The wait is finally over.

You now can become a fan of www.AndrewDavidBaron.com on Facebook! You’ll be able to get new perspectives on Live Chat Software, LiveChatAgent, and ClickToTalk technology and how they integrate and contextualize into contemporary Social Media. The future of Social Networking is here!

Just use the Facebook Fan box in the Widget Bar to the right of this post.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock somewhere in the middle of nowhere, you have heard of LinkedIn.

It’s one of the largest and most popular professional social networks on the planet. Recently, LinkedIn relaunched their website with a completely fresh and friendly perspective. It looks and feels so much more organic and “now” or contemporary. Upgrades to searching, commenting, connecting, and much more have solidified it’s place as the “black and white” tuxedo of the Social Media world.

With progress comes unexpected “surprises” that most people are not aware of or even know how to ask to become aware. One of which could be considered disturbing to some who value their personal privacy and to others who could most likely care less. Are you asking yourself, “What is the “surprise” you speak of, Andrew?”

Well, here it is.

I recently noticed that LinkedIn now tracks your every click. We all know that every action of a click means something, to someone, somewhere. Here’s the catch…when you surf their site and you click to read someone’s profile or do anything…the URL will change. So far doesn’t sound too odd or off…right? I mean, technically speaking, every page you visit on any site is a unique URL that is within another URL. Well, watch what happens when you check out another person’s profile just after viewing something on a previous profile page you were on. The URL now includes that action as part of the URL and so on and so forth. So eventually LinkedIn will be able to backtrack everything you do on their site. Concerned yet? Many are.

I completely understand why LinkedIn would want to have it this way. A great reason would be to keep track of Spammers that have recently infiltrated LinkedIn like termites to wood. LinkedIn would be able to see how many profiles someone has looked at and how often they are sending email out to people outside their own network. Spamming is becoming such a problem on LinkedIn because anyone can open an account and claim to be someone from a company that either exists or doesn’t exist. It’s really getting bad and if you are on LinkedIn as often as I am…you’ll know what I am talking about. It’s terrible.

Another good reason they are doing this, in my opinion, is to help out with relevance and ratios. Just because a profile has the right keywords now, doesn’t mean it’ll be relevant and you will show up on the first page of LinkedIn anymore. (again this is only my theory.) It does make sense if you think about it. An algorithm based on keyword search, click through ratios, and possibly even amount of time spent on that page. Many new aspects of ephemeral data are becoming more and more relevant to LinkedIn.

So it’s up to you the viewer to decide whether this new LinkedIn layout and functionality makes for better business or for a Big Brother complex. I suppose it all depends on what side of the aisle you are on: are you on LinkedIn to indeed link in with other professionals or are you a Spammer on the verge of getting caught? heh.

One thing is for sure, LinkedIn is an amazing Social Media tool, that when used properly can be incredibly profitable.

[Side note:] I have suggestions for LinkedIn and how they can make their site even more incredible.

1. Live Chat software in realtime to connect with that person whose profile you are viewing.

2. Private Conference chat rooms where people need a code to get in.

3. ClickToTalk technology, where someone can click a connect button and that person would be called on their cell phone or work phone.

The benefits to these ideas include: Instantly discuss ideas, presentations, make deals, ask questions, customer service, etc.

At least once a week I get asked, ” What is the difference between automated live chat and having a real 24/7 live chat agent for online customer service?” My response is always the same:

Imagine calling a business on the phone and you’re instantly put into an automated phone system. They usually give you a list of options that always takes forever to go through. Or my personal favorite, it allows you to say where you want to go, only to ask you if you meant something else. And of course, luck would have it and it would transfer you to the wrong extension and your blood pressure rises rapidly. Even if you press “0″ or say “Operator”, you’re still put on hold…but again, somehow in someway, something usually doesn’t go right. The reason why? It’s automated and you cannot reason with a bunch of circuits.

Now think of the complete antithesis.

You call a different business and to your surprise an actual person answers the phone. They say hello. You say hello. They ask you, how can they help. You respond, with your intended goal of ascertaining information on a product or a service that they offer. You get what you are looking for. You say thank you. They say thank you. In a nutshell, you’re having a conversation, a real conversation between two living and breathing human beings.

The odds are that the person that went through the automated system may or may not have gotten the information that they were looking for and therefore may or may not use that service or buy that product in the future. While the other person whose call got answered by a real person will more likely have gotten the information needed in a shorter amount of time and will more likely do business with that company.

