AudioBase Unveils E-Commerce Initiatives

AudioBase (http://www.audiobase.com) todaylaunched its audio e-commerce solution powering stores like macys.com, Gap, iMotors, and Match.com.

The company is providing Macys.com with audio cues, to help users navigate through the site and finish the ordering process.

"As a customer service focused company, we wanted to bring a high level ofservice support to certain key areas of our Web site," said Kent Anderson,president of macys.com. "The team at AudioBase recommended that we use audiocues to improve navigation and provide information difficult to deliver withtext and images alone."

AudioBase says that sound and voice cues can help solve the problem of abandoned online shopping carts. According to two studies conducted in September 2000 by Vividence Corporation, respondents were over twice as likely to succeed in the check-out process in the audio version (43.5% audio versus 20% non-audio). Over three times as many users selected the correct shipping method in the audio version (28%) versus thenon-audio version (8.5%).

"Millions of dollars are lost in potentialonlinesales each year, because Internet purchases are abandoned due to users'confusion about the transaction process," explained AudioBase CEO andco-founder David Haynes. "Now, when shoppers visit Web sites usingAudioBase technology, they hear a voice guiding them through the process.

AudioBase is a developer of audio technology that doesn't use plug-ins--instead users simply need to use a Java-enabled browser.