Chatbots have been around since the 1960s, with the first examples of their modern counterparts appearing in the early 2000s. Despite their long run, they gained traction only in recent years thanks to artificial intelligence. The combination of these technologies led to a boom in the market for AI virtual assistants and advanced bots.
Educational, healthcare, retail, and logistics organizations actively seek to incorporate AI chatbots into their daily work due to the sheer number of applications these products offer. However, none of these sectors have the number of adoption e-commerce displays.
If your store is late to this game, don’t worry. Our article details why online platforms need chatbots, the different types of these solutions, and how to choose one. We also provide a handy list of today's best e-commerce bot examples for you to consider.
What Are E-commerce Chatbots?
Think of these products as Swiss army knife applications that handle customer requests. The latest e-commerce chatbot examples use natural language processing and artificial intelligence to communicate with clients on the same level as human support agents and consultants.
Chatbots can be added to all selling channels at a business’s disposal, such as websites, mobile apps, or social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Some of the most popular applications for these products include:
- Buying assistance. Customers turn to chatbots to search for items, compare them, and make purchases via the software interface.
- Customer support. AI-powered chatbots assist users with product information, shipping details, return policies, and other information.
- Order tracking. The advanced technology used in these AI assistants allows them to provide status updates and track ordered products' locations.
- Personalized shopping experience. Data gathered through chatbot interactions provides each user with unique item offers and advertisements.
- Handling common questions. Chatbots also provide data on promotions and answer frequently asked questions about e-commerce platforms and their terms of service.
Ecommerce chatbot solutions become more and more popular today. Such chatbots improve operational efficiency by automating routine customer service tasks, allowing human agents to focus on more complex issues. This automation leads to significant cost savings and the ability to handle multiple interactions simultaneously, making chatbots an ideal solution for businesses experiencing high traffic volumes.
Moreover, ecommerce chatbot solutions collect valuable customer data during interactions, which can be analyzed for insights into customer preferences and behavior. This data-driven approach helps businesses make informed decisions and improve marketing strategies. Chatbots can be seamlessly integrated with existing e-commerce platforms and CRM systems, providing a unified customer experience.
Why Is Conversational AI For E-Commerce So Important?
Having a chatbot on an e-commerce platform is more than keeping up with the latest trends. These solutions directly impact customer satisfaction levels and business success. Multiple surveys and reports show this to be true:
- Chatbots increase conversion rates by 67%.
- 55% of businesses use chatbots to generate more high-quality leads.
- Chatbots have accounted for up to $112 billion in retail sales by the end of 2023.
- By 2024, chatbots are expected to save up to 2.5 billion hours of work.
- 80% of businesses already work with AI chatbots or plan to do so.
What Are The Different Types Of E-Commerce Chatbots?
These statistics can lead those interested in this technology to believe that chatbots are universal, with no variety. We’ve decided to set the record straight by discussing three major types of these applications: simple, smart, and hybrid.
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Simple chatbots
Also known as rule-based chatbots, they only answer programmed questions. Simple chatbots are good for straightforward dialogues but don’t handle complex or nuanced requests. Such bots can be compared to voice assistants used by telecom companies and banks that follow a simple choice structure.
Smart chatbots
Their more advanced counterparts use tech like conversational AI to comprehend the nature of conversations and user intent. Some of the best e-commerce chatbots handle conversation closely to how humans would with natural language and responses. They’re highly similar to Amazon Alexa and Google Nest Audio.
Hybrid chatbots
These software solutions combine features of simple and smart bots. Their purpose is to simplify complex use cases. Programmers equip hybrid chatbots with the ability to perform rule-based tasks and understand user input in a human-like manner. Such chatbots can be fine-tuned to perform specific tasks.
Custom Ecommerce Chatbots
Custom ecommerce chatbots are tailored to an ecommerce business's unique needs. Springs has extensive experience in building such AI chatbots. We have already launched our AI Chatbot Builder - IONI.
IONI is an eCommerce-oriented AI Chatbot Builder with an integrated Generative AI algorithm that analyzes provided data and returns necessary information requested by the user. IONI significantly enhances eCommerce operations by:
- Efficient Customer Support. IONI streamlines customer support by quickly analyzing customer queries and providing precise product information, order status updates, and troubleshooting assistance, ensuring prompt and effective responses.
- Enhanced Shopping Experience. With its advanced AI capabilities, IONI offers personalized product recommendations, tailored promotions, and instant answers to FAQs, fostering positive interactions and increasing customer satisfaction.
- Time and Resource Optimization. By automating routine customer interactions and information retrieval, IONI frees up valuable time and resources, allowing eCommerce businesses to focus on strategic initiatives and marketing efforts.
A custom chatbot is a good point to start if you want to try and see how AI may help your business today in terms of ecommerce chatbot solutions. Springs team is happy to provide you with a unique solution that will be designed up to your business needs and preferences. Feel free to contact us and get a free technical consultation on this point.
How To Navigate The E-commerce Bot Examples?
Finding the right chatbot isn’t any different than selecting other types of software. Like an e-commerce platform, a payment solution, or a website, the chatbot must align with the needs of a particular business and its customers. While each case is unique, choosing the chatbot is standard for all e-commerce providers:
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- Define business objectives. To find the right product, knowing what you need one for is essential. Whether it's customer services, sales, or marketing, having a clear objective will help narrow down the options.
- Establish the optimal chatbot type. It’s equally important to understand if your business needs can be solved with a readily available solution or if custom development needs to be involved.
