What Are Chatbots?

The bots are coming. In fact, they’re already here.

As scary as that may seem, they’re not here to take over the world. Bots exist to make our lives (and jobs) easier. One type of bot that has been particularly helpful is the chatbot. Chatbots have existed for a while now, but businesses have only recently discovered the massive opportunities they provide.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to leverage chatbots for the beneficial tools that they are.

What is a Chatbot?

AI-powered chatbots leverage machine learning and natural language processing to understand customer requests and respond to their questions in a human-like way via a chat interface. A chatbot is one of the most advanced and promising expressions of interaction between humans and machines. Most bots are programmed to follow a predetermined set of rules coded by a human through a bot-building program. It can be as simple as ordering a list of if-then statements and writing canned responses.

Why Chatbots are Important

Businesses can implement AI-powered chatbots on chat mediums like SMS text, website chat windows, and social media. You’re probably wondering, “Do I need a chatbot for business?” Well, chatbots address the following concerns around-the-clock. 

1. Save Time & Money

Chatbots automate conversions that would otherwise require an employee to answer, which saves your business time. This will also improve operational efficiency by reducing the cost of customer service. 

2. Generate Leads

Chatbots automatically deliver qualified leads by gathering information necessary to provide adequate support. They’re essentially act as your intelligent virtual assistants.

3. After Hours Support

Perhaps the most popular reason businesses like using chatbots is 24-hour support. Your customers will be provided answers even after your employees clock out for the day.

Chatbots Fun Facts

According to a research study performed by Facebook, chatbots were proven more than vital for businesses to implement. Here are some fun facts:

  • 2 billion messages are sent between people and businesses monthly.
  • 56% of people would rather message than call customer service.
  • 53% of people are more likely to shop with businesses they can message.
  • Chatbots are projected to save businesses billions by 2022 by streamlining customer service and bot-based commerce.

The choice is clear. Data shows companies need to leverage chatbots to streamline customer communications and increase sales.

Call DVO Consulting Today To Talk About Your Project

Although you can spend the time to learn how to build a chatbot from scratch, why spend the time and effort? As a leader in software and consulting, DVO has a team of experts with formal training and certifications in applications, systems, and industry trends to enable organizations to take advantage of the full capabilities of current and future tools and processes. Contact us to learn how DVO Consulting can be your strategic partner for IT consulting. We serve areas all over the nation, including Bountiful, Utah, Washington D.C, and others. Learn more about AI Chatbots for your business: Contact us today to request a demo! We’ll walk you through the most important things to consider when creating your chatbot.