Chatting Up the Customer

Software tools like HumanClick, Groopz, and LiveHelper allow the website owner to “lurk” (my term, not theirs) in the background and monitor site traffic, then interact with the customer through a chat-like interface. Either the customer or website operator can initial this interaction. Some even offer the ability to start a voice-to-voice conversation over IP. While the technology is not revolutionary, these programs do offer an unprecedented opportunity for the site owner to proactively prompt for sales and guide visitors through their site on a predefined path.

How The Programs Work

Generally speaking, these programs require placing a small block of code on each of the pages where you want to offer customers the ability to initiate communications. This code will place an icon on the page, letting visitors know they can ask for live assistance if they choose. It also creates a connection to the software’s own server, tracking all visitors and monitoring their movements within the site. A site operator can watch who is visiting their site, where they came from and what pages they’re visiting. You can even see if they’ve visited your site in the past and the path they took.

If the visitor wants assistance, all they have to do is click on the icon and a chat window will launch and put them in contact with a site operator. Alternatively, most programs allow the site owner to initiate a chat session by floating an icon or chat window across the visitor’s browser window. The “Pro” or paid versions of these programs allow you to customize the icons and browser windows so they’re consistent with the rest of your site.

One advantage of providing service through a text based chat interface is that one operator can deal with multiple enquiries at the same time. Most of the programs separate each current session in it’s own window. Because of the inherent delays involved in text-based communication, it’s relatively easy for an operator to carry on three or four conversations at a time.

Changing the Anonymous Online Experience

One thing that has always set the online experience apart is the notion, real or perceived, that our cyber-wanderings are untracked. We feel a sense of anonymity as we click from site to site, secure in the knowledge that we’re faceless and leave no tracks behind us. While this isn’t really the case, thanks to static IP addresses and persistent cookies, we still have the feeling that we can browse online without attracting the attention of a pushy sales rep. We can compare features, check prices, and in some cases, even download trial versions, all without having to endure a long winded sales pitch. Many people choose to shop online for just that reason.

With this new generation of interactive sale tools, however, that’s all changing. Don’t be surprised the next time you’re on a product information page and a small window suddenly appears with the smiling picture of a sales rep (or customer service agent, as they’re now sometimes euphemistically called) named Brad, asking if you have any questions about the product. What’s more, you might actually find yourself being lead from page to page within a website as you follow Brad’s agenda and not your own. Suddenly, startled, you realize you’re not along out there in E-land. Big Brother is watching.

Making Your Online Sales Pro-Active

While your visitors might sacrifice their anonymity, the tools do allow you to take control of visitor sessions. The degree to which you decide to use this power will be up to you. Previously, contact with customers was usually restricted to an e-mailed request for information or filling out an online form. Now, communication with a potential customer can be immediate and conducted both ways in real time.

At their most benign, these live chat programs allow you to provide real time, human customer assistance that’s just one click away. If the customer has a question, they can click on the icon and get the answers immediately, rather than waiting for someone to get back to them through e-mail. Many of the current users use them for just this purpose.

However, you can have operators standing by, carefully monitoring visitors to the site. They can quickly tell what pages they’ve been too and if they’ve ever been to your site before. If the visitor has been to your site several times and is sitting on the order page, perhaps a little prompt is all that is needed to close the sale. Or you can “push” a page to the visitor, introducing new products or natural add-ons.

We’ve tried using these tools both ways and we’ve generally found our closing rates increase proportionately with our degree of pro-activity. However, there have been visitors who have beaten a hasty retreat at the first sign of an operator initiated chat window.

A Look at the Programs

I’ll wrap up by taking a quick look at some of the programs available. HumanClick is the one I’m most familiar with, having used it on my own site for the past 6 or 7 months. But there are others, and some boast a richer feature set at a lower cost.

HumanClick

HumanClick started as a free program but that came to an end on January 15 of this year. Now, the program comes in three versions. The Free Version doesn’t allow for any customization of windows or icons. It also carried third party advertising banners. The Express Version costs $19.95 per month and allows for customization of windows, but you can’t “push” pages to the visitor. It’s also limited to three concurrent chat sessions. The Pro Version has more features but starts at $89.95 per month. For an additional monthly charge you can carry on more than three chats.

HumanClick offers an easy to use operator’s window and a reasonable degree of customization. You can see the past history of visitors and even review past chat sessions from the archives kept on HumanClick’s server. Another handy feature is the ability to save canned responses under a number of categories, saving a lot of time and typing effort.  One big drawback of HumanClick is the inability to transfer a visitor from one operator to another. HumanClick also loses points to its competitors by only offering text based chat capabilities.

Groopz

DigiNet Technologies’ Groopz offers a richer feature set than HumanClick, but like HumanClick, their free base version gives you a chance to try out many of the features before buying. Upgrading to a paid plan gives you the opportunity to brand your icons and windows, handle more concurrent chats, initiate communication with your customers and add more “seats” or operators. Paid plans start at $79.99.

Groopz offers all the same features as HumanClick, with a couple of big advantages. First of all, you can transfer callers from one operator to another with Groopz.  It will also route the request for information to the operator with the lightest load, distributing calls more effectively. Groopz allows for separate chat sessions to be initiated between operators, giving you the opportunity to ask a co-worker a question. It also can present a visitor with a form requesting more information before the chat session is initiated, allowing you to build up background profiles on your customers. Finally, you can designate “hot spots” on your site. If a visitor enters one of these pages, your tool bar on the Groopz window will flash red.

LiveHelper

Another entry in the field is LiveHelper. Take all the features of Groopz and add one very important extra: the ability to choose text or voice over IP interaction with your customers. On the LiveHelper site, it says the original version is free, but that a “Pro” version is available for a small monthly fee. I’m not sure what is meant by “small” but based on its impressive list of features, LiveHelper is definitely worth a look.

Let’s Chat Again

These new software programs give you the ability to add a whole new dimension of interactivity to your site. Personally, I believe this can make a huge difference in how a website can be used as both a sales and customer service tool. If any of you have first hand experience with any of the programs mentioned above or plan to try them, I’d love to hear about your experience. Please send me an e-mail to gord@searchengineposition.com.