Comments on: Better advice would mean more online sales: survey http://www.internetretailing.net/2010/07/better-advice-would-mean-more-online-sales-survey/ News, insight and analysis for Europe's ecommerce and multichannel retail professionals Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:27:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ian Rowleyhttp://www.internetretailing.net/2010/07/better-advice-would-mean-more-online-sales-survey/comment-page-1/#comment-14393 Ian Rowley Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:23:56 +0000 http://www.internetretailing.net/?p=6022#comment-14393 In agreement with Brian's commnets live chat is perhaps the most cost effective way of improving customer service and sales and is the closest match currently available to the interaction you would recieve in a brick and mortar store. Retailers in the UK have been slow to adopt the technology, which is difficult to understand why, when it is estimated that conversion alone improve by a minimum of 20% with live chat. The conversion stastic alone should not be the only consideration for retailers, chat impacts other operational costs such as reductions in telephony and email. From a customer perspective live chat offers consumers an alternative method of contact (a choice)! Perhpaps its time to look at companies such as John Smedley a company that has been built on tradition but is not afraid to innovate they currently provide Live Chat as a contact option for its customers! In agreement with Brian’s commnets live chat is perhaps the most cost effective way of improving customer service and sales and is the closest match currently available to the interaction you would recieve in a brick and mortar store. Retailers in the UK have been slow to adopt the technology, which is difficult to understand why, when it is estimated that conversion alone improve by a minimum of 20% with live chat. The conversion stastic alone should not be the only consideration for retailers, chat impacts other operational costs such as reductions in telephony and email.

From a customer perspective live chat offers consumers an alternative method of contact (a choice)!

Perhpaps its time to look at companies such as John Smedley a company that has been built on tradition but is not afraid to innovate they currently provide Live Chat as a contact option for its customers!

]]> By: Brian Bushhttp://www.internetretailing.net/2010/07/better-advice-would-mean-more-online-sales-survey/comment-page-1/#comment-13622 Brian Bush Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:46:35 +0000 http://www.internetretailing.net/?p=6022#comment-13622 This is sound advice and whilst it would be foolish to assume you could replicate an instore service model online there are definate ways to integrate added offering. The application of live assistance and chat can benefit the buyer process and reviews and feedback allow greater user comfort. This coupled with ongoing user journey development can add security to the buyer process and increase sales which is the whole point It is always important within the online sales cycle to repeat, in the correct way, what works evidently well in the high street and like the high street, online retailers need to work to satisfy the customers needs pre purchase. It is not enough simply to dump products into an online store and await transactions as the online experience has got to be a developing model at all levels. As the consumer gains knowledge so must retailers move with that requirement. This is sound advice and whilst it would be foolish to assume you could replicate an instore service model online there are definate ways to integrate added offering.
The application of live assistance and chat can benefit the buyer process and reviews and feedback allow greater user comfort. This coupled with ongoing user journey development can add security to the buyer process and increase sales which is the whole point
It is always important within the online sales cycle to repeat, in the correct way, what works evidently well in the high street and like the high street, online retailers need to work to satisfy the customers needs pre purchase.
It is not enough simply to dump products into an online store and await transactions as the online experience has got to be a developing model at all levels. As the consumer gains knowledge so must retailers move with that requirement.

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