Constantly emerging new technologies are changing our everyday life. Their main role is to increase our convenience. The business world, too, is changing at an unimaginable rate, and things that not long ago seemed out of a science fiction film no longer astonish us. We are talking above all about the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning. In order to keep up with the competition, companies need to adapt to ongoing changes and trends not only in sales, but also in customer service. One of the most popular pro-customer actions is the implementation of chatbots. What are chatbots? What are their advantages? Do they matter from a marketing point of view? Read on in the rest of the article!
What are chatbots?
How can the idea of chatbots be explained most simply? They are a digital replacement/support for an organisation's customer service consultants. From a technical point of view, they are applications that interact with users. Their operation uses AI (artificial intelligence), machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) mechanisms. With these technologies, chatbots process data and then provide responses to user requests.
Chatbots can be divided into two types, which differ primarily in terms of the sophistication of the programme. Declarative chatbots are less complex, single-purpose programmes. They work well, for example, as interactive FAQs. In contrast conversation chatbots (also known as virtual assistants) are based on data analysis and enable personalisation through the use of predictive intelligence. The most popular chatbots of this type are Alexa (Amazon) and Siri (Apple).
What do customers think of chatbots? Key statistics
Wondering what visitors would think of introducing a chatbot to your website? Check out these statistics provided by 99firms and find out what attitude customers have towards chatbots.
- Some 44% Millennials use chatbots on a daily basis
- Around 37% network users use chatbots to get help in an emergency
- nearly 1/4 consumers trust product recommendations from chatbots
- the average customer satisfaction rate for interactions with chatbots is 87.58%
As you can see from these sample statistics, not only are business owners more willing to use chatbots, but customers themselves are increasingly choosing them to contact a company. According to experts, such a trend will not only continue, but will even gain momentum.
Benefits and use of chatbots for companies
Chatbots are a technology that works wherever the user (potential customer) expects to talk to a representative of your company. They will therefore be helpful not only during the sales and post-sales process, but also in providing information and support in selecting a product or service.
What functions do chatbots most commonly perform and where do users encounter them?
- reporting of complaints
- tracking of shipments
- reservations
- product information and assistance in product selection
- providing answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- direct purchases through the chat window
Why use a chatbot in your business?
The biggest benefit of implementing a chatbot is first and foremost to increase the so-called operational efficiency of the company and improving sales performance. And what else does a company gain by opting for a chatbot?
- the complaints process is streamlined and conversation time is reduced
- the ability to handle large numbers of users in a professional, personalised and proactive manner
- optimisation procedures in the organisation
- unlike employees, the chatbot is available 24 hours a day and reacts immediately, in real time
- the possibility to collect data and then use it for e.g. profiling of users
How can chatbots be used in marketing?
Engaging customers
Yes, as you have already read, chatbots do not have to be limited to responding to user requests. It is worth programming the chatbot to send another message, e.g. advertising other products on offer or containing a routine follow-up question. An interesting solution used by many companies is for the bot to send birthday wishes combined with a promotional offer.
Building a recognisable brand image
Until recently, when sourcing a chatbot, companies only considered its functionality. However, increasingly bot is becoming an important element in building a positive brand image. Of course - it must first and foremost meet the needs of customers, but at the same time it should incorporate the company's core values. It can even be a source of entertainment, and its answers can go viral and contribute to brand awareness! Just introduce some personality and humour into the chatbot's interaction with customers to explore its branding possibilities.
Chatbot - convenience for the customer, savings for the company
If, after reading this article, you feel that a chatbot is what your company is missing, you are probably wondering how to 'hire' one. There are many applications available on the market for creating and managing bots. Some of them do not even require knowledge of coding. These include, for example ManyChat, Botsify i ChatFuel. Choose the latter application if you want to implement the bot yourself in a simple way.
Companies will increasingly use chatbots not only for the customer service opportunities they offer, but also for their marketing potential. Remember, however, that chatbots should not replace real interaction between you and your customers. They should only support the company in engaging customers and providing product information.
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