What is site navigation support?

What’s the end goal of your service or e-commerce website? It’s about cultivating a profitable business. Part of business management is customer support. Site visitors don’t have a lot of patience and will turn away if they’re having difficulty navigating your site. This is where site navigation support comes in—it is a long-term solution for building consumer trust, satisfaction, and rapport.

Site navigation support defined

Site navigation support is available in a different number of ways. How often have you browsed a site when a chat window abruptly pops up with a representative on the other line asking how she may help you? This is a form of site navigation support. The idea is to provide immediate assistance and prolong the visitor’s stay on the site. It also creates a positive impression upon the customer when he or she receives speedy assistance without even directly asking for help.

Alternatively, visitors may also elect to submit their name, contact information, and a question. A representative will respond, usually in 24 hours with an answer or to arrange for an appointment.

The advantages of site navigation support

Why is site navigation support crucial for businesses? After all, some companies simply hire their own internal team to handle inquiries and customer support. However, this is usually costlier in the long-run. It’s also time-consuming as employers have to go through a lengthy hiring process. There is also a risk of turnovers, which are financially costly. According to estimates, replacing an employee costs the company an equivalent of six to eight months of that position’s salary.

When companies outsource to a third-party agency, they free up their own staff. Non-industry-specific tasks can always be left to call center agents. Professional support agents can handle these consumer-related issues:

• Answering inquiries, either through instant messaging or via email
• Helping customers locate a specific product or page on a site
• Helping customers create/disable an account or retrieving a forgotten password
• Assisting in purchase-related issues, such as issuing refunds, editing order details, changing the shipping address, etc.
• Making an appointment to speak with a company staff member

Various industries can benefit from a site navigation support. (Photo by DepositPhotos)

Which industries benefit from site navigation support?

Any business that provides goods or services can benefit from site navigation support. This goes for both companies that serve the B2B and B2C sector. It also includes global fortune 500 companies as well as local mom-and-pop stores with a geo-specific website.

Industries that outsource site support include:

• Hospice and palatial care
• Automotive, including dealerships and collision centers
• Law firms
• Insurance
• Real estate and home renovations
• Etsy stores
• Internet and cable TV providers
• Website hosting
• Everything-under-the-sun stores (like Amazon)

Maximize profit with site navigation support

The advantages of site navigation support are three-fold. It increases customer satisfaction, which takes them further along the sales funnel process. It also decreases overhead spending. Finally, it increases in-house morale since staffers are hired for their industry expertise and not placed in positions performing menial tasks. Site navigation support is a solution for improving business practices regardless of company industry or size.

(Featured image via DepositPhotos)

—

DISCLAIMER: This article expresses my own ideas and opinions. Any information I have shared are from sources that I believe to be reliable and accurate. I did not receive any financial compensation for writing this post, nor do I own any shares in any company I’ve mentioned. I encourage any reader to do their own diligent research first before making any investment decisions.