Introduction
A chatbot is a very effective tool that can really help your business flourish. They were designed to support and scale a business team with their relationships with customers. Chatbots help customers engage with the company in an easy manner. And this is an amazing way to help your company grow as it gives customers a better customer experience.
In this article, we will discuss why you need a chatbot for your business. We look at specific chatbot statistics and briefly touch base on what push-pull content is. We will also look into the benefits of a Facebook messenger chatbot are, along with the advantages of having a chatbot on your website.
Chatbot Statistics
Here are some quick statistics to think about. About 27% of individuals say they would rather buy a basic item from a chatbot, while 48% rather connect with a company through live chat. Forty percent of consumers could care less if the person helping them as human as long as they are helped.
Thirty-seven percent of individuals would rather purchase an item from a brand’s Facebook page as opposed to their website. Other predictions for using a chatbot include 37% using one in an emergency, 35% resolving a complaint, 33% making a reservation, 29% paying for a bill, 22% for getting ideas or inspiration, and 22% adding themselves to a mailing list.
Push or Pull Content
Companies used to use the push content tactic to get sales. This method was used for email marketing. Customers that signed up would be blasted with content on a regular basis that they may not even be interested in. And chances are if they are not interested in your content, but are seeing it often,they will come to resent your brand.
However, with pull content, users can pull the content they want from your chatbot. This can be done at their convenience and will only happen if they want it.
What are the benefits of a Facebook Messenger chatbot?
There are many benefits of using a Facebook messenger chatbot. Chatbots will always obey commands and they never are rude with customers- even if a customer is rude in their messages. They also do not tire out, so they never need a break. The following are other benefits of using a chatbot on Facebook.
Instant Replies
The main benefit that many people see is instant replies and solutions. A user can ask a question and it will be answered as soon as they hit enter. Most customers today prefer to use chatbots instead of any other type of communication with a company. This is because customers hate waiting. This is one of the reasons that many customers stop business with a company is because they cannot afford to wait.
One reason that many customers use chatbots is that they can use it on the move. With more than 50% of individuals considering business messaging is a modern way to communicate, it is no wonder why so many are using it. And with 53% of people being more likely to interact with a business if they can send a direct message to them, it is no wonder why more businesses are turning to chatbots.
With Facebook Messenger chatbots, companies are able to keep their customers up to date. They can provide them with order updates, shipment times, products back in stock updates, and more. Having excellent customer support is a way to set your brand apart from the competition, and will also increase your conversion rates.
Lower Costs For Companies
Chatbots also have the power to help thousands of customers at once, unlike a phone or email agent. This is a lower-cost solution for many companies. It does not matter what time of day it is, or if it is a holiday. There is no waiting for an agent to be free, or be scheduled to work. Every single day, a chatbot inquiry will be answered immediately. A chatbot caters to each and every person that uses it. If you are using it for orders, this ensures that not one single one is missed.
You never have to train a chatbot like you would need to train an agent. Training a new employee could take several days. They may then decide the job is not for them. With a chatbot, once you have it, it is yours. You do not need to fire it for being late for work, and you never have to worry about it calling in sick. It does not get holiday or sick pay, nor does it require vacation or benefits. Across all industries, it is estimated that using chatbots saves over $7 billion per year.
Many individuals are apt to be less productive once they have done a job over and over. Repetition tends to cause a burnout factor as well. A chatbot will never have this issue.
Companies most likely would only need to hire a few persons to handle chatbot requests that the chatbot is not able to answer. This dramatically brings down costs when having to only pay a few agents versus one hundred.
Augmented Reality in Chatbots
Victoria Beckham has a very impressive chatbot as she uses augmented reality. With her sunglasses line, her customers are able to virtually try on a pair to see if they like them. This is a huge conversion of sales for her, and can also be for your brand if you implement this into your chatbot. This is a great way to improve your customer’s experience and your customers will also see authenticity. Beckham also adds her privacy statement to her bot, which is something that not everyone does, but is very effective.
