ChatBadge was launched during the credit crunch and is enjoying exponential sales growth. The UK government is now predicting the economy will continue to decline in 2009 and might recover in 2010. Andrew Gill, Director, said “ChatBadge has bucked the trend. This is a great time to launch new software products but only into the right markets. We are very successful with Customer Support Software targeted at Internet Retailers of high value items”.

ChatBadge is focussed on helping Internet Retailers increase sales and improve customer service. “This is a very compelling proposition for Internet Retailers who can benefit from significant ROI. ChatBadge will help engage with new customers and attract new sales even in the worst recession since the 1930’s. Given the right customer service software, all internet retailers can increase sales and improve customer satisfaction. ChatBadge provides a unique double whammy - increased sales and reduced costs. This is the ideal time to start using ChatBadge because we are in Beta stage and offer the beta tool for free.” said Andrew Gill.

A new survey reveals that more than 20% of 18-24 year olds would choose live chat with an expert if they had a query with an online transaction.

Matthew Haines from nGernea said: “It’s clear from the research that the customer service landscape is changing. Online channels such as email, web self-service and live chats are quickly overtaking phone as the preferred contact method for UK consumers.”

Waiting for a reply to emails also annoyed one-third of the sample. Businesses are warned that customers’ biggest frustration with online customer service is being kept on hold by the call centre, with 66% saying this is a big turn off.

Andrew Gill, Director, ChatBadge.com said “this survey confirms our qualitative research into the preferences of young consumers in the UK and US, particularly those purchasing high value items from internet retailers. Customer support technology such as ChatBadge help internet retailers and call centres increase online sales and improve customer loyalty”.

The survey used stats from a UK YouGov nationally-representative sample of 2000+ people and was commissioned by nGerera, a customer interaction management specialist.

TechCrunch Europe recently published an article looking at Bootstrapping.

So what is bootstrapping? Bootstrapping is an old expression “to pull oneself up by one’s bootstraps”. It’s a common expression used by startup businesses that operate without external funding, covering all costs themselves.

The article includes quotes from Andrew Gill, ChatBadge founder who says “co-working spaces are ideal. The main benefit is the opportunity for networking, feedback and collaboration with other co-workers.”.

The full article can be found on the TechCrunch website here: http://uk.techcrunch.com/2009/07/31/the-techcrunch-europe-guide-to-bootstrapping-your-advice/

TechCrunch Europe published an article today looking at how startup businesses find co-founders. It’s very well written and includes many quotes from entrepreneurs including Andrew Gill, ChatBadge founder.

Andrew said “The starting point is to identify the core competencies your startup needs, which ones you can provide and the gaps you need your co-founder to fill. Once you know the competencies, then network at events where you can find people who have these competencies.”

The full article: http://uk.techcrunch.com/2009/07/23/the-tc-europe-guide-to-choosing-a-co-founder/

Chat Badge makes it easy to chat with website visitors. The latest version of ChatBadge was launched on Wednesday, 24th June 08.

The new release includes a new ‘Badge Designer’ that allows website owners to customise the widget to match the style of their website. Andrew Gill, Director, said “We are delighted to release this new customisation for our customers. This feature was requested by so many customers we just had to build it! We spent a lot of time on the usability so it’s easy to use - no other live chat service provides this level of customisation.”.

The new version of ChatBadge also includes enhanced settings and new browser languages displayed in the DashBoard.

Brighton’s programmers, web developers and designers were given an opportunity to learn about the latest features of Chat Badge. Andrew Gill, Technical Director, demonstrated the software to an engaged audience fuelled by beers provided by The Skiff. Andrew commented “the web community in Brighton really know their onions - it was a delight to talk about Chat Badge and the latest developments in online chat for websites”. Andrew continued “the latest chat functionality was demo’d - the £5 Pound App audience are a perfect group of geeks to get valuable feedback!”.

We look forward to providing you with interesting news, views and product updates.

Chat Badge Blog is launched