Would you pay $9/month for a chat widget?
Hey indie hackers!
I'm thinking about building something that would give your users a more convenient way to talk to you on your website (like Intercom/Crisp).
However, instead of storing/routing the conversations in our servers, we just send an email to you with the user's message. You can then reply directly and email the user normally.
Another way to think of this is having a customizable + convenient contact form on your website, accessible on the bottom right corner.
This is nice because:
- You don't have to change your existing workflow (you can still use your favorite email client to reply to support conversations)
- This is privacy-friendly (no storing your conversations - it's just a gateway for people to use to contact you)
- We can offer this at a super bootstrapper friendly price ($9 / month!)
UPDATE: this is out now. Check it out at https://letterbase.io!
It looks like a contact us form. I have one already on the site. I don't think the conversion would be higher if I use your service, which is not even a real chat service.
As I am the only person answering customer inquires, I don't put chat feature on my site. I don't have the time to chat. I am even considering removing the phone number. I am improving my site so the site should be very use-friendly enough. Everything else should be resolved through FAQs or email:-) I see many sites/services/apps are doing this as well.
Just my opinion.
Good luck!
Hey Tim! It sounds like you're already happy with what you have, so Letterbase may not be for you.
However, consider this:
The value of a help widget often cannot be quantified. Personally, when I see a help widget on a website, I know that that company cares about customer service -- they're making it super obvious and easy for people to contact them. If I ever have a problem, I have peace of mind that they'll be quick to resolve it, and that increases the likelihood that I'll buy from them. I know many people who feel the same way.
Unfortunately, the same can't be said about contact forms, which are often viewed negatively as black holes. So interestingly enough, having what seems like a contact form -- but positioned prominently on your website and available when your customer needs it -- is enough for potential customers to have a more positive view of your customer support. Just take a look at one of the most popular customer service companies, Zendesk -- it's just a contact form but it's used by thousands of big companies.
Of course, great customer service is not everything, and it won't convert people if your product doesn't appeal to them. But it can tip the scales if people are considering you and a less helpful company, and it ultimately increases customer retention and makes customers happier.
Ok, you have a point😁
it's an interesting idea, but to be honest, the free edition of chatra seems more appealing than the current 14$ a month letterbase plan.
My question is: What makes your product better than a free chatra plan?
Thanks for the response! I've never heard of Chatra before, interesting product. To be honest Letterbase likely won't have feature parity with products that have dozens/hundreds of people working on it - it's just me working on this after all!
Regardless, here's why you might choose Letterbase for $6/month:
So if you're a small, privacy-conscious, bootstrapped company, Letterbase is perfect for you. Otherwise, something like Chatra might make more sense.