You want to add a chatbot to your website. What are the best tools to use?

Chatbots are automated software programs that can interact with your website visitors and provide them with information, guidance, or support. They can help you improve your customer service, generate leads, and increase conversions. But how do you choose the best tools to create and manage your chatbot? In this article, we will explore some of the factors to consider and some of the options available.

Key takeaways from this article

Select user-friendly tools:

Opt for chatbot creation tools that don't require advanced coding skills. This allows you and your team to focus on crafting an engaging user experience without getting bogged down in technical complexities.
Ensure seamless integration:

When adding a chatbot, check for easy integration with your current systems. This streamlines workflows and maintains consistency in your customer interactions, making the tech feel like a natural part of your toolkit.

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1 Define your goals

Before you start looking for chatbot tools, you need to have a clear idea of what you want your chatbot to do. Do you want it to answer frequently asked questions, collect feedback, book appointments, or sell products? Do you want it to use natural language processing (NLP) to understand complex queries, or follow a predefined script? Do you want it to integrate with your existing platforms, such as your CRM, email, or social media? Defining your goals will help you narrow down your options and select the tools that match your needs.

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Kinza Imran

ð‘ªð’“ð’†ð’‚ð’•ð’Šð’—ð’† ð‘«ð’Šð’“ð’†ð’„ð’•ð’ð’“ | ð‘©ð’“ð’‚ð’ð’…ð’†ð’ð’•ð’–ð’“ð’† | ð‘»ð’–ð’“ð’ð’Šð’ð’ˆ ð’Šð’…ð’†ð’‚ð’” ð’Šð’ð’•ð’ ð’ƒð’“ð’‚ð’ð’…ð’” |ð‘®ð’“ð’ð’˜ð’Šð’ð’ˆ ð‘©ð’–ð’”ð’Šð’ð’†ð’”ð’”ð’†ð’” ð’˜ð’Šð’•ð’‰ ð‘¹ð’Šð’ˆð’‰ð’• ð‘ºð’•ð’“ð’‚ð’•ð’†ð’ˆð’Šð’†ð’” |
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I have yet to try any bot, but Manychat looks promising, and I'd like to try it. The best chatbot depends on the nature of the business. An e-commerce business always needs a different kind of bot than a service business because clients/customers have different expectations from them.

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2 Choose your platform

The next step is to decide where you want your chatbot to live. Do you want it to be on your website, on a specific landing page, or on a third-party platform, such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or Slack? Depending on your choice, you will need different tools to build and deploy your chatbot. For example, if you want to create a chatbot for your website, you can use tools like Chatfuel, Landbot, or Flow XO. If you want to create a chatbot for Facebook Messenger, you can use tools like ManyChat, MobileMonkey, or Chatfuel.

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Peter Heneghan

Founder | AI + Communications Advisor | Keynote Speaker | Trustee | Former UK Government & 10 Downing Street Head of Digital Communications
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It's never been easier to add a chatbot to a website. What's become increasingly important is to choose one that offers conversational and authentic chatbot experience. Dialogflow by Google is impressive. Sprinklr offer a great chatbot at a great price point. Both offer robust, user-friendly interfaces and can be customised to suit the specific tone and style of your brand, ensuring a more authentic and engaging user experience.

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Firdaus Jahan

Consultant | Resiliency Coach | Writer | Lean | FMVAÂ® | BIDAÂ®
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Popular tools for creating website chatbots include Dialogflow, Microsoft Bot Framework, and IBM Watson Assistant. Additionally, platforms like Chatfuel and ManyChat are user-friendly for creating chatbots on websites and social media. Choose based on your specific requirements and the level of customization you need.

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Jason Etter ðŸ«¶

Growth Marketer & Community Infiltrator with 20 Years of Experience Sitting at the Intersection of AI, BD, CS, SEO, PM, MQL, SAO, ABC, BBD, and the East Coast Family | ðŸ¥¸ðŸ¤ðŸ«¶ðŸ»
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The best experience I've had with a chatbot is qualified. Why? They know they're not a chatbot. Instead, they're a user experience designed to qualify (or disqualify) prospective buyers. Check them out. I've been a huge advocate of them since day one. In particular, if you're using Salesforce, you want Qualified. It's a SDR team's dream come true.

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3 Pick your features

The features of your chatbot will depend on your goals, platform, and budget. You may want to consider the design of your chatbot, such as its name, logo, avatar, and personality. Additionally, you should think about the logic you want your chatbot to use - whether it will be based on natural language processing (NLP), rules and keywords, a conversational flow, or a linear structure. Finally, you should consider the analytics of your chatbot. Metrics like engagement, retention, satisfaction, and conversion can be tracked to measure and improve performance. You can also test different versions of your chatbot or optimize it based on feedback.

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Brett Puffenbarger

Bridging the Gap from Bong to Boardroom | Fractional & Contract CMO/CRO | ðŸŒ± Cannabis Industry Communications & Business Development ðŸŒ± | 6X LinkedIn Community Top Voice ðŸ’¡ | USMC Veteran ðŸ¦…ðŸŒŽâš“ï¸
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This is CRUCIAL... We've all seen the viral chatbot from the Chevy dealership that was literally just ChatGPT with the name of the dealership attached. Don't do that. Features should be JUST enough to ensure customers and prospects can find the information they need, without too much extra. Nobody likes being stuck without answers, but nobody needs access to the entirety of the internet either.

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4 Compare your options

Once you have defined your goals, chosen your platform, and picked your features, you can start comparing different chatbot tools based on their functionality, ease of use, pricing, and reviews. You can use online directories, blogs, or forums to find and compare chatbot tools. You can also sign up for free trials, demos, or webinars to test them out and see how they work for you.

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5 Implement and maintain your chatbot

After you have selected your chatbot tool, you can start building and launching your chatbot. Depending on the tool you use, you might need some coding skills, or you might be able to use a drag-and-drop interface or a template. You will also need to set up your chatbot's integrations, permissions, and notifications. Once your chatbot is live, you will need to monitor its performance, analyze its results, and update it regularly to keep it relevant, accurate, and engaging.

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6 Hereâ€™s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that donâ€™t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Kanika Bedi

Internal & External Communications | Reputation & Crisis Management | Brand PR | Strategic & Leadership Communications | Media Relations | ESG & Sustainability | e4m 40 Under 40 (Views expressed are personal)
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Choose a tool with a user-friendly interface and a straightforward bot-building process. This is especially important if you or your team are not experienced in coding or complex technical setups. Also, it is important to check if the chatbot tool integrates seamlessly with your existing systems and platforms.

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Diana Petru

Global Community Manager at Wargaming | Ph.D. in Modern History | Women in Games Ambassador
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Integrating a chatbot on a website streamlines tasks but has drawbacks. Chatbots might struggle with complex queries, leading to inaccuracies and user frustration. Their lack of human touch can impact customer service quality, especially in emotionally nuanced situations. Setting up and maintaining chatbots can be time-consuming and costly, while potential privacy risks need vigilant monitoring. Yet, refining chatbot capabilities can improve user experiences and offset these limitations on websites.

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You want to add a chatbot to your website. What are the best tools to use?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Define your goals

2 Choose your platform

3 Pick your features

4 Compare your options

5 Implement and maintain your chatbot

6 Hereâ€™s what else to consider

Strategic Communications

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Directory

You want to add a chatbot to your website. What are the best tools to use?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Define your goals

2 Choose your platform

3 Pick your features

4 Compare your options

5 Implement and maintain your chatbot

6 Hereâ€™s what else to consider

Strategic Communications

Rate this article

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