“Zopim has built a live chat product that is valuable for businesses selling online” says Qing Ru, VP Marketing, Zopim. “With our reseller program, we want to give web hosting companies an easy way to add Zopim into their existing suite of third party offerings, while making their packages more wholesome at the same time”.

Zopim will provide resellers with materials and promotional tools for sales and marketing. Resellers bill their customers directly, and can opt to have control over all customer communications, enabling them to retain a close relationship with customers.

There is no setup fee, no minimum upfront purchase and the resellers do not have to pay anything before their customers do. “Reselling Zopim opens up new revenue opportunities for us, with minimal risk,” says Jay Shah, Managing Director, LicensePal Limited. “What Zopim offers to our customers – an award winning product delivered with a great user experience and accolades- cannot be matched anywhere else.”

In addition, Zopim will be providing support for end users, taking the burden of supporting an additional product off resellers. “Providing good support can be costly for companies who take customer satisfaction seriously. We want to reduce the load of our resellers so that they can concentrate on their core business,” says Royston Tay, CEO, Zopim.

Zopim is in the midst of launching the reseller platform to select webhosting companies. The program is now open for applications from interested web hosting companies around the world. Potential resellers will be evaluated and prequalified.

The reseller program will include

● a portal with a rich set of business and technical information
● customer marketing materials and promotional tools
● reseller tools for setting up business customers, provisioning end users, management and reporting
● integration API for automated account provisioning, billing, reporting and single sign on

About Zopim

Zopim (www.zopim.com) is a live chat company that provides communications and sales tools for small and medium businesses. Zopim Live Chat makes it simple and affordable for companies to have high-quality conversations with their online customers in real-time. The company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Singapore, with a presence in San Francisco.

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Interrogating Online Forms

Online fill-in forms are an increasingly popular friction faux pas that many visitors encounter.  Often, in order to be eligible to sign-up even for a free routine newsletter or trial offer, visitors are greeted with a pop-up online form that must be complete before a visitor many continue viewing the website’s content.  These forms generally require visitors to thoroughly complete an online form with personal contact information, and oftentimes, credit card information is solicited.  Needless to say such information is not easily garnered.   Instead of causing unnecessary friction to obtain sale lead information for mailing list, consider placing opt-in links to subscribe to newsletters and free trial offers.

Instructions:  Clear as Mud

If you provide confusing and misguided instructions to users in regards of downloading, accessing, or purchasing a product or service from your website, then chances are you won’t close the deal.  Unless instructions are clearly presented in simple-to-follow steps, many visitors will become frustrated and navigate to the nearest competitor with a few clicks of their mouse.  Try to list instructions as clearly as possible without going overboard on the technicalities.  Utilize your web host server’s features to offer support to customers in a timely and efficient manner to answer questions and address concerns.  While e-mail addresses and telephone numbers are helpful, many customers prefer troubleshooting via online discussion threads and live chat support features.  Check with your web host service to inquire about support options.

Pop-ups are Turn-offs

For entrepreneurs wanting to test the market for a new product or service, free web hosting is often the most logical choice; however, if you opt to use a free web hosting service, beware of the consequences. Your website visitors will soon discover sponsors exchange their support in the form of pop-up advertisements promoting selected products and services while viewing free web-hosted websites.  While on the surface, the perks of free web hosting sounds too good to be true; the trade off is that your website visitors are bombarded with annoying pop-up advertisements; thus turning off potential sale leads.  Keep in mind that many visitors will navigate away from the website at the first signs of pop-ups.

Alleviating Friction Points

If you notice a decline in your conversion rates, then there are several proactive steps to take in order to boost sales:

• Provide potential customers with a large scale image of individual products and packaging.
• Offer a pull-down menu with the popular versions already pre-loaded.
• Insert a field in online forms with an optional request for e-mail addresses.
• Display a conspicuous “Download Here” button.
• Offer a link to a free pop-up blocker.

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• August 3, 2011 – Zopim Live Chat launches reseller platform for webhosting companies
• October 2, 2009 – Tips to Apply to Free Hosting
• September 24, 2009 – 34SP Makes Improvements to Customer Support System
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• April 10, 2009 – Improving Customer Relations with Live Chat Support

Stuart Melling, 34SP.com co-founder, said that since adopting the SmarterTrack software, its customer service levels have boosted significantly.  Thanks to the live chat feature, the company can ensure super-fast response times and literally solve issues in a matter of seconds compared to what could have taken hours with its former systems.  Now able to get a clear view of exactly what the customer is experiencing, Melling is amazed at the level of satisfaction the SmarterTrack support software has prompted.

The SmarterTrack software is loaded with features.  Some of the most notable highlights include the following:

• Ticketing solution – SmarterTrack’s state of the art ticketing facility takes sales, service and support messages and converts them into a powerful, streamlined information distribution system.
• Live chat – A feature that is increasing in demand, live chat empowers companies to dramatically reduce the number of phone calls, collect important information from prospects and provide quality assistance to more customers.
• WhosOn – This feature is very useful as it gives online businesses the ability to track customers in real time as they navigate the site.  When used effectively, Whoson can accelerate customer service, gather information on visitors and lead to an increase in sales.
• Portal Interface – The SmartTrack portal interface is designed to be search engine-friendly and acts as the centralized station for all of your communications channels.
• Web-based Interface – An intuitive web interface provides organizations with accessibility from any computer with an internet connection.
• Self-help Resources – With self-help tools such as a knowledge base and other forms of documentation, businesses can give customers the ability to find and resolve their own issues.
• Multi-brand Functionality – The SmarterTools customer support software is designed to support multiple brands within a single company.

