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Many refer social media as another tool to pump their marketing messages into especially companies which have found that success in traditional marketing outlets like PPC, SEO, email marketing, TV, radio, or print have slowed down. And so comes SMO or Social Media Optimization. SMO is a way of enforcing changes to optimize a site through Social Media or online communities. Furthermore, it is the next level in viral marketing where word of mouth is produced and passed through the use of networking in social bookmarking, video and photo sharing websites like, Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Delicious, Reditt, Flicker etc., The method of SMO includes adding up RSS feeds, social bookmarking buttons, blogging, and anything that can allow you to communicate. Examples of these are adding photos, videos and blogs. The main focus of Social Media Optimization is to boost or motivate traffic to your site from other sources other than search engines.

Breaking down the site walls so content can be easily found is what Social Media Optimization is all about. Content that are circulated and shared by the community could easily be accessed. Without depending strictly on search engines, we are still able to get our site or content visible. Social Media Optimization allows you to effectively circulate information and generates an intense amount of interest for a relatively unknown product or service . It also positions the brand to the customers in their own terms and environment that yields to a more genuine marketing message.

However, implementing social media marketing tactics for any reason without a solid strategy in place will ultimately lead to confusion and disappointment in your efforts in the social media space. It is similar to throwing darts blind folded. You are throwing the darts without even knowing what or where the bull’s-eye is. Once in a while you might hit the dartboard, and it would be a miracle if you hit the bull’s-eye.

The success of an ecommerce website depends on how effectively it can engage the interest of customers and convert that interest into a sale. Live chat not only provides an additional channel of contact for potential buyers, but also addresses other important needs as well. Buyers understand and feel comfortable that there is actually a real person behind the site to provide them with access to instant help, a real person who can answer their questions. Live chat can be a powerful tool if used correctly.

Live chat is the same as the sales attendants in retail stores. Customers like to feel comfortable browsing through products. It makes them feel crowded and uneasy when sales personnel give them unnecessary attention. I would feel the same way too. Sales personnel stick around but approach customers only when they need help. The same works with live chat. It is always there, but customers can make use of the feature only when they need help, such as getting answers to inquiries, more details on products and so on.

The popularity of live chatting depends on how comfortable customers feel with the feature and their purpose in communicating with the business. Customers are more comfortable in using a phone to discuss situations that involve sharing of sensitive information, purchase of an expensive product or a problem resolution. Live chatting is usually preferred by customers for routine inquiries. These include checking the status of an order, requesting details, and inquiries related to inexpensive purchases. If the requirement is simple, customers do not feel the need to pick up a phone.

Studies clearly indicate that live chatting is a desirable and an important website design element that improves the customer’s experience and conversion rates. With live chat, the e-commerce sales personnel can convince a hesitant customer into making a purchase. A good percentage of people who use this feature are regular internet shoppers and it is a good strategy to nurture this customer segment. Live chat is high on the list of preferences of frequent internet shoppers, and should be part of your e-commerce website design.