Chatbots have been one the hottest technology trends in 2017. Despite their growing popularity, many people are unaware of what chatbots are and their business benefits. 

A chatbot is basically a machine that simulates a direct conversation with humans. It enables enterprises and digital marketers to automate communications with customers. Brands can leverage bot technology to support community management on social networks. According to a study, 80 percent of customer inquiries remain unanswered on social media. This makes purpose-built chatbots efficient at addressing specific customer-care issues. 

Owing to its plethora of marketing as well as customer relationship management benefits, chatbots are set to evolve in various industries, particularly in eCommerce. Apart from eCommerce industry, Whatsapp chatbots for banking industry all also becoming popular.

Conversation Commerce – A New Way to Shop Online

Instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp, WeChat, and Facebook Messenger are some commonly used mobile apps around the world. Businesses nowadays leverage these applications to reach out to customers on a direct and personal level. However, the cost implications to enable personalized customer communication using such digital channels are quite hefty. And this where chatbots come into play. 

Chatbots allow brands and marketers to reach out to people in these spaces directly without having to heavily invest in community management. For instance, KLM, a Dutch airline company, embraced chatbots and launched a bot service on Facebook Messenger. Customers who opted for this service were delivered real-time updates and news about their flight directly on their Facebook Messenger through that chatbot. KLM even caters to personal information requests through the chatbot which includes but is not limited to itineraries, boarding pass and check-in information. 

Essentially, KLM didn’t use chatbot and Messenger for product promotion and other blatant marketing purposes but to enhance their customers’ experience. When the chatbot substitutes the human element of customer service, it makes the customer care objectives and processes much easier and achievable for an international brand. 

Fast-food brands like Burger King and Pizza Hut have already embraced the chatbot marketing technique to deliver great customer experiences and boost customer loyalty. Their customers are now placing orders effortlessly with the help of digital assistants like Facebook Messenger, Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Slack. 

In China, nearly 600 million people in a month use the concept of conversational commerce through WeChat. They use chatbots to book doctor’s appointments, movie tickets, a table at a restaurant, hail taxis, pay utility bills and a lot more. The chatbot technology is rapidly enabling eCommerce businesses to transition into the digital retail era. In fact, 30 percent of the U.S eCommerce sales in 2016 were driven from mobile devices with social media often triggering product discovery. 

Conclusive Thoughts

As chatbots and messaging gain more popularity across industries, consumers will be prepped to shop online through these channels. Currently, chatbot is a relatively new technology to most enterprises. But as customers realize the convenience of receiving information via chatbots, the idea of shopping through these channels will become more desirable. We’d like to know about your opinions on pursuing eCommerce web development using effective ways to employ chatbots to deliver improved customer experiences. Drop your thoughts in the comments below.