Chatbots have become a darling of the modern biz. According to Business Insider, by 2020, over 80% of businesses are expected to have some sort of chatbot automation implemented and Mindbrowser’s survey found that 96% of businesses firmly believe that chatbots are here to stay. That’s enough to cast off any doubts regarding chatbot’s efficiency and the future it holds. The thing about Chatbots is that they are quite powerful tools but only if implemented in the right way. Whether it’s building the sales pipeline or monetizing the social media accounts, chatbots can rise to the occasion and get the job done. Chattypeople, a very popular bot-building tool can be used to build your very own bot within a short amount of time. However, bear in mind that there is no universal chatbot to accomplish all purposes. So it’s quite important that you give proper thought to your business’ needs and then shape the bot accordingly to suit them. Chattypeople does allow you to build a complex bot that can be used to serve a variety of functions ranging from a simple customer assistance tool to a smart sales channel. Building a highly versatile bot will require more time and effort but in the end, it will be well worth it. This guide will give you a much-needed insight into bot’s functionality and the key to their success: Chatbots Have Undergone A Revolution Chatbots have witnessed some really advanced functionalities in the recent past or so. It’s perhaps the progress in the field of artificial intelligence that has made bots extend beyond their stereotypical functions. So how to actually build a chatbot? Knowing what successful chatbots look like and how they work would be a good place to begin with. The one key characteristic of quality chatbots is that they engage users in a very human-like manner, adding value to their experience. Here’s what you’ll need to do: Decide The Key Features ![chat_bot_features.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQma5oShjEitvCsSSyJZD4biF7beVpVhfPLTCsFyzWsZdJb/chat_bot_features.jpg) Chatbot building platforms have suddenly surged in their numbers of late. You should pick the one that can serve all purposes i.e. help you build from the most basic to advanced features. It’s best to avoid cramming your chatbot with every possible feature. Instead look to tweak it in a way that your audience feels warmly greeted by it. A lot of chatbots could do jokes or amusing replies. That’s all well and good but people care about their questions being answered properly and that has to be the prime focus of every chatbot. Some of the common questions could be: Company’s contact details & working hours Special offers, promotions & discounts Product & Services information Company’s specialties and achievements etc. It’s All About the Experience Your chatbot officially speaks for your company or brand, so it better live up to the standard you set for everything that constitutes your company. You could do a lot worse in attempting to make the bot act completely like a real human-being. Bots are still programs and they’re likely to have limitations. Your effort should be to create a satisfying experience within those limitations. It’s amazing how when people find their questions answered appropriately, they’ll least care whether they’re talking with an actual human or a bot. Some people just don’t like to engage in a chat be it with a bot or a real person. Chatbots have got to be ultra-smart here. Responding to users immediately as they open the chat window is quite important. Mundane introductory greetings are fast going out of fashion and are thought of as an annoyance. Your chatbots can engage users by assisting them with the following: Inform users of some exciting offers Browse Portfolio Find a specific page Take/Place orders Yes! Chatbots Can Be Part Of Marketing Too Most typical chatbots are able to serve as handy customer support or self-serving tools. But the actual potential of chatbots is realized when they’re employed in online marketing. Chatbots now increasingly interact with people through the social media platforms of their choice. This opens up another avenue for connection. Take advantage of it and create a ChatBot marketing strategy that communicates with your audience. Propagating Special promotions and offers Gathering user’s details to create buyer’s persona. The Masterstroke – Integration Into eCommerce Platforms Chatbots are so effective now that they have the ability to monetize your social media platforms. All you’ll need to do is work them into to your eCommerce platforms. They can then tend to orders and payment requests via messages. To top it all up, you can add the ability to manage orders that will just make for a pleasing user experience. Keep Em’ Running Smooth In the end, you got to make sure that your chatbots are fine-tuned and optimized to the best of their ability. Quality tools will give you stats and important metrics to measure your chatbot’s performance. The same could be used to optimize the chatbot. You’ll also need to find out how human-like your chatbot actually sounds. A/B tests are a great way a finding that out. Some other areas that could be looked at are: The way chatbot keeps the pace of the conversation The way it offers help to the user How it introduces call to action The concluding remarks. Chatbots have a potential to realistically change the company’s fortunes. Building sales funnel and engaging in more and more conversations through social media platforms By followings the aforementioned steps you’ll be able to create a powerful and robust chatbot that can effectively build your sales funnel and get more engagement with your audience.