Major updates to the Facebook Chat Plugin for business websites allow it to be used by people who aren’t logged into Facebook.
This will let businesses reach more customers through their website than before.
In addition, a brand new design for the plugin is said to make conversations easier and more intuitive.
Connect With More Customers
Facebook Chat Plugin was introduced in 2017 as a way for businesses to reach customers outside of Facebook.
However, one of the limitations of the plugin is it still required a Facebook login.
There are several reasons why requiring users to log in was a significant barrier:
- Not everyone uses Facebook.
- People who don’t use Facebook regularly might forget their password.
- If people are using a shared device they may not want to enter their login credentials.
- Etc.
Even if none of that applies, some people would just prefer to remain anonymous when contacting a business.
Whatever the case may be for not being able to log in, or simply not wanting to, it will no longer prevent people from messaging businesses.
Of course, users can still log in if they want to. If not, a “continue as guest” option will be available.
Soma Toth, founder of Recart, suggests that making the plugin more accessible will make it more appealing for businesses to install it.
“As a developer, it’s much easier to convince a business to use a live chat offering that is available to all their customers.
Our business customers are seeing sales directly tied to engagement on Messenger, and the Chat Plugin helps them leverage the same investment across both their Facebook page and their website at no additional cost.
It also reduces the complexity of having to work with or support a fallback for users who are not logged into Facebook.”
Installing Facebook Chat Plugin
Businesses with a Facebook Page can install the free Chat Plugin on their website with just a few clicks in Facebook Page settings:
- On your Page, click Settings and select Messaging.
- Scroll down to Add Messenger to Your Website, click Get Started.
- Customize the plugin with a greeting message, response time, and theme color.
- Enter the website domain you’d like to add Messenger to.
- Facebook will automatically generate a code that you can copy/paste to your webpage.
The plugin can also be installed via Facebook’s partners WooCommerce, ManyChat, and Haravan.
If you’re considering whether to install the plugin or not, here’s a testimonial from a business that used it to triple their sales.
Ryan Pamplin, CEO of BlendJet, says customers who engage via the Facebook Chat Plugin are more likely to make a purchase:
“Having an open line of communication with our customers gives them a sense of confidence from the browsing stage to final checkout.
We noticed that customers who engage with us are three to four times more likely to checkout. With the Chat Plugin allowing us to reach more customers, we’ve tripled our sales since offering it as a customer engagement channel.”
Source: Facebook Messenger News
