.
Below are the best pages and qualifiers on when to launch proactive chat — including recommended wait times. Remember, these wait times are just suggestions and may be different based on agent availability or the nature of your industry.
The 4 best times to start a proactive chat on your website
#1 When a user leaves the checkout page but doesn’t close the tab
The Internet is full of distractions. Take tabs, for example — most people typically have more than 20 tabs open at once.
Whether they're multitasking, checking reviews, searching for a discount code, or even looking at one of your competitors, proactive chat is a great way to pull them out of this online rabbit hole.
With proactive chat, you can re-engage with someone who has shown genuine interest in your product. Don't let them slip away — restart the conversation and deliver that high-touch experience customers want.
How long should you wait? We recommend starting a proactive chat for this parameter after 10 seconds.
#2 When a user is on the checkout page but hasn’t made a purchase
As a business, you can't get closer to a conversion than this. Rather than leaving it up to chance, proactive chat allows you to use this opportunity to see what's preventing the user from completing their purchase.
Are they worried about sizing or dimensions? Perhaps they don’t know if you ship to their desired location or are hesitant to buy without knowing your return policy. It might even be as simple as they're unsure if it's the right model/product for their needs.
Put their minds at ease through an automated response or by quickly redirecting them to one of your qualified support specialists.
How long should you wait? We recommend starting a proactive chat for this parameter at 3 minutes. Remember, you don’t want to jump into action too quickly as they may be looking for a credit card or simply filling out all the information.
#3 When a user removes an item from their cart
As shoppers browse your site, they may change their minds — it happens. But knowing why they removed something from the cart is incredibly valuable. Were they comparing products and found something that better fit their needs? Or is something within your control causing them to have second thoughts — such as what's covered under warranty?
Proactive chat allows you to get to the bottom of this. Furthermore, you're not just addressing this one situation but collecting valuable customer feedback that can improve the entire customer experience. If we go back to the example above, clarifying your warranty description could clear up confusion and prevent future cart abandonment.
How long should you wait? We recommend starting a proactive chat for this parameter at 20 seconds.
#4 When a user is browsing the catalog
Browsing is an essential component of the shopping process, but that doesn't mean shoppers want to search forever. If buyers can't find what they're looking for, eventually, they'll abandon their journey and head elsewhere.
Keep them from getting to this point. Instead, use proactive chat to see what questions you can answer or if you can assist them in finding a specific product. This personal touch helps provide an experience that can convert casual browsers into loyal, repeat customers.
How long should you wait? The wait time for this parameter will vary greatly depending on your users’ typical shopping habits. If you’re unsure where to begin, try starting a chat at 5 minutes and then adjusting.
Proactive chat with Zowie
Looking to start leveraging the power of proactive chat on your website? Check out Zowie's suite of features, designed to help you delight customers and turn support into sales.
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