[AmandaT]

While chat programs, like UserPlane, are common, most of them seem to run terribly slow when placed inside a site that has any animation.

Is VoIP a better way to communicate with online shoppers?

[spot]

No, it restricts the range of potential users to a minority who have the equipment and the willpower to discover how to use it. If you want the whole online world to use your communications system, keep it flexible and minimal.

[serverguy]

What he said

[dr john]

You should use VoIP as an ADDITIONAL way to communicate, not the sole way. That way you get its benefits and don't rule out those who don't use it themselves. Users can then say so much more than they can type and you can reply quicker too.

[spire8989]

The more ways to communicate the better. Some people definitely prefer VoIP but just as many despise it. Keeping diversity is the way to keeping your site effecient.

[serverguy]

There is no reason why you can't use a VOIP service your end, but still use a normal number and Tom Dick or Harry can use with a touch tone phone.

That's what 90% of large businesses do.

[alberttai]

Voip should be additional agreed by the above post. Users isn't willing to download bunch of programs set them up and then finally communicate.
A simple chat program would do.

[spot]

You might please users by getting rid of the animation too.

[Carbon]

Originally Posted by spot

You might please users by getting rid of the animation too.

Came here to post this. I'd say one in two websites completely fail usability, with a higher percentage being online retailers.

I mean, have you seen Scan lately? Focus on making your website usable and simple, that way if you do set up a phone line people won't call you because in all the time you spent on fancy animations you neglected to make a proper search or your categories are all off.