Ifbyphone Blog

The world needs another three-letter acronym about as much as it needs $200-a-barrel oil. However, CRM magazine is right on the money with its new CRM Service Awards category: Web Interaction Management (WIM). 

In a post last week, InfoToday Editorial Director David Myron explains why the magazine replaced the Web-Support Services category with two new ones, Web Self-Service and Web Interaction Management:

“… to make a clearer distinction between applications that provide automated self-service and those that handle live support across multiple Web channels (i.e., email, instant messaging, click-to-call, and click-to-chat). As time goes on, innovation may soon yield new Web interaction management tools.”

It’s one more sign that in the tech business focus is moving from “how” to “what.” And that’s all good news. First because it means that we’ve got “how” – the technology — down. Second, because focusing on “what” – the product – is where industries grow and money is made 

For example, public key cryptography by itself isn’t likely to catapult a company into the Fortune 500. But a widget for shopping safely online anywhere, is. In 2007 PayPal generated $1.8 billion in revenue for eBay.

Likewise in the VoIP space, we haven’t yet seen anybody skyrocket into the financial stratosphere by selling Internet phone service – while at the same time the market for mobile phone service continues to explode. The reason is simple.

Many people – about three billion worldwide — see value in not being tied to a wired phone line. On the other hand, a very small number  – about 90 million – see value in making a phone call via the Internet.

So what does this have to do with WIM? This: For years VoIP companies have been wandering in the wilderness looking for the promised Killer App. But it isn’t one killer app or even a killer app they need. It’s an app – period. Something people want that the technology makes possible. 

For example, suppose you need a plumber. A standalone IP phone just lets you call the plumber over the Internet – something you can already do with your landline. 

By contrast, use a click-to-call and you can turn that transaction into a Web service that finds out what your problem is and schedules a technician who’s already in your neighborhood. And if it’s urgent, the service can automatically escalate the call to the plumber’s 24-hour emergency operation.

Oh, and it dials the phone call for you, too.  

At EComm 2008 our CEO, Irv Shapiro announced our new initiative aimed at allowing developers easy access to our technology (see mentions at Information Week, MacWorld, Thomas Howe, VOIP Weblog, and VOIP News). We are offering free accounts to developers so they can look at our technology, and see how easy it is to use our services. To signup for your free account, head over to PhoneMashup.com and click on the Free Mashup Account link to sign up.

Feel free to call me if you have any questions.

We talk a lot about the concept of mashups around here. What that really means to me is that people are starting to integrate voice into every day applications.

There simply is no better way to keep in better touch with your clients and prospects than by talking to them. The most successful companies will be the ones who consider voice as an integral part of their overall communication strategy. Certainly there are places where Email or websties or RSS or other means are a great way to keep in touch. But with the technology available today, you have the ability to use all methods in any given situation.

For example. Let’s say you have an overloaded HR department, and you’re going through a hiring push. You want to pre-screen applicants to see which meet some basic requirements. In the past, you could have people directed to a website where they could answer the questions. Today, you can choose any number of ways to get that information. By creating a simple Survo (our powerful and simple IVR like functionality) you now have any number of ways to gather that information.

You can automate outbound calls to the applicants. You can send an Email with a link to the web site and a link that would allow them to answer via the phone. You can tell them to call an 800# if you’d like. The point is you have much greater flexibility. YOU can choose how you want to be in touch.

Click here to call me.

Interactive is the name of the new marketing game. And click-to-call is a powerful tool for being a player — especially as mobile Internet rapidly gains traction.

Mobile Entertainment today highlighted Magnolia Pictures’ mobile phone click-to-call banner ad for the horror flick The Signal. Visitors click ‘Listen to the Signal’ and a call comes through, playing the sound that turns the movie’s characters into murderers. Ringleader Digital — the ad agency that created the campaign — reports that the banner got a 16 percent click-through.

Think about how this could be applied to local businesses. For example, when people search for local restaurants, instead of running a plain banner ad smart restaurants will put click-to-call icon in the banner — making it easy for people to choose that restaurant. And if you think about it, people click-through for two reasons: they want to find that restaurant or they’re looking for ideas. So help them out.

In the final analysis, that’s what click-to-call is all about: Making it easy for interested customers to do business with you — not pushing advertising to people who aren’t interested.