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Why Use Live Chat On Your Site?

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If you’re like most people, there’s been a time when you’re looking for something very specific online. After scouring several websites that sell the item, you notice a key feature omitted from the product description. As a responsible shopper who doesn’t like to spend extra time and energy making returns, this could be the moment that you decide to move on to another website to find what you seek. That is unless the site operator has the foresight to offer Live Chat support for roving visitors who could use some extra assistance.

Improve Customer Satisfaction and Retention Rates with a Live Chat Operator

Instead of letting your potential customer drift and search looking for the information they seek, a Live Chat operator can offer assistance and answer any questions while the visitor is engaged on the site, without having to move the conversation offline via a phone call. A Live Chat Operator helps streamline your operations by providing customers and potential clients with a convenient way to get answers to the questions they have without a lot of extra “friction” or waiting.

Businesses of all sizes can benefit from using a Live Chat Agent on their website for a multitude of reasons.

A Live Chat Operator Can Monitor Website Traffic

These days, website traffic is a valuable commodity. For companies that invest in advertising and promotions to augment organic website traffic, it’s essential to try and gain a return on that investment. A Live Chat Operator can, in essence, work as a set of extra eyes to monitor the click paths that visitors take once they’re at the site. Furthermore, the operator (or automation) can “push” a conversation to answer any questions or engage with the visitor if they appear to be having issues navigating the website. By offering assistance, this can help identify navigational problems at your site that could potentially cost you lost revenue from abandoned or dropped carts. By improving your overall user experience, you’re building a stronger relationship with your customer and making your website better.

Increase Trust In Your Brand

Another big hurdle for smaller, less known ecommerce sites is building trust and confidence with potential clients who may not be particularly familiar with your brand. For new customers, the presence of a Live Chat operator at your site offers reassurance that they can get help with the click of a button. Depending on the level of service you’re willing to provide via Live Chat, you may even be able to help people who are having difficulties processing their payment. Web sites that use Live Chat maintain a higher customer satisfaction rate, because most consumers who shop online prefer using a convenient Live Chat over making phone calls to answer questions or resolve issues.

A Live Chat Operator Can Offer Immediate Responses And Timely Resolutions

Live Chat offers a real-time solution for your clients. On average, it takes less than a minute for a Live Chat operator to resolve most questions or issues concerned with their website visit. Live Chat Operators can be utilized in a number of different ways, from sales to support, and all aspects of customer service in between. When helping with sales, your Live Chat operator should be knowledgeable enough to assist customers with their inquiries and orders. If you also provide technical or product support, the Live Chat operators should be well trained and have access to all applicable materials to provide a stellar level of customer support. Your Live Chat operator serves as a first-line customer service agent who can handle first line questions, and if needed, refer the client to the next level of customer service when necessary.

For business owners who are interested in boosting the results from your web presence, Live Chat is an affordable and smart addition to your web development roadmap. Additionally, installing Live Chat helps improve productivity in your organization. Depending on the nature of your business, Live Chat can be used to assist in scheduling appointments with your sales force or employees of your business, which makes life a little easier for everyone. As you can imagine, this simple addition to your web presence is certainly worth the expense when you factor in the returns you can get from your investment.

In a nutshell, everyone wins. Online business operators can expect that customer satisfaction and conversion rates to increase because they’re taking the extra steps necessary to assure a seamless – and timely – user experience. Clients who receive the highest level of care throughout the purchase cycle are more likely to become loyal customers who tell their friends about your business, which directly benefits your company.

Take Customer Service To The Next Level!

Another tremendous benefit of offering a Live Chat to your website visitors is the fact that it’s a great platform for building and improving customer relationships. According to reports, nearly 65% of online shoppers that engaged in an online chat stated they would use the site again for their shopping needs. It’s no secret that converting a one-time customer into a repeat buyer is a business’ dream, and Live Chat empowers you to provide the exceptional customer service loyal customers are looking for when buying products or services online.

Customer service is your first-line offense and defense in business. You want to go the extra mile to make a favorable impression. Live Chat allows you to interact with website visitors in a meaningful way on a platform that’s convenient to them, regardless of whether they’re browsing your site on a desktop computer, a laptop, a tablet, or a mobile phone.

By having a friendly and responsive Live Chat Operator available at your site, you are taking your Customer service capabilities to the next level. It’s an easy way to stay on top of your business game! Plus, if this is a website feature that your competitors aren’t offering at their site. You no longer have to let a person who might just have a quick question about your products or services leave your site because they weren’t able to find the answer easily.

