8 Benefits to Investing in a Chatbot Instead of An App

No matter what industry you work in, you need to offer your customers opportunities to interact with your business efficiently. In recent years, many organizations have developed their own apps for this very purpose.
However, apps don’t offer the kind of personalized or conversational service that comes from interacting with an individual. That’s why you should consider developing a chatbot for your company, instead of an app.
Chatbot technology has improved dramatically over the last few years. It won’t be long before bots can authentically recreate the experience of talking to a human. The following are just a few reasons to consider focusing on chatbot development for your business, instead of an app.

You Don’t Need to Convince Anyone to Download Anything

Here are a few of the major downsides of apps:

• Apps take up space on a customer’s device
• They can be expensive
• It’s not always easy to convince people to download your app, especially among the over 2 million available

With chatbot tools, that’s not a problem. You can create your own chatbot that’s accessible via a service your customers already use, like Facebook Messenger.
They’re much more likely to make use of your product if they don’t have to download anything first. According to a recent survey, 56% of current Facebook Messenger users expect to use the platform more frequently in the future, making it a very powerful tool for marketers.

Chatbot Technology Reduces Business Expenses

A strong chatbot solution can theoretically take the place of a customer service representative. By offering your customers this type of chatbot tool, you’ll be able to save money on hiring, while still offering the personalized experience individuals desire from customer service.
This is ideal for any company, but it’s especially smart for startups that need to grow quickly while sticking to a strict budget. Experts already predict that chatbot development will reduce business costs by as much as $8 billion per year by 2022.

Customers Can Use Chatbot Technology More Easily

Although a talented UX designer can build an app that’s intuitive and easy to use, nothing truly matches the convenience of interacting with another person. When customers open an app, they still need to click on the right icons or buttons to access key features. This can get confusing.
Chatbot technology is different. If you want to access a feature, you simply tell the bot to open it. It’s a much more human and conversational experience.
For example, when we developed VICE’s VICELAND chatbot, we made sure one of the key features included was a simply command to access a full show schedule. We also let viewers select their favorite shows, and our chatbot tool then reminded them when that show aired. The entire experience begins with a personal greeting from Action Bronson, one of VICE’s most recognizable hosts.

Create Your Own Chatbot to Help Develop Emotional Connections

Some of the most successful companies in the world, like Apple, brand themselves so well that customers actually develop an emotional attachment to the brand.
While this is possible to achieve with an app, it’s not easy. You need the right combination of intuitive UX and appealing UI to trigger a genuine, strong emotional response in a user.
Meanwhile, a chatbot platform is much more effective in this respect. If you take the time to give your bot its own “personality,” you can create a brand that truly resonates with customers.
Partnering with a chatbot agency will make the process of individualizing and branding your bot even easier. As experts in the field, they understand both how to build the most successful chatbots, and also how to market them effectively as a representation of your brand that encourages customer loyalty.

Bots Can Help You Learn About Customers

A typical chatbot will answer user questions. By keeping track of what types of questions people commonly ask, the chatbot could help you learn a lot more about your customers. This makes it easier to address their needs quickly. Additionally, it helps you optimize your marketing strategy to reach customers in the most effective manner possible. When you understand how to personalize the marketing experience, your campaign is likely to become much more successful.

Building Your Own Chatbot is Cheaper Than App Development

Although quality chatbot development isn’t free, it can be much less expensive than developing an app. Again, services like Facebook Messenger allow companies to host their chatbot technology on existing platforms. Thus, the process of creating your own chatbot takes less time and less money than building your own unique app.
A top chatbot agency includes a self-service chatbot platform, which makes the technology even more accessible, customizable, and affordable. With access to chatbot tools like these, businesses can more easily deploy the technology and begin leveraging the effectiveness of conversational marketing experiences.

The Tech is Improving

Chatbot technology is improving at a very fast rate. More and more organizations are going to embrace this software in the near future as conversational marketing becomes the norm. By developing a chatbot for your business now, you’ll have an advantage over the competition, and you’ll be able to easily implement new features as they emerge.

Your main goal should always be to offer customers the best possible experience at the lowest cost. While an app may have been the ideal solution for the last few years, chatbot development is the wave of the future. Get started on yours now.



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