How Chatbots Can Help Your Business

While watching the latest science fiction film, we've probably all noticed how computers communicate with humans. They manage tasks that humans can't or don't want to perform themselves: processing data, searching for information, planning details. As we move into the 21st century, we increasingly notice that the events described in science fiction films are becoming more and more real to us.

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Today, many internet users interact daily with virtual assistants called "chatbots." These "bots" are small software programs that can chat with users, mimicking human behavior, or speak using a synthesized voice. Chatbots can take over the work of call centers or consultants. They are becoming increasingly part of our lives, changing the way we use technology and interact with customers.

Chatbots' Finest Hour

We've all encountered bots when calling a large company and hearing a voice asking us to answer a few questions to direct the call. Today, bots have become a part of our everyday lives. According to chatbot usage statistics in 2020:

• 74% of users prefer chatbots to answer standard questions when searching for products and services.
• 82% of consumers say that quick answers to their questions are very important to them.

The active use of chatbots is associated with their ability to perform labor-intensive tasks necessary for the successful functioning of a business.

For companies that need to quickly respond to customer inquiries, chatbots are becoming indispensable "employees" answering frequently asked questions. Chatbots can interact with customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, eliminating the need for a dedicated customer support team.

Chatbots use a standard conversational interface and create the impression of communicating with another person.

Facebook Messenger Bots

In 2016, Facebook announced it would integrate bots into the Facebook Messenger platform, which at the time had 1.3 billion users. Today, the platform uses over 300,000 bots that interact with customers daily.

Facebook Messenger data shows that:

• 53% of people are more likely to engage with a company they can contact directly.
• More than 50% of people consider business messages a modern way of communication.

Facebook Messenger bots understand questions, provide automated responses, and perform simple tasks. And they learn with every new interaction.

Chatbot technology is based on natural language processing (often referred to as NLP). This is the same technology that powers the voice recognition systems used by virtual assistants such as Google's Alexa, Siri, and Microsoft's Cortana.

Natural language processing allows bots to analyze and understand spoken language.

How do chatbots impact marketing?

At the initial stage of the purchasing decision process, many consumers are simply gathering information. They don't yet want to talk to a real person or visit a store, avoiding the pressure of salespeople.

At this stage, messaging chatbots offer significant advantages. They can provide product information, guide customers through common questions, and avoid pushing for instant decisions. At the same time, customers are given the opportunity to interact by clicking a call-to-action (CTA) button. This button can be any element that encourages the visitor to purchase a product or service, although it's most often an order button, naturally moving them further down the marketing funnel. All this is accomplished without the involvement of a company employee and can be performed at any time of day or night.

Additionally, messaging makes it easier to attract people's attention to a product or service. Research shows that people are 3.5 times more likely to open a Facebook message than a marketing email. Facebook Messenger offers the use of ads that are shown to users who have previously visited a page or website.

How can chatbots help businesses?

Today's customers don't like to wait and expect information to be available 24/7. This could be a problem for small businesses, were it not for chatbots, which are excellent at assisting customers 24/7.

Any business that spends a significant amount of time helping customers track deliveries, explain return policies, or schedule appointments can simplify their tasks with a chatbot. Customers often contact companies with standard, frequently asked questions. By considering which steps can be best automated with bots, you can save time, money, and avoid complaints from dissatisfied customers.

Many companies, large and small, are incorporating chatbot functionality into their marketing and customer service systems. Recently, Ukrzaliznytsia launched a chatbot on Viber and Telegram with ticket sales and refunds, the ability to order meals during travel, timetables, information about train arrivals and delays, track numbers, and more.

Many famous developers such asChatfuel,Mobile Monkey AndManychat,offer free or affordable solutions for most small and medium-sized businesses.

Using chatbots helps facilitate customer communication and makes them feel cared for, which in turn increases sales and builds brand trust.

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