Chatbots are a form of artificial intelligence that is powered by rules and interact with customers through a chat interface. At a time when people are spending more time in messenger apps than social networks, it can be a great way to bridge the gap between a casual observer and an involved customer. Keep reading to find out if it are good for your digital brand.
With all of the emerging technology used to increase engagement on your website or social media accounts, it can get confusing when deciding what you actually need.
Chatbots are a fairly recent development that many website owners may not feel comfortable incorporating yet. Some brands may believe that it bring us one step closer to having robots take over the world. Hmm…
So what is the story with chatbots? Are they worth the hype? Is this just another fad that will slowly taper off into extinction?
Chatbots: Are They Good For Your Digital Brand?
Even reading what a chatbot is can cause confusion. Artificial intelligence on your website? What’s the point right?
Here’s a quick rundown on just what a chatbot can do for you and for your website:
Chatbots are all about communication. Isn’t that the point you made when establishing your digital brand?
You wanted to tell the world exactly who you are and what you offer.
Likewise, it would make sense that you would want to continue that line of communication with the people coming to view your site.
The short answer is yes, chatbots have a lot to offer your digital brand–especially on social media.
When talking about the increase in use of messenger apps like chatbots, Matt Schlicht said:
… logically, if you want to build a business online, you want to build where the people are. That place is now inside messenger apps.
Facebook is leading the chatbot surge with offering brands a way to use chatbots via Messenger app.
But are chatbots good for your digital brand? I would like to know your opinion. Use the comment box at the end of this article.
Chatbots: A Way to Communicate With Viewers
Using chatbots can drastically change the way that you interact with the people visiting your site. Now you no longer have to wait for people to subscribe to your site in order to communicate with them.
For example, if someone is casually viewing your site and has a question about your product, they’re not very likely to give you a call or write an email.
Therefore, questions go unanswered and the viewer leaves your site with no intention to return (or even worse, go to your competitor).
However, if your site has a chatbot set up, you viewer can instantly get the answers to their questions. This allows them to make a more informed decision about your offer.
Email Isn’t Cutting it Anymore
Research is proving what many websites have suspected, engagement from emails is in a steady decline. Emails are costing more and more and website owners are getting less and less in return.
As the chart demonstrates, consumers continue to open their email, in fact, the rate of emails being opened is increasing.
However, engagement from those emails is on a steady decline.
With platforms like Google separating out business emails into a ‘promotional’ tab, the deliverability of emails is also becoming an issue.
Just like the ‘junk’ folder, the promotional tab keeps subscribers from viewing and reading your business’s material.
Only people who consciously go looking for your promotional emails will be able to find them. It doesn’t stop there though.
Answers to questions can also be hard to find because they’ll get lost in the promotions tab too.
A customer can ask a question through your email link and then wait for it until they give up because it’s taken too long.
All while your responding email has sat in a hidden folder.
SEE ALSO: How To Use Behavioral Marketing For Awesome Email Campaigns
Chatbots Have Many Uses
Before you discredit chatbots as having nothing to do with your website or business, you should know that the world of chatbots is continually evolving.
What used to be dominated by adult websites is now being taken back by more ‘normal’ websites. Don’t let anything negative you’ve heard about it deter you from exploring them for your digital brand.
Chatbots have been utilized by weather, grocery, news, and finance websites. It can give life advice, schedule meetings, or even act as a friend.
The possibilities of how to use a chatbot are endless. This makes them great for any digital brand, regardless of what you offer.
Case Study: Online shopping
Instead of browsing through a website, or while browsing through the website, shoppers can ask questions and be directed to the items they’re searching for. 
Nordstrom’s website shows just how beneficial a chatbot is to its digital brand. With the addition of chatbots, their customer service can be open 24/7.
Just a few years ago, customer service websites would have a phone number along with the hours they were available.
Nordstrom isn’t the only company who’s found success using it.
Dominoes’ pizza bot, affectionally known as ‘Dom’, lets you easily order a pizza.
They’ve made the full menu and even custom orders available all through their chatbot!
Try it and let me know what you think.
Now, with simple programming, chatbots make you available 24/7.
Anything your customers want can be available right on your website. Answers, questions, shopping all with immediate results.
Chatbots Decrease Expenses
The addition of chatbots decreases company expenses in two ways.
- Chatbots lower the average cost of a customer interacting with an employee. Fewer customers will have to call in to talk with a live employee about their questions or problems because they will be using the chatbots.
- Chatbots increase efficiency by dealing with multiple customers at a time. A pet peeve of many people is being on a call waiting list. Time can pass while you wait to find out the answer to your question about the material of the shirt you’re looking at. Wait times alone can kill a potential sale. Chatbots can work simultaneously across several computers to bring immediate gratification.
Not only do chatbots reduce a company’s expenses, but they also increase their revenue!
Chatbots Retain Customers
Many surveys have been conducted regarding live chats, a more expensive alternative to having a chatbot that use employees to chat with customers.
Before chatbots there was live chat. This simple addition made a huge difference in a brand’s online success.
Customers didn’t have to dig out a phone or worry about what time it was to get answers to their questions. Purchasing was made simply by the ability to look, ask, and purchase.
emarketer has done several different studies regarding chatting’s effectiveness on sales and retainability:
Fully 63% of respondents who chatted said they were more likely to return to the site, and 62% reported being more likely to purchase from the site again. A further 38% of respondents said they had made their purchase due to the chat session itself.
These are great numbers if you’re looking to build your digital brand. Plus, adding a chatbot can be a simple procedure. Many companies offer their assistance in adding a chatbot.
If you have decided that using a chatbot is good for you digital brand, here are some free resources to get you started:
They take the mystery out of the programming that needs to happen to have your chatbot working with perfect precision.
Final Thoughts
Using chatbots can drastically change the way that you interact with the people visiting your site. Such as:
- Now you no longer have to wait for people to subscribe to your site in order to communicate with them.
- Emails are costing more and more and website owners are getting less and less in return.
- Chatbots can give life advice, schedule meetings, or even act as a friend.
- The possibilities of how to use a chatbot are endless. This makes them great for any digital brand, regardless of what you offer.
- The addition of chatbots decreases company expenses by lowering the customer engagement costs and retaining customers.
Overall, jumping on a trend like chatbots can be intimidating at first. Let’s face it, the technology is not well known.
However, the pros to adding this program are monumental and can make a significant in your digital brand’s impact.
What has your experience been when building or interacting with a chatbot? Post your comment in the section below…
