So, let's say that you have a state of the art call center that will allow customers to call in to get help with their online transactions. Most customers want instant gratification, so talking to someone right away while they are in the throes of panic is important to them ? although the panic is often self-induced and unfounded. However needy they are, your business (and potential future business) depends upon their happiness. Now, let's say that your call center has ten support specialists and they are all on the phone, so your eleventh panic stricken customer is on hold (or worse yet ? getting a busy signal) and all the time cursing your existence.

However what if you had a simple little feature on your web site that says ?Live Help?? What if clicking that button put your customer into an instant queue and told them that a customer service representative would be right with them? No hold queue, no busy signal ? just a pop-up window that says ?You are important to us? and ?Someone will be right with you.? Live Help is quickly replacing support call centers.

The benefits of Live Help for online businesses far outweigh the costs associated with it. For one, if you use Live Help instead of toll-free telephone lines, you can save the costs of those special lines and for each call that comes in. You already have the cost of computers and Internet obviously because of your online business, so saving a few extra dollars is a good thing.

Live Help is also beneficial for sales. What is a potential customer has a question about a product? Wouldn't it be nice if they could ask it on the spot ? like they would in a brick-and-mortar store ? and be convinced that it's a good purchase? Unanswered questions tend to drive consumers to other places where they CAN get answers immediately.

Live Help has been known to increase the trust of visitors, if they can get information on the spot. These visitors can become customers and their satisfaction and loyalty can be increased by offering this service. And if they are happy, they can spread the word to other potential customers.

Live Help is an easy program to install and maintain and would be worth the investment for future business successes. It operates much like an instant messaging program, which a majority of computer users are already familiar with and comfortable using.

In addition to all of the benefits listed here, Live Help shows your customers (and visitors) that you are up-to-date with technological advances and that you care about your customers enough to give them the instant gratification that they need in order to continue their shopping, business work, studies, and research.