A foundational aspect of marketing is the need for quality touch points at every step of your customer’s path to purchase. It makes sense, right? The more you can interact with your customer in a positive way, the more you will stack up against your competition. But are the traditional tools of marketing the only ones you have in your toolbox? They don’t have to be.
Let’s take a look at something a little different. Consider chatbots as a marketing resource that could greatly benefit your website and its helpfulness towards conversions. You’ve probably encountered them most often on retail websites, but they can be helpful in the customer journey anywhere the need for information and questions come up.
Let’s take a look at the benefits of using a chatbot on your website.
What is a Chatbot?
First, let’s clarify what we are talking about. A chatbot is a programmed chat that your customer can interact with that mimics human
behavior. The questions and responses they give are programmed to say what you want them to, and to direct people to the right place to answer their questions. Keep in mind that you will need strategic and comprehensive blog posts and website pages as a place to direct your audience to if you implement this tool.
Keep Your Customer on the Path to Purchase
Like we said before, helping your customer through their journey and giving them an interactive brand touchpoint is the foundation of marketing. A chatbot brings your customers to the answers they are looking for quickly so that you don’t lose them in their path to purchase. It’s easier to answer questions and resolve hold ups and issues earlier in the conversion cycle than to try to make up for any frustration or confusion later on. Answering your customer’s questions the moment they have them through a chatbot will catch them early in the conversion and boost your brand equity. In a game that is all about converting customers, chatbots can be an invaluable tool for avoiding customer drop-off.
Chatbots Build Trust
Lead quality decreases the more time goes by, so swift responses are crucial. Answering questions and addressing concerns quickly when customers get caught up are critical steps, particularly since 63% of customers will leave a company’s website after just one poor experience and almost two-thirds will wait no more than 2 minutes for assistance. Chatbots are an interactive part of your website that you can have on day or night, no matter when you are open. It will answer promptly and efficiently with how you’ve programmed it. Do it right, and your customer’s interaction with your website and brand will build trust as they move towards their path to purchase.
What is most important to note, however, is the limitations of chatbots. At the end of every interaction your customer has with one, there has to be the ability to contact a live person- whether through email, phone or an in-person consultation. Nothing is more frustrating than working with AI and not being able to find the answer you need- it’s like being stuck in an endless loop of pressing 1 for more options. Don’t lose your customer because they get frustrated that they don’t have access to a person when they need one.
The limitation aside, we hope you use chatbots to help guide your customers to the content and information that they need to speed up their path towards making a purchase.
Need help building the content you need for implementing a chatbot, or want to talk about the other marketing solutions and options you have? Contact our digital experts today.