Ask Me A Question

Unlucky · February 28, 2018

Hi,

Have you seen the ask me a question tab on the invision main site where customers or logged in members can submit a question to the site admin via a form?

Is this something someone is interested in doing as invision won't resell their plugin?

If so what is the price to do it?

Thanks

steve00 · February 28, 2018

Could be wrong but looks like one of those 'live chat' progs that go to leaving a message when there is no one online ?

Unlucky · February 28, 2018

Hi,

No it's a custom plugin / app developed by Rikki Tissier and is called ips.site.contactForm.js - Contact form or something like that

When a user is logged in it automatically fills in their invision details too and works I think with IP commerce help desk

When a guest opens it has different options so it's definately an IPS product.

It will be brilliant for any forum owner to gain email addresses to reply to the guest, and hopefully convert them in to a member when replying.

Cyboman · February 28, 2018

+1

When I was checking for such plugins formerly, I noticed they are quite expensive due to immense agency features. But I never understood this prizing.

I only require a simple solution without 255 support agents and API actions.

You know for sure, IPS is not interested in integrating it to the suite or selling it separately?

silenceheaven · March 1, 2018

2 hours ago, Cyboman said:

+1

When I was checking for such plugins formerly, I noticed they are quite expensive due to immense agency features. But I never understood this prizing.

I only require a simple solution without 255 support agents and API actions.

You know for sure, IPS is not interested in integrating it to the suite or selling it separately?

You could integrate it with the messenger system, and maybe even code up something that lets you reply by email. That wouldn't be too difficult.

Unlucky · March 1, 2018

10 hours ago, Cyboman said:

You know for sure, IPS is not interested in integrating it to the suite or selling it separately?

From IPS Sales dept...

Unfortunately this is not something that is available for sale/download. It's a custom Pages block our website designer added and is not distributable. It would not be a terribly complex plugin to create however so if required you could ask a 3rd party developer in the providers directory at https://invisioncommunity.com/third-party/providers/ if they could take it on as a custom project for you.

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

Kind Regards

Andrew Millne
Invision Power Services Inc.

opentype · March 1, 2018

10 hours ago, Cyboman said:

I only require a simple solution without 255 support agents and API actions.

There are dozens of these services with easy integration and they often come with a free plan. https://www.livezilla.net/

Unlucky · March 1, 2018

16 minutes ago, opentype said:

There are dozens of these services with easy integration and they often come with a free plan. https://www.livezilla.net/

All we need thought is a simple email form so a potential member can submit a question in the same way the IPS one works.

Don't need operators or bots or anything else fancy to be honest

We tried something called optinpro and it turned out to be a scam where the email addresses were being harvested by the software dev so wary of any of these free / low priced services - We had to get our money back via opening a paypal dispute so would prefer to not have another 3rd party involved.

newbie LAC · March 1, 2018

Hello,

12 minutes ago, Unlucky said:

can submit a question in the same way the IPS one works.

Do you know how it works?

Submit a form... What's next?

Unlucky · March 1, 2018

1 minute ago, newbie LAC said:

Do you know how it works?

Hi, well we have looked at the page as a logged in user and as a site guest and can see the following which will make more sense to you than me, but should give you an idea.

JAVA SCRIPT IN HEAD

ips.controller.register('site.front.site.contactPanel', {

       initialize: function () {
           this.on( 'submit', 'form', this.submitForm );
           this.on( 'click', '.sContactPanel__header', this.togglePanel );
           this.on( 'click', '[data-action="closePanel"]', this.closePanel );
       },

       togglePanel: function (e) {
           if( this.scope.hasClass('sContactPanel--closed') ){
               this.scope.addClass('sContactPanel--open').removeClass('sContactPanel--closed').find('.sContactPanel__formWrap').slideDown('fast');
           } else {
               this.scope.removeClass('sContactPanel--open').addClass('sContactPanel--closed').find('.sContactPanel__formWrap').slideUp('fast');
           }
       },

       closePanel: function (e) {
           if( e ){
               e.stopPropagation();
           }
           this.scope.removeClass('sContactPanel--open').addClass('sContactPanel--closed').find('.sContactPanel__formWrap').slideUp('fast');
       },

submitForm: function (e) {
e.preventDefault();

           var self = this;
           var data = this.scope.find('form').serialize();
           var action = this.scope.find('form').attr('action');
           var formWrap = this.scope.find('.sContactPanel__formWrap');

           // Validate
           var validated = this.validate();
           if( !validated ){
               return;
           }

var html = formWrap.html();

