WalkMe walks you through confusing websites

The startup's user guidance system cuts down on support calls

True story: one time I spent an hour on an online banking website trying unsuccessfully to access my account.  I tried using different browsers, using my phone--I even called customer service.  But nothing worked...until I saw the little box underneath my password that I was supposed to check off saying I agreed to the terms of the service.  I checked it, and poof--there was my account.  Had I seen the box earlier, it would've saved some poor customer service rep a raging phone call.

WalkMe, a Tel Aviv-based startup, is announcing the launch of its new online user guidance system.  The idea is to make individual websites easier to navigate, and thus cut down on the number of enraged phone calls a company's customer service department receives.

The service works by following a user's activity and guiding them on to the next step.  For example, the user enters her screen name, and a balloon tip will pop up telling the user to enter her password next.  
“Imagine having the ability to sit next to your customers as they navigate your website and give them step-by-step instructions on how to complete a task, customize settings, add a product to the shopping cart and check out, or proceed to the next step in any process,” said Dan Adika, CEO of WalkMe, in a statement.

Think of how many times you've downloaded a new program or tried out a new Web service and you've had to click back and forth between the instructional how-to video and the main page.  The point of WalkMe is to streamline the user experience and eliminate the hickups that result in angry customer service phone calls.

The tip bubbles--called Walk-Thru's (confusing, because the apostrophe signifies a possessive term, rather than a plural one) are layered on top of the Web page, so users don't have to download any add-ons or players, and they're "interface aware," which means they can self-adjust with dynamically changing Web pages.

The service is free for up to three different Walk-Thru's assisting up to 300 people.  Larger businesses can opt for the Silver, Gold, or Platinum packages--the latter of which comes with 40 different Walk-Thru's to assist up to 20,000 users.

I think WalkMe has the potential to save a lot of customer service representatives' self-esteem.