[Sigia-l] Driving customer to offline from online task

[Eric Scheid]

On 4/10/05 1:40 AM, "Gabby Hon" <gabbyhon at gmail.com> wrote:

> I am looking for examples of online experiences that drive customers
> to offline contact methods in order to complete a task--be it
> purchase, information retrieval, etc.  I am faced with a project in
> which customers will most likely fill out some information online and
> then be driven to offline contact (probably a phone call) in order to
> complete their experience.

I was recently contacted by WeCallYouNow.com. Disclosure: I've declined
their offer.

The We Call You Now button initiates a two-way conversation via the normal
phone lines. The web site visitor or email button pusher is directed to a
web page where they input their landline phone number. The system rings the
business to tell them a call is coming from the web site and then calls the
visitor. The phone connection is established to provide additional services
and complete sales transactions. 
  
During the sales pitch they claimed an increase in conversion rates in
shopping carts and on booking pages from 11% to 66%. I suspect part of that
is simply due to the reassurance factor of knowing they could contact
someone if needed (ie. conversion increased without actually making a call).

I also believe the user experience is subtly different from displaying the
phone number and hoping the user dials the number themselves. One invites
immediate action, the other passively invites the visitor to jump through a
hoop first.

e.