The key is to have a reliable instant contact solution.

Now make the metaphorical leap with me from making a phone call to logging onto a website. In my eyes, there isn’t a single ounce of difference besides the fact they are two different types of contact points. The result is the same.

When you log onto a website, you don’t want to wander around looking for the correct content. The content should come to you organically, and not from automated means. Just like calling a phone number, when logging onto a site you want to speak to or live chat with a real person that is knowledgeable. You want to efficiently get the content and then get off the site. No one wants to waste their own time meandering about.

Websites that have a 24/7 live chat agent are much more likely to convert a site visitor into a lead or sale. Without the agent there a website is just like an answering machine; automated and void of humanity.

LiveChatAgent Version 5.2 Released:

LiveChatAgent Version 5.2 is now available.

What’s new, you say? Well…there are 2 main new features. In addition there are a number of performance improvements and bug fixes:

1. Remote Control
Our LiveChat software can now offer your visitors the option of a full desktop-sharing remote control session during a chat session. If the visitor accepts the remote control invitation, you will be able to see and control the visitor’s desktop. The visitor can watch what you are doing and use the mouse & keyboard also. Remote Control can be used to help visitors complete checkout pages, or for any sort of PC remote support. Remote Control is an optional add-on for all versions of LiveChatAgent. Please contact me if you would like to know more about the Remote Control option.

2. Salesforce Integration
Finally, at long last, you can now add visitors from LiveChatAgent to your Salesforce CRM system. You can also add chat transcripts & call-backs to new or existing contacts. Salesforce Integration is available as standard with our LiveChatAgent solutions.

Upcoming Developments
There is a Silverlight version of LiveChatAgent that is currently being worked on. This will work in or out of browser on all Silverlight platforms. (Windows, Mac, Linux, Mobile etc)

A stupid question I constantly hear “bloggers” and “experts” talk and yap away about is:

The Stupid Question: When will Web 3.0 happen?

The Smart Answer: Well…for one, Web 3.0 isn’t JUST going to HAPPEN. It’s not like pulling a rabbit out of a black magic top hat and poof it’s there. It’s a process: it takes and needs time. The appropriate answer would be to say that Web 3.0 is now in the early stages of transition from Web 2.0. (One might say we’re in Web 2.5, a transitional step towards the entire transition.) Over the next year or so you’ll see more and more evidence of this transition. Transition, meaning the super interconnecting of Social Media Networks and the exponential rate of technological advancements. Mix those 2 elements together and combine them with hyper-realtime Live Chat software and instant Click to Talk technologies = Web 3.0.

Get some perspective here for a second…

Moore’s Law shows us the following:

(from Wikipedia page)

Moore’s Law describes a long-term trend in the history of computing hardware, in which the number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit has doubled approximately every two years.^[1] [see image nearby]

The capabilities of many digital electronic devices are strongly linked to Moore’s law:processing speed, memory capacity, sensors and even the number and size of pixels indigital cameras.^[2] All of these are improving at (roughly) exponential rates as well.^[3] This has dramatically increased the usefulness of digital electronics in nearly every segment of the world economy.^[4][5] Moore’s law precisely describes a driving force of technological and social change in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The trend has continued for more than half a century and is not expected to stop until 2015 or later.^[6]

The law is named for Intel co-founder Gordon E. Moore, who introduced the concept in a 1965 paper.^[7][8][9] It has since been used in the semiconductor industry to guide long term planning and to set targets for research and development.^[10]

Even though the Internet is not part of this equation directly…it is indirectly affected and influenced by microchip and nano technology. Logic would dictate that the faster the speed of a chip, of a computer, of a server, of the internet, etc…the resulting effect would be that websites, networks and most importantly their users would have the ability to evolve with that technology.

The truth will be revealed only through the eyes of time.

Here is a perfect metaphor for you to envision and think about:

Paid Advertising, in all it’s guises (PPC, PPI, SEO, SEM), can get you to the front door…but when the customer rings the door bell…who’se going to answer and invite them in?

Meaning, all the ads and pay per clicking and SEM can be great and all, but if there isn’t a REAL live person monitoring that website 24/7/365 your site abandonment rate will continue to be sky high. I don’t care what kind of content is on the site. With the proper use of a 24/7 live chat agent, visitors can get on your site…get the information they need…and then get off.

