Messenger and Chat Apps are incredible tools that are allowing businesses to better serve customers, and ultimately make life easier.
There are so many options out there for customer messaging apps that it can be overwhelming to choose. Between Social Media Chatbots, Website Chatbots, Live Chat and Chat Apps, it's easy to see why the idea can be a little intimidating.
To help you navigate the messaging world we have broken them down into the two main types of applications: live chat, chatbots and a mix of both.
What is Live Chat compared to a Chatbot?
In a live chat app, a customer service representative is speaking directly to the customer, human-to-human using a platform to interact. However, a chatbot is an AI powered computer which replies are based on a pre-set of ‘scenarios’ answering common questions. The features of both include:
Live Chat
- Requires a staff member or members to be available in the stated hours to monitor the chat and reply in a timely fashion.
- We like talking to other humans. While AI bots are reliable, they cannot read between the lines, or understand emotions like
- Live chat gives you the option to find creative solutions to difficult problems, because the rep can go “off-script” where a bot can’t.
Chatbots
- Allows your support function to be 24/7, which is important in today’s age of instant information.
- Humans are flawed, and while being able to have tailored human responses can be a benefit, that also means that you don’t have full control over the conversation.
- Chatbots can handle an unlimited amount of conversations at one time, meaning that one bot can take the potential workload of many human staff members, at a fraction of the price.
The perfect mix of both = HubSpot Conversations
- According to HubSpot’s usage data, 1 in every 30 website visits resulted in a chat. Keeping up was daunting, so they built Conversations the perfect combination of Live Chat & Automated Chatbots.
- Allows conversations to be had wherever the customer is, on social media, website or an app.
- Bots respond immediately or proactively start conversations on channels.
- When complex questions arise a human chat coordinator is able to be looped in.
- History of interaction in the one inbox.
The most important thing to consider when deciding between Live, Automated Chat or a mix of both, is what is the best option for your customer? For example, live chat may be better suited to businesses that require the human touch when purchasing a product or service such as a funeral director, medical enquiries or conflict resolution services. Even consider the investment required by a customer, as high investment purchases such as property or luxury goods may require the live chat option to ensure complex questions are able to be addressed.
Recommended Live Chat options include:
ZENDESK
Features:
- Live chat, between a customer service rep and the customer.
- Can create ‘shortcuts’ so that the rep can send pre-written responses to common questions.
- Auto-translation for customers who are speaking different languages.
- Ability to create triggers on the website, for example – if a customer visits the ‘book’ page, they are served a message asking if they need any help.
- Offline forms that customers can fill out to request a phone call or contact, when you are away from the chat.
ZOHO DESK
Features:
- Similar to Zendesk.
- Ticketing and tracking.
- Team feed and chat.
- Ticketing templates.
- Good for small to medium sized companies looking for an IT support solution.
Recommended Automated Chatbots include:
BOTISFY
Features:
- Pre-made chatbots for Facebook by industry that you can use for free, (within certain constraints).
- Create your own chatbot for your website with custom stories and media blocks for $10 per month.
- Create triggers for chatbot replies based on keywords, phrase matches or entity matches (date, email, location).
- Reply with media blocks including videos, images or audio.
- No human staffing needed, 24/7.
COLLECT.CHAT
Features:
- Interactive chatbot that collects data on your website.
- No coding required.
- Encourages bookings, leads, registrations, survey completions, emails. subscriptions and enquiries.
- 24x7 availability with no human involvement needed once set up.
- Templates, Gifs and ability to handcraft questions.
A mix of Automated and Live Chat includes:
FACEBOOK MESSENGER
Features:
- Greeting messages that can be automatically sent as replies to customers to let them know that someone will reply to their message shortly.
- Set your messenger status as ‘away’ outside of office hours.
- Messenger codes can act like QR codes and be placed on websites or other social media, for people to scan the code if it is on your website or printed on your business cards or other materials, to link them directly to a chat window.
- Create Facebook ads with a button linking to live chat for instant results.
- The app is based in Facebook so people can’t chat with you directly on your website.
HUBSPOT CONVERSATIONS
HubSpot has been using Live Chat on their website since 2013 and according to HubSpot’s usage data, 1 in every 30 website visits resulted in a chat. As they receive thousands of website visits a day, trying to keep up was daunting. So, they decided to build “Conversations” the perfect mix of Automated and Live Chat.
Features:
- HubSpot messages/Conversations Bot comes as part of the Sales & Service suite (will be part of CRM offering shortly).
- Live chat paired with automation.
- Create presence where your customers are, website messaging apps and social media.
- Set up bots that immediately respond on each channel (or kick off conversations) and are ready to answer common questions, putting the LIVE in live chat.
- When complex questions arise, the technology can loop in a human chat coordinator with everything from the conversation recorded in CRM.
- Routing options to forward messages to appropriate team members based on if/then scenarios.
- Integration with Slack, so that team members can receive notifications of new messages in their Slack account.
- Sales starter = $68 per month.
If HubSpot Conversations peaks your interest talk to us about setting up a HubSpot subscription and ensure all your conversations are kept in the one place. Also, download our helpful guide on how to build your own chatbot with our ebook by clicking on the image below.
