How to increase sales using chatbots?

Chatbot is a software program that understands customer questions and automates responces to them, simulating human conversation. It helps businesses with customer service, communication and support. It effectively replaces or supplements human agents by using artificial intelligence and natural language processing, allowing 24/7 customer communication and automated transactions.

Brands and marketers normally sell and advertise products through one-way communication, but chatbots encourage consumers to initiate two-way communication.

Benefits of chatbots for businesses:

- increased performance and saved costs;

- increased customer interaction;

- reduced dependence on the human factor;

- saved time and automated routine processes.

10 amazing facts about chatbots:

1. The global chatbot market is expected to surpass $994 million by 2024, with a compound annual growth rate of 27% (Marketwatch).

2. By 2023, chatbots are expected to save businesses up to 2.5 billion hours of work (Juniper Research).

3. 59% of customers expect a chatbot to respond within 5 seconds (Drift).

4. 69% of consumers were satisfied with their last interaction with a chatbot. Meanwhile, 21% of respondents remained neutral, and only 10% were unsatisfied with a chatbot conversation. It’s an excellent result for an automated assistant (Tidio).

5. The average cost of one chatbot interaction is $0.50-0.70 (Juniper Research).

6. By 2027, chatbots are predicted to become the primary channel for customer service in a quarter of all businesses (Gartner).

7. 74% of customers would choose a chatbot over a human agent to look for answers to simple questions (PSFK).

8. 57% of businesses state that chatbot usage results in a big ROI with minimal investments (Outgrow).

9. Business leaders claim that, on average, chatbots can increase sales by 67% (Outgrow).

10. 75% of messaging app users open the apps every day.

You can find a lot of such facts, as chatbots are a growing trend that will soon be used by most businesses. So if you don’t have it yet, install it. And if you do, think about how to use it to increase your business results.

How can chatbots increase your sales?

Chatbots are universal, as they help to neutralize a number of communication issues at a single stroke:

1. Attraction of customers around the clock. No matter how cool your social media manager is, he loses to a chatbot at least because he sometimes sleeps. With chatbots, your business is always available: you can communicate with customers around the world and in different time zones.

2. Single communication channel. Your SMM team cannot respond quickly on all digital platforms, including wide diversity of social media, websites, portals, etc. And a chatbot can. It can make hundreds of parallel conversations, answer in a few seconds, and never get confused.

3. Formation of style. You can develop creative answers, introducing your own communication style that will soon become recognizable among customers. A chatbot, unlike social media manager, doesn’t need to constantly check with scripts to remember the right answer.

4. No language barrier. Chatbots can make conversations in several languages, extending the boundaries of customer service. You don’t need a five-language social media manager. It’s enough to have a single chatbot and a support or sales team to work with warm leads.

5. Automation. Chatbots can answer frequently asked questions, conduct customer satisfaction surveys, and perform a large number of time-consuming SMM functions. Chatbots save several hours a day for strategic decisions.

6 ways to increase sales with chatbots

1. Asking customers what they are looking for and redirecting them based on key words. If customers want to view products or services, they are redirected to the relevant website pages. If they need expert help, they are offered to book a call.

2. Collecting leads

Website chatbots can ask visitors to provide their contact details in exchange for marketing materials (such as discounts codes and vouchers). This increases the chances of further conversion, because you already have customers’ data and you can warm them up to purchase.

3. Answering to frequently asked questions

Chatbots offer two main advantages. Firstly, your sales team will focus on more important requests, i.e. product customization. Sales managers will make more effective calls, improving quantitative and qualitative performance indicators.

Secondly, customers will quickly get answers. You will remove any obstacles to conversion and increase the chances of their successful movement through the sales funnel.

4. Giving product recommendations

Chatbots can act as virtual helpers, notifying customers of new discounts or releases. Moreover, you can customize sales scenarios for additional products.

5. Reducing unpaid products in carts

Customers browse products, pick what they want, add to their shopping carts and disappear. This sounds very familiar, doesn’t it?

Studies show that, on average, 68.8% of all carts are unpaid, i.e. 7/10 of potential sales never take place.

If a sales chatbot collects visitors’ contact details, it can send automated emails reminding customers to complete their purchases.

6. Getting feedback

Customers with positive experience spend 140% more than those with negative experience. Chatbots can conduct customer surveys. They will collect critical reviews, wishes and thanks, helping to greatly improve customer experience.

In fact, chatbots can solve many business problems. The most important thing is to consider the logic of action to meet your request and write chatbot scenarios.