Step 2: Apply engagement tool and evaluate performance

There are an ample number of vendors offering online customer engagement tools. While the scale spans from advanced to basic functionality, several features are key to successful online sales. The things to look closely at are comprise a solution’s functional backbone, which include:

• Before engagements: identification and profiling
• During engagements: opportunities and solutions
• After engagements: analytics, statistics and reporting

Before engagements: identification and profiling

The function is to identify a visitor upon entry, then keep track of on-site behavior. The task are: identifying each visitor’s on-site actions, interactions and specific data points; building and scoring data specific to an individual visitor, prospect or customer and his online behavior; and saving data in a profile card.

During engagements: opportunities and solutions

The function is to engage in real-time with individual online customers — as well as use online behavior factors to offer personal support and advice, share information, resolve issues, collaborate, etc. When an individual’s current or past behavior triggers a point-of-interest opportunity, configured events start online engagements (canned responses, chat, co-browsing, document sharing, signing, etc) based on engagement solutions for sales conversion, customer service, CRM optimization, etc.

After engagements: analytics, statistics and reporting

The function is to track sales conversion and customer satisfaction levels. The tool provides marketing attribution and analytics to evaluate online customer engagement performance.