Why Live Chat for Higher Ed?

When I applied to college over a decade ago, I would have loved to ask questions of admissions online. And as a student, getting degree info or career guidance from my dorm room would have been amazing! 

As more and more higher ed institutions adopt live chat, modern students, applicants, and alumni don’t always need to wait on a phone line or walk over to an office. You’ll capture and answer questions that students ask at any time, even after hours. Live chat opens up a line of 24/7 communication between universities and their students.

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Live Chat Accessibility: How We Got Here

Here at Olark, we’re committed to digital accessibility. Below, we wanted to share our story of getting audited and conforming to important accessibility standards. But first, let’s discuss: why does live chat accessibility matter? 

For starters, one in five Americans has some form of disability. Statistically speaking, we all probably know at least one person who has a physical, cognitive, or visual/hearing impairment. And of course, we all use the web! 

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Holiday shopping, PowerUps, and you

It's officially November — which means it's time to get ready for holiday shopping season!

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We're tidying up your Olark dashboard navigation

Over the coming weeks, we'll be improving your Olark navigation menus. Product Designer Taylor LeCroy talks about the decisions behind the new look: 

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New: Visitor Information Panel & Custom Profile Fields

At Olark, we believe human connections are essential to business growth. But to really connect with someone, you need to understand their context. What problem are they trying to solve with your product? How did they hear about your company? Are they considering switching away from one of your competitors, and if so, why?

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Olark Company Retreat 2018. Where are the Olarkers?

You’ve probably heard that Olark is a 100% remote company, and that we have some cool ways to connect virtually. Once a year, we get the whole crew (and families) together for an annual retreat. Retreat 2018 starts tomorrow, Saturday August 25.

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New: Save customer insights — and put ‘em to work! — with Notes

Every time you interact with a lead or customer on chat, you learn something new about their goals, preferences, and priorities. From the seemingly minor (e.g., shipping preferences) to the sales and marketing “jackpot” (e.g., a detailed summary of a customer’s motivations for using your product), quick access to customer information can be a game-changer for growing your business…

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From GDP-argh to GDP-aah: Olark is ready for GDPR

Does the very mention of the “GDPR” — General Data Privacy Regulation — make you want to run screaming for the hills? We hear you!

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Our top 7 live chat tips for small businesses

Running a small business is just like running any other business, right?

Er, well, not always. We get it — Olark is a small, bootstrapped company, so we know that while working with a small team can be incredibly rewarding, it’s also quite challenging at times.

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New! Capture leads and sales from around the world with the Live Chat Translation PowerUp.

One of the best things about selling online is the opportunity to reach prospective customers anywhere in the world. But if you’re attracting a global audience (yay!), you’ll likely find yourself fielding questions and requests in multiple languages, many of which your chat team doesn’t speak (hrrm).  

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