Live chat on your site.
THE BENEFIT
Visitors who would not fill in a form will start a chat. For some businesses this materially increases enquiries.
THE COSTS
Chat widgets are among the heaviest third-party scripts. They frequently add significant weight and delay to every page.
They also require someone to answer. A chat widget with nobody behind it is worse than none, because it promises immediate help and delivers nothing.
PRACTICAL DECISIONS
Only add one if someone will actually respond during stated hours Show your hours, and set expectations when offline Load it after the page content, not before Consider loading it only on pages where it matters
ALTERNATIVES
A WhatsApp button, which for many Nigerian businesses reaches customers where they already are and costs almost nothing in page weight.
A visible phone number, which some customers prefer to any chat.
MEASURING
Track whether chats produce enquiries. If the widget costs half a second on every page and produces two conversations a month, it is not paying for itself.
