The Evolution of Chatbots

Chatbots are computer programs that mimic human conversation, commonly used in online customer service, e-commerce, and marketing. They have been around for a while in one form or another, but as technology progresses, they, too, are evolving and becoming more powerful. Nowadays, with the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning, chatbots can understand human speech and respond appropriately to the topic in a natural way. This technology revolutionizes how businesses interact with customers, providing every user with a more coherent, personalized experience. And as AI continues to develop, virtual assistants will become even more sophisticated and realistic, giving companies more opportunities to connect with their clients on a new level. 

This article discusses chatbots and explains why you should add one (or more!) chatbots to your 2023 business and marketing toolbox.

Advantages of Chatbots: Take Your Customer Service to The Next Level

As businesses increasingly look for ways to reach more audiences and better engage with followers, chatbots have become an attractive option for companies big and small. Virtual assistants offer many advantages over traditional methods of communication, such as phone calls, SMS, or email. As a result, they are becoming a popular choice for brands of all directions and industries. Here are some of their main benefits:

• Chatbots are a cost-effective way to reach a large audience. Compared to other marketing channels, they are relatively inexpensive to set up and maintain. It is possible to scale them to reach as many or as few of your target customers as you wish.
• Chatbots are interactive and easy to use. Many people prefer texting over calls, so chatbots are more attractive to customers. They enjoy interacting with high-quality virtual assistants because they can ask questions and get immediate responses.
• Chatbots are available 24/7. Chatbots can engage with shoppers any time of day or night, providing a valuable service that is always one click away. You won’t have to search for human assistants ready to work night shifts. Your customers are always online. When someone goes offline in one hemisphere, millions wake up in another. So why not have a virtual assistant ready to answer their questions and help them make purchasing decisions whenever they want?
• Chatbots can help you get insights about your clients. Chatbots are great for generating analytical information about customers, which allows businesses to create an accurate portrait of their target audience and to make relevant personalized offers to them. In addition, virtual assistants can add a more personal touch to your marketing efforts with the use of rich media, which can help you build trust and loyalty with your customer base.
• Chatbots can be used to promote special offers and deals. Whether it's a discount code for a next purchase or a reminder about sales that are coming soon, your clients will appreciate it. You can proactively engage with your audience, motivate clientele activity, and initiate more conversions.
• Chatbots can help you automate tasks. Virtual assistants are able to handle client inquiries, questions, and even complaints, freeing up your customer service team to address more complex issues. Besides, many brands use chatbots to close deals and even take payments, making the buying process seamless and easy.

Rakuten Viber Chatbots: The Best of Conversational Commerce

Rakuten Viber Chatbots are one of the best ones in the industry. Besides being highly customizable, they're easy to set up and fun to use. Our virtual assistants can be used for a variety of purposes, from customer service to sales. And they're great for businesses of all sizes and budgets. 

With Rakuten Viber’s chatbot builder, all you need to do is create a bot that can handle all your customer queries in a few clicks – no programming required. You only need to guide the conversation flow, and our platform will take care of the rest. Rakuten Viber Chatbots are an excellent way for you to improve your marketing toolbox. With them, you can easily:

• Send automated messages
• Interact with multiple people at once
• Personalize your messages
• Automate your customer service, and much more.

If you’re looking for a new and innovative way to reach and engage your target audience, then a Rakuten Viber Chatbot is the perfect solution for you.

Businesses Using Rakuten Viber Chatbots for Marketing

Many businesses are already using our AI-powered helpers for marketing purposes and getting fantastic results. Take a look at the examples of Rakuten Viber Chatbot integration we are incredibly proud of: 

Coca Cola

Raiffeisen Bank

FoodPanda

7 Key Metrics to Track to Measure The Success of Your Chatbot Integration

When used correctly, chatbots can be a powerful business tool. But how do you know if your chatbot is actually working? Here are the key metrics you need to track:

1. Number of users: This is the first thing you should pay attention to, as it will indicate how many people are actually using your chatbot.
2. Engagement rate: This metric will show users' involvement with a chatbot. Are they using it frequently? Are they sticking around for long conversations? What features are the most popular?
3. Number of leads generated: This figure will give you an idea of how effectively your chatbot generates interest and drives conversions.
4. Conversion rate: It measures how many of the leads generated by your virtual assistant convert into paying clients.
5. Customer satisfaction will help understand how well your chatbot meets people's needs and expectations.
6. ROI: This is one of the most vital metrics to track when measuring the success of your campaign. Keep track of the revenue generated by your virtual assistant to calculate your ROI.
7. Bounce rate: This is the percentage of people who leave after interacting with your chatbot. A high bounce rate could indicate that the information provided by your chatbot is different from what people are actually looking for. It will help you make informed changes to the contents of the bot.

Chatbots: A Game Changer in the World of Marketing

As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, chatbots are becoming increasingly sophisticated and are changing the marketing landscape as we know it. With the ability to carry out complex conversations and provide accurate results, they are becoming a valuable tool for companies of all types and sizes. As chatbots are more widely used, they will continue to change how businesses market themselves and interact with their customers, allowing companies to free up their employees to focus on other tasks and reach more clients 24/7.

At Rakuten Viber, we believe that chatbots are the future of marketing and customer service. With the ability to provide a personalized experience at scale, chatbots offer immense potential for businesses to improve their customer relations and bottom line. 

Learn more about Rakuten Viber Chatbots and get started today.