Backcountry.com dramatically improves conversion rates and reinforces prominent reputation with LivePerson’s online engagement platform
Founded in 1996 with a $2,000 investment, Backcountry is a pure online retailer focused on outdoor gear. After reaching profitability in 1997, the company’s first full calendar year, Backcountry experienced triple digit growth for six consecutive years—culminating in 134 percent year-over-year gains in 2003. During 2004, the retailer reported $27.5 million in sales, up 84 percent from $14.7 million in 2003; sales for the company rose 89 percent in 2005 to $52 million.
In addition to earning a prominent reputation for offering specialized performance outdoor gear and skiing expertise on Backcountry.com, the company developed niche sites that cater to distinct consumer segments and address the specific needs of target groups: hard-core skiers (Tramdock.com); snowboarders (DogFunk.com); bargain-seekers (Backcountryoutlet.com and SteepandCheap.com); and middle-market, price-sensitive outdoor athletes (Explore64.com).
The Challenge
After implementing LivePerson’s flagship click-tochat technology as a customer service solution in 2002, Backcountry discovered that numerous chat interactions resulted in sales and improved customer satisfaction ratings. An established industry innovator and early adopter of live chat, the online retailer recognized that chat could also serve as a valuable tool to improve conversion rates; however, the existing solution was designed to satisfy customer service requirements and lacked the capabilities to serve as a major sales catalyst.
To maximize revenue and leverage the unique expertise of its employees, Backcountry turned to LivePerson to transform the chat deployment on the organization’s family of websites from a pure customer service application to a proactive sales solution impacting bottom line results.
“We’re always pushing the envelope from vendors and partners to prove ROI. LivePerson stepped up to the plate and earned a spot in our customer acquisition and satisfaction strategy.”
Dustin Robertson
Vice President of Marketing
Backcountry
"I had been looking for a very specific skiing/biking backpack for weeks now and every store I called put me on hold for 15 minutes and came back with nothing. I clicked on Backcountry's live chat button and told the guy what I was looking for, and he sent me the link to a page for the pack in about 30 seconds. So I bought it!"
John O'Connor
Backcountry customer