What is a Chat Bot? Does my business need one?

A chat bot, is a piece of software, that can engage directly with people depending on how a visitor reacts or what they type. For example, you might visit a page on facebook, and a chat window may appear, welcoming you and asking if you need any assistance – with 2 options “No I’m OK” & “I have a query”. Depending on what you select here, a programmed response can be displayed – e.g. “I Have a query” -> “About which service? [ Web Design ] [ SEO ] [ Chat Bots]  — *Bot sends helpful links about your selection* .

This is just a quick example of what a Chat Bot is. A piece of software that engages visitors, using Artificial Intelligence and some programming to create engaging experiences on your website or Facebook page (as an example).

What can a chat bot do?

Q&A – you can ask a question and the bot will try and match the question to help articles

Provide a Quote – visitors can select options and the bot can calculate and return a quote – live! 

Manage Subscription Preferences – if someone subscribes, you can have a bot send them articles through facebook messenger. Great if you are in consultancy and we want to drip feed prospective clients content.

Take Payment: Bots can even be used to sell services and accept payments.

Welcome Message – Send a friendly message with a gentle sell of your product or service.

Send Customer Surveys – You can engage with customers to get their feedback.

Do I need one for my Business?

That depends on your audience. We typically do user persona’s to see your typical customer demographic.

If its someone between 20 and 30 they would be far more likely to use a chat bot on Facebook than someone between 50-65 (for example).

It also depends on if your business is dependant on Facebook (for a Facebook Chat Bot). If you get lots of traffic and customer engagement, a chat bot could be a great way to get even more customers. Delivering and delighting your customers.

If  your business is difficult to cost / quote – you could create an estimate tool. Giving the viewer a rough idea of cost (saving you and the customer time!).

You probably don’t need a Chat Bot if : 

• You don’t have resources to engage on Social Media / your website
• Your target customers are not very tech savvy

What we would recommend first:

• Review your website : if people engage / don’t engage, it drives traffic to your website. You need to put your best foot forward here.
• Create customer personas – list typical customer groups and see if they would engage with it.
• Review your social media activity & pages – people are less likely to engage with a dead social media page with no branding.

Still Unsure if you need a Chat Bot? Or maybe you need one!

Contact Us Today!