If you’re ready to boost sales, customer satisfaction, and productivity at your business, you can’t go wrong with Live Chat! Need to implement a Live Chat feature on your website? Give us a shout via the contact form and let’s talk about it!

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Benefits of an Emergency Preparedness App for Educational Institutions

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In light of all the violence that’s occurred in schools across the United States in recent years, it comes as no surprise that politicians and school officials everywhere are seeking out solutions to increase security on school grounds and campuses across the nation. One of the first measures that school officials have taken is to examine their current safety protocols to identify areas that can be improved to increase security on campus. Having an emergency preparedness plan in place in combination with the use of an emergency preparedness app, is the best way to keep students, faculty members, and the public at large safer.

Mobile Apps and Software Keep Information Flowing

Many schools and campuses have added an emergency preparedness mobile app as part of their defense and information systems. The use of smartphones has steadily increased over the last few years, with close to 70% of American adults now reporting they own at least one smartphone. Schools, universities, and educational facilities that offer an emergency preparedness app have a direct line to send alerts to people who have downloaded the app, regardless if they are students or not.

Features And Benefits of Emergency Preparedness Apps

Unlike other mobile apps geared towards providing entertainment, emergency preparedness apps have a broad range of technology integrated to assist in controlling and containing various situations that can occur on school grounds, dormitories, and numerous outbuildings that serve students and faculty members. This type of mobile app can get configured to contact first responders including fire, EMS, and law enforcement in the case of an emergency. Mobile apps that include the floor plans and interactive maps provide responders with instant access to critical information concerning the layout of the building(s) where they’re providing response services. By having this data readily available, responders can assess the situation and determine a course of action, including selecting entry points to the building. Additionally, having this critical information easily accessible is helpful in reducing the overall response time, which is always helpful when people’s lives or safety are in danger.

Drills And Training

It’s also worth noting that the primary focus of an emergency preparedness mobile app is to provide guidance in times of crisis. Regular safety drills and training work in conjunction with a mobile app to provide information on what protocols students, faculty and visitors should follow during an actual emergency, regardless if it is a weather-related emergency (severe weather conditions) or a physical threat (such as violence or unauthorized intrusions). A mobile app provides everyone with instructions on what course of action should be followed based on the situation, including evacuations, lockdowns, or intrusions. Education is key to keeping everyone as safe as possible in times of crisis. For added safety, outfitting classrooms with remote alert systems that give teachers, professors, and other key staff members to alert authorities in the case of an emergency calmly. The faster that emergency personnel can respond to any incident quicker to minimize the risk and provide help when it’s needed.

Mobile Accessibility Is Convenient For All

In some school districts, tech-savvy administrators are making the decision to offer a mobile app in place of bulky paper copies of their student handbooks and crisis management plans. Not only is this approach to information distribution eco-friendly, but it also makes accessing this critical information easier for anyone who is looking for the data. Students, parents, grandparents, guardians, faculty and staff, as well as general community members, are all welcome to download the mobile app for their personal use. In ‘non-emergency’ situations, the mobile app is ideal for communicating regular updates including school news and other related school business.

Keep Parents “In The Loop.”

A mobile app that’s used to share critical safety news gives school administrators the ability to remain in contact with parents and guardians if there is an emergency. It may also be used to provide emergency instructions or timely updates on the situation, so instead of not knowing what’s happening, they get a direct response from school administrators. It’s a lot more reassuring to get official updates firsthand than to try to sort through false or inaccurate information getting disseminated by third-party reporters who may not have access to all information surrounding the situation. This ‘one to many’ method of sharing news and updates helps keep phone lines in the school from getting jammed with incoming calls from worried parents, so administrators can make outgoing calls to authorities and emergency personnel if needed. As you can imagine, an emergency on any campus has to get addressed quickly, professionally, and thoroughly, so making sure that the school’s phone system isn’t tied up with exploratory calls from concerned parents and news outlets is paramount.

Launch An Emergency Preparedness App The Easy Way

Emergency preparedness apps are the solution to keeping everyone a little safer and more secure when they are in an academic or educational setting. Further, when technological safeguards like this are in place, your educational facility builds more trust with the community, which is always important when you’re entrusted with the lives and wellbeing of children, adolescents, and young adults. If your school or school system is looking to streamline the way you distribute information regarding campus emergencies or incidents, a mobile app is the most affordable and direct way to connect with your audience.

