LivePerson, Google open new AdWords click-to-message ad extensions to large enterprises

NEW YORK, Oct. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- LivePerson, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPSN), a leading provider of cloud mobile and online business messaging solutions, is the first company to launch a way for large brands to use the AdWords click-to-message ad extension. The ad extension, rolling out generally in the coming weeks, lets consumers message an advertiser via SMS, directly from a pay-per-click ad. LivePerson makes this work for large enterprises by routing these messages intelligently to the brand's sales and service professionals on its LiveEngage platform.

LivePerson's new enterprise support for click-to-message has been tested and is in use at a number of large companies, including a major automobile brand, a leading online lender, and a large telco.

"LivePerson is the first company in the world to deliver an enterprise-level messaging platform, LiveEngage, and click-to-message ads are a great way for consumers to have an instant, interactive connection to a brand through SMS within this platform," said Robert LoCascio, founder and CEO of LivePerson.

He added, "We already power the messaging of many of the largest brands in the world, and we've been working with Google over the past few months with some key customers. We're excited to add Google's new format as another way for large brands to connect with consumers."

Google's release of this new ad extension underscores and accelerates the dramatic consumer shift towards mobile messaging as the preferred way people talk to brands – in the same way that they use messaging to talk to each other. Consumers seeing a sponsored search result can tap the messaging icon and immediately start a text message conversation with the advertiser, to make a purchase or get information – a much more modern take on the traditional sales 1-800 number.

LivePerson opens the new click-to-message ad extension to larger companies by adding three important dimensions. First, it tracks and distributes ad responses to teams that may be across geographies – essential for an ad campaign at a larger scale – and measures the results.

Second, LivePerson provides an optional, pay-for-performance team of people who can answer these SMS conversations and can handle many queries itself, or transfer them to in-house representatives where needed.

Third, LivePerson enables brands to manage message conversations from many media and communications channels in one solution and one workforce. This lets large advertisers scale without staffing pains, and has been shown to improve conversion rates when deployed.

Customers are reporting improved conversion rates from the ad extension, which can be attributed to the direct connection that messaging offers, rather than simply directing ad clicks to a website or 1-800 number.

An enterprise scale platform
The backbone of this system is LiveEngage, the flagship software platform of LivePerson, which powers the sales and customer support of 18,000 businesses around the world, including some of the largest financial, telecoms, travel, and retail companies. This system routes messages between consumers and brands at an enormous scale, and in this case ensures that Google AdWords click-to-message threads are routed to the right people at the right time. LiveEngage also measures and analyzes these exchanges to make sure processes are optimal and consumers are happy.

Pay-for-Performance
The LivePerson Pay-for-Performance group is a team of on-demand specialists who can answer sales questions when brands don't have an inside team, or when demand spikes and backup is needed. A LivePerson customer, a major auto brand, has been working with the Pay-for-Performance offering in conjunction with click-to-message, using Pay-for-Performance when dealers get spikes of visitors.

The team offers an effective way to manage inbound inquiries and keep a high level of customer engagement. Sales conversations from click-to-message ads are routed to this team and can be seamlessly transferred to dealers without any confusion or effort on the part of the end customer.

About LivePerson
LivePerson, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPSN) is a leading provider of mobile and online messaging business solutions, enabling a meaningful connection between brands and consumers. LiveEngage, the Company's enterprise-class, cloud-based platform, empowers consumers to stop wasting time on hold with 1-800 numbers, and instead message their favorite brands, just as they do with friends and family. More than 18,000 businesses, including Adobe, Citibank, EE, IBM, Orbitz, PNC, and The Home Depot rely on the unparalleled intelligence, security, and scalability of LiveEngage to reduce costs, increase lifetime value, and create meaningful connection with consumers. For more information, please visit www.liveperson.com. To view other global press releases about LivePerson, please visit pr.liveperson.com.

Safe Harbor Provision
Statements in this press release regarding LivePerson that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual future events or results to differ materially from such statements. Any such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to financial guidance, are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. It is routine for our internal projections and expectations to change as the quarter and year progresses, and therefore it should be clearly understood that the internal projections and beliefs upon which we base our expectations may change. Although these expectations may change, we are under no obligation to inform you if they do. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in the projections or forward-looking statements.  Some of the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained herein include, without limitation: potential fluctuations in our quarterly revenue and operating results; the adverse effect that the global economic downturn may have on our business and results of operations; competition in the markets for online sales, marketing and customer service solutions, and online consumer services; our ability to retain existing clients and attract new clients; risks related to new regulatory or other legal requirements that could materially impact our business; impairments to goodwill that result in significant charges to earnings; volatility of the value of certain currencies in relation to the US dollar, particularly the currency of regions where we have operations; additional regulatory requirements, tax liabilities, currency exchange rate fluctuations and other risks as we expand internationally; responding to rapid technological change and changing client preferences; our ability to retain key personnel and attract new personnel; our ability to expand our operations internationally; risks related to the ability to successfully integrate past or potential future acquisitions; risks related to the regulation or possible misappropriation of personal information belonging to our customers' Internet users; technology systems beyond our control and technology-related defects that could disrupt the LivePerson services; privacy concerns relating to the Internet that could result in new legislation or negative public perception; legal liability and/or negative publicity for the services provided to consumers via our technology platforms; risks related to protecting our intellectual property rights or potential infringement of the intellectual property rights of third parties; increased allowances for doubtful accounts as a result of an increasing amount of receivables due from customers with greater credit risk; delays in our implementation cycles; risks associated with our current or future stock repurchase programs, including whether such programs will enhance long-term stockholder value, and whether such stock repurchases could increase the volatility of the price of our common stock and diminish our cash reserves; risks related to our operations in Israel, and the civil and political unrest in that region; and risks related to our common stock being traded on more than one securities exchange, which may result in additional variations in the trading price of our common stock. This list is intended to identify only certain of the principal factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Readers are referred to the reports and documents filed from time to time by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a discussion of these and other important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in forward-looking statements.

Media contact: Rurik Bradbury, 1-646-360-0197, [email protected]

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SOURCE LivePerson, Inc.

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