The Circus Barker

[joe.pistell]

IMO, keep an eye on Todd Smith of ActivEngage.com. Todd and I had a memorable 2 hour phone call on this topic and Todd totally gets It!

 

[joe.pistell]

Lots of price based carnival barker sites popping up AND they are very popular.

• Woot® : One Day, One Deal?
• Amazon.com Gold Box: New Deals. Every Day.
• Austin Deal of the Day | Local Daily Deals from Groupon
• Beyond the Rack
• Rue La La - Home

These sites drive conversions & sales with an offer that expires.

 

[joe.pistell]

NOTE: Not all barker tools produce ROI.

Ebay is the worlds largest Circus Barker, but anyone in our biz that has "worked" eBay knows all it brings is vultures circling a dead carcass. You put up a 10day auction and the ebay shopper call your store and work you for an offline "buy it now price". If you're a starving idiot (like I was), you refuse to dicker over the phone and remind the skumbag that it's an auction, follow the rules and put in his bid.(note, this is yet another example of why shoppers are NOT innocent lambs being led to slaughter ) I tried that tact for months until I realized I was an idiot!

eBay = Fail

Note2: Ebay would not be a Fail if their rates were 80% LOWER to match the returns it brings.

 

[Craig]

IMO, keep an eye on Todd Smith of ActivEngage.com. Todd and I had a memorable 2 hour phone call on this topic and Todd totally gets It!

Must be something about "Chat software" guys, Contact At Once's Ryan Lucia is another smart internet marketing guy and Ryan Thompson from Car Chat 24 has become one of my favorites to watch in the "Automotive Space" as well. Chat must be one of those products that either attracts or produces cats that "get it".

 

[Ryan Thompson]

Must be something about "Chat software" guys, Contact At Once's Ryan Lucia is another smart internet marketing guy and Ryan Thompson from Car Chat 24 has become one of my favorites to watch in the "Automotive Space" as well. Chat must be one of those products that either attracts or produces cats that "get it".

Craig,

Appreciate the kind words. Ryan from Contact At Once is a smart cookie for sure.

 

[terrencegordon]

I like Joe's analogy, although I tend to believe a customer's website experience to be less of a "circus" and more of an interactive kiosk.

To that extent, our research shows Chat is hands-down the best tool for attracting a wandering customer, pointing them in the right direction and giving them the feeling that you are there to help them...no matter what their intention. Chat should be considered your website "concierge" more than your circus barker. If you adopt that theory, Chat should allow you to dramatically increase leads along with your level of customer service (HINT - CSI and online reviews).