Live chat...Increasing Website Conversion

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Live chat...Increasing Website Conversion

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googleguy

posts: 65

Aug 07, 2008 11:38 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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We are constantly searching for ways to increase our clients website conversion rates. We recently have added a live chat feature to certain websites and I thought I would share the info with the SUN readers.

Live chat, does exactly that, allows you to chat live with website visitors. The web is a funny place, anyone can search for anything in complete anonymity....and they love it. But what about when they are really, truly, looking for answers?

Adding live chat to certain websites, when it makes sense, can really help conversion. Imagine being able to have a real-time conversation with someone interested in your product or service at the exact moment they are interested in it. It can be extremely powerful. An attorney client of ours has been able to increase the amount of cases he files because he can answer questions about a serious matter and help someone fill a need without having to read 10 pages of online content.

Let`s face it, most people are simply looking for answers and if you can do that in a fast, convenient manner, will only help you convert more of your website traffic to actual clients.

You can even be proactive. Many systems allow you to send a message to visitors inviting them to chat with you. We have this on our site and have seen an increase in business in the short time we have been using it.

The software we use also allows us to see real-time visitors to our site, how they found us and what page of our site they are on.....It`s a little creepy, but when you combine that with analytics, it`s pretty powerful.

Is anyone else using live chat? Tell us about your experiences.

www.searchmarketingsystems.net

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www.searchmarketingsystems.net

RabbitMountain

posts: 423

Aug 08, 2008 10:15 AM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Why is real-time visitor info creepy?

googleguy

posts: 65

Aug 08, 2008 6:23 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Good Question RabbitMountain,

The first day we installed the software we had 5 people browsing our site at the same time. Being able to see that they were there was kinda weird, it felt creepy. We could see where they came from, how long they had been on and what page they were browsing. It does not tell us who they are of course but it still felt weird, thats all. We are used to it now and see this as really benefiting our site and our visitors. Not to mention our clients that love it!

www.searchmarketingsystems.net

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www.searchmarketingsystems.net

houseofjerkyjanie

posts: 1150

Aug 08, 2008 6:38 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Hi,

If you have enough human beings that want to talk with you, and you have enough human beings to be there to answer, I think it`s great. I tried it for awhile. Either I wasn`t on the computer when someone wanted to ask me a question, or my computer was asleep and I wouldn`t have been able to hear the signal that let`s you know someone wants to chat.

Otherwise for a large business that has employees to take care of that service, I think it`s a beneficial service. When I was shopping online for a dress for my Daughters wedding. I appreciated that I was able to chat with someone that could tell me if they had my size in stock. I didn`t purchase online but I found it to be helpful to ask questions. If they had what I was looking for, I probably would have purchased.

Janie

Just edited because I forgot to spell check! And I knew I typed too fast and spelled beneficial wrong. ..so it`s fixed. :)

zendoo

posts: 8

Aug 08, 2008 8:58 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Live chat has been a huge success for us. I would say it is a must have for any online retailer.
Most online shoppers won`t take the time to make a phone call to customer service, and receiving answers to a simple question via e-mail ruins any chance of impulse buying. If a buyer has a question about your product or service and can`t find an immediate answer, you are likely to lose them forever.
We don`t use it to monitor who is on our site, we simply use it as another tool in the customer service tool belt. Although the idea of sending quick "Can I help you find something" messages to shoppers via live chat is intriguing.

Rich

posts: 1738

Aug 08, 2008 9:57 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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what about hiring an outsourced live chat provider with customer service agents you train?

one of the companies we launched is www.intersighttechnologies.com/. True, most of their clients are bigger companies, but i`m sure it would work for lower volume businesses like yours, Janie.

i can make an introduction if you want to explore.

statistics suggest that conversion rates goes way up using this kind of solution. of course, there`s a cost to it to. that`s the analysis (test?) that must be done.

Rich

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Rich Sloan , Co-Founder, Chief Startupologist, StartupNation

houseofjerkyjanie

posts: 1150

Aug 09, 2008 4:19 AM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Rich,

It looks very interesting. Unfortunately I didn`t see pricing anywhere, so I guess I will need to check into it. So if you want to make an introduction.:), thank you.

Janie

Rich

posts: 1738

Aug 09, 2008 11:15 AM ET Quote Report Abuse

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will do!

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Rich Sloan , Co-Founder, Chief Startupologist, StartupNation

stonesledge

posts: 1093

Aug 10, 2008 1:02 AM ET Quote Report Abuse

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Very Cool!! Janie, I think, that would be great. I would love more info to, Rich. I have been to the site and will get in touch sometime next month. We will be needing this and it would be great to outsource instead of hiring on for this particular task.

Erin

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Our Goal Is Your Success!
Founder Girls with Goals

Tis

posts: 2

Aug 11, 2008 12:30 PM ET Quote Report Abuse

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I would love to discuss the benefits of chat technology for any site and eRetail is a must in my view. First question, do you feel creepy if you have a store and someone comes in and you watch what they are interested in so you could help them? Keep your customers` interest, wants, and needs a top priority and your success will follow.

Having chat on your site is a way to support your customers in their needs at the time they are looking for your help. Just like having a toll free phone number, chat is there to facilitate the customer in the purchase decision or problem solving. This support service can be listed on your site showing times that a person would be available or can be outsourced to a support center for more coverage. As long as you let your customer know when the service is active, they will appreciate your efforts.

There are chat models that will fit any size company, and communicating to your customer will always provide benefits.

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Jim Tisdel
InterSight Technologies
www.intersighttechnologies.com

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