We’ve all had that rushed experience of walking into a store with limited time to buy what we need. We scan the environment with a sense of urgency, looking to spot the correct department.
But then a shop assistant comes up to you to ask: “how may I help you?” Relief washes over you. You are saved.
But what about online? Without a sales assistant’s trusted, reassuring presence, how can we achieve that same high level of customer service via the impersonal distance of an internet connection?
The answer lies in an innovation called real-time sales apps. We’ll explain in this guide what that means and how you can use this technology to increase revenue in your online business.
Real-time Sales Apps: A Brief Introduction
Advances in analytics technology mean we know more now than in the past about what customers are doing when they browse our website.
We can find out where they click, how long they stay on a page, where the visitor came from, and even find out if they’ve abandoned a shopping cart.
Real-time data is simply a subset of these analytics that tell us what customers are doing in real-time.
But the true benefit lies in what we can do with that information, and that’s where real-time sales apps come in.
These apps help us to interact with our customers online. That improves their customer service experience, and it also helps boost your sales strategy and results.
Real-time sales apps also include technology that you or your sales team can use when speaking to customers face-to-face.
They integrate with your online platform to help your customers get a seamless, consistent experience whether ordering on their laptop or from a rep.
Data and analytics used by these real-time sales apps also help us see the context of a customer’s behavior when we can’t speak to them in person.
We can use that information to provide various solutions that offer a richer experience when interacting with us online.
How to Increase Revenue
Before investing in real-time sales apps, it’s essential to understand what technology you need and why. That’s how to improve sales performance efficiently.
Let’s now examine some of the approaches you can take with real-time sales apps to boost your online revenue.
Boost Conversion Rates
Each time a new web visitor lands on your site, a small percentage will click the buy button. In a nutshell, that’s your conversion rate. If you can increase that percentage, you’ll boost your revenue.
Here’s an example of how that can work using real-time sales apps.
Suppose a customer is browsing a product information page and spending significant time on that page. In that case, you can improve the chances that they’ll click the buy button by adding a discount popup to the page.
At OrderTaker, we use personalization to boost conversion rates. By offering custom product catalogs in our B2B eCommerce solution, buyers cut down their browse time and go directly to the purchase they need.
That is a real-life example of technology replicating an in-store sales assistant. You need that technology to get a conversion rate that translates to superior online sales targets.
Offer Mobile Solutions
Real-time sales apps that allow customers to buy when they are on the go can help boost your revenue. So one way you can use real-time technology is to implement a mobile solution for your business.
This mobile technology offers a more flexible and around-the-clock way of making purchases. That’s especially important for B2B customers who want to place orders via their mobile when traveling.
It’s also helpful for customers who need to make an immediate and urgent purchase and don’t want to wait until they are back at their work desk.
At OrderTaker, wholesale businesses use our mobile ordering technology to place orders quickly and reliably.
Try Chatbots to Boost Customer Service
One feature lacking from many online eCommerce platforms is customer interaction. If a customer has a question, that query often gets lost in a sea of online inquiry forms or emails.
When your business responds with an answer, that customer has moved on and may no longer need to place an order with you.
You can counteract this problem by offering chatbots that provide customers with real-time interaction.
A good chatbot app will answer many of customers’ most common questions. It will help direct them to the next step in the sales process, thereby dramatically increasing your chances of securing that sale.
Use Bots for Automated Bookings
One feature that will help B2B companies boost new leads is quickly turning an inquiry into a new sales booking.
A bot can prompt a website visitor to complete a booking form or schedule a call. By doing so, they give your sales representatives the chance to convert those leads into new customers via sales calls.
That is a far more effective way of increasing leads than requiring your website to do the heavy lifting in persuading website visitors to take action.
A bot is immediate and customer-focused and will help walk your lead through the booking sequence in real-time.
Offer a Face-to-Face Ordering App
When your sales reps are talking with clients, you want to give them the technology that will help them help close that all-important sale.
A mobile ordering sales app, such as our Mobile Order Taking solution, will give your reps the ability to get a confirmed sale from customers there and then.
It also offers them the chance to upsell and increase the order value.
It’s the perfect way to combine traditional in-person selling with best-in-class online technology.
By integrating your eCommerce platform and the technology used by your sales team, you’ll look professional, and you’ll improve your customer service.
Invest In Smart Technology to Boost Your Revenue
There’s an obvious case for using real-time sales apps to increase revenue (offline and online).
But there is more you can gain from this investment, including a better customer experience and a chance to edge ahead of competitors.
So take the time to explore what our range of solutions can offer your business. Speak to our team directly about your needs. Our experts can help advise you on what OrderTaker technology is right for you.