{"id":8819,"date":"2021-07-14T14:07:46","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T14:07:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/helpcrunch.com\/blog\/?p=8819"},"modified":"2025-03-13T11:13:46","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T11:13:46","slug":"live-chat-benefits-in-higher-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/helpcrunch.com\/blog\/live-chat-benefits-in-higher-education\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Key Benefits of Live Chat in Higher Education"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I remember the times when our English teacher forbade us from using online translators. She believed that by searching definitions in a physical dictionary, we will remember the material better. To be honest, it only led to losing huge amounts of time and didn\u2019t help much with memorizing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, fortunately, students and teachers are free to use not only online dictionaries but also hold all their communication in a live chat. It partly comes from the needs of distance learning. At the same time students who visit campuses on a daily basis also prefer to communicate via chat apps. It\u2019s fast, habitual, and extremely convenient. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while the tech progress allows for applying a live chat solution with ease, many higher education institutions still don\u2019t realize its full potential. No doubt, it will change soon as the demand for messaging has been steadily growing for years. Today, about 75%<\/a> of respondents prefer live chat over any other channel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what\u2019s a live chat, and why do people love it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Live chat<\/a> is a communication app that allows you to engage with your website visitors instantly via messaging. Basically, it means that anyone who enters your page with a question doesn\u2019t need to look for an email address or phone number in a Contact details section anymore. They just click on a widget icon and immediately get in touch with the right person through chat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All in all, what would you get from utilizing a live chat solution in higher education? I decided to break down the answer into three main sections: benefits for future students, benefits for current scholars, and benefits for university staff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s dive right in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

For soon-to-be students<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Recall the times when you were an aspiring student yourself. Like all of us, you\u2019ve probably had a head full of doubts, uncertainties, and questions. Being in such a state, a person needs a caring consultant who is able to calmly answer all the questions without that eyes rolling and irritated gaze. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By leveraging a live chat widget, you get…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Proactive website visitors engagement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hundreds, maybe thousands, of users stop by your website every day. How many of them send you emails or give calls to clarify things? No matter what number you name, I can guarantee that with proactive chat you\u2019ll get much more interactions with future scholars.\u00a0
Approximately, 30%<\/a> of users engage via proactive chat, generating more revenue. There are universities globally that are already relishing the advantages. For example, Newcastle University<\/a> offers a proactive chatbot to engage visitors in a conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Proactive<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

For example, the HelpCrunch live chat<\/a> offers customizable proactive messaging that helps increase your website conversion rates by as much as 78%. It\u2019s simple, if you initiate a conversation there are more chances that visitors engage in it. Basically, this is the way to convert visitors into students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some other universities enable future students to chat with current ones right from the website. It can give more comfort and confidence to a newbie if a fellow scholar shares their own experience. Allow your website visitors to ask student ambassadors any questions they have as it can play a vital role in the decision-making process. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Chat<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

2. Deeper connection with enrollees<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Direct communication always pays off. You can never build a bond via emails as tight as you can do with a live chat. It feels almost like talking to a person next to you owing to instant replies and support staff\u2019s avatars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it\u2019s just the tip of the iceberg, though. For example, the HelpCrunch live chat tool provides an automatic transcript saving feature. It can come in handy when you deal with returning visitors. This way any staff member can hop on and off the conversation and assist a future student without asking them to repeat the whole story from the beginning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Inclusivity through multilingual support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I know what it means to be a foreign student abroad. It often happens that you feel not included when everyone around speaks another language or shares jokes you can\u2019t relate to. But not being able to get fast assistance in your mother tongue hits even more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can easily fix this problem with multilingual support. HelpCrunch provides the opportunity to localize the chat widget in several languages including German, Russian, Spanish, etc. Moreover, you can set localizations programmatically via our JavaScript API.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do your foreign students usually come from? Make sure to localize your widget in their native languages. Even if your secretary doesn\u2019t speak it, no problem. They can always use online translators or switch to English at some point, but at least you will greet novices in their mother tongue. And it can make all the difference when compared to other universities.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Multilingual
HelpCrunch proactive chats in German, Spanish, and Polish<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

4. Self-service opportunity for future students <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What about those who feel insecure asking their questions directly? There is a solution for them too – a knowledge base<\/a>, namely, a self-service feature. You can perceive it as a quick library with all the necessary information for incoming students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prepare and add help articles that answer the most common questions to your knowledge base. <\/p>\n\n\n\n