Instant Customer Service to Boost Sales
Issue 70, May 15, 2003

Dear Friends,

In this issue:

• Using Instant Chat for Customer Service and Sales Questions
• Using Voice over Internet (VoIP) for Customer Service
• Using Instant Messaging for Customer Service

One important way to increase sales and boost your conversion rate is to provide an easy and instant way for customers to contact you when they have a question. Of course, this requires someone to be on call during regular hours, but it can significantly affect sales. Telephone numbers are valuable, of course, though some consumers have to get off the Internet to call. E-mail is good, but not as instant a medium. This issue of Web Commerce Today discusses three instant response technologies -- text chat, Voice over Internet (VoIP), and Instant Messaging (IM). I survey various popular services you should consider, and then explain how small businesses can implement one or more of these tools.

Summer may be a great time for needed vacations. It is also a time to get ready for the whirlwind of fall and the holiday season. If you'd like to gain some knowledge power, consider attending one of my Web Seminars starting July 22 (www.wilsonweb.com/webinar/). I've moved my entire Doctor Ebiz Internet Marketing Seminar to the Internet to cut costs and make it accessible around the world using Voice over Internet technology. I hope you'll sign up for one of the series.

God bless you,
Dr. Ralph F. Wilson

P.S. Here's an exceptional PR opportunity. Former LA Times columnist Jaclyn Easton is writing a sequel to her #1 
best-seller StrikingItRich.com.  Profitable websites looking for a windfall of exposure should apply.  Visit http://www.StrikingItRich.com

Using Instant Chat for Customer Service and Sales Questions

Probably the most basic -- and helpful -- instant contact feature you can have in your online store is some kind of instant chat service, staffed as many hours as possible, especially during hours when you receive the most sales.  Instant chat programs can affect your bottom line significantly for two reasons:

1. Customers can get  immediate answers to questions that would otherwise halt their orders. With an answer, many will complete their purchase and ring your cash register.
2. You and your employees can be proactive about contacting shoppers, in the same way that a fine store trains floor salespeople to ask a customer, "Is there any way I can help you? Any questions I can answer?" 

In this article I survey the best web chat options open to you. Read the Article.

Using Voice over Internet (VoIP) for Customer Service

Some customer inquiries are much better handled by voice than typing into a chat window. It's just easier to explain and answer some questions by talking. Jupiter Research reported in April 2002, that click to talk technology can increase online revenue up to 45%. Of the many applications out there, here are three to consider, all of which provide very clear Voice over Internet (VoIP) sound, particularly VoiceCafe. Read the Article.

Using Instant Messaging for Customer Service

IM (Instant Messaging) enables you to create a private chat room with one of your customers. IM is the communication method of choice by millions -- especially younger Internet users who use IM systems constantly. Make IM available and you'll get live customer inquiries. Here's how to do it using cross-platform tools. Read the Article.

New Ecommerce and Web Marketing Articles

Each month our team of link editors scours dozens of online periodicals and resources to find key information on e-commerce and Web marketing. With so much new literature available to you, how do you find what you need quickly and painlessly? Here's a selective and searchable database of article and resource links to help your research and keep you up-to-date in the field. (Links gathered in a given month are usually available during the second week of the following month.)