8 MIN READ

Unless you have not visited a website lately, you know what a Chatbot is! Chatbots have changed the way we interact with technology. They are a great port of entry before being connected with a live chat agent. Sometimes, they can get the job done without needing to refer a customer to a chat agent!

They are a BIG improvement to a company’s customer service department. Chatbots have unlimited potential, and they continue to evolve. With the growing popularity of chatbots, we’re excited to see what the future of chatbots has in store.

With that said, Let’s dig deeper into understanding how chatbots work and how you can create them.

The Making of a Chatbot

So what goes into creating these fascinating “creatures”? Well, when building a one, there are specific rules we strongly recommend you to follow. Once you understand these rules, you will have a better idea of how to create your very own bot.

The Basics

At the very base, a bot is a program that can automatically respond to discussions with online users. At an advanced level, they can handle more complex tasks instead of humans. This process is called automation. 

Chatbots have their own set of guidelines and rules. They are powered by A.I. and machine learning. Chatbots can be functional and direct, or they can have a sunny personality. They can be used for frivolous reasons or to build a business.

Now, computers being able to interact with humans have been around for some time, but it is only in the last few years that bots have taken off. And we don’t see this trend dying down anytime soon. In fact, they predict that the chatbot industry will be a 9 billion dollar industry in 2023!

What Chatbots Can Do

Now, IF you think bots are only an underlying protocol before speaking to a live chat agent… then you do not understand the enormous potential these bots have.

Apart from solving customer issues, bots can also be used for completing tasks. These can range from paying a credit card bill to booking a flight, to offering financial advice. There is also a growing demand for chatbots in the recruitment industry. Chatbots are also being used to screen applicants for a job.

I.E., the chat messaging app Telegram requires applicants to take a test. This test is conducted by – you guessed it – a bot. And people need to take this test to be even considered for a job (qualifying a lead/applicant). And as technology progresses, there will be new opportunities that open up in the chatbot sphere. The possibilities and potential of chatbots continue to grow rapidly.

The Chatbot Hall of Fame

Okay, well, there isn’t really a Hall of Fame – yet. But here are some examples of popular chatbots. This will give you an idea of what chatbots are being used for and what their potential can be.

“What’s the Forecast?”

There are the weather bots that immediately give you the current weather… as well as the weather forecast for the future. Weather bots can be severe in their manner or humorous and personable – i.e., “Hey John, get your jacket on. It’s windy outside!” This latter type of bot shows how far chatbots have come – they can have a personality!

Grocery Chatbot

A grocery bot can be as simple as preparing and saving a grocery shopping list for your next trip. These bots can also order groceries on your behalf from your preferred grocery store. Plus, they can request to have them available for pickup or delivery. A more sophisticated grocery chatbot will also give you advice and details on grocery store items. It can suggest the best products are to suit your diet. It can quickly give you the nutritional ingredients and facts (calories, macronutrient count, etc.). This way, you can make better decisions before you shop. Now, your grocery bot can’t literally take the place of a dietician or nutritionist. But, at the very least, it can be an excellent complimentary service.

News Chatbot

This is a step up from the push notifications you receive from your smartphone’s news app. Your news chatbot will likely be tailored to you. Your news chatbot will track your location and then give you local news based on where you presently are. It can also filter the news that you are interested in viewing. Plus, it can block anything that you have no interest in whatsoever. It will also be able to give you a quick overview of the news based on your inquiry. So if you want to know the results of a presidential campaign… it will immediately give you fast facts on what is happening in the campaign. It would be truly amazing if it can block out any Fake News too.

Life Advice Chatbots

While bots may not be a complete substitute for human interaction, they can come quite close. Life Advice Chatbots are sure to grow in popularity. These chatbots will act as your friend, family member, or therapist. They will be able to guide you when you need it. If you are feeling stressed, your chatbot will be able to give you guidance on how to distress. If you actually need to speak to a therapist, life advice chatbots will be programmed to do much of the work that a therapist would do. There may even be a bot that can be your romantic partner. And when bots near true A.I., you will definitely see chatbots as friends in the future. Ever seen the movie “Her”? The dude in the picture even fell in love with his A.I. Frankly? It’s all possible. So perhaps, when you visit a new city in the future and are eating at a restaurant by yourself, you will have a bot giving you company.

Financial Chatbots

These chatbots can provide a variety of financial services. From preparing and maintaining a spreadsheet of your finances… to making investments in the stock market to offering you financial advice! In the future, our bots may even be able to file our taxes for us. Hopefully, they can also understand the tax codes and save us some money as well! Financial bots will understand your personality and will give you advice based on it. If you are trying to save money, your chatbot can be your best assistant. The finance industry will always be in business, and any bot that can cater to the needs of financial services will be significantly in demand.

