One of the most important things to consider about chatbot technology is how you’ll use it to accomplish your business goals.
Investing in a chatbot for the sake of keeping up with the times isn’t a wise strategy. It will leave you feeling like you wasted your time, money, and effort when you realize that it isn’t accomplishing anything tangible for you. This may have you asking, “is chatbot technology right for my business?”
Customers often take a twisty route to find products and services. Picture the customer who searches articles on the web, almost buys, talks to friends, reads social media posts, and checks online reviews before actually making a purchase. The customer’s road to buying is convoluted and not very straightforward. A chatbot can be available 24/7, 365 to help steer that customer in the right direction through the buying journey. Implement that bot on your website, email, social media chat, or phone number. This will increase your chance of interacting with customers how they prefer and when they are ready.
Let’s look at some popular business goals that align with chatbot technology.
5 Goals That Align with Chatbot Technology
1 – Increase transactions, without adding personnel – Chatbots can help companies increase online transactions in situations when human interaction is not required. Your user doesn’t necessarily need to speak to a customer service representative all the time. Online transactions don’t have to be just sales, it could be the scheduling of appointments for customers, especially during after-hours. If revenue is tied to how many transactions occur on a regular basis, consider using a chatbot to boost your numbers.
2- Sell more products – Chatbots aren’t just for answering questions. With the right programming, bots become sales reps that close deals 24 hours a day. In fact, more and more businesses are using chatbots to help consumers make purchasing decisions. And with good reason! According to the “2020 State of Conversational Marketing” report, readiness to use chatbots for purchases increased from 17.1% to 41.3% from 2019 to 2020.
Chatbots can skillfully ask users a series of questions to help them zero in on a product they’re looking for. The technology could also suggest other products for consideration. This can happen either after adding to the shopping cart or right before customers head to the checkout.
3- Increase website traffic – More traffic on your website means more chances to close sales. Users who interact with chatbots through social media or a mobile app should have a web page suggested to them. Maybe this is a page on your website that has more information about their specific interests or has a form to request a quote. Increasing website visits is a smart business goal for your company to have, especially if you have an eCommerce company.
4- Start more top-of-funnel conversations with buyers – Relationships are the key to sales success. It all starts with hello. If you have a chance to interact with a potential customer electronically, you can greet them with “hey,” “hi,” “good day,” or another friendly saying. Perhaps the chatbot greets the user and asks a question based on a set of actions the user performs while browsing the website… like doing a site search or viewing a specific product category. Chatbots can simulate human conversation as an initial first step and put the sales process in motion. Your sales reps will take over when the prospect has been asked some qualifying questions.
5- Improve customer service – Customers who have a poor experience will talk. Sometimes all it takes is a complaint posted on a review site or a tweet on social media to go viral and you’re in a public relations (PR) hot seat playing damage control. You certainly don’t want to ignore complaints. You also don’t want to be unaware of poor service your customers are currently receiving. Luckily, with chatbot technology, you can prompt users for feedback on service by urging them to complete a survey or give a five-star rating.
So, is chatbot technology right for you? If you have concrete goals and want to increase profit and provide a top-notch customer experience, then the answer is a resounding “yes.”
What other business goals can you think of? Ask us if your goals align well with chatbot technology or some of DiRAD’s other solutions.