When the beloved ICQ service in the CIS region faded into obscurity against the backdrop of social networks, we thought messengers had become a thing of the past. But no, at the beginning of the year, well-known platforms like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, and others surpassed the largest social networks in terms of active users.
Bots are not a new phenomenon, but now they are available through the apps of many organizations, websites, and messengers. They are easy to use, interactive, and therefore very popular.
Various progressive companies are already utilizing them. They are striving to integrate messengers, along with chatbots, into their marketing plans. Currently, there are over 33,000 bots on Facebook Messenger. In the Telegram network, this number reaches fifteen thousand.
A chatbot, talkbot, chatterbot, or simply bot can answer simple questions and instantly provide a lot of useful information. You can chat with them, seek consultation, make payments, plan travel routes, and so on.
Chatbots replace consultants, process analytics, and data. They can even manage a group of developers. They help bridge the gap between businesses and customers.
When your business needs a chatbot?
Let’s take a look at some of the occasions when it is time for your business to get a new tool.
Large Business: If you own a large business with a vast customer base worldwide, you need to stay connected with consumers without breaks, holidays, or vacations. With a chatbot, this is no longer a problem.
Repeat Purchases: To ensure that 70% of your customers make repeat purchases, you need to systematically send email newsletters with new offers, promotions, and gifts. But the more frequently you send emails, the less often they are opened. Offer customers the option to add a chatbot as a friend in messenger when they make a purchase, for example, to track the order status. Then, this chatbot will inform the customer about new arrivals, discounts, and sales of similar products.
Customer-Centric Approach: Your target audience consists of people from the new generation. They are okay with communicating with a live manager, but it's even better with a chatbot. People from the new generation like sending and responding to text messages. And the operation of a chatbot is built on this. Thus, your customer can quickly contact an online store or another business from which they want to purchase. They give the chatbot a task (add a product to the cart, inform about the arrival of new products, etc.) and receive instant results.
Business Scaling: You plan to expand your business. A chatbot can keep a large number of customers online. For comparison, an ordinary employee can simultaneously handle a maximum of 2-3 dialog windows. If a chatbot assists a hired employee, they can attract and retain hundreds and thousands of customers. Certainly, conversions will increase.
Customers Request More Information: Your customers have questions about the business's capabilities. They constantly call and ask about delivery, returns, nearest stores, wholesale and retail trade, business hours, and more.
Improving Contact Centers' Work: Your contact center employees have to answer the same questions day after day. Instead, you can turn to a chatbot for help. By instructing it to answer questions, you free up your own employees from routine work. The chatbot will only transfer the conversation to a human if it is truly necessary.
Sustaining Interest: Chatbots are an invaluable solution for those who want to make their business more interactive and not miss out on potential customers.
Conclusion
Chatbots have quickly become very popular. Research on the preferences of internet users of different ages has shown that:
50% of people aged 18 to 55 have used a chatbot at least once in their lives (either conversing with it or using it as a business assistant).
15% do so constantly.
Moreover, a bot is a versatile and productive employee who works without a lunch or coffee break. These virtual assistants can be available 24 hours a day and even remind you of your conversation if you forget about it.
Today, they can replace a whole range of various services and support functions.
Are you still questioning the need for a virtual assistant in your business?
If the answer is obvious to you, Lampa IT outsourcing company will help you integrate a chatbot into your marketing campaign.