9 MIN READ

If you go to Domino’s Pizza Messenger Chatbot, you’ll see a menu-based chatbot in action where you can order your pizza and pay for it, all within the chatbot. It’s not a new concept, but a growing trend among businesses to build chatbots that allow users to access menus and perform actions.

 

Know why? Because the world of AI is rapidly evolving and so are the chatbots. Chatbots are no longer limited to just answering customer queries but have become a powerful tool for increasing site conversions.

Chatbots aren’t just replacing humans for customer service, but becoming smarter and more functional. They are revolutionizing the way businesses interact with their customers and ultimately, increasing site conversions.

Just to keep you updated, I read these stats back in 2020, and it’s 2024, but the stats have outperformed even the predicted growth. The global chatbot market is expected to reach $454.8 million by 2027, but this much growth has already been achieved by 2024. Natural language processing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence are continuously improving the chatbot experience for users.

So if you haven’t yet jumped on the bandwagon of building a menu-based chatbot to increase site conversions, now is the time!

In this tutorial, we’ll learn how to build a menu-based chatbot that will help you increase site conversions. We’ll focus on building a chatbot for an e-commerce website, but the same principles can be applied to any business wanting to increase conversions through chatbots.

I will also share some tips and tricks on how to make your chatbot more interactive, and user-friendly, and ultimately drive conversions. So let’s dive in!

First thing first, let’s understand what exactly is a menu-based chatbot.

What is a Menu-Based Chatbot?

I will try to explain in most simple terms – a menu-based chatbot is a type of chatbot like a digital menu of a restaurant where the user can select items and place an order. Similarly, in the case of a chatbot, users are presented with options to choose from using buttons or quick replies.

Unlike open-ended chatbots where users have to type in their queries and wait for an automated response, menu-based chatbots offer a more structured and user-friendly experience. This is because users have control over what they want to do, and the chatbot guides them accordingly.

Example of a menu-based chatbot:

“Welcome to XYZ store, how can I help you today?

1. Browse products
2. Track your order
3. Contact customer support”

As a user, you can simply click on the option of your choice and receive a relevant response from the chatbot. Conversational texts and buttons are used to guide the user through the conversation flow, making it easier for them to navigate and get things done.

Understanding the Purpose of a Menu-Based Chatbot

Before diving into the technicalities of building a menu-based chatbot, it’s crucial to understand why it’s becoming an essential tool for businesses. Why are businesses investing in building menu-based chatbots?

1. Accessibility and Convenience

Menu-based chatbots offer a more personalized and convenient experience to users by providing them with a structured menu of options to choose from. Users don’t even have to type in their queries. Just a few clicks, and they get the information or assistance they need. This is highly beneficial for users who are not comfortable with typing or have limited time.

2. Increased User Engagement and Retention

This is where chatbots stand out from conventional customer service. Chatbots provide a conversational experience that keeps users engaged, thereby increasing their chances of staying longer on the website and exploring more options. If you go back to the example of Domino’s chatbot, it not only helps users place an order but also suggests various offers and promotions, increasing user engagement and retention. Predefined conversational flows and interactive buttons make the chatbot experience more engaging for users.

3. Cost-effective and Efficient

Chatbots can handle multiple conversations at once without getting tired or needing a break. This makes them highly efficient in handling customer queries and providing quick responses. Compared to hiring multiple customer service representatives, if businesses invest in building a chatbot or for now hiring a chatbot development service, it will be more cost-effective in the long run. , it can save them a considerable amount of money in the long run.

4. Personalization and Data Collection

This is all about data collection and leveraging it to provide personalized experiences to users. Menu-based chatbots can collect data on user preferences, shopping behavior, and more, which businesses can use to tailor their marketing strategies and offers. This not only enhances the overall customer experience but also increases site conversions.

4. Faster Response Time

Time is money, and it can’t be more accurate in the world of online commerce. Menu-based chatbots provide instant responses, provide 24/7 availability, and reduce the wait time for customers. This ultimately leads to satisfied customers who are more likely to convert and return to your website.

Now that we have a basic understanding of menu-based chatbots let’s move on to how these chatbots work and how to build one for your business. Stay tuned for the next section!

How Does a Menu-Based Chatbot Work?

