Improving productivity

Customer support

There are online tools that can help you deliver more personalised customer support services while reducing costs. The options range from static searchable web pages with information and advice through to one on one personal support delivered via videoconferencing. Static or automated approaches require little ongoing commitment. More personalised and dynamic services may require more resources to monitor and respond to enquiries.

Think creatively about how offering innovative online support services could help you differentiate your organisation from other similar organisations online. Depending on the nature of your industry or sector, there is a range of options you may wish to consider.

Frequently asked questions and knowledge bases

Allowing people to solve routine enquiries themselves with the assistance of your website provides convenience for you and your clients and visitors. Providing a simple webpage addressing frequently asked questions (FAQs) can provide visitors with quick and easy access to information that can solve or address their problem. Additionally or alternatively, you may wish to provide a more detailed series of structured and searchable web pages with information (commonly referred to as a knowledge base) to help your clients or visitors learn more about a broad range of topics.

Email support

You may wish to invite customers, supporters or donors to lodge a service enquiry by email through a simple web mail interface accessible in the support section of your site. There are many features you can include, such as drop menus with the choice of appropriate headers that qualify the nature of the enquiry, or an auto-responder to acknowledge the request and provide information about the anticipated resolution process.

Real-time online support

As more Australians take up broadband services, it is increasingly possible to offer real-time online support services. This means your support team can use tools to communicate with current or potential clients or supporters live online, whenever your visitors require assistance.

Deciding what kind of real-time online support tools you might offer, if any, will require you to balance the benefits of better meeting the needs of your website visitors with the financial and time commitments required to offer that support. It is important to follow through with any commitments you make about providing real-time support. Even if it is not appropriate for you to offer real-time online support around the clock, you might consider offering it during business hours or during special events, such as following the launch of a major marketing campaign.

To set up real-time online support you can either provide visitors with your username for common instant messaging or video chat applications, or hire a web developer to integrate these features into your website.