In this article
E-commerce businesses that add live chat see an average 20% increase in conversion rate. Here's how to calculate your actual ROI.
Where live chat revenue comes from
1. Cart abandonment recovery
The average cart abandonment rate is 70%. Triggering a proactive chat when someone sits on the checkout page for 60 seconds recovers a meaningful percentage.
With 1,000 monthly checkout visitors, 70% abandonment, £80 AOV, and a 5% recovery rate: 35 recovered orders × £80 = £2,800/month from one automation.
2. Pre-purchase question resolution
Questions answered instantly convert. Questions unanswered abandon. Live chat converts pre-purchase questions at 3–5x the rate of email.
3. Returns reduction
Customers who chat before buying have 25% lower return rates.
ROI calculation
Monthly chat revenue = (chat-assisted orders × AOV) + (recovered carts × AOV × recovery rate)
Monthly cost = platform subscription + (agent hours × hourly rate)
ROI = (revenue - cost) / cost × 100
Setting up for e-commerce
Pass cart context to the agent
window.KerAbieSettings = {
widgetKey: "wk_your_key",
user: {
email: "customer@example.com",
cartValue: 149.00,
cartItems: ["Blue Sneakers (Size 10)", "Running Socks × 3"]
}
};
Set up the abandoned checkout trigger
In Kerabie → Campaigns → trigger: "Time on page" 60s → page URL contains /checkout:
"Still deciding? We're here if you have any questions about sizing, shipping, or returns."