Big Companies are Using Chatbots
If you want to be a big company or brand, you need to start acting like them. Many huge companies are using chatbots as a way of selling their products. Such companies include Tommy Hilfiger and H&M.
Using a chat box will allow you to build better relationships with your customers that are stronger. This will make your customers trust you and your brand more.
Millennials And Baby Boomers Using Chatbot
Both Millennials and Baby Boomers use chatbot, however, they have different views on them. Sixty-six percent of millennials said they would use a chatbot for 24 hours services while only 58% of baby boomers said they would. Baby boomers were more likely to get an instant response at 61% compared to 51% of millennials. Forty-eight percent of millennials thought that it was easy communication compared to the 52% of baby boomers. And 37% of millennials thought answers were detailed, with baby boomers just behind them at 36%.
Tips For Chatbot Messages
If you have a chatbot on Facebook or your website, you need to effectively craft messages so your customers get the most out of them. Here are some tips that can help you create the perfect chatbot message.
- Chatbots are for short messages, not full emails. Keep the conversation short. No more than 3 messages should be given at a time without providing the customer with an option to answer.
- Break up messages. Allow at least two or three seconds between each message. This will make it appear like it is a normal conversation. Do not bombard them all at once with every message.
- Use emojis. People use emojis as they feel comfortable with others. This is a great way to say that you feel comfortable with your customers. Plus they are fun, break up a conversation, and make your chatbot stand out.
- As with number 3, adding images or GIFs are an excellent way to make your chatbot stand out. People feel that conversation is more authentic this way. Humorous images can be added as long as you are not offending anyone.
- Keep the colors of your chatbot messages in sync with your brand. Matching is a popular option, but if you cannot match it, then compliment it. If you use the wrong colors, it may look unprofessional. This could potentially make customers leave your page because they view your products as junky or unprofessional. Do not use colors that are harsh on the eyes, and always make sure the text is easy to read.
- Utilize banner images. Sure, your chatbot does not need one. But this is a way to compliment your chatbot and sets you apart from others. You may wish to add your brand’s logo, or perhaps an image of a customer service agent. Other ideas include a welcome text with movement. There should be a good balance between colors, space, and images. Colors that are used for the banner image should complement the colors of your chatbot.
- Always give the option to unsubscribe. If your customers are not able to unsubscribe, they may start resenting the brand, which is not ideal for your business.
Summary
As you can see, there are many advantages to using a chatbot for your Facebook page or website. People like the convenience of them. They provide instant answers and solutions, and people do not need to wait for an agent to respond back to them via email. This will increase customer satisfaction, which in turn can increase revenues for a company. It is a win-win situation for both the brand and the customer.
Our Chatbot Implementation
Now that we have briefly gone into how a chatbot can significantly benefit your business, let’s go over our Chatbot strategy for your business in 3 simple steps.
1. Chatbot Deployment
The first step is to deploy your chatbot. To do this, we analyze your “Objective” and create a chat flow with the goal of getting a chat visitor from starting to chat, to get that visitor to your “Objective”. This could be guiding them to a contact page, calling in, interacting with social media, or visiting a product page.
2. Chatbot Retargeting
After the initial “Objective” is built within the chatbot, the second step is to create a “Retargeting” process. The goal here is to follow up with customers that 1. did not take action initially or 2. follow up with those that did. This is extremely powerful but has to be done right, as there are retargeting limitations that can put your Facebook account in hot water (suspended/banned) if you abuse it.
3. Chatbot Management
Our chatbot has the longest long term profitability for your business. As EVERY interaction your chatbot has with a person, put them on your Facebook Messenger contact list. This isn’t simply an email list (with bad open rates), but a messenger list (with open rates at 90%+), which allows us to continuously improve your chatbot’s flow and stay in touch with past visitors in a much more effective way than simply sending email blasts that they will most likely ignore or mark as spam (Because who really opens up advertising emails in 2019?).