           // Make this loading
           formWrap
               .css({
                   width: formWrap.outerWidth() + 'px',
                   height: formWrap.outerHeight() + 'px'
               })
               .addClass('ipsLoading')
               .html('');

           ips.getAjax()( action, {
               data: data,
               method: 'post'
           })
               .done( function (response) {
                   formWrap
                       .html( response )
                       .removeClass('ipsLoading');

                   setTimeout( self.closePanel.bind( self ), 2000 );
               })
               .fail( function () {
                   alert("Sorry, there was a problem sending your message. Please email admin@walkingfootball.com.");
                   formWrap
                       .html( html )
                       .removeClass('ipsLoading');
               });
       },

validate: function (e) {
var success = true;

           if( !this.scope.find('[name="name"]').val() ){
               this.scope.find('[name="name"]').addClass('ipsField_error');
               success = false;
           }
           if( !this.scope.find('[name="email"]').val() ){
               this.scope.find('[name="email"]').addClass('ipsField_error');
               success = false;
           }
           if( !this.scope.find('[name="message"]').val() ){
               ips.ui.alert.show( {
                   type: 'alert',
                   message: "Please be sure you enter a message so that we can assist you better.",
                   icon: 'warn'
               });
               success = false;
           }

           return success;
       }
   });
}(jQuery, _));
</script>

CODE APPEARING IN FOOTER FOR LOGGED IN MEMBER

<div class='sContactPanel sContactPanel--closed' data-controller='site.front.site.contactPanel'>
   <div class='sContactPanel__header'>
       <span class='sContactPanel__title'><i class='fa fa-comment'></i>   Ask A Question</span>
       <a href='#' class='sContactPanel__close' data-action='closePanel'>×</a>
   </div>
   <div class='sContactPanel__formWrap' style='display: none'>
       <p class='text text--smaller text--darker ipsSpacer_bottom sContactPanel__desc'><strong>Have a question about Walking Football? Get in touch here. We'll get back to you as soon as we can.</strong></p>


       <form method='post' action='/contact-us/?type=panel&action=process'>
           <input type='checkbox' name='use_Email' value='yes' style='opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: -50px; left: -50px;'>
           <input type='text' name='frName' value='' style='opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: -50px; left: -50px;'>
           <input type='hidden' name='sentFrom' value="https://invisioncommunity.com/clientarea/purchases/">
           <div>
               <input type='text' class='ipsField_fullWidth' placeholder='Name (required)' name='name' id='contact_name' value="MEMBERS SITE USERNAME">
           </div>
           <div class='ipsSpacer_both ipsSpacer_half'>
               <input type='text' class='ipsField_fullWidth' placeholder='Email Address (required)' name='email' id='contact_email' value="MEMBERS EMAIL ADDRESS">
           </div>
           <textarea rows='7' class='ipsField_fullWidth' name='message' id='contact_message' placeholder='Your message. Be sure to include any information that may help us to assist you.'></textarea>
           <p class='ipsType_reset ipsSpacer_top ipsType_center'>
               <button class='ipsButton ipsButton_medium ipsButton_primary ipsButton_fullWidth'>Send Message</button>
           </p>
       </form>
   </div>
</div>

CODE APPEARING IN FOOTER FOR GUEST

<div class='sContactPanel sContactPanel--closed' data-controller='site.front.site.contactPanel'>
   <div class='sContactPanel__header'>
       <span class='sContactPanel__title'><i class='fa fa-comment'></i>   Ask A Question</span>
       <a href='#' class='sContactPanel__close' data-action='closePanel'>×</a>
   </div>
   <div class='sContactPanel__formWrap' style='display: none'>
       <p class='text text--smaller text--darker ipsSpacer_bottom sContactPanel__desc'><strong>Have a question about Invision Community? Get in touch with our sales team here. We'll get back to you as soon as we can.</strong></p>


       <form method='post' action='/contact-us/?type=panel&action=process'>
           <input type='checkbox' name='use_Email' value='yes' style='opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: -50px; left: -50px;'>
           <input type='text' name='frName' value='' style='opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: -50px; left: -50px;'>
           <input type='hidden' name='sentFrom' value="">
           <div>
               <input type='text' class='ipsField_fullWidth' placeholder='Name (required)' name='name' id='contact_name' value="">
           </div>
           <div class='ipsSpacer_both ipsSpacer_half'>
               <input type='text' class='ipsField_fullWidth' placeholder='Email Address (required)' name='email' id='contact_email' value="">
           </div>
           <textarea rows='7' class='ipsField_fullWidth' name='message' id='contact_message' placeholder='Your message. Be sure to include any information that may help us to assist you.'></textarea>
           <p class='ipsType_reset ipsSpacer_top ipsType_center'>
               <button class='ipsButton ipsButton_medium ipsButton_primary ipsButton_fullWidth'>Send Message</button>
           </p>
       </form>
   </div>
</div>

Mark · March 1, 2018

It just sends an email to sales@invisionpower.com. It literally posts to the same form at https://invisioncommunity.com/contact-us/ but with JavaScript.

Unlucky · March 1, 2018

16 minutes ago, Mark said:

It literally posts to the same form

Simple but an incredibily powerful tool to convert guests & support existing members

newbie LAC · March 1, 2018

32 minutes ago, Unlucky said:

well we have looked at the page as a logged in user and as a site guest and can see the following which will make more sense to you than me, but should give you an idea

I know this.

