iAdvize brings a human touch to online transactions

iAdvize is on a mission to bring a human touch to online shopping. Their messaging platform (text, call, video) detects when a user has any questions, and can connect them with a sales agent straight away.

Problem

“When you’re browsing products online and you have a question, you need an answer in real time,” says iAdvize CEO, Julien Hervouet. “You’re not going to find a contact page, send an email, then wait five hours for a reply.”

Julien and team realised that offering immediate support could help create a more seamless experience – increasing sales conversions for clients in the process.

“We wanted to manage the whole customer journey in real time by messaging,” says Hervouet. “Messaging is about text and video but also about voice communication.”

While iAdvize used text chat from the outset, they wanted to introduce voice calls, particularly as many call centres in Europe were set up to deal with phone contacts.

Solution

When a customer arrives on a website, iAdvize detects whether they need help. A button appears at the bottom of the screen inviting the user to enter their phone number to speak to support. The user then receives an immediate call back, handled via Twilio.

Initially, iAdvize used a Twilio competitor to provide voice calls. However, they had issues with call quality. “We decided to test Twilio,” says Hervouet, “and we discovered a fantastic API, competitive pricing and high call quality.”

It’s easy for an iAdvize client to add voice calls to their package through their control panel. They can also choose their own phone number and decide whether to offer calls through a customer’s browser.

Results

According to Hervouet, 20% of all contacts, including voice calls, lead to sales conversions. Voice contact often produces better results than text chat with more complex purchases, such as insurance.

Device and context also play a huge role in the likelihood of a user to select the voice option. When on desktop, 70% of customers opt for text chat, and 30% voice calls. However, on mobile devices, the percentages are reversed, with 70% of users selecting live voice chat.

“We only use around 10% of what Twilio can offer on the market today,” says Hervouet. “Having had the chance to meet the Twilio CEO in San Francisco, I love the company culture. It’s more than a service, and much more than an API. And that’s important.”