Important Updates for Investors
Carla Pasternak's Premiere Issue of High-Yield International Just
Released
Income expert Carla Pasternak's debut issue of High-Yield
International covers a Taiwanese manufacturer yielding 9.5%... a
rare Mexican monopoly yielding 13.4%... and other top-performing
investments yielding up to 19.0%.
Government's Biofuel Timetable Could Spell +15,900% Growth
+15,900% growth might seem far-fetched... but it's not. In fact, it
is mandated by law. And I've identified the ONLY stock positioned to
capture this growth.
The
Silver Lining to a Falling Dollar
Despite the U.S. national debt, there is a silver lining for income
investors. This massive spending, combined with movement out of U.S.
Treasuries, is going to take its toll on the dollar, and
international income investors could reap the rewards in the form of
higher dividends. |
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Profit from the Gaining
Momentum of e-Commerce with LivePerson (LPSN) |
Published:
January 30, 2008
As the name implies, LivePerson (Nasdaq: LPSN, $3.85) designs software that gives
e-commerce companies a much more personal touch to their websites.
For one reason or another, you have probably left
items abandoned in a cyber shopping cart just short of the checkout
counter. Perhaps you found a digital camera at just the right price,
but had questions about certain advanced features and couldn't find
any answers. Or maybe you were set to buy the hottest toy as a
birthday present, but ran into problems with gift-wrapping or
shipping options.
We all have questions about certain products and want them answered
before we even think of entering a credit card number. That's where
LivePerson comes in. The firm's Timpani software connects shoppers
with live customer service personnel, so that any and all questions
can be answered in a friendly, interactive webchat.
While this description is an oversimplification, think of
LivePerson's platform as providing a personalized, knowledgeable
sales assistant to help customers complete their purchases. So
instead of losing shoppers to frustration, online retailers can
approach them proactively and guide them every step of the way.
Of course, the software is far more advanced than a simple pop-up
chat window or click-to-talk function. The latest version analyzes
online visitor behavior and can actually predict which shoppers are
most likely to buy something, so that agents can engage them in real
time.
In a world dominated by click-thrus and conversion rates, the
ability to turn wishy-washy visitors into paying customers is vital.
Between 2002 and 2005, companies boosted their traffic by doubling
Internet ad spending from $6 billion to $12 billion. Meanwhile,
conversion rates (the percentage of visitors who complete a
purchase) barely budged, inching up from 2% to around 3%.
Translation: increased web traffic doesn't necessarily lead to
increased sales -- but teaming up with LivePerson does.
It's hard to argue with the results. By some estimates, roughly 20%
of these webchats eventually lead to a completed purchase. And the
good news doesn't end there. Those who chat with an agent also spend
about +35% more per order -- and satisfied customers often come back
again and again.
So it's not surprising that over 6,000 companies rely on LivePerson
to get the most out of their marketing dollars and optimize their
e-commerce operations. Top clients include well-known firms like
Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), Intel (Nasdaq: INTC), Home Depot (NYSE: HD),
Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), Orbitz (NYSE: OWW) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ).
Last year, the company hosted more than 4 million chats per month.
And as the company's client roster has expanded, its revenues have
soared. LivePerson was just named one of New York's fastest-growing
tech firms -- thanks to its torrid +307% revenue growth between 2002
and 2006.
Over the past 12 months, the company has raked in $42 million in
sales and produced $3 million in operating cash flow. While those
figures might be modest, keep in mind that the firm only has about
40 million shares outstanding. We should also point out that
LivePerson has a pristine balance sheet with over $25 million in
cash and zero long-term debt.
In short, e-commerce is going to continue gaining momentum. Rather
than peering into the crystal ball and trying to predict which
retailers come out on top, why not back the one company that has
already teamed up with more than 6,000 of them?
Action To Take ---> At
one point or another, nearly all of us have said, "I just
want to talk to a live person."
LivePerson is enabling companies to do just that, and the
inviting click-to-chat icons are becoming increasingly
mainstream. Ultimately, we expect most online retailers (as
well as service providers like AT&T (NYSE: T) and Qwest
(NYSE: Q)) to adopt the technology as the e-commerce
landscape continues to evolve.
With thousands of companies pumping billions into their
e-commerce operations, we see steady demand for LivePerson's
products to enhance conversion rates and reduce call center
costs.
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Nathan Slaughter
Editor
Half-Priced Stocks, The ETF Authority
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