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Chatbots are becoming increasingly popular with customers. You can improve your business’s customer experience using chatbots in 6 ways.

A future filled with laser beams and killer robots would arrive in a blaze of science fiction. Thousands of years ago, the end quietly came through automation, AI, and machine learning advances. Our online interactions, especially in e-commerce, are increasingly dominated by chatbots instead of the T-800.

A recent report suggests that by 2024 consumers will spend $142 billion via chatbots across the globe. This is a staggering number, considering that in 2019 consumers spent just $2.8 billion on chatbots. There is a high likelihood that the number of customers who prefer bots over virtual agents will increase as more sectors operate online 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Several areas will increase in automated processes as we see increased investments in legacy app modernization, for example. How can you improve your organization’s results and enhance your customer experience if you are only integrating chatbots into your marketing strategies now?

Using chatbots is an intelligent move for six reasons.

1. Available Service 24/7

Due to globalization, most companies now have customers based anywhere in the world (and therefore any time zone). It is crucial to answering customers’ questions immediately (where possible) if they may affect their decision. As much as 80% of all questions can be answered by an effective chatbot platform using IVR software and chatbots.

Why can’t they answer that 20%? A chatbot can be programmed to escalate a query if it doesn’t have an answer. It is possible to queue up your customers for human agents if any are available. A follow-up email can be sent if there are no agents available. 80% of your questions can be handled by chatbots, leaving your human agents free to take the remaining 20%.

2. Cost-savings

Marketing automation aims to save money as one of its primary goals. Chatbots will not only save companies money but will enable them to provide better customer service by freeing up staff to handle more complex issues.

The savings you can make on operational costs will be able to be invested into other areas of your business, or you can use them to improve your bottom line. The customer journey is smoother and less painful due to streamlined workflows and increased productivity as the staff is freed to provide better customer service.

3. Social media applications are possible

Using social media to market your enterprise is already necessary, but did you know that chatbots can now be included in your marketing plan? Only around 300,000 chatbots are being used in Facebook Messenger, which more than 40 million businesses use to communicate with their customers.

You can significantly increase the number of marketing opportunities available to your Facebook business account by installing chatbots, ultimately increasing sales and conversion rates. Using a chatbot to answer questions, offer product recommendations, and even complete a purchase is convenient for several customers who prefer to contact businesses via social media.

4. Automation of emails can be improved

It’s not that email automation is terrible or should be replaced entirely, but chatbots can help automate some of those tasks and make them more accessible and faster. Your chatbot platform makes it far easier and faster to have the same conversations with customers than using an email channel.

You can drive a new lead through your sales funnel within seconds by taking them straight to your chatbot platform (usually through Facebook Messenger or similar) and getting them to sign up for your offer. Moreover, customers aren’t required to wait for emails and click on links within emails, which can enhance their experience.

5. Easier to personalize

When consumers are offered a personalized experience, 60% will become repeat buyers. Personalization can be leveled up with chatbots, especially when integrated with your CRM system, which enables them to recognize returning customers and collect data on new customers.

It’s not just about answering questions but also asking them, so your chatbot can recommend products based on past behaviors and learn from previous purchases. The more your chatbots are personalized, the better they become.

6. Lead evaluation

In marketing, getting leads that never follow up can be frustrating. Automation software and chatbots can improve your lead qualification process, allowing you to use human resources only for tips with real potential, which saves time and money. Consequently, your agents will have more real sales opportunities and will be able to work more efficiently.

When combined with personalization, chatbots qualify leads quicker, mainly when used for conversational marketing. In ways a web form cannot, bots can steer a conversation in different directions with ML, even though they may not be real people. By sorting the wheat from the chaff, they can be much more effective in increasing conversion rates. They can also make appointments and transfer calls to humans where necessary.

A few things to consider

Despite their recent advancements, chatbots are here to stay. Your operational efficiency can be enhanced when you use an AI chatbot for customer service or leads. Chatbot platforms can improve customer experience, reduce costs, and improve all-important KPIs like conversion rates and customer retention by implementing a venue that fits your business.

With the advancement of automated services and artificial intelligence, businesses will continue to benefit from MLOps. You might want to embrace the future if you haven’t used chatbots yet.