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How to Create the Chat Welcome Message that Always Gets a Response

Olga Rogacka

11 min read

Jan 11, 2024

Imagine awkwardly shuffling into a party, unsure if you're in the right place, with no one to greet you. That's what your website feels like without a welcome message – disorienting and missing the warm, fuzzy feeling of being welcomed.

Much like a friendly greeting at a party encourages people to stay and get involved, a well-crafted welcome message in chat will increase your conversion rate.

Goals and benefits of welcome messages on chat

Welcome messages are a form of proactive chat. It means you proactively ask questions or make suggestions to customers before they even ask for them.

The effectiveness of a welcome message in boosting conversion rates can vary depending on various factors, including the industry, target audience, and the specific goals you want to achieve with the entire team.

However, when implemented strategically, welcome messages can significantly impact customer satisfaction and conversion rates.

Here's why it's essential to invest in the welcome you give customers to help them have a long and successful journey with your company:

1. Getting more chats

Welcome messages can proactively assist customers who have just visited the online store. This might involve helping them find products, navigate the website, or answer any initial questions they may have. A welcome message can also work perfectly on a checkout page, for example, after a customer spends some time without taking action. It helps reduce shopping cart abandonment.

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2. Personalizing customer experience

Tailoring the welcome message based on the customer's past interactions or browsing history creates a personalized experience with your store. For example, you can set up a welcome back message to a returning customer, suggesting complimentary products based on their previous purchase.

3. Announcing promotions and discounts

A welcome message is an effective way to immediately inform customers about ongoing promotions, discounts, or special offers. This can encourage them to explore the site further and make a purchase.

4. Collecting customer feedback

Inviting customers to share their thoughts or preferences through a warm welcome message can provide valuable feedback for your online store. You can use this feedback to enhance the overall shopping experience.

5. Guiding the customer journey

Welcome messages can act as navigational guides, directing customers to popular sections, new arrivals, or specific product categories. Especially with what we call rich messages, in which you can include images and buttons.

6. Highlighting the unique selling proposition (USP)

Communicating your online store's unique features or advantages in greeting messages helps differentiate it from competitors and persuades customers to explore further. For instance, Sephora provides a live chat option connecting customers with real Beauty Advisors for instant assistance and expert recommendations. Isn't that exactly what we miss the most in online shopping?

7. Generating leads

All of the points above influence the conversion rate. A proactive welcome message engages visitors when they land on your website. And visitors invited to chat are more likely to convert into customers than the ones who don’t chat.

By focusing on these goals, welcome messages in proactive chat for online stores aim to engage visitors, enhance their shopping experience, and ultimately contribute to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Crucial elements of a high-converting welcome message

Creating a high-converting welcome message involves incorporating elements that grab attention, provide value, and encourage users to take a specific action.

Here are elements to consider for a welcome message:

1. Clear value proposition: Communicate the value users can expect by starting a chat. Whether it's assistance, exclusive offers, or valuable information, make it evident why engaging in a chat is beneficial.

2. Timely greetings: A great welcome message appears at the right moment, for example, after a visitor spends a certain amount of time on a particular page. Timely greetings enhance user receptiveness.

3. Use of emojis and visuals: Incorporate emojis and visuals to add a friendly and approachable tone to the message. Visual elements can also convey information more quickly and attract attention.

4. Interactive elements: Include interactive elements like buttons or quick-reply options to make it easy for users to initiate a chat or take specific actions. For example, "Click here to chat now" or "See our latest offers”.

5. Brief and engaging copy: Keep the message concise and engaging. A short welcome message can also clearly communicate the purpose of the chat and encourage visitors to take action without overwhelming them with too much information.

6. Incentives and offers: If applicable, include incentives or special offers to entice users to start a chat. This could be a discount, a free trial, or exclusive access to certain content. Make sure to highlight the value of the offer. You can include an element of urgency or FOMO to prompt immediate action through time-limited offers or exclusive deals available only through the chat.

7. Clarity in the next steps: Clearly outline the user’s steps to start a chat. Whether it's clicking a button, asking a question, or accessing a particular feature, you should provide a straightforward path for users to follow.

8. Mobile responsiveness: Make sure that you optimize the welcome message for mobile users. A significant portion of internet traffic comes from mobile devices, so a mobile-friendly design is essential for a seamless user experience.

9. Respectful opt-out option: Include an easy way for users to decline the chat or opt out if they prefer not to engage. Respecting user choices contributes to a positive user experience.

By incorporating these elements into your welcome message, you can create a compelling and persuasive introduction that encourages visitors to initiate a chat or take any desired action on your website.

Welcome messages on chat

At LiveChat, we have a few types of welcome messages displayed above your minimized chat widget.

Standard text campaign message welcomes your visitors with a simple text, a question, or a call-to-action. You can create personalized texts based on your visitors’ behavior.

Quick replies are messages with ready-made answers for your customers.

With Cards, you can mix and match text, images, and buttons. You can get creative here and combine different types of buttons to create messages with varying points of action for your customers.

You can add Message input to every type of welcome message to allow the customer to send you a message immediately. 

Best live chat welcome messages for customers

Look at welcome message examples you can use on chat for the goals we described at the beginning.

Getting more chats

1. "Hi there! Need help shopping? Let me assist you!"
2. "Questions or recommendations needed? Start a chat for quick and easy support."
3. "Hello! Exploring? Have a question? Click 'Chat' for instant help. We're here to make your visit great!"
4. "Welcome! Looking for something specific? Let's make it easy for you!"
   

