Startups face a multitude of tasks as elements of their regular workflow. Their owners must take care of onboarding and training of the new personnel, take thought for promotion of their brand, provide smooth logistics and uninterrupted delivery, keep in constant touch with partners and customers, etc.
Some of these errands can be entrusted only to the qualified workforce with expertise and creative touch. Others don't require any special skills or training and can be delegated to Al-powered solutions.
Advantages of Chatbots for Small Business
As a seasoned vendor in the field of startup development, Owlab knows well the benefits that small businesses get by harnessing chatbot technology.
1. Chatbots are relatively cheap and easy to set up
The endemic problem of the lion’s share of startups is the lack of money. That is why they often have to opt for the cheapest approaches and products to perform their pipeline operations. In this respect, chatbots have a significant edge over hired personnel or cross-platform apps enlisted to do the same tasks. Why?
The human workforce is the most expensive asset of any startup, but being capable of solving the most intricate problems, people can't handle several assignments simultaneously. Plus, human errors are still unavoidable. Apps are better at multi-tasking and are error-proof, yet they can’t beat chatbots in cost efficiency. Besides, the latter are simple to launch, foolproof to use, and easy to maintain.
2. Chatbots are premium resource-savers
If a chatbot startup has launched is properly employed, this software can optimize the usage of various resources the company utilizes in its functioning.
- Workforce. Competent personnel can focus on more sophisticated errands, where expertize is crucial, while AI will handle low-level assignments.
- Time. The touch of automation that chatbots usher steps up the speed of processes they are employed in. Being in operation 24/7, they also accelerate whatever job they perform.
- Other software. Being easily integrated with other solutions, they allow you to create a single digital framework to bolster their potential to the maximum.
All of these translate into the economy of expenditures, which, as Chatbots magazine claims, can be minimized by almost a third!
3. Chatbots reduce customer service costs
The primary sphere of business application of chatbots, where it can bring the most value, is related to customer support.
Without chatbots, you would have to hire personnel to handle customers’ complaints and queries, which spells splurging on their salaries and training to say nothing of the infrastructure that would enable their functioning.
4. Chatbots increase customer engagement
The ultimate purpose of any customer service is to keep the clientele satisfied. When calling it, people count on prompt and relevant responses to their queries, solution to issues, and obliging treatment. Here are some tips that will help your chatbots to excel in this mission.
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Responses should be immediate. Making people wait is a surefire recipe for losing customers. And, on the contrary, by addressing problems in real-time, you will turn one-time visitors into loyal clients.
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Interactivity reigns supreme. One-on-one responses that turn the communication with the machine into a meaningful interactive dialogue are what people expect from state-of-the-art software today, so make sure your chatbots are capable of it.
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Everything personal. Modern chatbots are sophisticated enough for utilizing customer data or shopping behavior and analyzing their responses to give their interaction with clients a personal touch, which people appreciate a lot.
5. Chatbots improve lead generation
While other digital channels can be more powerful tools for lead generation, chatbots are still considered primary shopping channels by 17% of e-store visitors.
Startups can’t ignore these encouraging statistics and should leverage chatbots to the maximum. As a result, startups obtain:
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Better lead qualification. Relevant questions asked by AI will help it to direct people to the proper sales team member who will complete the conversion. If they are unavailable at the moment, the chatbot can schedule an appointment for a later time.
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Better lead nurturing. Personal recommendations, offers, discounts, and other incentives worded as chatbot-powered messages are a superb mechanism of lead nurturing when customers are accompanied and directed all the way throughout their journey.
Conclusion
In the conditions of the cut-throat competition symptomatic of most contemporary industries, budding entrepreneurs shouldn’t neglect any digital means to augment the efficiency of their venture. By launching a chatbot startups can obtain an affordable solution that will save the company’s resources, provide top-notch customer service, and step up lead generation.
With our profound expertise in chatbot development, we at Owlab can create a first-class solution that will impress you with its smooth functionality and moderate price.
