How to Build A Successful Chatbot Chatbots can help customers, entertain users and market products to your target audience.
By Marsha Hunt Edited by Dan Bova
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Chatbots are effective engagement tools, and if implemented properly, they can build your sales pipeline and monetize your social media accounts. Chattypeople, a leading bot-building platform, allows you to build a complex chatbot in a matter of minutes. That being said, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to chatbots, so you have to build a chatbot based on your company's specific needs. With Chattypeople, you can build a complex bot that can carry out multiple tasks. Some companies can benefit from using chatbots as a customer care tool, whereas businesses that offer online purchases can use chatbots as a direct sales channels. For your chatbot to succeed, you need to look at your company, see what features would benefit your users, and base your success metrics off of those features. Building a successful chatbot is always challenging, and it requires a high level of adaptability. I've developed a guide to help you understand how chatbots work and how to build a successful bot for your company.
Related: Enterprise Chatbots Platforms and the Future of Work
The benefits of chatbots.
Chatbots have been around for some time now, but technological advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have allowed them to transcend their usual roles and functions. Chatbots can be designed to help customers, entertain users, and market your products to your target audience. In addition to the above, your company can benefit from chatbots because:- They are a symbol of innovation, which captivates most audiences
- They reach potential clients through their preferred apps and platforms
- You can set up a chatbot that provides customer support 24/7
- They can deliver personalized ads
- They can help you nurture your leads
- You can monetize your social media
- You will save time, which you can invest into developing new products or strategies
Related: Top 10 Best Chatbot Platform Tools to Build Chatbots for Your Business
Building a successful chatbot.
As I mentioned before, the purpose of your chatbot will heavily influence its success. However, there are many other characteristics that define successful chatbots. Generally speaking, successful chatbots tend to act very human-like and offer valuable features that help users. In order to build a successful chatbot, you have to:Choose your bot's features carefully.
Find a platform that enables you to create bots that are capable of carrying out basic and complicated tasks alike. The more features you add, the longer it will take to build your chatbot, and the more likely it will be to malfunction. Instead of cramming your bot with every single possible capability, you should build a fine-tuned bot with features that add value. Jokes are great, but users will appreciate a chatbot that can also answer their questions or help them in some way. In order to be successful, your chatbot should be able to provide:- Your company's contact information and operation hours
- Prices, offers, and promotions
- Product or service descriptions and specifications
- Background information about your company
Related: How to Create a Facebook Messenger Chatbot For Free Without Coding
Give it personality.
Your chatbot is an official representative of your brand, so its conversations now constitute part of your services and products. In order to provide the highest user experience, you have to give your bot personality. When I say personality, I mean making your bot sound less like a machine. Remember, don't try to fool users into thinking they are interacting with a human. Instead, inform them that they're talking to a chatbot using human-like language and context to create a smooth experience that will leave them wanting more.
Related: Enterprise Chatbots and the Conversational Commerce Revolutionizing Business
Make your chatbot proactive.
Because modern chatbots are relatively new, many users are not sure how to use them and sometimes decide not to interact with them at all. To counter this build a proactive chatbot that interacts with users as soon as they open their chat window. Try to avoid generic introductions and open your conversation with relevant options. For example:- View your company's contact information
- Browse through products
- Make a purchase
- Manage or change orders
Related: 7 Ways Chatbots Can Benefit Your Marketing Strategy
Use your bot as a customer service tool.
Traditionally, chatbots have been used as a customer care and self-serving tool because they give clients a sense of empowerment. In addition to this, using your chatbot as a self-serving tool will also save you time and resources. To use your chatbot as a self-service tool, you should give users the ability to:- Change their profile information
- Update their billing details
- View plans, products, and services
- View their purchase history and order statuses
- Process orders and payments
- Schedule appointments with human representatives
Related: Top 7 Chatbot Monetization Strategies You Need to Know
Incorporate your bot into your marketing strategy.
A stand-alone chatbot can still have an impact on your brand, but the most successful bots are used as a part of a holistic online strategy. Remember, your chatbot interacts with users through their preferred social media platforms and devices, so there is an extra level of connection. Use this to your favor and design a chatbot marketing strategy that speaks directly to your audience. Some ways for you to incorporate your bot into your marketing strategy are:- Using it as distribution channel for exclusive promotions and offers
- Collecting user information to build buyer personas
- Promoting your bot through paid and organic channels
Connect your chatbot to ecommerce platforms.
One of Chattypeople's most exciting features is its ability to monetize your social media platforms. You can connect your chatbot to e-commerce platforms to take orders and payments via messages, posts, and comments. Combine this with the ability to manage orders through your chatbot and you will provide users with a perfectly seamless buying experience!Related: Social Media Marketing Strategies With Chatbots
Optimize your bot.
The best tools provide in-depth metrics you can use to track the performance of your chatbot. You can also use this information to optimize your bot for better performance. Use A/B tests to find the perfect level of humanity for your bot. Other aspects of your chatbot you can test are:- Its introduction
- Its tone of voice
- The conversation flow
- Features and self-serving options
- Calls to action
