As e-commerce sites and apps proliferate, consumers have ample opportunity to buy goods and services without ever interacting with another person. They can pick up food without placing an order at the counter, try clothes on virtually in the privacy of their home, and do all their banking from their phone.
They’re also increasingly interrupted by promotional emails and pinged with nonurgent app notifications. The average consumer receives push notifications from six different brands. These impersonal messages arrive according to the business’s schedule, not when the consumer is looking for them, leading to 61% of consumers sometimes, often, or always disabling push notifications.
In a marketplace where self-service and digital transactions have become commonplace, live exchanges have the advantage of novelty and warmth.
When a long, frustrating search of FAQs and help centers doesn’t yield the information you need, it’s a relief to be able to explain exactly what you need and receive help quickly. Rather than prioritizing clicks to static landing pages or your app, focus on providing value to customers and creating meaningful interactions. Give customers the ability to start a conversation with you anytime, anywhere. There’s significant room for improvement on this front — only about 1 in 3 consumers find it very or moderately easy to contact brands through their preferred messaging channel today. So, just making it easier for consumers to talk with you will already differentiate your business.
