Chat Increases Conversions But It's Not That Simple

MaureenA — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:00:00 GMT

Bold Software, which produces Bold Chat, released its Live Chat Performance Benchmarks report this week and it provides valuable insight into the relationship between online chat and website visitors. The biggest takeaway from the report is that online visitors who participate in chat are four times more likely to convert. But the challenge is getting them to chat since the median of those who actually participate is 1.8 percent.

Bold Software took it a step further and looked at reactive versus proactive chat. Reactive chat is defined by the company as being initiated by the online visitor whereas proactive chat is when a visitor accepts an invitation to chat. The median of those who accept proactive invitations is 6 percent, however this number can be improved by button placement and timing of invitation.

By placing more chat buttons throughout the site, merchants can increase the acceptance rate – 47 percent on or after the second page. And by timing when to provide the invitation, you can positively or negatively affect the response rate. Seventy-nine percent accept after being on a site for two to three minutes.

In August, Website Magazine reported on a survey by Harris Interactive and IMShopping that found 77 percent of respondents wanted assistance making an online purchase. And by not getting the assistance they want, 52 percent said it could prevent them from buying.

So online consumers want assistance, but providing that assistance proves to be a science. Working with your chat provider can help you meet the needs of online consumers and increase your conversions.

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e.l.f., Bold Software Partner to Offer Chat

MaureenA — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:00:00 GMT

Makeup e-commerce merchant e.l.f. takes another step in its online tools for customers by partnering with Bold Software to offer chat to online customers. e.l.f. is a large makeup merchant that has a very comprehensive online presence: Twitter, YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, blogs, newsletters, viral marketing, affiliate marketing, and much more.

e.l.f. has established a website that facilitates a lot of needs so customers get all the information they need at eyeslipsface.com as well as encouraging them to come back in the future. Products are broken into category for quick searching; users can create their own beauty profiles so all their makeup information is stored for them; users can even get a virtual makeover. With the new chat functionality, customers can talk with a makeup artist which can definitely enhance conversions.

“We’re always looking for ways to engage with our customers and live chat meshed perfectly with our customer service strategy. Almost immediately after launching BoldChat, we began hearing from our customers that they really liked the live chat feature,” said e.l.f. CEO and co-founder Joseph Shamah in the news release.

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'Net Features : online chat

Chat Increases Conversions But It's Not That Simple

e.l.f., Bold Software Partner to Offer Chat