Most of the time, when you visit a website, you might come across chatbots offering help by answering your queries and directing you to pages that would be relevant to you. It is one typical example of an automated computer assistant chatting with human users. Chatbots have gained immense popularity and are a marketing strategy for global businesses. Let’s delve deeper into what encouraged companies to implement these chatbots for client conversations.
What Is A Chatbot?
Chatbots are automated computer assistants capable of conversing with humans through text messages on different online platforms. Although they currently have specific limitations, they are learning at a fast pace to communicate just like humans, making it impossible to find the difference between the two.
Types Of Chatbots
- Rule-based Chatbots
These chatbots run on predefined instructions and provide limited user interaction options. One has to choose from a set of options for which the bots are trained. These chatbots run on a fixed flow instead of AI, which is why these are the slowest types of chatbots.
- Intellectually Independent Chatbots
Intellectually independent chatbots are the ones that use machine learning to learn from the user’s queries and requests and train themselves according to possible solutions. One can teach them to note specific phrases or words to answer a question; this is how they learn to respond with time.
- AI-Powered Chatbots
AI-powered chatbots respond wisely to user queries using advanced technologies, NLP, ML, and analytics. An AI-powered bot can understand the user-provided text or voice input to identify words, sentences, and parts of speech and frame thoughtful responses and follow-up actions according to the user’s preference.
We have discussed the three types of chatbots. Let’s talk about the benefits these chatbots provide to businesses and companies. We will also highlight the reasons that have made these chatbots a favorable mode for client conversations.
Exceptional Benefits Of Chatbots
- Allow 24/7 Customer Service
It’s difficult for humans to be available for customers throughout the day. With chatbots, one can provide 24/7 service to their clients irrespective of the time. It enhances your brand’s reputation and helps clients to get their solutions even when the people are not around. Also, companies don’t have to shift extra to resolve client doubts at odd times. It also elevates the user experience, who can get relevant information in a short time.
- Saves Time & Energy
Another essential benefit of chatbots is that they help save time and energy. One can assign tedious, repetitive tasks to the bots who can get them done without errors or feeling bored. It also saves time and energy for individuals who otherwise would be engaged in such dull tasks. With bots answering the queries, users don’t have to get into unnecessary conversations that usually happen in IVR systems. It’s a win-win situation for both the user and company, as users will get quick responses, and the company, on the other hand, doesn’t have to spend its resources on hiring people for customer support.
- Offers Seamless Customer Journey
With these 24/7 services and quick relevant responses, businesses can provide a streamlined experience to their customers, as we all know the pain of losing a prospect. With chatbots, companies can easily do other things like:
- Offer added information on products or services
- Give deeper insights to the customers related to their searches
- Provide discount or coupon codes
- Redirect customers to other relevant pages
- Helps In Business Growth
One can humanize their brand by representing their brand voice and personality through their chatbots, which helps them connect better with the customers. As chatbots can predict customer buying behavior, one can promote their new products and services, targeting the right people, with the right offer, at the right time. Chatbots can help in marketing, sales, and customer services. All these together allow businesses to experience growth.