It Pays to Chat!

You have probably visited a website where you can click on an icon and speak with a live representative. You may have had a question about a product your were about to purchase or maybe you needed technical support for a service that you bought online.

This could be a useful tool for your business if you offer assistance for technical support issues or sales. Many companies use live chat for pre-sale services - if you have a question about a product or service that you are considering purchasing. Other companies offer this service for customer support after the sale, should the customer have a question or a problem. Personally, I like knowing that there is an online representative who can answer any questions that I may have. I don't always feel like getting on the phone and calling the company. It has sometimes made the difference in determining whether I would become a customer - if I had information clarified or a question answered.

How Can You Offer Live Chat to Your Customers?

There are many companies that offer live chat clients for your online business. Some are web-based and others are downloaded. I found an excellent site that provides a Live Chat Software Review of 12 of the more well-known live chat clients. The software clients reviewed are (with monthly cost):

• Valero - $52.95
• Website Alive - $69.95
• LiveHelper - $39.95
• LivePerson - $99.99
• Whosone - $39.00
• Kirzenchat LiveHelp - $4.95
• BoldChat - $49.00
• LiveChat Now - $19.50
• PHP Live - $49.95
• 123 Live Help - $49.00
• Live2Support - $8.99
• SiteChatter - $29.95

They offer trial versions if you want to try it our before purchasing and guess what? They offer live chats if you have any questions...(it would be kind of weird if a live chat company did not use its own product...just sayin' :-) ). One very important thing to remember about a live chat service is that generally, you will see hours posted for the times that the live chat is in operation. If you decide to use a live client, when you set your hours - whether it's from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm or 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, be sure that someone is actually online or notified (depending on how it is set up) to respond immediately when a customer or potential customer signs in to chat. With some of the software, you can manage your chats through your cell phone.

Good luck with your efforts should you decide to use live chat software for your business. Whether it's for pre-selling or servicing customers after the sale, live chat is a very useful productivity tool to have and a nice feature that your visitors and clients will appreciate.