Jeff Hardy, VP of Business Operations for SmarterTrack explained that the company is thrilled to see international firms such as 34SP leveraging SmarterTrack as their customer support solution.  He commended 34SP for its high level of commitment to customer satisfaction and mentioned how the decision to improve its service department shows what a great solution SmarterTrack makes for the web hosting market.

About SmarterTrack Inc.

Based in Phoenix, Arizona, SmarterTools is a company that specializes in management software for the IT Field.  Its mail servers, web analytics reporting tools and customer service software products simplify daily IT operations in more than 100 countries.

About 34SP.com

34SP offers affordable web hosting solutions geared towards web designers and developers, specializing in both shared and reseller hosting, and domain names.  The firm provides industry leading support on top of a money back guarantee to ensure the utmost in satisfaction.

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• August 3, 2011 – Zopim Live Chat launches reseller platform for webhosting companies
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1.) Support Tickets

One of the most affordable and effective customer support solutions is the ticket system.  This type of application allows customers to open up an official case, submit their questions or concerns, and a member of the support team to take care of it.  Such a system can be very cost effective because all it takes is a few employees to handle the communications.  These systems are also generally easy to use and can be integrated to your existing support system.

While a support ticket system can definitely be useful, it may not be the best tool for developing personalized relationships with your customers.  The communication can be slower than some may like, especially when queries are being submitted from another time zone. Therefore, while it is good to have a ticket system, this tool cannot be relied on alone.  In the time-sensitive, fast paced internet world we live, the delay in response could result in loss sales and profits for your online business.

2.) Live Chat

If you’re looking for a way to better interact with your customers, then live chat is the way to go.  This feature has become quite popular in recent times as the world moves faster towards full-fledged automation and on-demand services.  While it may be a financial disadvantage from the aspect of needing physical resources to communicate, live chat is something that can take your customer relations to the next level.  This is a feature loved by customers as they can get help in real-time and instant feedback to their queries, which could result in faster sales for you.

3.) Automated Response Systems

Like many areas of the business, the easiest way to lower your customer support expenses is to automate processes and cut out large chunks of related costs involved.  This can be done with an automatic response system.  Recently introduced to the customer service field, these systems provide a way for you to cut down on overhead without leaving your customers out in the cold.  Such solutions range from systems that are quite expensive and require programming skills to create scripts that accurately analyze text queries and send back automated responses, to simple and affordable features like autoresponders that automatically respond to general queries when you’re away.  Your customers are able to get responses almost instantly while you can save money on the salaries in your support department.

Support is one area in which you must give careful consideration to numerous elements in order to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction.  If at all possible, you should try to implement all three of the solutions mentioned in this article.  Although cost is always an issue, you never want to ignore the customers who are responsible for your profits and the business itself.

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• February 17, 2011 – When to Cancel a Web Hosting Plan
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• January 26, 2011 – Enticing Traffic to Boost Online Sales
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Live chat support is no longer a rarity or even a novelty feature.   In fact, it has become a common tool over the last few years.  More online businesses are incorporating this service into their e-commerce sites and if you’re not, you could be missing out on potential customers and sales.

How Live Chat Support Works

Live chat is a comprehensive tool that shouldn’t take long to master.  Unlike help desk applications, the installation process is quite simple.  In most cases, all you have to do is paste a little snippet of programming code into the source code area of your web page.  This code typically generates a Live Chat Request button on the page.  When enabled, the service sends notification through a hosted chat server that a visitor has landed on your site.  You can then watch in real-time as the visitor navigates your web page.  You can approach them any time to strike up a chat regarding products or to ask if they need help with anything.  This is quite similar to the personalized service you get in a brick and mortar store

Whenever potential customers have questions, they can initiate a chat by clicking on a designated button on your website.  Once the private message window has been launched, the visitor can enter information in fields you previously defined and click the “Chat” button.  This will send a chat request to the server, allowing you to review and decide if you want to accept.  If you choose to, a private chat window opens up on your end, thus facilitating a real-time messaging session between you and the visitor.  Sometimes customers want answers in an instant, and with a live chat system enabled on your site, you will have the power to deliver.

Live Chat Benefits

Live chat support can help you to enhance confidence in visitors and increase customer satisfaction.  Long email delays are becoming increasingly damaging while lengthy hold times on the phone frustrates customers even more.  With live chat, your customers can get the answers they need on the spot and when they’re satisfied, they are far more likely to return.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of live chat is cost savings.  This feature will allow you to cut back significantly on costly support calls and possibly lower the number of support staff members.  The representatives you do have on hand can use their time more efficiently and make sure your customers get the best service possible.

Related posts:

• July 27, 2009 – Three Methods for Better Customer Relations
• August 3, 2011 – Zopim Live Chat launches reseller platform for webhosting companies
• April 5, 2011 – Three Hidden Fees to Look for When Choosing a Web Hosting Plan
• February 17, 2011 – When to Cancel a Web Hosting Plan
• February 8, 2011 – Critical Factors for Choosing a Web Host
• January 26, 2011 – Enticing Traffic to Boost Online Sales
• November 23, 2010 – A Review of JustHost
• January 13, 2010 – The Importance of Web Hosting Customer Service
• September 24, 2009 – 34SP Makes Improvements to Customer Support System
• September 4, 2009 – What to Look for in Web Hosting Support