How the Iowa Caucus affects live chat on websites

Daily online surf time using mobile has tripled since 2011

How do Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Bernie Sanders impact car buyers looking for their next vehicle online using live chat? They don’t have a direct effect, but are certainly an indication of the explosion of mobile web surfing. These contentious campaigns for the 2016 presidential election are helping drive more people online for more information, and according to a CNN article last year, much of the battle for voters is playing out on mobile phones. Why? Because more than twice as many people own a smartphone as they did five years ago, and of the more than 10 percent of users depend on their phone as their ONLY access to high-speed internet.

These data confirm that more people than ever are surfing mobile, and they’re also spending more time online with their phones than ever. From 2011 to 2015, the amount hours per day adults spent online with their mobile more than tripled, to nearly three hours, as shown in the image from the Internet Trends 2015 Code Conference.

Internet usage increases as it relates to mobile chat on dealer websites

So when people are done watching video of the latest outburst from ‘the Donald’ directed at the other Republican candidates or reading the latest jabs between Hillary or Bernie, they’re going to turn their attention to car dealer websites to search for their next car, set a service appointment or attend to other issues. During that website visit, odds are as high as five percent that they will click on a live chat link to initiate a conversation.

Political candidates seem to respond to every debate with specific word tracks trying to impact the election, and how a dealer responds to a live chat request has a critical impact on whether that conversation results in a quality experience for the visitor or a negative visit that makes the rounds on social media. None of the SEM or SEO can overcome negative trends on social media.

Here are several elements of a live chat experience that can have a dramatic impact on the outcome:

• Response time
• Operator proficiency with their console
• Chat word tracks
• Quality of the live chat connection (often high-risk on mobile)
• Amount of information chat operators provide

This is just a snapshot of the factors that can affect a car dealership website chat experience, much like there are numerous elements of a political campaign can impact the outcome. Every lead from dealer websites is precious, and the scientifically-tested software and processes provided by CarChat24 are one of the quickest and easiest ways to add to that website lead count.

Call or chat today to schedule an online demo.