An Introduction to Chatbots: The New Age of Customer Service

Throughout history, one of our greatest fears has manifested as the rise of the machines; science-fiction films like the Terminator and Blade Runner have taught us to fear technological advancement, as it will inevitably initiate the demise of humankind. Well, the future has arrived and we’re here to show you that it’s not so scary. In fact, it can help your business grow.

Chatbots have taken over the world… of digital marketing! Today, we live in an era of providing immediate customer satisfaction. 79% of customers prefer chatbots because of the immediacy of their response. Potential customers no longer want to wait in a phone queue for 45 minutes only to be told that there are no appointments available for the next three months.

Customer demand is higher than ever and we must meet their expectations if we want to keep up with our competitors. Live chat has become an essential aspect of digital marketing; in fact, without a chatbot, 77% of customers will not make a purchase.

In this article, you will be introduced to the era of bots. Step into the future and improve your approach to modern digital marketing.

The idea of a robot running your business enquiries seems rather far-fetched, but the concept of a chatbot is actually very simple. A chatbot is a computer program which automates conversation with your potential customers. Bots live on websites, mobile apps, telephones and messaging apps; in recent years, Facebook messenger and Slack have been the most common place to spot a bot.

There are many different types of chatbots which vary in terms of intelligence and what they can offer users. Each type of chatbot works in a very different way.

Smart Chatbots use AI to simulate human interaction and understand the conversational context. These bots are more expensive and require extensive research and programming; a good example of this is our well-loved friend, Siri. Siri is able to make jokes and engage in small talk, while also offering the user fairly accurate answers to their queries.

Smart bots use machine learning (ML) and internal data to predict what the customer wants. The analysis of this data allows the chatbots to better personalise individual user experience.

Simple chatbots are far more limited and are programmed to ask questions based on the user’s prefixed option selection. An example of this would be a computer operated phone system where you are asked to press x for option 1, and y for option 2. These bots are far easier to implement and are extremely cheap to create. However, they are also confined to a restricted set of tasks and actions.

Simple bots are based on a set of predesigned rules and conversational flowcharts. The bots use these conversational trees to anticipate what the customer might ask and how they should respond.

Custom chatbots are designed by you, and usually, incorporate a mixture of smart features and simple features. Customising your bot allows you to best suit the needs of your customers' queries. Custom bots use a combination of natural language processing engines and AI to understand and address customer needs.

The basic role of a chatbot is to handle customer enquiries through mimicking human interactions and responses.

In addition to world takeover, chatbots are also able to perform a number of simple and complex tasks. They are used to:

• Answer FAQs
• Schedule appointments
• Manage sales funnel
• Greet potential customers
• Gather user data and information
• Order takeaways
• Send reminder emails and newsletters

Technological advancement has skyrocketed within the past decade, transforming the way that we interact on a day-to-day basis. Marketing has previously been driven by face-to-face sales and human contact, but the landscape of marketing has changed.

The digital era started to take shape in the late 90s/early 2000s, and since then, has become second nature to millennials. In every industry, we must learn to adapt to the times and keep up with new trends and developments; this is especially true for digital marketing. Digital marketing changes on a weekly basis, from the introduction of voice control to the increased use of video marketing, and now, to chatbots.

The use of chatbots does not diminish the need for building strong relationships with clients but simply allows us to handle even more customer relationships. The aim of chatbots is not to replace humans, but to help them manage a high volume of clients; in most cases, you are always able to take over from a bot if you want to personally answer a customer query.

Using a chatbot will transform your digital marketing strategy and improve your communication with clients. Bots can manage high volumes of customer enquiries, allowing you more time and energy to get on with high priority jobs. Chatbots can greet users as soon as they access a page and provide the 24/7 assistance that cannot be supplied by a small team. According to a recent survey, 64% of internet users agree that 24-hour service is the best feature of chatbots.

One of the most significant aspects of marketing aesthetics is establishing strong relationships with your clients. Your customers want to feel safe and secure, and the best way to do this is to make them feel welcomed as soon as they enter your site. A chatbot will greet your users straight away, making them feel cared for and supported.

With chatbots doing the groundwork, your team can open more customer conversations and generate more leads. The ultimate goal of chatbots is to make your life a little easier, whilst allowing you to focus on more important marketing tasks. Instead of having to answer the same questions over and over again, the chatbot can answer them for you.

By using a chatbot, you can open communication with your potential customers, build a rapport with them, and then swoop in with a cheeky human to seal the deal!

Bish, Bash, Bot.

Thanks to these fantastic platforms, chatbots have become extremely affordable and easy to make. We highly recommend:

• Tidio
• ManyChats
• Pandorabots
• Chatfuel
• Drift chatbot
• WotNot
• Liveperson

We are aware that there is a lot of detailed information about chatbots, but we are here to break it down for you. To find out more about chatbots, download our free chatbots e-book.

Book a free consultation with Esthetica Digital today to discuss how we can help your business grow.