Joe,
On a site I did last summer (click my name), I altered my web architecture to track every single visitor to the site as if they are a lead. The only difference is that I won't have their name, email, or number. I only know them by their Visitor Code - a number. (Hello Ms. 23234234).
But Ms. 23234234 is a living, breathing person. I can watch everything she is doing and compile a ton of marketing data about Ms. 23234234 and put it into a database. I then can use that data to personalize Ms. 23234234's visit to our website when Ms. 23234234 revisits the website.
I then have a radar screen. I can watch Ms. 23234234 move around the site and I can change the website LIVE for each visitor. If I saw they were looking at a certain vehicle or watching our commercial, I can change the links or engage them with chat to sort of push them along.
The chat is completely integrated into the site. So when the customer starts asking me questions about financing, I can write back...."Hold on, let me bring up the creditapp for you, you'll see it show up on your screen."
I call it JumpInChat...because you are jumping into the visitor's experience with them.
So instead of focusing only on the 2 - 3% that respond, I can take a swing at 100% of the people with live interaction. We're waiting for the visitors to decide if they want to play ball. We are sitting back waiting for leads, when we should be working the visitors on our site when they are there. Just like a walk-in.
The system is still in development. My continous stream of projects prevent me from really putting it through the wringer. I had tried about 30 times to engage a visitor with chat and only talked to one person. One reason for the low chat rate was I didn't allow the visitors to engage me with chat because I wanted to keep control of who contacts who - for testing purposes. Plus, I could not be sure that I would be available. It's extremely time-intensive. It would require a dedicated rep to use and we're not at that point yet.
It's still a young and developing system that needs more resources and development to really get it going. It's a first draft. I can demonstrate on request.
But I did learn some things about what our visitors are doing, and you are right to focus on repeat visitors because it happens a lot. Your numbers seem about right, but I think it can be much higher if the website is really fun and engaging.
Wayne
PS...you really don't need the customer to give their name or phone number. I'm working out the details for a concept called the "Anonymous Appointment" that follows that thinking. But I think if I provide enough service, I can get Ms. 23234234 to reveal her name. If anything, she'll grow tired of being called Ms. 23234234.
