4 tips to make sure you build the right chatbot for your business

Chatbots are everywhere these days — but how do you make sure yours really serves and delights your customers?
23 October 2018

Chatbots in HR could be the next big thing. Source: Shutterstock

Today, every business is working on building a chatbot (or already offers one) because they’re so easy to build and maintain.

Given that they’re always available to offer information and support, chatbots play a crucial role in the quest to provide a better customer experience.

Marketers often find that building a chatbot helps a business better reach its audience, increases sales, and makes it possible to push targeted content based on data collected from customer conversations.

There is no doubt that chatbots can add much value to a business. But before embarking on the journey, it is crucial that you have a well-thought-out plan.

Define your goals and expectations

First and foremost, it is crucial to outline your goals of implementing a chatbot. Is it to drive sales through social media messengers? To improve your brand’s online presence? To automate customer support?

On top of your overall business goals, you should also consider how your chatbot will align with your customers’ needs.

According to Chatbots Magazine, businesses who implement chatbots can reduce customer service costs by up to 30 percent.

Focus on the customer experience

When planning a chatbot, it is important to consider how to ensure the chatbot creates a good user experience.

Make sure you design a chatbot which encompasses humanistic features that imitate that of your customer service agents.

On top of being able to answer the general queries of customers, it is important to develop a chatbot that has the ability to proactively ask leading questions and make recommendations for services or products based on the customers’ needs. This will, in turn, add to your bottom line.

Build in the option of human contact

It is inevitable that a bot will not have the answer to every customer query. So in the case of this, you must always offer the option to speak to a human agent.

You do not want to lose a disgruntled customer due to them not receiving the help they need in making a purchase.

Make sure you beta test your chatbot

The final point is to beta test your chatbot. An increasing number of companies are beginning to leverage the power of chatbots for their business. As such, assuring the quality of yours is highly important in order to stay competitive and protect your brand image.

It’s important to beta test your chatbot with real users, monitoring their reaction and gathering more data on what they are looking for so that we can continuously grow the chatbot’s knowledge.