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Why Live Chat Outsourcing is a Game-Changer for Small Businesses

Why Live Chat Outsourcing is a Game-Changer for Small Businesses

Updated January 14, 2025

Live chat support is essential for any small business with an online presence. It improves website user experience (UX), enhances customer satisfaction, and significantly boosts conversion rates. When prospects visit your site, you need to be ready to provide instant answers—any time, any day. If hiring and managing a live chat team seems daunting, live chat outsourcing could be the perfect solution.

But is outsourcing right for your business? Let’s explore.

What Is Live Chat Outsourcing? 

Live chat outsourcing involves hiring third-party providers to manage your online customer interactions. Instead of maintaining an in-house team, businesses partner with external experts to handle inquiries in real time. This ensures customers don’t face frustrating delays or impersonal automated systems.

For example, a business in California with European customers may find outsourcing economical for providing 24/7 service across multiple time zones. Even companies operating within a single timezone can benefit—many consumers prefer shopping or seeking support after hours.

By outsourcing, you also relieve your employees from juggling chat responsibilities alongside their core tasks, freeing them to focus on what they do best.

What Does Live Chat Outsourcing Cost?

The cost of outsourcing varies based on the service provider and pricing model you choose. Here’s a breakdown of common pricing structures:

1. Free Live Chat

Some providers, like Olark, offer free live chat plans, but they often come with limitations—such as capped chats per month and minimal features. Free plans may also require you to manage chats yourself, which isn’t ideal if you’re unavailable to respond quickly. While free live chat is better than nothing, it’s a no-frills solution best suited for small-scale operations.

2. Pay-Per-Agent

In this model, businesses pay a monthly fee for each agent. Costs range from $15–$60 per agent, depending on the provider and the feature set you choose. Basic plans often include limited chat history and customization, while premium plans offer advanced features like unlimited history and full customization. Popular providers include Zendesk, LiveChat, Zoho, and Olark.

3. Volume-Based Pricing

Here, pricing is tied to your website’s traffic. Plans typically cost between $40 and $600 per month, with higher traffic resulting in higher costs. While suitable for businesses with consistent lead generation, this model allows businesses to forecast and budget better than other methods.

4. Pay-Per-Lead

This flexible model charges you only for leads generated through the chat service. Providers using this plan can charge $15–$35 per qualified lead, along with possible setup fees. Pay-per-lead does minimize risk, ensuring you only pay for tangible results.

Why Businesses Choose Live Chat Outsourcing

1. Increase Conversions

Customers often have questions before making a purchase. Quick, reliable responses via live chat can build trust, answer objections, and turn curious visitors into paying customers. This immediate engagement fosters stronger relationships with your audience, ultimately driving more sales.

2. Reduce Customer Service Costs

Running an in-house team can be expensive, especially if 24/7 availability is required. Outsourced solutions offer cost savings without compromising on quality. Many providers leverage AI to assist their teams, improving response times and accuracy by analyzing past interactions and available resources.

3. Relieve Employee Workloads

With an external team handling customer interactions, your staff can focus on core business tasks rather than multitasking with live chat responsibilities. This improves overall productivity and employee satisfaction.

Which Industries Benefit Most from Live Chat Outsourcing?

Virtually any industry can benefit, but here are a few standout examples:

    • Healthcare: Doctor’s offices can use chat to gather patient information, prescreen concerns, and schedule appointments.
    • Legal Services: Law firms can assist potential clients by answering preliminary questions and providing basic advice.
    • Travel & Hospitality: Travel agencies can streamline bookings, answer queries about destinations, and offer tailored recommendations.
    • E-Commerce: Online retailers can address product questions, provide support for post-purchase concerns, and reduce return rates by ensuring customers make informed purchases.

By outsourcing chat services, these industries can meet customer expectations while staying competitive.

What’s the ROI of Live Chat Outsourcing?

The real impact of live chat outsourcing lies in its ability to deliver measurable results. For example, Blazeo’s new tiered-pricing model has consistently generated quality leads for businesses. As Evan Lamont of TLG Marketing states:

“As an agency, it’s our job to help generate leads and new contacts for our clients, and Blazeo is just another way to facilitate that. If your business relies on lead generation, Blazeo live chat is a no-brainer.”

Key Takeaways

To remain competitive, businesses must adapt to evolving customer expectations. Live chat outsourcing offers a cost-effective, scalable way to deliver real-time support, increase conversions, and boost customer satisfaction. Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, outsourcing can help you capture leads, streamline operations, and drive growth.

Ready to transform your customer service strategy? Explore live chat outsourcing solutions today and take the first step toward better customer engagement.

Read more: When to Use Live Chat vs Chatbots