Like it or not, most of the current generation aren’t fans of speaking over the phone and will avoid it if possible. This can create a potential lack of engagement with your Customers as they may prefer to leave your Site altogether rather than make a phone call to gain more information.
To combat this Customer anxiety, installing a chatbot can give your visitors an option to communicate and engage with your brand without making that dreaded phone call.
So, what exactly is a chatbot? A chatbot, short for ‘chat robot’, is a software application or computer program that simulates conversation with a user, usually via a pop up on a website or other channel. The chat is often text or text-to-speech and is in lieu of providing direct contact with a real human.
If you’re keen to drive your engagement higher and target the Customers who desire to communicate with your brand but don’t desire to pick up the phone, a chatbot could be the answer. As scary as it sounds to create one, our guide will take you through how to create one without the requirement of being a coding genius.
Establish Your Chatbot’s Goal
This may not be your favourite part, but before you rush straight into the creation of your chatbot, some planning is needed.
Please don’t start complaining! This step is essential to assist you in understanding what it is you want from your chatbot and how it can best achieve that for your Customers. So, the first action to take is to define the goal of your chatbot, as this will directly affect how it is built.
An example of the goal you may set could be that you want the chatbot to handle an influx of Customer questions, so you can save more time rather than dealing with the simple queries. Another example may be to teach and inform your Customers about your products.
Whatever your goal is, honing in on it and connecting your brand to the chatbot will benefit you in the long run and setting up the next steps in your build. Not to mention your Customers are going to love you for having the ideal chatbot.
Determine the Right Channels
Chatbots started off simple enough, appearing on your website or on a brand’s Facebook page in front of any old visitor, but now there are a multitude of channels you can add your chatbot to.
Deciding the right channels to add your chatbot to is key, and you might even discover a new channel you didn’t realise was an option in the first place!
Your company website is a given. Customers visiting your site are often curious enough to want to know more, so this can act as a useful option for your potential Customers.
Facebook Messenger chatbots are a fun and helpful way to engage Customers who are curious about your brand. They can send them through to your site, search up specific products or even schedule demos.
Don’t forget about good ol’ Google! Google My Business has the option for businesses to set up a chatbot through their GMB page. It allows those visitors who have searched for your business to receive information straight away from the chatbot.
Consider which would work best for your brand and the Customers you’re serving. Where would you find them? Which channel do they use the most? Which would they receive the biggest benefit from? Tie all of this into your goal you worked on in the previous step and you’re one step closer to your creation coming to life.
Outline the Chatbot Conversations
Now we’re getting closer to the fun bits. The proper building begins! How your chatbot will be conversing depends on the needs of your Customer, something you’re going to have to anticipate and really think about so you can design the conversation.
It’s crucial to anticipate what questions your Customers will have about your products/services. You can get ideas from your FAQs or via your current Customers by delving into issues they’ve had in the past and present.
It’s slightly difficult for a chatbot to answer open-ended questions, but what they are able to do is list the questions for the Customer. Giving them the options to choose from allows the chatbot to set clear expectations on what it can and cannot answer.
Don’t forget to contemplate the tone of your chatbot! A friendly and clear disposition is best for your chatbot to adopt. Depending on your brand, this can be altered slightly. If your brand is in the service industry you might have a helpful and supportive voice, but if your brand has a bit more personality then you can add that into your chatbot for your brand awareness.
If you’re working your brand into your chatbot’s personality and evaluating the needs and pain points of your Customers, you’ll be well on your way to grasping how to outline the conversations for your chatbot to be the best digital assistant.
Choose the Best Suited Tool
You did it! You planned, considered your Customer and embodied the chatbot best suited for your brand. It’s time to build it! So, let’s teach you how to code… just kidding! There are multiple chatbot tools depending on your price and channels that are built for you, with no hassle and absolutely no coding experience necessary.
You’ve done the hard part, planned and outlined your chatbot (with a little help from us!). Once you’ve researched the best tool for you, remember to always test and monitor as you go, see how your Customers are reacting to it and if it’s getting your desired result.