Chat on dealer websites or text? It’s like an MMA showdown

Live chat wins the dealer website communication battle by knockout.

More and more there is discussion about whether live chat or live texting is best on dealer websites, as there is a heated battle for space web page real estate. We’re in dozens of live chat discussions with car dealers every day, and a number of times each week we’re asked the differences between chat and text communication with auto shoppers. The simple answer is that the differences are epic.

Sure, text is a two-way conversation, but so was Morse Code. In fact, text messaging technology is nearly a quarter of a century old, becoming mainstream when the number of SMS messages sent exceeded the number of cell phone calls in 2007 – also the year Apple’s iPhone triggered the smartphone revolution.

During the early days of cell phones and internet marketing way back in the mid-2000’s, text message communication on websites made sense because you could send and receive a bazillion messages quickly, and they were typically cheap or free. Back then, we watched low-definition fights on television that consisted of boxing or WWF showdowns. At the same time, Mixed Martial Arts, like cellular data use, was in its infancy. Mobile data was pricey, slow, and unreliable.

A decade later, the tables have turned dramatically. Mobile phone users live in chat conversations with the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Skype, and a pile of secondary chat apps, like WhatsApp, Viber, Kik, and others. And now, users have nearly unlimited data with speeds that rival some broadband connections.

These massive leaps in technology mean text has to tap out in the website battle with live chat. Here are major reasons why:

• Text creates bounce. You have to demand their phone number up front
• Limited communication. Character limits in text restrict conversation
• Chat is dynamic. CarChat24 technology has cutting-edge technology like page co-browse, push pages, and even Carfax.

The text versus chat showdown is over. Chat wins by knockout in a decisive victory. Chat is the ideal means to initiate a conversation with website shoppers. They are already viewing your dealership mobile site on a smartphone, so it doesn’t make any sense to restrict the conversation with the limitations of SMS texting. CarChat24 wins the mobile chat battle by unanimous decision on mobile devices. And with the most aggressive R&D program in the industry for chat software and managed chat, we continue to hold the championship title for quality leads and the most sold units compared to unique visits.