For people and administrators who need a hand with launching and deploying a mobile app to support their educational facilities, the team at Colleen Eakins Design is here to help. We help clients establish a mobile app presence, and we’d love to help you, too! Our mobile apps can be customized to meet all of your school’s requirements for sharing important updates, data, and other information to streamline your everyday business operations. We offer a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your mobile app Project. Click the button below and fill out the form to start the conversation today!

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How Your School Can Benefit From Launching A Mobile App

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These days, connectivity is essential for effective communication. There is no better example of where communication is needed than in schools and educational facilities. According to recent findings, 68% of American adults own a smartphone, making it easier than ever before for school administrators to engage and communicate with faculty members, parents, students, and the community as a whole. Here are some ways that a mobile app for your school can be beneficial to your community.

An Information Epicenter

These days, there are many other uses for apps than just playing your favorite mobile game or catching up with the people in your social networking circles. A mobile app is a specialized technological offering that allows you to quickly send important updates to anyone who has downloaded the app, regardless of whether they are students, parents, teachers, or auxiliary staff members. These updates can include anything from sports schedules and scores, school closings and delays, information on extracurricular activities, and other administrative updates that concern students and parents. Additionally, a mobile app for your school allows administrators to have a centralized location to work as a reference point for nearly everything that concerns the school. Your app can provide a wealth of information to users, including a list of the teachers, faculty, and staff members, the student handbook, access to forms and permission slips, bus route information, field trip itineraries, and school menu options.

Offer Access To School Records

Mobile apps are useful for not only sharing general information about the happenings at your school, but they can also get used for sharing progress reports on students throughout the school year. Instead of parents being ‘in the dark’ about troubles like truancy, slipping grades, or missing homework, they are granted access to this critical information so they can get ahead of the problem and address it quickly.

Mobile Is Quickly Outpacing Desktop

Technological trends are always changing and evolving. As mentioned before, 68% of American adults now own a smartphone. The widespread access and use of wireless internet, in combination with affordable and powerful tablets and smartphones, outpaced the desktop market years ago. Now more than ever, people want to be able to get access to the information they want with just a few touches of a button. A mobile app launches cleaner without needing to open up a web browser and conduct an online search. While the overall desktop use and search have slowly declined over the years, you still want to be sure to cater to whatever audiences you have on this operating system and platform by having a classic website available as well.

Push Notifications Send Instant Alerts

Most parents want to stay abreast of everything that’s going on at their child’s school. A mobile app is an ideal way to engage with parents and ‘keep them in the loop’ about valuable information concerning their kid’s education and wellbeing. Everyone dreads the thought of an emergency taking place at a school. If something were to happen, a mobile app serves as the fastest and most efficient way to communicate using native ‘Push Notifications’ that pop up automatically on mobile users smartphones or tablet computers. This capability is especially useful for announcing school delays, cancellations, early dismissals, and other events that parents and students need to be aware are happening.

Streamline Calls and Emails

Depending on how extensive you want to make your mobile app, adding a “Click to Call” or “Click to Email” button helps streamline how parents, students, and other community members conduct their outreach. In today’s day and age, almost no one takes the time to memorize phone numbers and email addresses. A mobile app that offers users a convenient way to call or email makes things a lot easier for them and helps encourage two-way communication, whether it’s to report an absenteeism or to schedule a conference with their kid’s teacher. In higher-education settings, such as colleges and universities, these features offer students a way to stay in touch with professors, advisors, and other key faculty members.

Build A Stronger Community

While it might sound silly to hear that a mobile app can help foster a stronger sense of community, it really can! Many school districts have turned to their mobile app as a way to leverage their connection in the communities they serve. Instead of having to cut through miles of red tape to get in touch with staff or board members, mobile apps make it much easier to get in touch. Further, they can get used to promote events, sporting events, and fundraisers to support class trips, intramural and extramural sports teams, or other causes and initiatives the school stands behind.

Deploying A Mobile App Doesn’t Have to be Difficult

For many school districts and independent school systems, making technological advancements are sometimes difficult. Undoubtedly, making significant investments in the education system such as computer lab upgrades, textbook purchases, as well as building maintenance are always needed to remain competitive. Adding a mobile app to your school’s roster of ‘must have’ technology makes a lot of sense because of all the controls it gives you for sharing information with students, parents, and the larger community. When you work with a skilled team of Mobile App developers who have a thorough understanding of how to put everything together for your school system’s mobile app, you’re taking all the right steps to assure that your school is using cutting-edge technology.

