Speaking from experience managing multiple ecommerce stores, providing exceptional customer service is the #1 way to drive repeat purchases and word-of-mouth referrals. However, for small businesses running lean, hiring a dedicated support team is simply not feasible.
This is where helpdesk software like Gorgias comes in.
In this comprehensive article, we will explore how Gorgias helps you deliver ultra-responsive support to increase satisfaction, loyalty and Shopify sales.
You will learn:
- What is Gorgias and how it centralizes customer communication
- Specific features that improve support speed and quality
- How better assistance directly drives higher revenue
- Detailed pricing plan comparison
- 2 major alternative helpdesks worth considering
Plus plenty of real-world examples, supporting data and expert insights!
Let‘s start by understanding what Gorgias is and why it matters.
What is Gorgias?
Gorgias is a helpdesk specifically built for ecommerce stores to manage customer queries across multiple channels through a single, unified dashboard.
It deeply integrates with Shopify so all order information, customer conversation history and context is readily available to agents responding to tickets. This results in faster resolution and a more personalized service experience.
In fact, according to Gorgias‘ own research, the average merchant sees a 5-15% revenue increase within months of implementing their helpdesk. Other sources validate similar ROI metrics from investing into customer experience:
- 80% of customers are willing to pay more for better service [Source: Microsoft]
- Brands that successfully retain 91% of their customers grow revenues by 125% [Bain & Company]
With the numbers speaking for themselves, let‘s look at some standout Gorgias features:
Centralized Ticketing
Managing queries across email, social media, live chat etc. is challenging without a unified helpdesk. Gorgias lets you seamlessly route all customer requests into one system for faster triaging based on intent analysis. No more jumping between different inboxes!
Workflow Automation
Up to 20% of common requests like returns, exchanges, shipping delays etc can be automated based on predefined triggers. This lets human agents focus on complex issues. Delight customers with swift responses.
As per Gartner, brands applying automation augment humans instead of fully replacing them serve customers better. With tools handling repetitive tickets, your staff gain bandwidth for special cases requiring personal care.
Actionable Stats
Make smart decisions on staffing requirements, channel performance etc with detailed reports on:
- First response time
- Resolution time
- CSAT scores
- Channel contribution
And other granular metrics sliced by product line, geographies and customer cohorts.
Shopify + 3rd Party Integrations
Get 360-degree customer insight by connecting Shopify data with analytics from marketing platforms like Klaviyo, Yotpo etc. No need to switch between siloed systems. Understand user journeys holistically.
As a case study, outdoors clothing brand Rumpl relies on helpdesk-marketing connections to personalize engagement across channels. Post-service interactions inform bespoke recommendations and offers based on purchase history.
Live Chat + Bots
Initiate proactive assistance when site visitors are hesitating on purchase decisions. Further automate 20-30% of these live chats for instant responses using bots. Especially effective for common pre-sales clarifications.
An example here is Gorgias customer Happily, who increased conversions by 150% using chatbots on product pages!
This covers the major features Gorgias provides. Now let‘s get into how it tangibly helps you sell more on Shopify by retaining and upselling customers.
More Sales With Better Customer Service
It‘s simple. Brands who support customers better, sell more. By forging lasting relationships beyond one-off transactions, you sustain loyalty that powers growth through referrals and repeat business.
In fact, 68% of customers switch brands due to poor service despite being otherwise happy with the product itself! (Accenture)
Gorgias makes delivering exceptional assistance scalable. Here‘s how improved support directly boosts sales:
Automatic Prioritization
Bombarding inboxes with hundreds of mixed priority tickets makes responding efficiently difficult. Gorgias uses AI to detect the underlying sentiment and urgency behind each message.
Your agents are then able to jump on the most complex or disgruntled conversations first while letting bots handle simple inquiries.
According to Microsoft, customers expect issues to be fixed in under 5 minutes. Intelligent routing is the only way for small teams to meet such high service benchmarks.
Swift + Tailored Assistance
Empower agents to be more helpful by reducing repetitive grunt work. Canned templates for common FAQs like returns, product detail clarifications etc. lets them focus on crafting detailed responses.
Furthermore, tracking order history, past issues and resolutions also allows hyper-personalized service. Know exactly what the customer purchased previously or needed help with to delight them.
