Live Chat Effectiveness - Child Care Marketing Summit - 1-25-16

Live Chat EffectivenessChild Care Marketing Summit

Group exerciseArianne Bettazzi’s poll from last

year

22 Emotions Passion Enthusiasm/

Eagerness Positivity/ Belief Optimism Hopefulness Contentment Boredom Pessimism Frustration/

Irritation Overwhelm

• FEAR – Despair/Powerlessness

• Disappointment• Doubt• Worry• Blame• Discouragement• Anger• Revenge• Hatred/Rage• Jealousy• Guilt/

Unworthiness

Recent trends relating to Live ChatCompanies typically spend $92 to bring

customers to their site, but only $1 to convert them. (Source: Eisenberg Holdings)

You have only 8 seconds to make a compelling headline. (Source: Interactive Marketing)

Consumers crave empathy more than service in the initial engagement.

2014 - Only e-mail and phone had better satisfaction ratings – and Live Chat is the only one growing since

Recent trends in Child Care – the good Sales among privately held firms providing

child day care services (NAICS 6244) have grown nearly 9% over the last 12 months (Forbes 6/15/14)

Children Served by Types of Care - 72% Center (vs. 66% 2010)

Three-quarters of full-time employed mothers (75.2 percent) utilize some form of family care at least part of the time (86.3 percent of part-time employed mothers)

Highest anticipated percent change in employment from 2014 to 2024 besides healthcare and construction. (BLS – December 2015)

Fewer than 10 percent of child care centers were rated as providing very high quality child care (SECCYD Study 2012)

75 percent of young adults are not qualified to join the military due to failure to graduate from high school; a criminal record; or physical fitness issues (Child Care Aware 2015)

The annual cost of child care for an infant in a child care center is higher than a year’s tuition at the average four-year public college in most states (AmericanProgress.org)

The median hourly wage for child care workers in the U.S. is $10.39, nearly 40 percent below the median hourly wage of workers in other occupations (Economic Policy Institute)

Recent trends – the bad and ugly

Conversion

Open Rate

Bounce Rate

Click-Though

Rate

Opt-Out Rate

26.46% 5.91% 6.55% 0.68%

Statistics in general◦Website conversion rates typically range from

1 to 3 percent. (Source: Steelhouse)Statistics in childcare

◦Tour Conversion – 20-40% (Source: The Ultimate Child Care Marketing Guide)

E-mail marketing

Source – Constant Contact – September 2015

Boy Scout Motto3 things before you consider live chat

1. Must have an audience2. Must have a goal3. Must have a protocol

½ of companies using live chat have a formal program in place

2x likely to increase annual revenue 5x more likely to reduce customer

contact abandonment rate (Aberdeen Research)

Success using chatForrester Consulting - tracked live chat on ShopNBC:moved customers through the sales

pipeline at a 40-percent higher rate of efficiency than without chat

accounted for 38 percent higher average order values than non-chatting customers

reduced the website’s combined cart abandonment

Increased return rates by more than 12 percent.

One way to do it…

Example

Transcript 10:45 AM Steven: Please wait for an Agent to

respond... (48 seconds) 10:45 AM Steven: Hi Jonathan. Welcome to XXXXXXXX.

How may I assist you today? 10:46 AM Jonathan: Hi I'm looking for some care

options. Do you offer a specific program for special needs? 10:46 AM Steven: We would love for your family to join

ours! Did you have a center in mind? 10:46 AM Steven: We operate inclusive programs and

make many accommodations for children with special needs. Let me set up a time for you to tour the program you’re interested in and meet with our Center Director, so she can learn more about your child’s individual needs.

10:47 AM Jonathan: Not necessarily - can you provide me with some information on the subject?

10:47 AM Steven: Unfortunately, I do not have any information. The Center Director would be better able to address that for you.

10:48 AM Jonathan: Who should I speak with?

10:48 AM Steven: I do not have any information on the special needs portion*.

10:48 AM Steven: I would suggest speaking with the Center Director.

10:48 AM Jonathan: Thank you, can I have their contact info?

10:48 AM Steven: The nearest center to the zip code provided is the XXXX Knowledge Beginnings located at XXXXXX.

10:48 AM Jonathan: Yes, I think so10:49 AM Steven: G10:49 AM Jonathan: Where are you

based, Steven?10:49 AM Steven: Great*, you can

contact the center at (303) XXX-XXXX10:49 AM Jonathan: I'm really having

a difficult time thinking about this

10:50 AM Steven: Also, here is a link with a list of centers in your area: http://xxxxxxx

10:50 AM Steven: You are most welcome, was there anything else that I may assist you with?

10:50 AM Jonathan: No thanks, much appreciated

10:50 AM Steven: It has been a pleasure, Jonathan, I hope that you and your family have a lovely day.

How toYou bought it, use it everywhere,

all the time

E-Tailer studyChat Availability

When is Chat Availability Important?◦Weekday Hours (8 to 5) – 8%◦Weekday Extended (5 to 10) – 84%◦Weekend Day Hours (8 to 5) – 84%◦Weekend Extended (5 to 10) 79%◦24/7 – 77%

How toProactive

◦62% of shoppers had neither higher nor lower expectations based on the fact that they’d been invited. (BoldChat 2014)

Compelling greetingThe right chat host

◦Round peg, round hole – hire for the position or at least fit the position

Be there

How toResponsivenessServe a purposeEmpathyQuid pro quoCall to action

Software Options

The myths of staffed live chat“You can’t represent my business

– you don’t know what I know.”“My customers will call during

business hours.”“I can’t afford it.”

◦(maximum cost - 1/3 of phone call)

A SiteStaff Case StudyDavidson Academy 2014-2015 (6mos.)98 leads249 chats48 call transfers2% site conversion increase20% conversion rate – lead to

tour50% conversion rate – tour to

enrollment$98,000 in revenues, 12:1 ROI

How to with Child Care Marketing SolutionsLinks to the CRM/ScheduleLinks from E-mail drip campaignsParent incentive and referralsCareers/interviewsExample – Carmel Mountain

Preschool◦847 calls, 442 tours, 166 new

students (42 hours)◦30-60-90 follow-up

Uber chat – getting the very MOST out of live chatA/B TestingIntegrationAutomationSocial media, PR and live publicityCourse of action – thank, show proof, show

industry impact, show company ROI, show self

Pre-flight planTrack!

◦ Organizations that embrace analytics are 2x more likely to outperform their peers (InsideSales)

Follow-up!

It’s not just us…Jay BaerPresident, Convince & Convert

◦“For B2B buyers, customer experience will be more important than price by the year 2020.”

Roland SmartVP of Social & Community Marketing, Oracle

◦“Modern marketing is fundamentally about competing on the basis of customer experience. In order to do this, marketers will have to modernize their practices and platforms.”

3 Goals for 2016 Every Child Care Owner Should Consider

(Jessica Johnsen – blog post 1/7/16 )

1. Increase your number of inquiries. Better yet – increase the number of Web Inquiries.

2. Increase your lowest conversion rate.◦Is your process going well, but you

have a hard time getting leads?

ResourcesLanding page

◦Live Chat Checklist at SiteStaff.com/CCMS

30-minute coaching session

Questions?