- Understand the audience. Next, consider how user-friendly the application must be. The solution should be easy enough to use for the main client demographics.
- Consider integration capabilities. Depending on how many buying channels an e-commerce business has, it should look for chatbots that easily integrate into existing platforms, apps, and websites for a smooth client experience.
- Assess scalability. A business doesn’t stay in one place. Seek e-commerce chatbot examples that seamlessly evolve with the growing client base and demands.
- Check security and compliance. Since these products work with company and client data, look for solutions that work under data protection regulations.
- Explore analytics and reporting features. Information is key to the success of any business. When evaluating your options, check out chatbots that provide easy access to gathered information and offer insights based on this data.
- Review testimonials. Carefully examine what other e-commerce clients say about the solutions you consider. Pay close attention to the level of offered support, case studies, and reviews to avoid working with untrustworthy vendors.
10 Best Chatbots For E-Commerce
Ada is one of the best conversational AI for e-commerce tools due to the number of supported platforms. The tool works with APIs, customer support tools, and social media. Ada is easy to set up for people with no technical knowledge. The chatbot supports A/B testing for response accuracy, collects customer information, and offers administrative access based on user type. The only downside is that Ada’s analytics reports aren’t customizable.
This product uses AI and NLP technologies to help e-commerce businesses with lead generation. Botsify provides an easy and natural way to engage customers and measure the results of these efforts via analytical tools. The platform offers multilingual support, scheduling features, and drag-and-drop chatbot-building capabilities.
Chatfuel is a good product to enhance the e-commerce experience on social media. It provides customer support via Instagram and Facebook Messenger. With an accessible interface, anyone can get the best e-commerce chatbots to answer questions and resolve customer issues. Chatfuel is compatible with such e-commerce platforms as Shopify and Zapier but doesn’t have artificial intelligence technology capabilities.
Google’s DialogFlow combines NLP, speech-to-text, and ML technology to provide companies with high-end chatbot solutions. The project works on Google’s Cloud Platform, making it highly scalable and capable of handling millions of users. DialogFlow supports over 14 languages and uses the latest findings in machine learning. It can be integrated with more than 20 platforms, such as Twitter, Slack, and Facebook Messenger.
Giosg offers great e-commerce bot examples for companies to experiment with. Businesses have access to numerous templates, customization options, and a user-friendly interface for making custom products. Giosg also supports live chat integration and access to interactive content. Together, these features aid businesses in engaging website visitors and converting them into paying customers.
This platform allows companies to improve their customer reach through the power of AI. Engati helps run campaigns, build chatbots, and offers live chat support and other tools. E-commerce businesses use it to create bot conversation flows and browse available templates. The platform supports several languages, making it a good choice for international companies.
Another rule-based chatbot on our list offers a fast and affordable way for e-commerce businesses to improve customer experience. The platform supports sending texts and QR codes to customers. It’s also possible to use the tool to redirect people from ads to the Messenger bot and automate Facebook comment replies. ManyChat works with FB Messenger, Instagram, and Spotify.
With Snatchbot, e-commerce businesses get their hands on chatbots that combine ML, NLP, and voice recognition technologies. The platform offers many e-commerce chatbot examples, facilitating straightforward and quick fine-tuning for individual needs. Snatchbot solutions work with Skype, Telegram, and Facebook Messenger apps. In addition to chatbots, businesses can add AI voice assistants to their workflow.
This e-commerce chatbot automates customer support and offers proactive client service. Tidio combines NLP and AI technologies packed in an easy-to-use visual builder interface. Businesses use it to explore chatbot templates for better sales, lead generation, and other activities. There’s no technical knowledge required. Tidio is easy to install and supports integration with e-commerce platforms and CRMS.
WotNot is another chatbot-building platform that allows e-commerce companies to get chatbots without hiring a dedicated programming team. Its user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop features make this process accessible to all e-commerce companies. WotNot also has an analytics dashboard and appointment management.
Final Thoughts
As years pass, the market will see a new influx of conversational AI for e-commerce needs that will cater to different needs and budgets. If an e-commerce business has a clear set of features a chatbot solution must possess, it may be more reasonable and affordable to create one from scratch. Should you wish to learn more about the capabilities of custom-built chatbots, our experts are here to offer free consultations about this process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you provide custom e-commerce chatbot development?
We specialize in custom e-commerce chatbot development. Our team of experts can design and implement tailored AI-driven chatbots. Feel free to contact us to discuss how we can create a chatbot solution that meets your specific needs and drives your e-commerce success.
How long does it take to develop a custom e-commerce chatbot?
The development timeline for a custom e-commerce chatbot can vary depending on various factors such as the complexity of the project, specific requirements, integration needs, and available resources. A simple chatbot with basic functionality may take a few weeks to develop, while more complex chatbots with advanced features and integrations could take several months.
How much does it cost to develop a custom e-commerce chatbot?
At Springs, we provide tailored solutions to meet your specific needs and budget. Our pricing is based on a detailed assessment of your requirements and project scope. Contact us to discuss your project goals, and we'll provide you with a customized quote that reflects the cost of developing a custom e-commerce chatbot that aligns with your business objectives.
Can you customize existing ecommerce chatbot?
At Springs, we offer customization services for existing e-commerce chatbots provided that we have access to the code and it aligns with our technical stack. Our team of experienced developers can modify and enhance the functionality of your chatbot to meet your specific requirements and integrate seamlessly with your e-commerce platform.
