Glossary

It’s just like in-person shopping, except it’s online… and also different in every way. Online shoppers are much more likely to browse and window shop just for fun, abandon their carts at whim, balk at shipping costs, scrutinize your refund and return policies, make purchase decisions based on online customer reviews and your social media presence, and compare the same or similar products across different ecommerce brands.

Ecommerce shoppers come from all around the world and from all walks of life, accessing your online store from anywhere, at any time, on any device that can access the Internet. When you’re managing a physical retail store, it’s easy to strike up a casual sales or customer service conversation to get to know your shoppers and fulfill their needs. Because of the impersonal and anonymous nature of the Internet, it’s much harder for ecommerce store owners to create an online shopping experience that’s personalized in the same way.

However, customers that receive attentive customer support throughout their shopping experience often have a better customer experience and they are more likely to purchase from your store. Live chat is an effective way to humanize your ecommerce shop and reach customers in a more personal manner so that their interactions with your site feel as natural as in a traditional shopping environment.