SpeakToMe is a widget with webcam, chat room, telephony, and ecommerce capabilities that can be embedded on any blog or website. It allows individual readers to speak directly to a blogger or publisher over the telephone for a per-minute charge.
The ‘client’ sees the ‘expert’ in the SpeakToMe widget on a live video feed, including sound. A chat room is available next to the video window for free chat conversation. If the client wishes to be connected to the expert over the telephone, a click of the button starts a private video and chat session while placing a telephone call to both the expert and the client. They are speaking together within seconds, and the paid conversation has begun.
This product is free to the expert and there are no start-up costs. SpeakToMe takes 10% of any revenues paid by the client, while the expert takes over 80% of the revenues. The rest of the gross revenues, less than 10%, go towards paying credit card fees, broadband fees, and telephony charges.
This service offers a new online business model, one of peer-to-peer payment rather than the ‘three-legged stool’ of publisher-reader-advertiser.