Menu-based chatbots work in the following steps with example:

1. A user initiates a conversation by typing in a greeting or selecting an option from the predefined menu.

Ex: “Hi, I am looking for a new dress.”

This is also a pre-defined conversation flow in the chatbot, and the user can select from a range of options such as:

1. Women’s Clothing
2. Men’s Clothing
3. Kid’s Clothing

Once the user selects an option, the chatbot asks follow-up questions to understand their preferences and specifications.

Ex: “What kind of dress are you looking for? A party dress or a casual one?”

The chatbot processes the user’s response using natural language processing (NLP) algorithms to understand their intent and provide a relevant response. If you select “party dress,” the chatbot may give you options to choose from the following:

1. Short dresses
2. Long dresses
3. One-piece or two-piece

Once the user finalizes their choice, the chatbot can provide them with more information about the dress, such as price, availability, and other details.

Now ask yourself, how much time would it have taken you to browse through a website and find the ideal dress? With a menu-based chatbot, it could take just a few seconds.

How To Build a Menu-Based Chatbot

Now, comes the technical part – how to build a menu-based chatbot? Here are the steps involved:

1) Define your chatbot’s purpose and objectives.

If we use the above example, a women’s clothing store may want their chatbot to help customers browse through different options and provide product information. It can be used to assist users with placing an order or tracking their delivery status.

2) Choose a chatbot development platform.

This is a crucial step as it determines the features and capabilities of your chatbot. Some businesses spend hefty amount and go for building their chatbot from scratch. But it’s like reinventing the wheel.

Instead use Clepher where we provide chatbot development services, chatbot templates, and easy customization options without you needing to know ABC of coding!

Practical Steps to build a Chatbot using Clepher:

Step 1: Create your unique welcome message in our chatbot builder.

The best customer experiences are those that start off with a simple “Hello” or “Hi.” In Clepher, you can craft your own welcome message and customize it to match your brand voice. Choose the dialogue flow that suits your needs best.

Ex:

Hello Mayank, welcome to Eatery res! We’re here to help you discover our menu and make a reservation.

Step 2: Choose from a range of pre-defined templates.

Clepher provides various chatbot templates for different industries, including e-commerce, food ordering, customer service, and more. You can choose the one that best suits your business needs or even customize it with ease. Now, you need to provide the menu options you want to offer to your users:

1. View Menu
2. Order Food
3. Track Delivery
4. Book Table
5. Speak to Customer Service

Step 3: Choose an engaging and interactive GIF or image.

Visuals are the key to engaging your users and keeping them hooked. Choose a fun, relevant GIF or image that represents your brand and adds personality to your chatbot. Since we are using a restaurant chatbot, we can use a GIF of a delicious dish, a chef cooking, or even a smiling customer enjoying their meal or an image of the restaurant’s ambiance.

Step 4: Create conversational flows and interactive buttons.

Using Clepher’s chatbot builder, you can easily create conversational flows by setting up user responses and the corresponding bot replies. You can also add interactive buttons to your chatbot that users can click on to select an option instead of typing it out.

Ex: User response – “View Menu”

Bot replies – “Sure, here’s our menu. Would you like to view the full menu or just a particular section?”

Step 5: Add AI and NLP capabilities.

Clepher offers advanced AI and NLP technology that helps your chatbot understand user intent and provide relevant responses. You can also set up keywords for specific

Step 6: Add conversation flows and follow-up questions.

This is where you can make your chatbot truly interactive and engaging. You can provide multiple options for each menu selection, add conversational flows based on user responses, and even ask follow-up questions to understand their preferences and offer personalized recommendations.

Ex: User response – “View Menu”

Bot replies – “Would you like to view the full menu or just a particular section?”

User response – “Full menu”

Bot replies – “Here’s our full menu. Do you have any dietary restrictions we should keep in mind while suggesting dishes?”

Step 7: The Tone of voice

Make sure your chatbot’s tone of voice matches your brand’s personality and values. If you are a fun, casual brand, your chatbot’s responses should also reflect that. However, if you are a more formal business, your bot’s tone should be professional and polite. This tone of voice consistency helps in building trust and brand loyalty among your customers.

Step 8: Test and launch your chatbot.

Before making your chatbot live, it is essential to test its functionality thoroughly. You can do this through Clepher’s simulator which simulates real conversations with users. Test out different scenarios and responses to ensure your chatbot is functioning correctly before launching it.

