With the rise of artificial intelligence and the increasing demand for personalized experiences, it's no wonder that chatbots will play a significant role in providing excellent customer service. But how can you make a chatbot that works well for your business? In this article, we'll cover the benefits of using a chatbot, the types of chatbots that are available, and the different flows that you can use to create a memorable user experience.
Why Make a Chatbot?
Making your own chatbot opens up possibilities for your business. They are designed to provide support in a variety of ways, and the result is usually better customer service or a new type of offering for the company. There are many prebuilt chatbots available on the market. Just like any technology, the prebuilt version may not be as effective at solving your problems as a custom solution.
Building your own chatbot lets you customize it at a deeper level, making it specifically to fit your needs. If done well, you get a chatbot that expands your business’ capabilities exactly as you need it to. Whether it is to support internal customers or improve customer service, having a custom-built chatbot can take your business to a new level of success.
Types of Chatbots
Before you begin developing a chatbot, take a look at the different options. All chatbots can be broken down into two basic groups. Each one has unique qualities, costs, and capabilities that you need to consider before making a decision. Here is a deeper look at the types of chatbots.
Rule-based Chatbots
Rule-based chatbots are simpler to design and implement and are traditionally how chatbots are developed. They are given a set of rules and criteria to react to, which is formulaic and predictable.
The benefit of using rule-based chatbots is that they are easier to create and expand when new options are needed. The downside is that they are limited to what they know. If you don’t have a set of rules or criteria included for a specific situation, then they cannot offer help. This can be frustrating for users.
Alternatively, rule-based chatbots are limited in the quality of customer care that they can offer since they cannot adapt to specific situations. However, they are effective as the first line of communication with customers and users since they can offer basic assistance or coordinate further help.
Machine Learning Chatbots
Machine learning chatbots are capable of developing over time and adapting to new situations. They actively learn from their previous experiences and grow according.
The benefit of machine learning chatbots is that they are capable of far more than rule-based chatbots, including automating tasks and writing content for programs. The drawback is that they require more technical skills to set up and maintain.
The Development Process
Building a chatbot follows the software development process relatively closely. Here is a look at the process.
Identify Your Needs
Start by identifying your needs, specifically what you need your chatbot to do. Make a list of capabilities and features that are necessary to make it a valuable part of your business. Clearly define the purpose and abilities of your chatbot so that you can create performance metrics and make better design choices later.
Pick a Platform
There are many chatbot-building platforms that you can choose from. Choose one that fits your needs closely and works with a framework that makes sense to you.
Design Your Interface
Begin designing the interface that users will use to interact with your chatbot. Base it on their needs and the user experience workflow that you want them to have. Remember to keep the interface as simple as possible. Chatbots can be powerful tools, but users need a focused and efficient way to use them. Otherwise, they become ineffective tools that just cause frustration.
Test and Deploy
Finally, test your chatbot on a small scale. This will give you feedback on what you need to do to make it more usable. Once it reaches the right level of performance, you can deploy it on a larger scale and continue to monitor performance.
Get Help Making a Chatbot from KitelyTech
Incorporating chatbots into your business is a great way to provide more value to customers. Get help making your first chatbot with help from KitelyTech. We develop new digital resources for companies using the latest technologies. Call us at (800) 274-2908 to discuss how you can use chatbots in your business.