Rule #1: No one wants to be on a website for longer than 5 minutes, unless they are on a site for Breaking News, XXX, etc. When it comes to gathering information like a new car or house paint, many businesses struggle with the cancer and scourge of site abandonment. The cure is having the right live chat technology on the site that is monitored 24 hours a day by a staff that is trained to answer just like you would answer when you are at work.

Here’s a little bit of reality. You have to figure that most people don’t visit a business’ website during the day, until they get home from work. Sometimes it’s even later than that, like after dinner time. By that time, most businesses have already closed for the evening and no one can even answer the telephone if someone calls in with questions.

So it becomes this sick rat race for some people to try to cut out sometime to fit their busy lives into the dealership’s schedule. That is a ridiculous way of doing business.

With 24/7 coverage on your site, you gain the upper hand of having the unique ability to interact with visitors at literally, the point of sale. But wait, it gets better.

Ever heard of ClickToTalk?

ClickToTalk technology enables the end user to bridge a direct phone conversation with the business via the website. Now having ClickToTalk technology is great and all, but afterhours if no one is there to answer that it’s pointless to have it in the first place. However, if you had agents answering the calls that come in afterhours, they can be transcribed and emailed to any recipient.

So you see, doing the proper follow through is imperative with your site’s visitors, in the daytime and even more importantly,  afterhours!

With less and less advertising revenue going towards all forms of Old Media and more going towards Social Media and SEO/SEM, business owners have had to adapt. I have a 2 part question:

1. Over the next 2 – 5 years, how much emphasis will any business put into their online presence?

2. If almost all your customers have visited your site at one point or another, how important would it be to have 24/7/365 online support?

Live chat support that could: Answer FAQ’s and relieve the phone burden on in house staff, book rooms, connect a ClickToTalk instant phone call between the end user and the hotel staff (while the customer is still surfing the site.), process realtime feedback on hotel experience, etc…

The business of business has changed. What will you do to evolve?

Whew! After many hours of testing and retesting our system. The issue has been resolved. This is the first and only time that this has happened. What was the issue? Well…if you just need to know:

It turns out there was a glitch in my VOIP phone from a power surge from a storm the night before.

I had to do some fancy foot work, but we’re up and running.

So feel free to connect with me now. No, I mean it, right now. Call me with the Click To Talk button. If you have any questions about: LiveChatAgent, ClickToTalk, Social Media, Social Netowrking, SEO, SEM, Google Analytics, Dashboards, Site Abandonment Rates, CRM systems, Online Marketing, Internet Search, Keywords, etc., feel free to contact me. I’ll be more than happy to answer your questions and/or lead you to the right direction for your business.

We all know that just about every angle has been looked at or thought of when it comes to lead generation and all its guises. Many sectors of the online lead generation industry claim they have the holy grail to lead conversion. A little of this…a little of that and poof you have site visitors surfing your site.

Great. Now what!?

Just because a paid advertisement or a bunch of well written articles are placed in key areas, doesn’t mean much toward TRUE conversion. The potential lead goes to a site, but that doesn’t constitute anything beyond them clicking onto the site. It definitely doesn’t guarantee that they won’t just bounce off immediately. It’s a gamble, which is why so many companies are leery of SEO/SEM campaigns. One aspect that many sites lack is humanization. Meaning, someone goes onto the site and they have questions especially at nighttime when the business maybe closed and there is no one there to help them.

Here’s an interesting question…Would you open a store without sales representatives helping out and talking to the walk-in traffic? Of course not! Then why do most sites STILL not have any live interaction? It’s a mystery to us at LiveChatAgent.com.

Well, there is good news. A solution is afoot! Live Chat.

Live chat software has been around for quite some time, however for the most part, it’s been licensed software that users need download onto their computer and monitor themselves. But what happens when there’s a lunch break, bathroom break, or when the business closes up for the evening? For the amount of time and effort companies put into their websites, you would think that this angle would have been better thought out.

Most people surf sites when they pause for lunch or when they are home from work. No one wants to be on a site for longer than they have to. They want to get on, get the info they need and then get off. A website shouldn’t be JUST a business card. It should be the best employee that works 24/7/365.

Online lead generation can be tough to convert. It used to be that you had roughly a week or so to contact that John/Jane Doe about a sale. Throw that theory out the window. I’m serious, if you wait a week to contact someone, you’re going to be out of business in less than a month…especially in this economy. But if there is someone there at the “point of sale” or “moment of truth”, where they may literally decide whether or not they want to do business, then there will be a higher rate of conversion.

What are your thoughts?