Scheduling Chatbots

And of course, there are chatbots for helping you prepare your schedule. These can help you plan your day. Whether you need to set aside time to go to the gym, set aside time to study, or setting aside time for leisure, the bot has you covered! These chatbots are also the ones who can book appointments for you. If you need to take a flight a week from today, your chatbot will book the trip for you. If you need to see your dentist every six months, your scheduling chatbot will book these appointments for you. They can also serve purposes in the workplace. If you are in charge of interviewing new candidates, your scheduling chatbot will arrange the interview times. If you need to schedule monthly meetings with the Board of Directors, your scheduling chatbot will handle this for you. They may even be able to prepare or assist with the itineraries for such meetings.

Why You Should Build One For Your Business.

So why should you consider building your own chatbot? You should create one because of the endless opportunities that they offer. Their ever-increasing popularity means that this is a trend that you should take advantage of. Just as social media platforms are used by almost everyone, you know, chatbots will take the place of these platforms. In fact, some people claim chatbots have already replaced social media platforms.

So what are the opportunities for you to build a bot?

For A Business

As we have discussed, chatbots are crucial in improving your business. Think about what a business needs and design a chatbot accordingly.

As a general rule, here is what a business would look for in a chatbot:

• The chatbot should be able to help with customer service. It should either be as the first port of call… Or should be able to resolve issues without having to refer to a live chat agent
• Organize and schedule business meetings
• Qualify leads that seem interested in your product or service
• (Semi) automate sales, so you make money automatically.
• Improve conversions on your pages
• Screen potential job candidates
• Keep a record of the company’s organizational structure
• Help with preparing memorandums and automated emails
• Keep track of the company’s finances
• Work as a personal work assistant for employees
• Get feedback from customers and prospects

Obviously, there are more reasons why you should implement a bot in your business. These are but some of the basic features that a business would want out of a chatbot.

For Personal Use

Think about how a chatbot can be used for personal use.

If you wanted to design the perfect chatbot that could help bring ease to someone’s life, what would it have as features?

Consider the following features that an individual may want from a chatbot:

• Help make appointments
• Help with paying bills and keeping track of expenses
• Ordering groceries and tailoring them to the customer’s dietary needs
• Offer life advice
• Assist with personal representation. Think of it as helping you with preparing a resume, updating social media platforms, etc.
• Providing tailored news stories
• Making sure the customer is following their exercise routine
• Give company – be a friend, be someone to talk to as they would with an actual companion

In earlier times, someone would have a personal assistant… Nowadays, there is a market for bots equivalent to this.

So How Exactly Do These Chatbots Work?

What is the technology and the processes that make chatbots work?

Simple Chatbot

A simple chatbot functions on particular rules. These are the ones that can only understand specific keywords and sentences or related sentences. They will have prepared answers and are limited in scope. If these chatbots were assisting with customer service, they are only the first port of call. They will likely have to refer the customer to a live chat agent.

Smart Chatbot

These are built with machine learning technology. As a result, bots have a better time understanding complex interactions with a human. These are the ones who can resolve customer service issues and are less likely to need to refer to a human live chat agent. Smart chatbots are not perfect. As of now, they cannot wholly be a substitute for a human. But, they are very sophisticated, and their abilities continue to grow. A chatbot like this can remember conversations and form a connection with the human that it interacts with. As a result, the chatbot actually becomes smarter.

“How May I Help You?”

Have you ever walked into a shop and had a salesperson walk up to you and immediately ask to help you? This helpful personality is built into chatbots – particularly into smart chatbots. Some chatbots will only respond after you send them an initial message. Others will realize the presence of a user on the website and immediately offer help. When building your chatbot, you want to decide which of these you want your chatbot to be.

Building a Chatbot

Now, how do you actually build one? The method for building a cool, but useful, chatbot is through software programming. But, if you are not skilled as a software programmer, you can always choose to consult with one.

Or, save yourself the pain on making clear what you want your bot to do, and give Clepher at try. We’re a company that helps you drag ‘n drop a chatbot in no time flat. Of course, you can study the docs on apps such as Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and Slack… And then have your software programmer go at it. But why go to the hassle?

Yup. There are more straightforward and more cost-effective options.

With Clepher, you build bots from scratch. While with other services, you quickly bump into limitations… with us, you can still create a simple, or complex, chatbot easily. Even if you’re a beginner, it’s drag ‘n drop easy… So, also, if you just want to experiment with making a chatbot, Clepher is for you.

We strongly suggest you jump in and build one right away. Because bots can always be improved. Upon, and from experimenting with your chatbot, you can always add new stuff to it or simply create another one. Decide what your bot needs to do… and then start designing your perfect chatbot in Clepher. We can’t wait to meet your chatbot!

A Bit of a Chat

Now you know about the opportunities a bot can bring, it is time to put one in place for your next business venture. That said, be sure to follow our blog to learn more about the growing opportunity that is chatbots.

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