How frustrating is it to find yourself lost on the web? Though there is a result for pretty much any search on Google, this isn’t always the answer to your query. A handy little tool that I think all serious website owners should consider using on their website is live chat. Live chat is a service that works similar to instant messenger. When a user is on your website and they have a question, they have the capability sending you their question through an instant message!

It may sound a bit intimidating at first, but most of the programs out there are quite simple to manage, and let me tell you how satisfying it is as a user to get the answer you actually came searching for! I used to be hesitant on clicking on these live chat buttons, but now when I visit a website, I search for them! Don’t worry, this is not a 24/7 duty, you can mark yourself as offline when unable to answer questions!

I decided to do some research to see what kind of return people are getting when using this type of software. As it turns out, studies have shown an increase in online sales and leads! I wasn’t too surprised.

Think about how you feel when you are on a website and are asked for personal information. Whether it be credit card info, your phone number even your email address, we all feel weary about giving it up. Trust is a key element when any type of internet transaction is being made that involves disclosure of your identity. The internet is a hard place to gain the trust of your consumers, especially for a first time users. Wouldn’t it make sense if a potential customer could ask questions, just as they could if they were in a store or a doctor’s office? After all, trust is built through conversation.

Live Chat has the potential to close the gap between the online shoppers and retailers. You have the chance to connect with your potential customers and build their trust. Recent studies have shown that 68.5 percent of CompUSA customers used live chat while browsing the website. Of that 68.5 percent, 32 percent used live chat during the final phases of the buying process. Out of the 32 percent, 10 percent of those converted into a sale. At this point, it is still early in the live chat phase; however 28 percent of e-commerce websites offer live chat.

Here is a list of the software programs I have tested out beginning with my top choice:

BoldChat
Great customer support, easy software and best prices!

Live Person
Great customer support, good software and high prices

Live 2 Support
Good customer support, good software and great prices

Other live chat sites to check out:

Help On Click
Live Chat Now
Chat 4 Support

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