Chatbots for eCommerce. Good or Bad?

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Creating a chatbot using a chatbot builder for your business is the newest trend in online marketing right now.

And for good reason!

AI is doing for us humans what we can’t do on our own – it’s automating processes, simplifying solutions, solving challenges.

Although this technology is a little bit disruptive (not as much as Uber was) there are a ton of benefits to using a chatbot for your site, especially if you are running an ecommerce site.

Here are the 5 ways that using chatbots can dramatically improve eCommerce:

1. Use Chatbots as Shopping Assistants

This is the most popular way to use chatbots (and the most obvious). Chatbots can help your customer choose your product!

The chatbot can display different choices based on the customer’s input, can show prices, can handle the transaction.

And the best part is that the customer can shop whenever and wherever they want, in the car, in the shower, at breakfast, on a flight.

Pros:

• Added convenience
• Better experience for the customer
• Decreased cart abandonment

Not impressed? Check this out.

Modiface created a chatbot where customers take pictures of their face and the chatbot recommends the makeup product that suits them best.

2. Use Chatbots to Communicate with Customers

Okay, so now you have something in place that can help your customers shop more conveniently.

But how do your customers hear about you in the first place? Do you send them a weekly newsletter? Do you send them an email every time you launch a new product? You can do the same thing with a Chatbot. Instead of asking for your customer’s email you can ask them to start a chat with you on Facebook Messenger.

When they click on it, they are taken directly to your chatbot. Now you can send them an update every week with your newest product offering, or any other information that is relevant to them.

Chatting is definitely less formal than email, and more cozy. Your customers will want to chat and interact with you more. And you can track the progress of all the conversations on the backend.

Pros:

• Automate your content marketing
• Improve ROI per content piece
• Increase customer loyalty

3. Use Chatbots to Build Your Brand

Incredible, you have a shopping assistant and an easy way to send content to your customers and interact with them on a regular basis.

Now what?

Are you getting overwhelmed by all of this chatbot goodness?

The third and final way to use Chatbots is to build your brand. To show your flair! To show some of your character!

When someone messages you on Facebook and asks a simple question, your chatbot can answer it, AND send them some cool content about you. You can send them a cool video, a project you are working on, some case studies from your other clients, positive reviews about you, your personal vlog… the list goes on and on! Chatbots are great at automating the interaction, and maximizing your brand awareness.

They can create add that personal touch when you are not able to get to it.

Pros:

• Increase brand loyalty
• Increase sign ups and click through rates
• Increase conversions, sales, and revenue

To Recap

Chatbots are literally taking over the world wide web. They are becoming the standard for how companies do business.

They especially help eCommerce businesses do these 3 things: 1. Simplify purchases by using chatbots as shopping assistants

2. Simplify content marketing by using chatbots to send out conten

3. Increase brand awareness and loyalty with the chatbot personal touch

You’re not convinced?

Here is the proof that chatbots are becoming more popular than social media:

Frequently Asked Questions