Lower the Barriers to Buying

Posted by Alec Hess

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Potential customers visiting your website sometimes have simple questions that, if gone unanswered, may not make the decision to buy your service or product. Do you want an easy way to help keep your online customers satisfied? With just a little help, you might make that sale and have a satisfied new client on your hands. Who knows, they may like your company so much, they recommend all their friends. Being engaged with your customers is the best way to deliver good customer service and one way to do that is with live chat.  

Live chat refers to online chat software systems used to provide assistance or feedback on your website. It lets visitors and your staff communicate directly in real time through instant text messages. Today the systems are simple, effective and amazingly cost effective.

Live Chat Raises Your Authority

Websites that offer live chat systems impress visitors with their professionalism and create a sense of trust because your operation is more transparent, and allows you a personal interaction and chance of converting a “questioner” into a client.

1. Speed: Live Chat lets you get things done fast, whether it's giving customer support or making a quick sale.
2. Convenience: In today's world, it is easier to satisfy a visitors question with chat then either email inquiries or phone calls.
3. Feedback: While chatting with your customers, you can discover great ideas to improve your business model, or other details to improve profits. Some live chat providers also give you the ability to analyze where the traffic on your site is coming from for further insight.

Tips for Success:

1. Choose what's best for you. Decide whether you want to administer the live chat yourself or outsource the service. Live chat can be available even after business hours and some companies even have 24/7 live chat availability. If you do intend to administer the service yourself, have your staff look into mobile accessibility to extend hours.
2. Track the success rate. You want to make sure you are benefiting from the service. A good guideline is figuring out how your company is benefiting, whether it's through increased sales or happier customers.
3. Implement it right. Clearly post the hours of your live chat and carefully train whoever is manning the service.

In today's world of ecommerce, it's more and more common to see a tool like live chat on your competitors website’s. If you want to gain an advantage over the competition, then this is one huge advantage to implement. On the next tabs are terrific vendors who we believe in; and some highly discounted, high quality deals to help you get started for less. So go forth and chat.

Alec Hess is a marketer and small business expert as well as Principal of Full Voice Media and Vanguard Healthcare Products; and co-founder of BizSaves. His focus is on small business success and he has consulted, guided and advised many firms.
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