What are chatbots?

Chatbots (originally known as chatterbots) are software applications or computer programmes that simulate human conversation via text or voice interactions.  They can aid customer service, engagement and support by replacing or assisting staff or human support agents.  In this article we look at the best chatbots for your website.

Why would I need a chatbot for my website?

There are multiple reasons why you might want to install a chatbot on your website including:

• If you find yourself answering the same questions over and over again then you can teach your chatbot to automatically deal with routine queries and this frees you up to answer the more complex calls and emails.
• A chatbot is available 24/7.
• Chatbots can act as lead generation tools, capturing information which is usually not available to the sales team and in turn leading to increased sales.
• Chatbots can channel your brand in their personality, grammar they use and the way they look.

You can read more reasons in this Synthetix article.

Best Chatbots

We work with WordPress websites, so we have picked Chatbots which are compatible with WordPress.  With 439 WordPress chat plugins there are many to choose from.  Here are four to consider:

Tidio

Tidio came up on many recommendation lists.  You can test out this chatbot by using the free plan which is suitable for new businesses looking to start offering great customer service.  They are so confident that you will enjoy it that this plan is free forever!  It includes: free chat, ticketing and social media integrations.

LiveChat

This chatbot starter package is suitable for small businesses or those with a home-based business. For $20 a month you will get: 1 agent, 60-day chat history, basic widget customization, availability and data security.

ZenDesk

This is a name that many of us recognise and if we contact businesses then we are often channeled through the ZenDesk helpdesk function. Their chatbot will allow you: mobile access, integrations, NLP technology, customisations and templates.  You can try for free and then move onto a paid subscription starting from £15 a month.

Collect Chat

You can either test out Collect Chat’s Lite plan for free or just opt for their Free plan which comes with unlimited chatbots, 50 conversations per month, analytics and an appointment booking function.  Paid-for plans come with more features and conversations per month.

We’d be interested to hear which chatbots you prefer.  However if you can’t decide then please contact us and we will liaise with our web designer and pick the best one for your needs.