Proactive Support
Intercept visitor hesitations that lead to cart abandonment with proactive live chats. Suggest assistance exactly when needed to provide guidance and build trust for conversion.
Gorgias powers chat automation as well for the 20-30% of questions that are straightforward informational queries about shipping, sizing etc. Bots step in so agents can prioritize value-added discussions.
No Missed Opportunities
With unified helpdesks, no sales slip through the cracks. Be the first responder to user queries on review sites, social media and community forums. Follow-up with browsing visitors who engaged previously but didn‘t purchase.
Integrations with marketing automation platforms like Klaviyo also help track cart abandons and user journeys outside your store. Drive re-engagement with tailored recommendations and special offers.
This covers how prioritized routing, faster responses and capturing opportunities across the web directly improve customer lifetime value. Now let‘s explore Gorgias pricing.
Comparing Gorgias Pricing Plans
Gorgias offers flexible pricing tiers based on your store‘s size, transaction volume and growth priorities. You can choose between monthly or discounted annual billing cycles.
Here‘s an overview of what‘s included in each:
Starter: $10/mo
- 10 seats
- 50 tickets
- Email + social channels
- Basic reporting
Best For: Just starting out
Basic: $60/mo
- Unlimited seats
- 300 tickets
- Routing rules
- Macros and templates
- Email, social, +mobile
Best For: Launch to validation phase
Pro: $360/mo
- Unlimited seats
- 2000 tickets
- Live chat
- 20% automation
- Real-time analytics
Best For: Growth phase
Advanced: $900/mo
- Unlimited seats
- 5000 tickets
- Chatbots
- REST API access
- Priority support
Best For: Scaling shops
Enterprise: Custom
- Volume-based packages
- Dedicated success manager
- Store network-level access
- Advanced automations
Best For: Mature businesses
While Gorgias itself provides incredible value, it always helps to keep alternatives in perspective.
Top 2 Gorgias Alternatives Worth Exploring
Here are two other capable helpdesks I recommend checking out as well:
1. Helpdesk
Pricing: $5 per agent/month billed annually
Helpdesk competes strongly with Gorgias when it comes to simplicity of setup, automation tools for agents, and deep Shopify integration.
However, Gorgias pulls ahead in the following areas:
- Faster response times
- Personalized service through visibility on user history
- More smart-automations for live chats to increase on-site conversions
- Cleaner admin interface
Overall, Helpdesk is ideal if you don‘t require the full power of Gorgias. But it has notable limitations at higher scales.
2. Freshdesk
Pricing: $15 per agent/month billed annually
Freshdesk matches Gorgias in ease of integration with Shopify and key areas like macro-based support automations, omnichannel management and structured onboarding.
But Gorgias edges them out when it comes to:
- Depth of order-related data for agents assisting purchasers
- Faster release of cutting-edge features like sentiment analysis for smart routing algorithms
- More affordable for larger teams and volume of tickets
Think of Freshdesk as a decent alternative to starter Gorgias plans tailored for bootstrapped businesses.
Closing Thoughts
Exceptional support directly correlates with higher long-term revenue. By fast-tracking responses, resolving more tickets with automation, minimizing repeats through knowledge sharing, and capturing opportunities outside traditional storefronts – Gorgias improves key customer satisfaction and retention metrics.
The data agrees. Their customers typically enjoy 5-15% sales growth quarter-over-quarter. Considering churn rate benchmarks, this is incrediblyimpactful.
While investing in helpdesk infrastructure may seem daunting initially, consider the tremendous ROI in cementing durable customer relationships on your Shopify store‘s health. Successful brands stay successful because people who‘ve been helped happily return and refer others.
Next Step: Start a 30-day free Gorgias trial to experience first-hand how top-tier support software can transform customer happiness to sales growth leveraging tools like proactive chatbots and omnichannel connectivity.
Or explore Helpdesk and Freshdesk as covered in this guide if you believe basic DIY tools better suit your stage and size for now.
No matter what you choose, the lesson is clear – keep making it easier for customers to purchase and stay loyal. The revenue will follow.
Hope you found this guide helpful! Please reach out if any other questions. Wish you stellar success taking your Shopify store to the next level.
