In the modern world, you need to be accessible to customers. That doesn’t mean waiting by the phone at all hours of the night. In fact, many customers don’t even want to reach you by phone. The future of customer engagement lies in chatbots.
Types of chatbots for business
There are several types of chatbots available, and it all comes down to what you want to achieve and what you’re willing to spend. As a starting point, many businesses create a simple button bot. These give customers the chance to flow through pre-determined conversation flows to reach an outcome. These are great, but remember, they’re only as good as the conversations you program into them.
Other more complex bots have natural language processing (NLP), meaning they can interpret customer requests more freely. The more complex bots are fuelled by artificial intelligence and machine learning. So, they get smarter and more efficient with continued use.
Connecting with customers
Customers want to feel a connection with your business. Some of that is more about branding and marketing yourself properly. Aligning yourself with similar causes to your target audience. There’s a lot you can do to create a connection. But the other side of it lies in the almighty hands of technology.
Let’s face it, customers today aren’t the most patient. We’ve been spoiled by the internet, meaning we want information and we want it now. So, in your never-ending quest to give customers what they want, chatbots are here to save the day.
From basic chatbots that deliver information on frequently asked questions to more complex bots, you can be there for customers night and day.
Higher conversion rates
One of the best reasons to use chatbots is an increased conversion rate. You’ve done the hard work attracting people to your website, but now it’s time to close the deal. The more leads you convert, the better your revenue. Chatbots play a key role in nurturing customers towards a sale.
Choose from basic chatbots that provide product information instantly, or complex chatbots that check stock availability, delivery times and other factors that influence a sale. It all depends on your budget and goals. But one thing’s for sure, chatbots are a powerful tool when it comes to improving the customer experience and converting sales.
Reduce admin and phone calls
How much time does your staff spend answering basic queries via phone, email or social media? We’ve already discussed the importance of connecting with customers, but that doesn’t mean you need to spend your whole day with them.
Often, customers just want basic information that can be delivered by a chatbot. You can even install chatbots on your social media, such as Facebook Messenger bots. That way, you spend less time responding to online queries, and your response rate also goes through the roof because your chatbot answers questions 24/7.
As you can see, chatbots have many and varied uses. Providing information instantly, nurturing towards sales, and also processing payments. It’s a way to always be available for your customers, even outside of normal work hours. Relax, get some sleep, and let the chatbots do the work!
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