Apr 7, 2023
10 Types Of Chatbots + How To Use Them
Here are the most common types of chatbots that you can use to convert visitors into leads.
Many of us have used different types of chatbots at some point in time.
They're common things to see when you go shopping online and do other tasks like setting an appointment to speak with a guidance counselor at your child's school.
You might have wondered exactly how they work. Knowing how a chatbot functions and what it is designed to do has many advantages for the savvy shopper and modern business owner.
This makes it easy to see exactly what any given chatbot can do for your business.
It also makes it easy to see the bot's best features as well as any limitations. Many business owners find it helpful to use more than one chatbot to respond to their client's wishes.
10 Types Of Chatbots
One of the most interesting things about chatbots is that there are so many different types. That makes it easy to pick the one that works best for your business. Modern chatbots range from complicated artificial intelligence models to simple buttons that allow customers to have a fast answer for their basic questions.
The right one for you depends on factors such as the size of your business as well as how many clients tend to need direct interaction in order to work with you.
AI Chatbots
AI chatbots are hot. People are fascinated by this contemporary technology. That's because they're able to do some amazing things. An AI chatbot can actually learn and grow as users work with them.
Over time, this kind of chatbot can figure out what clients want and figure out how to deliver it to them. The AI chatbot is one way to respond to both basic clients needs and help them with more advanced issues at the same time.
These bots work best for companies that do a lot of business and have a lot of data on hand that the chatbot can use to form opinions and respond to customer queries over a long period of time.
They're also good for companies that do business in many countries. The AI chatbot can be programmed to interact with clients in many different languages. They can also be programmed to adapt to varied cultural standards across many countries as well as giving specific service to a very local business.
Button-Based
Another type of AI chatbot is a button based chatbot. All the customer has to do is press the button and get an answer. These are very common options. Many business owners use them to answer questions they seek out when they log on to the site.
Button based chatbots allow the user to pick from a handful of selected questions that were set up in advance. They are a good choice for a company in need of help with a few specific queries that are asked again and again.
As there is no text based interaction, this is a very basic bot that isn't designed to do more. That makes it a good choice for handling very specific queries. Many users just want the answer to some of their questions and nothing else before buying an item.
These bots are a good choice to keep on hand in any business. Even a small business owner will benefit from not having to answer the same questions from users many times a day.
Rule-Based
Rule based chatbots are a step up from the button based chatbot. These can be programmed by many users to work with their exact business needs.
The rule based chatbots follow rules that the creator sets up before the user encounters them when on the site. These rules can be very simple or they can be quite complex. It all depends on the company's needs. All you have to do is write a script. You can also hire someone else to write the script for you.
The pluses are that these are easy to use and create. Bear in mind they can't learn from prior mistakes or provide more than basic responses.
However, they can be changed over time. That means you can change out the rule based bot as your business begins to grow and expand into new markets.
Customer Support Chatbots
Customer support chatbots have been created to support the needs of customers when they log on to your site. Your clients get a popup indicating the bot is on hand and ready to serve them as they examine the site.
These kinds of chatbots are used in many industries including banking and retail services. They're very good for collecting data from customers and directing your clients to someone who can handle more advanced client needs.
More advanced customer queries are better handled by live support. A customer support chatbot can be programmed to direct such queries to a person.
Hybrid Model
One model that is gaining a great deal of popularity is what is known as the hybrid model. Many users and company owners like this model because it has much to offer.
This model offers simplicity like you'll find in a rule based chatbot. It also has the kind of advanced learning that makes the AI chatbot such a useful tool. In addition, this model also has the ability to provide access to live human help quickly.
The hybrid model is ideal for companies that do a lot of business and need to have a bot that can help them respond as fast as possible. It allows you to sort through large volumes of customer queries and make sure all of your client's needs are ultimately cared for properly.
Some hybrid models allow you to program the features you like best while others are best left to the hands of experts to do that for you.
Voice Bots
Typing can be hard. Many people find using voice software is a great way to interact with the net without having to stumble over a keyboard. Voice based chatbots work with users who prefer this mode of communication.
This bot is able to understand the user's spoken question, analyze the data given by the person's voice, and then craft an audio response of their own.
The voice bot makes use of the same kind of technology that underlies the chatbot.
One of the best things about voice bots is they can be very simple or far more advanced.
A voice bot may be used when you call a doctor's office for help with scheduling an appointment. The voice bot can also be more advanced like the AI devices you have at home to pick out music to play when you have guests over.
People like them because they get a rapid response and they don't have to do a lot of typing. However, they're also very complicated. They can be quite costly to set up. This is why they're generally confined to larger organizations and companies that have expanded into lots of new markets.
Sales and Marketing Chatbots
Sales and marketing are the backbone of the modern world. Customers want things. They come to your site in search of items to buy and the services they intend to use.
The sales and marketing bots are there to help. They show what is for sale on your site. A sales bot can be set up to show your customers what they might like and how to work with the checkout mechanism to buy it.