This is customizable form of https://invisioncommunity.com/contact-us/

Compare with

https://invisioncommunity.com/contact-us/?type=panel

I mean what to do after form submit? No need idea. It's your topic and you should give full information

opentype · March 1, 2018

1 hour ago, Unlucky said:

All we need thought is a simple email form so a potential member can submit a question in the same way the IPS one works.

So that’s just a contact form then, which is already available – just not as an floating button, which can easily get annoying.

8 minutes ago, Unlucky said:

Simple but an incredibily powerful tool to convert guests

How so?

I'm sure it would do exactly the opposite (for most communities). Instead of people signing up to ask questions, they just use the form and nag the admin with their questions.
That’s exactly the reason why I only have the contact form enabled on my non-community IPS site, where a contact creates potential sales – not community registrations.

Unlucky · March 1, 2018

5 minutes ago, opentype said:

Instead of people signing up to ask questions, they just use the form and nag the admin with their questions.

I guess it depends what line of business your site caters for.

For us it would be a great converter and we don't want anything floating - A simple one identical to the invision one that sits quietly at the bottom of the page

Unlucky · March 1, 2018

15 minutes ago, newbie LAC said:

I mean what to do after form submit? No need idea. It's your topic and you should give full informatio

Well we would like to be able to have customizable text for our one, or have the language strings added so we can customize the text as we want in Languages.

After form submit a box saying thank you we will be in touch soon with a tick icon just like the invision one.

if the user trys to expand the box again all they get is the thank you message just like the invision one.

And would it be easy to capture the senders IP address in case somebody started to misuse this?

A confirmation email is sent to the person saying something like

Hi User / Name ,

Thanks for contacting us. This is to confirm we have received your email and will get back to you as soon as possible

Maybe option to be able to close the button on mobiles

If it is easy - would having a capcha I am not a robot tick box be worth having to stop spam bots?

Is that what you were asking?

Thanks

opentype · March 1, 2018

31 minutes ago, Unlucky said:

I guess it depends what line of business your site caters for.

Just what I said.

31 minutes ago, Unlucky said:

For us it would be a great converter and we don't want anything floating

That didn’t answer my “how so?” question. You just assert it would work for you. Why?

opentype · March 1, 2018

37 minutes ago, Unlucky said:

we don't want anything floating

IPS’s one is floating. It doesn’t scroll with the page.

On my business site I just add the contact form as an IPS button:

Whether that opens the regular contact form or a pop-up – I don’t see the difference frankly. The user has to click it either way and will be presented with a simple form to send his question.

Unlucky · March 1, 2018

7 minutes ago, opentype said:

IPS’s one is floating. It doesn’t scroll with the page.

In our theme by TAMAN we have a fixed navigation header, his words (Nav Bar is fixed to TOP on scroll. ) which is why I don't see the invision button as floating but as fixed, but if the technical term is floating then it is floating.

Either way the way the invision one works is neat tidy and gives the opportunity of someone being able to contact should they wish to whatever part of the page they are on which is exactly what I am looking for because the majority of OUR site registrations come from us replying to queries sent in via the existing contact forms rather than users signing up directly on their visit.

Also the footer is our best conversion area for our google adsense ads so I want to use the footer more for advertising than for adding contact info.

Our site is more of an information and resource site than a forum community and the majority of our visitors are aged 50+ and we get a ton of questions about venues and requests for teams that might accept them or session holders asking us to update / add information.

We do alot of promotion on social media and invite the reader to visit the site for more information and ask questions.

So the contact form is a great converter for us and I see the invision ask a question button as an advancement on the current form and so hopefully will bring an increase in questions and therefore registrations.

Plus via the form, we get an email and an idea of what the person is interested in. So if they don't register that day, we can contact them again at a later date with an update to their question and therefore get a second chance of converting them into a site registration, or 3'rd or 4th chance in the future etc.

According to a http://jamesmartell.com/ pocast interview with one of the internets leading marketers something like 50-70% of site visitors never return to a site, so you will only get one chance of engagement with them - You need to make sure you use every tool possible to create a connection during that visit so you can contact them again.

In our case I am not talking about list building as this plugin does not have a double optin etc, but I will get a chance to answer their question in a legitimate way should additional reasons or info become available, because they contacted us in the first instance.

If they have a question, don't want to register and never visit the site again - I have lost them for good.

Hope that gives some idea why we want to use the ask a question button.

opentype · March 1, 2018

So essentially, this …

should be displayed more prominently as …

Right?

opentype · March 2, 2018

It’s not exactly what was asked for, but since the contact form functionality is there already, I think it makes sense to use it.

Unlucky · March 2, 2018

17 minutes ago, opentype said:

It’s not exactly what was asked for, but since the contact form functionality is there already, I think it makes sense to use it.

Thanks have just purchased.

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