Mobile apps are ideal for keeping in touch – and increasing engagement – with students, parents, faculty, and other key personnel. The team at Colleen Eakins Design is ready to tackle your school’s mobile app project with enthusiasm and skill! To learn more about our mobile app service offerings, visit our mobile app services’ page and give us a shout to discuss your unique project needs, we’re always happy to help!

Push Notification Marketing Best Practices

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If your business has recently launched a mobile app, you’re probably enthusiastically entering the world of push notification marketing. Congratulations on your new app and for taking a powerful first step towards expanding your marketing program! However, it’s worth pointing out that you should temper your enthusiasm with some of the important realities of the technology.

For instance, the fact you CAN push messages doesn’t mean you should always do so. People will start to think of your brand as annoying if you send too many messages. That’s why most brand managers now expect push messages to follow the same general principles that email marketing follows. For example, get subscribers to opt into push messages and give them a way to turn them off if they don’t want to hear from you. The basic principles of exchanging value for their consent to send messages applies. Once that is in place, continue to follow best practices to achieve optimal results.

Seize on Events to Send Push Messages

People will be happy when you send them reminders of important events. If your product or service has updates, let them know. Reminding someone they have an appointment with your office is a perfect use of a push message! They’ll love knowing you care enough and are professional enough to let them know ahead of schedule. Obviously, the type of app and the nature of your app dictate the kinds of messages you send. Stay timely, and you will have an advantage.

Pay Careful Attention to Your Language Usage

Push messages are succinct. That’s fantastic, but means you have added responsibilities. You need to be entirely precise about what you say. Don’t ever use language that is scary or scolding! Be as friendly and professional as possible. If you have a new version of something, tell people! Also, include any information that you consider to be crucial to communication. It also makes sense to use a “voice” that’s congruent with your overall marketing. That way people will identify with your brand easier.

Location-Based Messaging Is Possible

You may want to notify people based on proximity to your location. If they are local customers who happen to pass within a mile or two of your business, let them know you’re open! You don’t want to be creepy about it, but a gentle nudge based on proximity tends to convert well. You have a unique chance to create a bond with people through the use of mobile marketing. Think like them and get feedback from individuals who use your app and frequent your business. They’ll have plenty of actionable advice for you to use to improve your offering.

Send Alerts That Users Simply Must Have

Another successful class of push messages is the alert of an important trigger. Perhaps a product reaches a certain price point that a user wants. In such a case a push message will drive them to purchase directly. You may even decide to offer a discount to someone who is on the edge of buying. There are a number of ways to approach the subject, but notifications that directly help create sales are always powerful.

Your Imagination Is the Only Limit

You can use push messaging in any manner you like, as long as you meet the technical requirements. If your app sorts or ranks, you can send notifications of items based on sorting and ranking! Whatever functionality your app has can be translated into messaging. What matters most is that the output is useful and demanded by users. There’s nothing wrong with experimenting, especially if you take feedback. Adding features based on customer suggestions is one of the strongest ways to encourage loyalty. Brainstorm with your team to come up with unique and engaging ways to use the technology. It may be surprising just what you discover!

Build in a Response Mechanism

As you know, people don’t like waiting around for answers! If people get in touch with your company, they expect you to respond. Don’t make people wait when using your app. If you do, they’ll simply drop it and move on to greener pastures. Give some serious thought to the structure of your messaging. Automation could be the road to take, when possible. If your user base grows rapidly, you may be unable to respond to messages or users individually. If that’s the case, set up mechanisms that help them discover answers for themselves. That will keep everyone happy when using your program.

Think Like a Marketer

Apps are a chance to reach broad markets. Push notifications are a way to keep people coming back. Those companies who implement marketing strategy across their entire spectrum of channels are making fantastic use of this form of messaging. All it takes is a mindset that says “how can I serve this customer best?” Once you think about what they need and how to provide it, the rest comes easy. You aren’t alone in your project. If you think handling this many details is overwhelming, find a qualified professional to handle it for you. Your campaign needs to work well but it also must satisfy your business objectives. If it doesn’t, you’ll be supporting an app without reaping the rewards. Put marketing at the forefront of everything you do and you won’t have any problems growing your user and customer base significantly.

These are exciting times for mobile marketers who use push notifications. In many ways, the industry is still in its early phase. There are plenty of opportunities to take advantage of if you’re willing to put in the effort. Don’t have a mobile app yet? Contact us today to have one developed. We’re big believers that small businesses benefit enormously from having a mobile app and push notifications are the extra frosting on the cake. Developing an app is a strong first step towards reaching the vast network of mobile users who dominate the digital landscape. Once you achieve a foothold, you’ll be able to work on growing your user count every year. With the right framework in place, you’ll find that this is the most responsive type of marketing you’ve ever done.

