Reasons to use live-chats

• Get notified of visitors on your website - interact with them
• Get messages everywhere you have internet or mobile access
• Answer requests immediately
• Aggregate new clients right at interest phase
• Provide live support - even on the road or in vacation
• No need for changing between different instant messenger or computers.
• Short: Add value to your website or blog

How to use them - example plugoo

In most cases you have got to sign up first. Using plugoo for example is really easy. Just edit the settings as you like and when you are done copy the piece of code to insert the widget into your website. You can use it in wordpress or in any other blog as you like. The code will load the flash widget as the visitor starts to enter your site. Thats about it! The reason for using plugoo was because we were sick of having some more browser windows open and wanted to have a more professional solution to get messages of clients everywhere we go by using ICQ. This way our status goes automatically to absent when we are at lunch for example. And if we are on vacation and somebody needs to contact, we get the messages on our mobile phone (if it is turned on ;).

Demo

An example for using plugoo is shown on the sidebar of mediaplana. See the code below:

<div id="sidebar">

<div class="box-livechat">

<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" id="plugoo" data= "http://www.plugoo.com/plug.swf?go=YOUR-ID" width="348" height="190"> <param name="movie" value= "http://www.plugoo.com/plug.swf?go=YOUR-ID" /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /> <param name="wmode" value="transparent" /> </object>

</div> <!--/box-livechat -->

</div> <!--/sidebar -->

(Free) Chat Systems and Services

Plugoo

A free live chat tool we are using with wordpress at our web design company. Messages go directly to our instant messengers and blackberries. If you are offline, you will get them later per mail.

Geesee

Free. Just add one single line of code and start. Plugins for all majors blogging software available.

Toksta

Chat via text chat or webcam in real time - without having to switch to programs like Skype, MSN or ICQ!

Meebo

A free widget like chat for your website. You can see visitors to your site, let them know when you are available to chat, and include an optional status message. There is also a iPhone and firefox extension. If even works on computers when IM access is restricted.

Ajax IM

It uses AJAX to create a near real-time IM environment that can be used in conjunction with community, intranet, and social websites.

Gabbly

You can chat on any website. Even if you do not own them by typing gabbly.com/cnn.com for example.

In the end

Live chat systems make your business richer by allowing (potential) customers to contact you anywhere you like. You can answer them directly or even start the conservation first.  Most people wait a while untill they write a mail. It might be too late then. Get in contact. Now.

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