The majority of UK retailers are failing to assist mobile shoppers as they browse online. a recent study commissioned by LogMeIn, Inc. has revealed.
According to LogMeIn’s findings, just 12% of UK retailers offer live chat support to mobile shoppers, despite research showing live chat can boost conversion rates.
In addition, more than a quarter of shoppers are more likely to make a purchase if they talk to an assistant online.
With analysts predicting that online spending is set to reach an estimated £49.78 billion in 2014 in the UK, and mobile commerce (m-commerce) predicted to account for approximately £9.46 billion of these sales, LogMeIn examined 120 of the UK’s largest online stores to understand how retailers are reacting to this shift when providing customer service.
Ross Haskell, director of products, BoldChat at LogMeIn, Inc, said: “A high street store without shop assistants is almost unimaginable, yet that’s the experience many retailers are offering shoppers online.
“If shoppers need help, most have to pick up the phone or wait for a response by email or on social media. By incorporating live chat into the online customer journey, retailers can give shoppers the chance to ask for assistance, without any interruptions, when and how they want it.”
The study revealed retailers are almost twice as likely to offer live chat support to desktop shoppers than to mobile shoppers, with 20% of online stores giving shoppers the option to chat with an assistant. While many retailers have yet to embrace live chat, a global survey of 4,709 people commissioned by LogMeIn in 2013 shows that it is now the third most popular channel for consumers.
The LogMeIn commissioned 2013 Live Chat Effectiveness report found that 17% of people prefer to contact companies via live chat, while 23% favour the good old-fashioned telephone and 53% opt for email. Social media is the first choice for less than seven per cent of people, but is now the most widely available channel for customer service, overtaking the telephone.
Almost every retailer, nearly 97%, responds to enquiries on Twitter, while 94% use Facebook to provide support. Email is offered by 93% of online retailers in the UK, while nine out of ten (90%) publish a customer service phone number on their website.