Step 9: Monitor and update your menu chatbot.

A chatbot’s work is never done! As you receive feedback from users, make sure to update your chatbot accordingly. Even sometimes, we need to change the way some services work or add new ones. Keep an eye on your chatbot’s performance and make necessary changes to improve user experience and achieve your objectives.

What if Users Add Incorrect Input?

No chatbot is perfect, and there may be instances where users add incorrect input or ask questions beyond the scope of your chatbot. In such situations, it is essential to have a fallback option in place. You can set up a message that informs the user that their input was not recognized and provides them with alternative options to continue the conversation.

Ex: Bot replies – “Sorry, I didn’t understand. Could you please rephrase your request or select from the following options?”

1. View Menu
2. Speak to Customer Service
3. End Conversation

This option helps in keeping the conversation going and prevents users from getting frustrated with the chatbot.

Impact of Menu-Based Chatbots

Stats have shown that businesses using chatbots have seen a significant increase in customer engagement and satisfaction. Menu-based chatbots, in particular, have proven to be beneficial for businesses especially in restaurant, e-commerce, and customer service industries.

Here are a few ways menu-based chatbots have impacted businesses:

• Increased efficiency: If users can quickly get the information they need and complete tasks through a chatbot, it reduces the burden on human employees and increases efficiency.
• Improved customer experience: Menu-based chatbots offer a user-friendly interface and make it easier for customers to interact with businesses. This leads to improved customer experience and increased satisfaction.
• Quick and accurate responses: With AI and NLP capabilities, menu-based chatbots can provide quick and accurate responses to user queries, leading to more efficient communication.
• Cost-effective: Implementing a chatbot is much more cost-effective than hiring human employees for customer service tasks. Chatbots can handle a high volume of inquiries with minimal maintenance costs.
• 24/7 availability: That is very convenient for users as they can access the chatbot anytime, day or night, and get their queries resolved without having to wait for business hours. This availability also helps in increasing customer satisfaction.

Want to give your business a boost with a menu-based chatbot?

Sign up for Clepher and start building your own chatbot today! End conversation. Since Clepher is a fully customizable omnichannel chatbot software, it can easily adapt to any industry or business type. Clepher is fully integrated with Facebook Messenger and Instagram which means you can get the information of your followers from these platforms and automatically load the chatbot with this data. This makes it easier for businesses to reach a wider audience and provide personalized experiences to their customers through the chatbot.

Getting Started With Menu-Based Chatbots

To get started with menu-based chatbots on Clepher, follow these simple steps:

1. Sign up for Clepher and create a new project.
2. Choose “Menu-Based” as the conversation flow type.
3. Create your bot’s welcome message and add the necessary menus and options.
4. Set up AI and NLP capabilities to understand user intent.
5. Add conversation flows and follow-up questions to make your chatbot interactive.
6. Decide on the tone of voice for your bot and keep it consistent with your brand’s personality.
7. Test thoroughly using Clepher’s simulator before launching your chatbot.
8. Monitor and update your chatbot regularly based on user feedback and data analysis.
9. Integrate your chatbot with your preferred messaging platforms (such as Facebook Messenger and Instagram) for wider reach.
10. Launch your chatbot and start seeing the positive impact it has on your business.

Remember, menu-based chatbots are not a one-time project. It is essential to continually update and improve your chatbot to keep up with changing customer needs and preferences. With Clepher, you can easily monitor and track your chatbot’s performance to make data-driven decisions for its improvement. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for Clepher now and give your business the boost it needs with a menu-based chatbot!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: What is a menu-based chatbot?

A: A menu-based chatbot is a type of conversational bot that uses pre-defined menus and options to guide the conversation with users. Instead of using natural language processing (NLP) and artificial intelligence (AI), it relies on fixed decision trees to respond.

Q: How does a menu-based chatbot work?

A: A menu-based chatbot works by presenting users with a set of options or menus to choose from. Based on the user’s selection, the chatbot provides a pre-defined response or leads them to another set of options. This continues until the user reaches their desired outcome or ends the conversation.

Q: Types of chatbots

A: There are mainly three types of chatbots – rule-based, AI-based and hybrid. Menu-based chatbots fall under the category of rule-based chatbots as they follow a predefined conversation flow.

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