Personalizing customer experience

1. "Welcome back, [Customer Name]! Interested in a personalized shopping experience? [Yes, please!]. [Nah, just browsing]
2. "Hi there! I see you're ready to checkout. Any concerns about your order?"
3. "Thanks for shopping with us! Check out the new products that will be a great addition to your previous purchase."
4. "Welcome back! We missed you! Did you enjoy your last purchase?"

Announcing promotions and discounts

1. "Hello there! Ready to discover amazing deals today?"
   [See the deals] [See new products] [Start a chat]
2. "Ready for savings? Reveal limited-time discounts and special offers."
   [See the offers] [Start a chat]
3. "Hi there, bargain hunter! Looking for hidden gems? Click 'Treasure' and snag a 10% discount on your next purchase!"[Treasure] [Start a chat]

Collecting customer feedback

1. "Hi there! Your voice matters! Share your thoughts in a quick survey."
2. "We'd love to hear from you. Share your feedback and earn a 10% discount for your next purchase."
3. "How can we make your shopping better? Let us know about your experience."
   [Fill out survey] [Chat with us]

Guiding the customer journey

1. "Ready to explore? Click 'Start' for a guided journey through popular sections and new arrivals."
   [Start] [Chat] [Just browsing]
2. "Need help navigating? Start a chat for guidance to specific product categories and new arrivals."
3. "Looking for something specific? Let us guide you through our store. We promise not to chat your ear off!"

Funny welcome messages

Online store

1. "Hey, shopping maestro! We've got discounts that roar louder than a lion!"
   [Show me more] [Start a chat] 
2. "Hey, savvy shopper! Dive into a sea of savings and fabulous finds. Let the online treasure hunt commence!"
3. "Welcome to our style haven! Prepare for fab deals and fashion-forward finds!"

Tech support

"Tech superheroes here! Ready to rescue you from electronic villains? What's the tech-tastrophe today?"

Fitness center

"Hey, fitness warrior! Ready to book a private session? No promises on muscle soreness, just gain and grins!"
[Book a session] [See our team] [Gym tour] [Ask a question]

Try welcome messages on your website

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Coffee shop

"Hey there, caffeine comrade! Welcome to our brew-tiful world. Need help choosing coffee?"

Travel agency

"Where shall we jet off to today? The world is your oyster, and we're your travel guides!"
[Flights] [Hotels] [Deals] [Chat with us]

Dental clinic

"Ready to embark on a journey to pearly whites paradise? No drills, just thrills. Let's keep those smiles sparkling!" 
[Book a visit] [See our team] [Leave a message]

Feel free to use these welcome message samples in your LiveChat.

How to target the right audience with your welcome messages

When setting up welcome messages on chat, it's important to consider several conditions to ensure visitors receive them effectively and well-received.

Here are key conditions to take into account:

1. User behavior: See what pages your visitors visit, the time spent on the website, and their past interactions. Tailor welcome messages based on these behaviors to make them more relevant and engaging.

2. Source of traffic: Recognize the source of the visitor's traffic, whether it's direct, organic search, referral, or from a specific marketing campaign.

3. Time of day and day of week: Consider the time of day and day of the week when visitors are accessing the website. For example, a welcome message during business hours might have a different tone than one during the evening or on weekends.

4. Device type: Acknowledge the device type visitors use (desktop, tablet, mobile). Ensure that your welcome message is optimized for the screen size and functionalities of the device to provide a seamless user experience.

5. User segmentation: Implement user segmentation based on demographics, location, or past interactions. Tailor welcome messages to different segments to make them more personalized and relevant to specific user groups.

6. Returning visitors vs. new visitors: Distinguish between returning visitors and new visitors. Welcome messages for returning visitors can acknowledge their loyalty or suggest products based on past interactions, while messages for new visitors may focus on introductions and assistance.

7. Current user status: Consider the user's current status, such as whether they are logged in, have items in their cart, or are browsing specific product categories.

8. Specific landing pages: Customize a welcome message based on the specific landing pages users enter. Messages can vary depending on whether users land on the homepage, product pages, or promotional pages, ensuring relevance to their current interests.

9. Customer journey stage: Recognize where visitors are in their customer journey. For example, a first-time visitor may benefit from introductory messages, while a visitor with items in the cart may appreciate assistance with the checkout process. (link)

10. Conversion goals: Align welcome messages with specific conversion goals. Whether it's encouraging product exploration, lead generation, or promoting ongoing promotions, ensure that the message supports the overall conversion objectives.

11. Testing and optimization: Implement A/B testing to evaluate the effectiveness of different welcome messages. Continuously optimize based on performance metrics, such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and user feedback.

12. Integration with marketing campaigns: Greet customers coming to your site directly from their inboxes by integrating your welcome message into ongoing marketing campaigns.

By taking these conditions into account, you can create welcome messages that are more relevant, engaging, and effective in achieving their conversion and engagement objectives. Regular monitoring and adjustments based on user feedback and analytics are essential for ongoing success.

Give customers your warmest welcome

The greeting message in your online store is a valuable asset that extends far beyond mere pleasantries. This initial interaction sets the tone for the entire user experience. 

By investing time and effort in creating welcoming and personalized messages, you not only engage users but also boost the chances of turning them into loyal customers.

Let us know if you have any questions!

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