If you visit almost any website today, whether it’s an online store or a business site, you’ll most likely be greeted by a familiar ding, and you’ll see a message informing you that you can type any question into that box and you’ll receive an answer as soon as possible. Sometimes, behind that box, there’s a real human but, most of the time, it’s an AI chatbot. Surprised you couldn’t tell the difference? Well, you’re not alone, because most people who interact with chatbots via text say that the experience is just like talking to a real person. What’s more, engineers are confident that by the year 2029, chatbots will be indistinguishable from humans in terms of language ability. So, chatbots are getting smarter, and they’re here to stay. But are they just a fancy nice-to-have feature or do they really benefit your business? As far as website features go, chatbots are not just a pretty face. As you’ll see below, customers love them, and implemented right, they can offer a fantastic ROI.
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AI chatbots take customer support to the next level.
When shoppers have dozens of options to buy something, customer service is the factor that makes a difference. Just how in a brick-and-mortar store you sometimes need the sales assistant to help you, the same thing can happen in an online store. In fact, according to an Econsultancy survey, 83% of online shoppers need support to complete a purchase. Even if you can afford to hire hundreds of people to guide shoppers (which most people cannot), chatbots are still the more practical, cost-effective option because they’re available 24/7. Thanks to the latest advancements in machine learning and artificial intelligence, chatbots can understand human speech patterns and reply to the most common concerns. So, for example, if a shopper asks: “What’s the status of my order?”, “Can you make me a reservation?”, or “Is your store open on Saturday?”, the AI chatbot will be able to answer within a few seconds.
As you probably know already, customers hate reaching out to brands by phone and being put on hold for a 30-second question, which is why they prefer talking to a chatbot instead. According to a study conducted by Mobile Marketer, 40% of Millennials already engage with chatbots daily, and one Salesforce study revealed that 69% of consumers prefer chatbots due to their speed and efficiency. The main takeaway from these numbers is that chatbots perform exceptionally well for quick questions and emergencies, and they can continue to provide customer support even when the staff isn’t there.
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They can free up the staff schedule for interactions that require human intervention.
Customer service is one of the most overworked departments in a company, and the bigger you grow, the more pressure you should expect. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to scale because funds are needed elsewhere, which might transform you into one of those big businesses that never has time to answer messages and make customers feel unheard. Chatbots solve this problem because they can deal with simple queries that don’t necessarily need human intervention. You’d be surprised, but most customer questions can be answered easily by checking the database or walking them through simple troubleshooting.
It’s a win-win situation: customers with simple requests receive answers immediately and are satisfied with the experience, and your staff now has time to deal with the more sensitive or complicated requests where a human touch is necessary. Even better, customer service staff that isn’t overworked by a high volume of queries is more polite, more attentive to details, and more pleasant to talk to.
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They provide a customized shopping experience.
Everyone who has ever done business online knows just how annoying it can be to write an email and receive a generic automated response. That may have been the standard a few years ago, but now chatbots are attempting to achieve the complete opposite: provide meaningful, relevant, personalized user experiences. So, for example, a shopper who doesn’t find their size in stock for a pair of snickers can ask a chatbot to recommend similar designs. Taking this further, chatbots can remember user preferences and turn more into personal assistants in the future. This is especially the case with companies that offer money management, fitness, or dietary advice.
If you’re skeptical that people would actually listen to what an AI recommends, you’ll be surprised to learn that most modern customers trust chatbots: according to a HubSpot survey, 47% of customers would be willing to purchase a product that a chatbot recommended to them. However, you also need to keep in mind that people’s attitudes towards chatbots also vary depending on their age. For example, Facebook data shows that Millennials are twice as likely than other age groups to use a chatbot, so always incorporate chatbots depending on your audience’s preferences. No matter what your field of activity is, you’ll still need live agents, but it’s up to you to decide what kinds of questions would rather be redirected towards them.
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They can lower the bounce rate and boost sales.
Let’s imagine the following scenario: a husband and wife have decided to invest in life insurance and came across your company, but they can’t find all the information they need on the website. One option would be to call you, but it’s already 8 pm, and your company representatives are out of office. So, in this case, they’ll close the window, make a mental note to come back another time, and forget about it. However, if a chatbot pops up, asking them if they need help, they’ll ask that question right away, receive an answer, and you potentially have yourself a new client! Chatbots can also help you with the retention rate by renewing memberships and orders automatically. Needless to say, customers who use chatbots spend more time on your website, which reduces the bounce rate and has an array of SEO benefits.
