Conventional wisdom says live chat converts better. Our data across 1,200 stores suggests the answer is more nuanced — and depends heavily on your product category and customer behaviour.
Every customer support consultant will tell you to add live chat. The data tells a more complicated story.
Where live chat wins
Pre-purchase questions convert better via live chat — particularly for high-consideration items where the customer has specific questions about fit, compatibility, or customisation before they're willing to buy.
14%
higher pre-purchase conversion rate with live chat for >$200 items
Where email wins
Post-purchase support overwhelmingly resolves better through email. The reason: customers want a record of your commitments. A written reply saying "your return will be refunded within 5 business days" gives them something to refer back to. A chat window they may or may not have saved does not.
The right answer for most Shopify stores
For stores under $1M in revenue: invest in AI-automated email support first. The ROI is clearer, the setup is faster, and the email channel handles 90%+ of post-purchase volume. Add live chat pre-purchase only if your average order value exceeds $150 and you sell high-consideration products.
