When it comes to online shopping, there seems to be one recurrent problem – people often leave key transaction points, such as shopping carts and payment processing pages, and start searching for other sites. Why does this happen? Most of the time, this is due to a lack of trust created by too many unanswered questions or skepticism regarding site security. Although many marketing departments often insist on “keeping the customer on the site”, such a policy is fruitless if the website isn’t providing key information to finalize the sale.
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However, when agents are personally available to address concerns and answer questions, more online visitors turn into purchasers, and conversion rates rise. Therefore, the solution to the problem of transaction abandonment often lies in the so-called “click-to-agent” features that can be built into a website. Such features put customers in contact with a sales agent via either live chat (“click-to-chat”) or phone (“click-to-call”). Let´s talk about the latter option in more detail.
About Click-to-Call Technology
Click-to-call technology is an important area of customer interaction. This web-based type of communication allows a user to click on an image, button, or other link to request a voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) session. Providing customers with an opportunity to ask agents questions as they navigate a website is a valuable opportunity to establish customer relationships. Advanced solutions can go even further, immersing the customer in a true interactive experience.
When customers reach out to businesses in order to get more information, most of them still prefer to do it over the phone. The fact that we live in a digital age has not diminished the satisfaction of dealing with a live human being. People are not patient and are less likely to be satisfied with static text, videos, or automated phone system responses.
Even though some may forego calling altogether and simply move on, sales calls initiated by customers are expected to reach 70 billion in 2016. So, if click-to-call options appear on websites, a majority of online shoppers will use them.
Click-to-call Enhances the Customer Experience
Offering convenient and free calling services is an appealing feature to website visitors. With the right design, an engaging click-to-call button will increase conversion rates. Why? Because meaningful conversations between interested consumers and live agents allow timely answers to questions about products and current offers. That way, visitors can find out all they need to know in real-time, and so they will likely become buying customers.
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Moreover, if there are call-back features that enable the customer to leave their phone number and questions, the company has an opportunity to nurture leads and improve its overall level of CRM (customer relationship management).
Powerful interaction techniques may also include phone or chat combined with co-browsing applications that allow agents to show shoppers various targeted products and promotions, and use one-way video or text-based communication to improve the customer experience and increase sales. These solutions may include providing the same services to both mobile device users and laptop or desktop users.
Additionally, online interactions provide the ability to capture information on established users, giving businesses an overview to determine which pages, ads, or offers are converting better.
Benefits of Click-to-agent Technologies
Let´s say that a cable company is launching a campaign to promote new fiber-optic services which people can learn about and order online. Although the company offers quality services, the new FAQ page simply doesn’t provide enough information on pricing, availability, and installation that customers are seeking. As a result, people often abandon purchases. However, by including an option to connect with a live agent who can answer these questions, the cable company can achieve huge improvements in conversion rates. In other words, click-to-agent technologies can undoubtedly reduce abandonment rates and encourage people to make purchases.
Generally, visitors who decide to abandon the sales process are less likely to return. However, click-to-agent concepts can help relieve the usual customer anxiety about having to start the process all over again should they return. By interacting with a live agent, customers can get all the information and guidance they need in order to complete the purchasing process. This collaboration also improves future interactions by capturing specific instances of customer inquiries, problems, and insights. When agents know what common problems are, they become more equipped to handle subsequent calls.
Overall, this integration of the web and phone experiences means lower abandonment rates and better business growth. Click-to-agent technologies are also helpful in terms of company branding – enabling a better customer journey and handling issues on a more personal basis can generate some positive word-of-mouth referrals. People are more satisfied and more responsive when they know that their concerns are being addressed and that the company is making effort to familiarize them with their offers. Satisfied customers are far more likely to be paying customers.
When to Use Click-to-agent Technology
Not all customer actions can particularly benefit from conversations with live agents. For simple issues such as checking on shipping times or billing history, this is simply not necessary. However, some transactions are very valuable as they can turn into a sale of a considerable amount. For such important orders and transactions, having a click-to-agent technology is indispensable. Without it, there´s too much risk that the consumers will abandon the process if left to make the decision without all the information they require.
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In some applications, the click-to-call button might appear only if the order total is above a certain price threshold such as $300. In other cases, the button might appear if particular items involve additional benefits like warranties or service contracts, which the customer may want clarified. Furthermore, they might appear only for “preferred customers” who are involved in loyalty rewards programs or elite discount programs. The common denominator of all these cases is the following – click-to-call options should be made available if an important and valuable transaction is in question.
The ability to discuss questions with a live agent is also preferable to filling out long forms or submitting “tickets” that may involve a long wait for reply, by which time the customer may have sought solutions elsewhere. All in all, the options for applying these technologies should be strategically and intelligently designed beforehand to achieve the highest level of customer service.
Our Solution
The switch to click-to-call technologies on a website may seem like a risky investment. It can even seem confusing as to how it can be used effectively, especially for smaller business. However, our experienced staff can make this integration easy and painless for your company.
The web/phone integration can be customized to each website to make the process user-friendly and flexible, without departing from company branding. With our click-to-agent technologies, we can help you decrease abandonment rates and provide superior customer service that increases lead conversion and overall sales.
When customers have the opportunity to deal with a live agent, they are much more likely to commit to sales. This technology also gives customer service agents opportunities to up-sell or cross-sell, and further improve profits.
In short, our click-to-agent technology is a sound strategy for any company because it boosts ROI far more than any static content can.