Over the last while, we’ve received numerous queries from our merchants, asking if there’s a particular live chat software solution that we recommend for use (free live chat or otherwise). It’s partly in response to these requests that we’ve now introduced InstanteStore’s very own free live chat software.
When it comes to running an ecommerce store, one of the main factors that will determine a store’s success or failure is the quality of customer service and support that’s offered. Customer support comes in many forms: email, support ticket systems, phone support, etc. One of the most direct and effective forms of customer support is live chat software.
Live chat support software allows store owners to communicate instantly with their customers as they browse and shop. This gives store merchants the opportunity to engage customers as they are in the process of deciding whether or not to make purchases. A crucial intervention at the right time could mean the difference between closing a sale or having a customer browse to another store. Having live chat support available also lends a measure of credibility to the store as customers will be able to have their questions, concerns, and queries answered on the spot without having to wait for responses.
We’ve tried to make the InstanteStore free live chat solution as easy to set up and use as possible. The operator module is currently available as a free download for Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7. Once installed and launched, the InstanteStore live chat software can be minimized to the taskbar to tuck it neatly out of the way when there are no customer requests. New chat requests will be indicated by instant pop-up alerts so that operators know when to respond.
Get Started Quick: Installation
- Download the InstanteStore free live chat software from https://www.instantestore.com/livechat_software.cfm.
- The Microsoft .Net Framework is required for the installation. Windows Vista and Windows 7 should already have this installed. Some versions of Windows XP may require you to install this separately, though. If you have any issues installing or running the live chat software, then click here to go to Microsoft’s website to download and install it.
- Once installed, double-click the InstanteStore Live Chat icon at the desktop, or click on ‘InstanteStore Live Chat -> InstanteStore Live Chat’ from the Programs folder to launch the live chat application.
- The first time the live chat software launches, the LiveChat Signup page will be displayed. Just fill in the necessary details and click the SIGNUP button to register your Live Chat username.
- Once you’ve signed up, an email containing the activation code will be sent to the email address you used to register. Copy and paste this activation code into the Activation Code field at the live chat window, then click on the ACTIVATE & LOGIN button.
- At the Install livechat code page, copy the displayed code.
For InstanteStore Users
- Go to your store’s administrator control panel, and go to ‘Manage Your Store -> Design/Customization -> Customize Template’.
- Click on the Click to Edit button at either the left or right border of your store’s template, depending on where you want your live chat icon to be displayed.
- Click on the Additional HTML tab at the following page.
- Select the Add Extra HTML: radio button and paste the code at the appropriate text area, depending on whether you want the live chat icon to be displayed at the top or the bottom of the left/right border.
- Click the PUBLISH CHANGES button to finalize your changes.
- The live chat icon will now be displayed at the appropriate location on your store template. Click on the GO CHAT NOW button to start taking customer requests.
For non-InstanteStore Users
- Just paste the livechat code from Step 6 above at the appropriate location at your website.
- The live chat icon will now be displayed where you’ve placed it at your site. Click on the GO CHAT NOW button to start taking customer requests.
All Ready to Communicate with Customers
Once you’re online, customers will be able to request live chat sessions with you or your operators by just clicking on the live chat icon at your site. Customers will chat with you via whichever browser they’re using.
When you want to go offline, just click the Logout link to log out of your live chat account and go offline. When all of your operators are offline, the live chat icon at your site will change accordingly to reflect this. When you want to go online again, just launch the InstanteStore live chat application and log in using your account username and password.
Customization: It’s Live Chat to Suit Your Store
Once you have the live chat window open, you can click on the Settings link at the right side of the chat window to customize your live chat settings and account. You can view your live chat installation code by clicking on the Install code tab, view and modify your account details at the Account Details tab, add up to 3 additional sub-operators at the Add Operator tab, as well as customize your live chat logo/icon/company name at the Customize Buttons/Graphics tab. Customizations will take effect automatically without any need to change the installation code at your store.
You Don’t Have To Go It Alone: Multiple Operators
InstanteStore’s free live chat software lets you add up to 3 additional sub-operators per account. This means that you can field questions alongside additional colleagues or employees. This is really useful if many customers come online at the same time, as you won’t have to handle all your customer requests all at once, on your own. InstanteStore’s live chat support software also comes built-in with a nifty little request allocation mechanism that will allocate customer requests uniformly, depending on the number of operators you have online. This means that each operator will always be handling roughly the same number of customers at once, so that no single operator ever gets overloaded with too many customers.
We trust that you’ll find that the InstanteStore Free Live Chat Software is pretty feature-packed and useful, especially for a completely free application. Try it out and let us know what you think. We appreciate any and all feedback.
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