Chatbots to Boost Online Sales

Are Chatbots the newest way to boost online sales? They have become very common in the marketplace and younger generations are certainly comfortable using them. But, does that mean it is time to jump on the chatbot train?

What is a Chatbot?

A chatbot is a computer program which can conduct a conversation via text or auditory methods. They can vary from very simple to highly sophisticated. In the current context, these programs are often accessed through a virtual assistant such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

Recent studies have shown an increased acceptance of chatbots in the marketplace. This appears to be primarily due to comfort combined with the younger generation’s natural recognition of technology as part of life.

Ways a Chatbot boosts online sales

There are quite a few ways which chatbots have been effectively incorporated into the sales process. Most commonly they are deployed in an effort to improve customer engagement. This is important because statistics have shown that engaged customers make almost two times as many purchases.

Here are some of the best ways a Chatbot can help increase online sales:

Streamline ordering - When a chatbot is paired with a messaging device, which Facebook does, or a virtual assistant, it can save the user time and effort. Rather than using multiple apps to perform a process, such as ordering something, it can be done with one bot. The most common example would be using Alexa to order products from Amazon.

Streamline returns - The shopping process is never perfect. In fact, about 30% of e-commerce purchases are returned which means a decent amount of time and energy is spent by a business which only increases as sales increase. Chatbots can be used to help set up returns, receive complaint notifications, and provide information on the return process to alleviate some of the time burdens.

Provide product suggestions - In some cases, product suggestions can be annoying, however, when your bot has access to purchase records and browsing history it can become very helpful in comparing popular items other’s have shopped for while removing things you have already purchased and added things you might have looked at before.

Provide answers - One of the best things about chatbots is that they are available 24/7 which includes weekends and holidays. Even if you aren’t working, they can be, providing answers, or FAQs to help reduce shopping cart abandonment or site bounces when customers have questions but nobody is available for a live answer.