While human conversations seem to be depreciating, people are much more willing to connect to machines. Have you ever had a moment when you are researching on your computer, then something pops up on your screen asking if there’s anything you need? Perhaps you ordered a product online, and you received a message telling you that your purchase will arrive at your doorstep in a week. You have probably experienced or heard this, but never really thought of what it really means. This is the future of technology – a mobile chatbot.
Chatbots are gaining more popularity nowadays as they are bringing new and effective ways to boost a business or anything that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI). Additionally, they have become the most valuable addition for many companies to target potential customers and improve their marketing strategy.
In this modern-day, chatbot market has expanded and is continuously growing and making a significant impact on society. Today, many commercial industries have recognized the potential gain in using a chatbot. In fact, if incorporated into their networks and various services, it will lead them to multiple platforms that will produce a user-friendly and more efficient customer services.
Chatbots are compatible with almost every gadget that can access the internet. Currently, there is a total of 7.7 billion people in the world. And according to bankmycell, 66.72% of the world’s population owns a mobile phone, this means 5.1 billion uses a mobile phone. Additionally, there are 8.9 billion mobile connections in the world. Do you know what this means? This means creating a mobile chatbot has a high potential to connect your business with those users.
What is a chatbot, and how did it start?
Chatbot began when Alan Turing, a computer scientist, published an article about computer machinery and intelligence in the year 1950. In his article, he threw a question if machines can think and developed a test to measure whether one is communicating to a human being or just connected to a chatbot. This is where Artificial Intelligence starts to rise when many other computer scientists tried to pass his test. Over the next decade, chatbot became a widespread technology up to this date.
At the most basic definition, a chatbot is essentially software that allows humans to connect with digital devices as if they were really talking to a real human being. They are the extensions of human interface mediums (HMI’s) like the internet and mobile phones. It processes and simulates social conversations, whether written or spoken. Thus, it became the new interface for so many apps and rapidly changing the way many businesses and customers communicate.
Now, a lot of companies have the opportunity to connect with their customers in a well and personalized conversations automatically. Moreover, the use of artificial intelligence through a mobile chatbot or any other kind of chatbots, provide a lot of benefits that can be used in a business. The number of companies that use chatbots has grown for the past few years.
What are the benefits of using a mobile chatbot for your business?
Mobile Chatbots can help in lesser work
Chatbots helps many customers to find detailed information about the services of the company making it more convenient for the customers. For example, the availability of products and services that the company is providing, where is the store located, making reservations or bookings, and even assess the customers’ experiences. Many of the companies nowadays adopt this technology in any major chat applications like Facebook Messenger, Slack, Telegram, Hangouts, Text Messages, etc., which are all available in mobile apps.
Mobile Chatbots can provide good customer service
As long as designed accurately and strategically, chatbots are sure to deliver excellent customer services. Focus on the details of your products or services then integrate it on your chatbot. Additionally, anticipate possible questions that a customer might ask regarding your business, then formulate answers to answer them accurately. Moreover, you can look at your FAQs, read the questions, suggestions, and comments about your product. With this, you already have an idea to what responses you should add to your bot. More importantly, be sure to make the conversation as human-like as possible.
Mobile Chatbots is cost-effective
Chatbots significantly increase operational services of a company. It decreases costs while providing convenience, and also, an added service for the customers. Chatbots allow businesses to resolve any customer issues and queries, with a lesser necessity for human interaction.
With the use of mobile chatbot, businesses are able to proactive, personalize, and scale all at the same time. This is an essential differentiator. For instance, if a company rely solely on human capabilities, they can only cater to a limited number of customers at a given time. In order to be cost-effective. Human-driven companies are compelled to put their focus on standardized models. Therefore, their personal and proactive outreach capabilities are limited.
Mobile Chatbots are available 24/7
Chatbots are intelligent machines. In other words, these automated workers are not going to catch any illness or disease. Therefore, they are capable of working and engaging with customers nonstop – 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all throughout the year. This feature of the mobile chatbot gives great help to businesses, as it can give more time to save. In addition, this enables businesses to perform more tasks and also, answer FAQ’s regarding services or products without the customer having to wait long. In some case, chatbots may not be able to fully replace human customer support. However, chatbots can supplement them; therefore human employees can provide full-pledged service, without enraging the customers for waiting so long.
Mobile apps and mobile chatbot
Here in this part of the article, we will discuss how companies incorporate mobile apps and chatbots today. Each method has different objectives with its advantages and disadvantages.
1. Chatbots as a mobile app
This is the most straightforward use of a chatbot. Developers simply integrate a chatbot in a mobile application, then distribute the application to app stores. The main objective of this method is providing a committed and consistently-on channel for customers to do customer self-service.
For example:
A progress VA mobile chatbot allows employees to deal with administrative and organizational tasks. The chatbot is disseminated over a mobile application which facilitates verification of users against the infrastructure of the corporate domain.
Advantages
- No need to share data with third-party companies or social networks
- In comparison to the mobile app having the same features, it can be developed at a cheaper cost.
- Removes complicated supporting and building complex UI interactions and screens in a mobile atbot.
- You have complete control of the rich UI in the conversational UI. Also, you don’t have to depend on the limitations of third-party messaging providers.
- No learning curve for the users.
Disadvantages
Users will still need to download mobile application rather than merely using direct social or web channel.
You are developing a new app. This means additional cost for establishing a user base.
When shall you use it?
Majority of building chatbot as a mobile app focuses on internal employee-facing cases.
2. Chatbots in tabs
The most challenging part with the first method is developing a separate app which is a new channel that requires resources and effort in order to grow. In fact, app fatigue really does exist. Therefore, the better way is to integrate a chatbot with a mobile app which has a user base, and already in existence.
For example:
Mobile trading app of Interactive Broker, the IBKR, offers electronic access to futures options, futures, forex, options, and stocks in an immersive and comprehensive app. In order to supplement the mobile, they made a separate tab for their chatbot.
Advantages
- Introduce mobile chatbotchatbot to an already existing audience.
- Users have conversational UI and traditional UI options to select from, and also;
- You are able to reuse security options and verification mechanisms that are already available in the app.
Disadvantages
- In case the chatbot is just replicating the functionality of the mobile app, then users may get confused to why and when they will use it.
When shall you use it?
The most ideal way of building a mobile chatbot in an existing mobile app is when you have repetitive and lengthy forms you want to get optimized. So, structured methods like opening up a bank account, signing up for insurance, and submitting stock orders are good candidates. Additionally, new users feel a bit more comfortable to start with a chatbot instead of complicated UI.
3. Chatbots as conversational UIs
With this method, you simply use conversational UIs rather than traditional UIs in places with high rates of abandonment and low engagement.
For example:
The screen of new bank account registration form is considered as the place of very low engagement. Therefore, KBC Mobile Banking has launched an app to help users to go on the process of registering with the use of conversational UI.
Advantages
- All the advantages of the first and second method
- Improves engagement for low engagement places of your mobile application.
Disadvantage
- You may need to make the conversational UI by yourself, as no chatbot vendor will allow you to partly incorporate a chatbot in a mobile application.
When shall you use it?
When you have high abandon rate places or low to no engagement areas.
Creating your own mobile chatbot
So now, if you are an aspiring entrepreneur, wanting to step up your business, or a startup who wants a kick start in your business, then mobile chatbot is the best solution for you. Here at Herobot, we provide tons of predesigned bots, compatible with PCs, mobile, and more. Visit our site by clicking this link.
