Artificial intelligence and chatbots are helping businesses around the globe to increase revenue, improve customer relations, and assist their workforce by automating tasks. If you’re looking for ways to implement AI into your business’s digital strategy, you need look no further than the capabilities of chatbots-just make sure these five features are in your bot-building toolkit.
1) Natural Language Processing
NLP allows AI to understand input based on intent, rather than simply responding based on a pre-programmed script. It is essentially what makes modern chatbots engaging and conversational. NLP allows a bot to derive meaning and add depth to an interaction.
In the past, creating a bot that employs NLP required a large budget and complex coding skills. These days, though, many bot-building platforms, such as SnatchBot, offer pre-built NLP functions that can be integrated into any chatbot created with them.
2) Machine Learning
Machine learning is an aspect of AI that (as the name implies) allows a bot to “learn” through a combination of given data and repeated interactions. In other words, a chatbot’s performance on a specific task can progressively improve as the volume of encountered inputs increases. In conjunction with predictive analysis and NLP, machine learning makes for truly intelligent AI that interacts naturally and intelligently.
3) Real-Time Analytics
Good communication is the cornerstone of any relationship, and a chatbot is no different. Real-time analytics are a must for bot-building, as they not only track a bot’s performance, but give you insight into your consumer base. Analytics are equally necessary for promoting the growth of your bot; if your analytics report that users are prematurely ending interactions with a chatbot, then supervised machine learning may be in order to “train” your bot to better respond to inquiries and input.
4) Multi-Channel Integration
Your users want to engage with your bot on the channel of their choosing. Multi-channel integration means the ability to deploy a bot to multiple places-essentially, for your chatbot to be where the users already are. This may include websites, SMS, social apps like Twitter and Facebook Messenger, messaging apps such as Skype or Viber, and even workflow tools like Trello. The fewer the limitations are on where your chatbot can be, the wider a user base your chatbot stands to reach.
5) No Coding Required
In the past, there was a huge barrier to entry in chatbot development with the necessity of complex coding. However, there are several bot-building platforms on the market today that require very little technical skills. This is particularly useful for small businesses and independent users that may not have the budget to hire developers but still want to take advantage of chatbot capabilities.
At a glance, a chatbot may not seem like the best fit for your enterprise’s needs, but the functionality of bots is ever increasing as more companies deploy them to help with their service needs. Chatbots and “conversational technology,” as these advancements are commonly referred, are already making huge strides forward in increasing revenue and driving the consumer experience.
