ChatBot Revolution: the New Way to Run the Business

Chatbots are everywhere in 2017. You can find thousands of them in Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, in Slack and Skype, and embedded as automated conversational experiences within countless other apps and services we use every day.

Last year, Facebook opened Messenger as a platform for all independent developers and companies. That kickstarted the revolution.

Companies are already implementing chatbot experiences to improve and revolutionize their business processes. In this article, we’ll lay out major benefits of using this technology, talk about who should consider implementing chatbots and how to do it best.

What are the opportunities that chatbots introduce?

24/7 customer support

Over 50% of customers expect businesses to be available throughout the day and night. And 49.7% would prefer to message a business rather than use email or phone. Building a chatbot, in this case, is a win-win solution. Prospects can instantly receive answers, as well as informational content like reviews, product descriptions, product suggestions, delivery details, etc. That way you eliminate the time-zone limits and can provide better brand experience.

New way of advertising

Recently Facebook has introduced a new option for ad campaigns. You can now redirect your target audience straight to Facebook Messenger. And here’s where your prospects will either hit a wall of silence or interact with an AI chatbot that can guide them and help purchase your goods.

Automated sales funnels

Have you already bought anything through a messenger chatbot? I have, and it was great. The whole process took me about 10 minutes. But that wouldn’t be the case if the company that I was buying from hadn’t built a sales funnel. From the moment I discovered the product to the moment of purchase, it felt like I was talking to a person, not a trained machine.

By thinking through the customer journey for your business, writing the right content and delivering it in the right order you can eliminate human interaction and automate your sales.

Saved money and time

Our phones are cluttered with apps. So much that we need more and more storage space to be able to download and all of those. However, business owners know very well that it may take six to nine months to build a good quality app. Instead of spending that much time and money you can alternate to an AI chatbot. They’re quicker to set up, you can teach them and they’re easier to maintain.

Should you consider using a chatbot?

The success of an idea depends on its execution. Some businesses already earn their dollars using chatbots while others find trouble with them. Fairly enough, AI chatbots are not for everyone, but if your business happens to be one of the mentioned below, then go for it:

How to successfully implement a chatbot?

1. Educate yourself

Before you start planning your future bot-employee, learn how it works and how users interact with this kind of technology, what it can and cannot do to build realistic expectations.

2. Create a strategy

Define the goals you want to achieve with the help of a chatbot, then think of how you’re going to achieve those goals. That’s exactly what a strategy is. Not what, but how. Use these questions to help yourself:

1. What is the target audience?

2. What are bot’s the main functions?

3. How is it going to help the target audience?

4. What interactions may occur between chatbot and target audience?

5. What language does the audience use?

3. List major functions

The more functions and products you’re trying to involve, the lower the efficiency. Focus on one or two major functions, e.g. customer service and product marketing.

4. Test before launching

Ask your co-workers to talk to the chatbot, ask various questions and do different actions. Get a focus group and let them test your bot and see if it helps to achieve your goals. Once you got the feedback, do your fixes and test one last time.

5. Don’t be annoying

The more often you write to your TA, the more they’ll buy. NOT. Don’t spam your audience. Offer solutions that are relevant and timely.

6. Help promote your chatbot

Subscribers, clients, fans are the best advocates. To help your chatbot build a bigger audience, give them some sort of incentive as a motivation to spread the buzz about your company and chatbot.

7. Predict the questions from your audience

Chatbot should answer questions, not add up work for your customer support. Analyze the comments in social media, questions that your sales department receives. List FAQ’s and predict the questions and problems that may occur during interaction with the chatbot.

Summary

Promoting your business with messengers and chatbots in 2017 is like SEO in 2004. There are not that many competitors. Yet. Despite the fact that there already is 10.000 chatbots built, not all of them are used for business or are high-quality.

This new technology introduces many great opportunities for businesses like eliminating loads of inefficient and unnecessary work. So, it’s only a matter of planning and right execution.

What are your thoughts about chatbots? Do you think your business could benefit this technology? Shoot us an email at sales@selectoglobal.com and let’s build one!