Push Notifications Are an Essential Marketing Tool for SMBs

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As more people engage, consume and make purchasing decisions using their mobile devices, the popularity of push notifications by business mobile app owners continues to grow. Not only will more companies build mobile apps and employ this technology moving forward, but they will also continue to explore the marketing potential it brings. For marketers, push notifications represent an ideal way to stay in touch with prospects and customers.

Push notifications are the fastest way to stay in contact with a connected customer and are a quick way to let people know about updates and new features.

Cross-Channel Promotions Are a Necessity

Small businesses need to use as many cross-channel promotional strategies as they can. There’s no reason to focus on just one channel because that’s not how the modern digital landscape works. These days, people spend time on their favorite sites and apps and respond differently to communications. Because of this need for diversity, the role of digital marketers keeps changing. It’s crucial to create specific content and messaging not just for specific platforms like social media, email and websites, but also for mobile apps.

Push notifications have proven efficient and should make up a significant part of any SMB digital marketing strategy. In addition to using social media channels and email marketing initiatives to highlight a new product offering; coupon; event or special, consider also using a push notification to make the announcement.

Following up with Customers Brings New Business Through the Door…or Site

Push notifications are a great way to augment your current follow-up process. Most companies already use newsletters and email autoresponders to stay in touch with customers. It’s worth going one step further, by implementing push notifications when possible. Not surprisingly, people tend to pay more attention to a push notification. They have been getting them for a while, so they are used to receiving them and know them to be important or to contain information of interest. Because users routinely ignore emails, marketers have been transitioning to push notifications instead or in addition to their email campaigns.

There are a few rules worth considering before you begin sending these out like a maniac! Remember they’re most effective when something unique and important is going on. For example, a coupon or special will get most people to look. Any vague or unrelated messages will eventually make them want to turn your business’ mobile app notifications off. That’s why picking your spots makes sense. If you don’t overdo it and get your timing right, you’ll have a very high click-through and conversion rate. The job is not to annoy people, but to give them something of interest instead. Make sure any messages you send are brief and to the point.

Add Some Extra Pizzazz with Rich Text Push Notifications

Rich text push notifications contain more than just text in their messages. They may contain web links to click for more information, a link to a specific area of the mobile app and even maps a user can click on for a location or directions that are specific to the push message notification.

Like with standard push notifications, you always want to be as focused as possible in your messages. Since push notifications tend to be short in general, make your meaning simple. People are busy, so don’t waste their precious time.

Push notifications are going to remain popular because of convenience. Any company that supplies an app will want to notify users about updates pertaining to their company and also to the app itself. In the case of bug fixes or feature upgrades, the fastest way to get users to update their app or try a new feature is with a push notification. Offer users the chance to install the new app and a significant percentage will do it quickly. Tell customers to allow notifications for the very purpose of receiving updates and if your mobile app allows for it, sign-up for the list that meets their specific interests.

Remind Inactive Users You’re Still Around!

Sometimes people forget they installed your mobile app or haven’t used it in awhile. In cases like this, a notification is in order. You can use the old “I missed you” ruse to try and drum up interest. Or, you may consider telling them about a new feature you added since they installed the app. That might be enough motivation to spur them back into action. It’s worth a try at the very least because people often install and forget apps. If someone is inactive, you have little to lose by attempting to spur them into action.

If you don’t have time or the staff to implement a push notification marketing strategy, you can always turn it over to a third party. There are many providers that can step in and fill that gap. If you used a third party to develop your business’ mobile app, your app developer may be able to assist you with a campaign strategy and implementation. Either way, understand this is a dynamic form of marketing and will require testing and tweaking along the way. Once you see patterns emerge, you’ll be in an ideal position to craft campaigns and push notification marketing strategies that work well. Just make sure your notifications are succinct and useful.

Now’s the Time to Begin Your Journey

Adapting your current strategies to mobile platforms will yield a whole new market of potential customers. The app market for small businesses has grown enormously and having the ability to “push” a message to an engaged user base is always going to be beneficial. If your business does not yet have a mobile app, get in touch with Colleen Eakins Design (CED) today, to get started developing one. CED has mobile app development plans that include push notifications (standard and rich messages) to your mobile app users.