One of the most glaring characteristic of the internet is that it's transparent. Launch a new product today and if it sells well, you'll see dozens of similar products popping up all over the internet. Due to the nature of this characteristic, it's fast becoming a consumer marketplace.

with the click of the mouse, consumers get to compare prices, read reviews, and make a buying decision all in one place. No wonder consumer is king!

Well, kings expect only one thing: to be treated like kings. That's why companies (especially internet related companies) are scrambling to setup strong support for their customers in order to stay competitive. The search for the perfect help desk software is on!

With the increased demand for help desk software, many software companies started developing powerful features such as ticketing integration, vbulletin and PO/contracts management.

Depending on your needs, you'll need to source for one that's most suitable and well within your budget. The good news is that due to decrease in software and hardware costs as well as heated competition, help desk software now come with reasonable price tags.

I recommend taking a serious look at web based or browser based help desk software. Web based help desk software is fast becoming the industry's standard. They allow customers to interact with customers in real time.

A word of caution here. If you decide to invest in a help desk software, make sure that your company and staff are able to respond in record breaking time. This is the information age, and nobody likes to wait anymore.

To help you in your quest for the no.1 help desk software, here's a list of common features to look for:

• Integrated help tickets via web and email
• Knowledge base and documentation organiser
• Detailed reports and analytics
• Voice chats
• SLAs, work schedules and escalations

All the above features are meant to provide a more positive experience for your customers. Make it part of your customer retention strategy!