Chatbot vs managed live chat: Is there a difference?

Chatbot vs managed live chat: Is there a difference ?

Businesses using live chat see a 40% higher conversion rate on average compared to those that don’t. Imagine boosting your bottom line by converting an extra 4 out of 10 visitors into customers. While the benefits of live chat are clear, there’s often confusion between live chat and chatbots.

Both feature pop-up windows that engage users to either drive conversions or direct them to information quickly. However, they serve different purposes:

• Chatbots: Automated tools that handle common queries based on pre-set rules and scripts.
• Managed Live Chat: Human agents who provide real-time, personalized assistance.

Understanding the difference can help you choose the right solution for your business needs.

What do we mean by ‘managed live chat’ ?

Managed live chat operates like a chatbot but with real people responding to your website visitors. Instead of automated responses, your visitors interact with live agents who provide personalized assistance through the live chat window. It’s similar to a phone conversation, but conducted via chat on your website.

Isn’t that what a chatbot does ?…

Not exactly.

While chatbots, often powered by AI, use pre-programmed responses to handle user queries, managed live chat involves real people responding to inquiries.

Chatbots present predefined options and guide users through automated choices, sometimes offering to connect with a human if needed.

This approach can work for some businesses but may assume users understand what they need and are familiar with your offerings.

Managed live chat eliminates the automation, allowing for real-time, human-to-human interactions that can more effectively address customer questions.

Why would managed live chat be better for your business ?

Good question. While a chatbot might be suitable for handling a limited set of options, managed live chat offers several distinct advantages if you value personal touch:

• Increased Customer Satisfaction: Despite technological advances, people still prefer interacting with real people. Nearly 80% of customers favor live chat for its faster, more personalized responses.
• Higher Conversion Rates: Live chat can boost website conversions by up to 40% by actively engaging visitors and transforming your website into a proactive sales tool.
• Enhanced Customer Support: With real people behind managed live chat, you can address individual queries more effectively. Live chat agents can ask detailed questions to resolve issues swiftly and accurately.
• Improved Customer Loyalty: About half of North American customers are more likely to stay loyal to businesses that provide excellent customer service. Enhanced live chat support can lead to repeat customers and more referrals.

Change your website from a static observer to a proactive sales and marketing tool

Think of how much your business spends on marketing with the specific aim of getting more eyes on your website.

But when people come to your site, are you then making the best of them?

By using managed live chat and putting real people behind the scenes to proactively engage with users you can turn your website from a static brochure into a proactive sales and marketing tool that can help you win more business and create a bigger pool of happy, loyal customers.

We’ll even let you trial our managed live chat service completely free so you can see what it’s all about.

What have you got to lose by trying it out ?

Sign up by clicking here or filling out the form on the right.