This kind of chatbot can also help the customer figure out what products do and how they work. A sales and product chatbot can also provide additional suggestions to help your client buy more items. For example, the chatbot might notice the client likes a certain dress and wants to buy it.
The bot can point out what other items go with the dress. They can offer suggestions about jewelry and accessories that match the outfit. That can increase your sales and bring in repeat business.
These types of bots are remarkably effective. Studies show they can increase your online sales by as much as two thirds.
They're good at starting conversations and responding to detailed questions about products. They're also good at upselling and taking visitors from guests to repeat clients.
They can move your clients through a funnel designed to help them figure out exactly what they want to buy. They can also send out promotional notifications letting clients know about a new sale.
These bots are very good at answering customer's questions and working with them even for a long period of time.
These are good for companies that do a lot of direct sales and have many users each day. They're also good for companies that are looking to increase the amount of business they do online. However, keep in mind these kinds of bots can be machine-like. they can feel artificial and forced.
Some customers resent having what amounts to a virtual salesperson follow them around your site as they see what you have to offer. Others appreciate the ease of use they offer and their ability to help them with specifics such as how to pay for an item using Paypal or Apple Pay.
Skills Chatbots
Skills chatbots are chatbots that have been designed to execute certain spoken commands For example, you can tell the skills chat to “play Beatles songs”, that you like.
You can also tell this kind of chatbot to “make a call to the doctor's office”, or “open the application that has my files in it”. Other types of tasks including telling it “send an email to a given person” or warming up the house an hour before you get home from work.
This is a type of voice based chatbot. The ease of use is why it is so widely appreciated in many circumstances. Many people like having this at home to help them manage varied functions as they go about their day. It has software that lets people do several things at the same time. It's also easy to understand how it works and exactly what it can do for users.
Business owners look to this form of chatbot to do things for them effectively. It does not require a lot of work to set up or to keep it running.
Users can quickly learn what your business is about and how you work.
Another advantage of this type of chatbot is that it can remember details about your clients. That makes your customers feel valued and special. It also saves them time if they order lots of items from your site.
Companies can use this chatbot to set up a highly personalized system that is both memorable and easy for a client to understand and use. For example Dominos is a pizza chain. They've created a system that allows users to make use of a pizza icon. All the user has to do is tap the icon and the chatbot will give them the same order they've used in the past.
Entertainment Chatbots
The entertainment sector of the economy is huge. This is where people turn when they want to relax after a long hard day or go out with friends. Entertainment chatbots are very much part of this world.
The basic purpose of this kind of chatbot is to improve the kind of engagement that users have with your brand when they interact with it.
You can use these kinds of bots to give your users a totally unique and amusing experience they can't find anywhere else.
While they're all about fun, they are not easy to build or use initially. You will need to have some form of AI in order to interact with your clients. That's because it's hard to predict what your users are going to say or ask the bot.
That doesn't mean you should avoid these bots. Having a bot that users really like is priceless. You can build a loyal audience happy to log on and see what you're going to do next. You can also indicate to users that you're open, charming and unpredictable. That's a great way to find a base and leverage it to do other things.
How To Choose The Best Type Of Chatbot
Chatbots are like your business. They can do things that are relatively simple such as answer basic questions about a piece of jewelry on your site. Chatbots are also complex. Your business has many facets to it including what you're doing now as well as where you see yourself five years from now.
If you have a simple startup or you haven't had a lot of experience with chatbots, it's a good idea to start out small. You can work with the chatbot and see what it does for you for a few months.
A basic rules based or button based chatbot may be all you need right now. You can always opt for a more complicated chatbot as your business grows. That allows you to see what you need and why you need it for your business.
Companies that are already large and established will need to have are more complex chatbot.
Customers expect quick service when they log on to your site. If you are not able to deliver it and deliver it when they want, they'll look somewhere else. Advanced chatbots that make use of AI are essential in order to continue to see your business thrive in the modern world.
A hybrid model can be ideal if you have a lot of business. This model allows for multiple ways to communicate with your clients. You can set up a specific chatbot centered around your business. You can also provide your clients with add-ons like access to live customer service representatives.
Chatbots are there to support your customers when they're on your site. They're also there to automate procedures and make the entire website experience flow more smoothly. Choose the right kind of chatbot for your business plans and watch your business grow.
What Is a Chatbot?
A chatbot is nothing more than a computer program. You can design one of your own using templates provided by their creators. You can also choose to have someone else do the work for you to make sure it conforms precisely to your business plans. This particular computer program has been created as a way of imitating human conversations. A chatbot is a useful way for a business to answer a client's questions and help them decide what they want from you and how they can get it.
The Benefits of Chatbots
Using chatbots has several benefits. This is an excellent way for a business to have a means of responding to the needs of their clients at any time of the day or night. Chatbots also serve as another way for a business to have additional staffers on hand. Using chatbots means a business can reduce their expenses while still engaging in important business activities.
