Link Exists Between Live Chat And Conversions

By Jyothi Mahalingham, TMCnet Contributor

Bold Software, Web communication tools designer that markets online management tools such as live chat, click-to-call and e-mail organizing tool, reportedly released a broad-scoped live chat benchmark report that offers a better understanding on live chat software and its effect in transforming online chat into sales.

This report lets companies have precise standards to evaluate the influence of the live chat functioning on sales, the company said.

The standards mentioned in the report are the result of exploring a large number of chat records, exclusive visited Web pages and page URL details. The findings indicate live chat is a potential sales tool because the conversion rate of clients who broach chat voluntarily is estimated to be four times the number of regular Web site visitors. In addition, the conversion rate of chatters who respond to stimulus chat invites is reported to be six times that of regular visitors.

Based on the volume of Web site visitors, an estimated 1 percent to 20 percent get involved in chat. Improvement to induce stimulus chats over the voluntary chats amplifies the chat level to a whooping 40 percent to 100 percent

"Live chat is often thought of as solely a customer service tool, but we've long understood that it is a powerful conversion tool for sales," Bold Software President and CEO Steve Castro-Miller (News - Alert) said in a statement. "The benchmark data bears this out. In fact, online retailers can use these findings to optimize their live chat implementation specifically for sales"

On implementing live chat ABT electronics recorded an impressive 20 times conversion rate comparing to the usual four times conversion.

"About 1 percent of visitors to our Web site make a purchase, but more than 20 percent who chat do," said Jon Abt, co-president of ABT Electronics. "In fact, about 25 percent of chatters end up buying additional items during the purchase too. So not only does live chat enable us to convert at a significantly higher rate, it also enables us to up-sell."

In the case of SVAT electronics, a consumer electronics and e-retailer company the chat commitment rate increased by 5 fold than the expected 1 percent to 20 percent raise. The Web site incorporated a tailored chat button exhibited in all the web pages.

"We engage more than 9 percent of our Web site traffic in live chat," said Brodie Mosher, director of marketing for SVAT Electronics, in a statement. "Bold Chat gives us an opportunity to provide our customers with unparalleled service in a medium that they want. We are ensuring that people choose the best product for them and help service them to boost sales as well as customer satisfaction."

While narrating the tactic of using online chat invites Greg Coles, eCommerce Sales and Operations Manager said the acceptance rate on proactive chat invitations is almost 20 percent.

"We've been using BoldChat for some time now and have found that when we invite people to chat on the right page or sets of pages, our acceptance rate increases significantly," Coles said in a statement. "Customers who accept invitations from us convert at about 10 times the rate of visitors we get who don't chat."

Copyright 2009 Techonology Marketing Corporation (TMC) - All rights reserved