Why Companies Are Now Thriving Thanks to Chatbots

In an ideal world, how would a customer support operate? I imagine it's someone who works 24/7, knows all the details about every product and service offered, responds to all inquiries immediately, is able to handle several consumers at once, remembers every customer interaction, and is always happy to work. Now, we all know that person doesn’t exist. However, that chatbot most certainly does. At least - it is waiting to be developed.

Chatbots were a popular topic of conversation in 2016 - and now, they’re even hotter. Thanks to Facebook’s relatively new chatbot platform, using chatbots is now a possibility for all brands out there. Via the Facebook Messenger app, companies now have a brand new platform to communicate with their consumers on, without actually having to spend time on communicating. Suddenly, a chatbot becomes the ideal customer support employee working for you, while also being a great sales assistant. They work particularly well for product ordering and product information, which means they play a very important part of the buying decision. Chatbots are also able to upsell, based on the purchase decisions, and questions customers ask. They are therefore a great way to drive sales.

With consumers getting targeted by companies everywhere, all the time, you have to make sure you differentiate yourself by meeting your customers needs. It might sound basic, but most companies actually don’t do this. For example, if you don’t already have a chatbot - you’re not meeting their needs. Why? Here are a few statistics conducted from research made by Twilio, that will show you why:

•   9/10 customers want to enable communication with businesses via messaging. 
•   66% of consumers would rather approach brands or be approached by brands using messaging over any other channel.
•   Worldwide, 85% of people wish to respond to answers from businesses, in contrast to only receiving them.
•   The most prominent way consumers converse globally is via mobile messaging.
   

The only way to certainly fulfill those needs are by using chatbots. They give companies a unique opportunity to easily communicate with their consumers, on a platform they are already using.

Example of EdgeDNA's Pork Bot for the National Pork Board

For those who worry chatbots will sound like the robots they are - don't. Developers know how to incorporate natural language processing, in order for your bot to actually sound like a human. Rememer, when you call traditional customer service, the human operator is often reading directly from a pre-approved script. Bots work in the same way, using automated input and output.

So bots are efficient, profitable, stores invaluable data and engage customers. Then why aren’t all brands using them? Although the Facebook chatbot platform is open to anyone, it can be tough to make a chatbot out of the blue. For a company that has never worked with developing bots, the cost to complete such projects internally can be really large. Additionally, you risk ending up with a bot that doesn’t work the way you want it to. Therefore, in order for your bot to communicate in the intended way, a developer is essential for your ideas to become reality. And if you don’t have the ideas, you can outsource that work, too.

The future of bots is yet unclear, but we are getting further every day in our work towards developing an even more interactive chatbot. Imagine a chatbot that picks up on your conversation and suggest things for you, that gives you direct update on your orders, or that knows how you usually restock on your favorite cookies every two weeks - and reminds you to do so. The possibilities bots can offer are endless.

It’s time for your business to get started right away. Make sure your company becomes well established with chatbots, in order to meet and exceed your customers’ requests. At EdgeDNA, we are here to help you engage with your customers while saving money, by creating a well-scripted chatbot, tailored to your company’s wants and needs. Let’s experience the future together.

By: Sofia Enstroem