Is a chatbot something I should use?

It’s common to feel uneasy when new tech starts to take off and you aren’t sure if you should use it and how or where to begin!
The answer to this question is — are you ready to innovate in order to improve or achieve your goals more effectively?

Is it just a fad? will it survive the test of time? will it work? why should I trust something so new? “my old ways work fine at this point in time.”

I’m not going to sit here trying to convince you that chatbots and conversations are perfect for every digital interaction — because they aren’t. But I dare you to try and think of at least 2 interactions that you do daily with your mobile that cannot be done as a conversation — Go!

Sure maybe some interactions wouldn’t be perfect but I definitely couldn’t think of any interaction that wouldn’t work as a conversation.

Alright, time to put my money where my mouth is — right?
Let’s take a look at some of my daily mobile activities but done with current chatbots.

Checking the weather — Poncho (Messenger)

Check the current value of Bitcoin (yeah, that’s still on my mind in the morning) (Google assistant)

Check daily news (Google assistant)

Find/read interesting articles and post’s tailored to my interests (Neil)

Despite these everyday actions being quite menial, these are an example of how a conversation can be more rewarding. I was able to get what I wanted immediately after each question, making the expereience quick and easy. This concept of getting information to a user can be applied in vertiaully any circumstance that involves a digital experience.

Whether you want to create leads, sell a product, provide a service, ease customer service, build a brand, replace a native app or ANYTHING! you can apply a chatbot/conversation to do it more effectively (within reason).

So –
Do I think this is a fad?
No, this next UI development is simply the next greatest revolution in the UX field since the internet search (😮 Broad opinion I know, but this is a big deal).

Will it survive the test of time?
Without a doubt. This is only the beginning. The positive elements that this brings to user experience is something that we should not ignore. In the coming years, this use of tech will grow and become something that will change the way we interact with our devices.

Will it work?
Yes, if you have a creative product idea it is definitely worth considering a conversational interface.
Or maybe you want to improve your business internally and/or externally. The possibilities are endless and if done correctly, your business will benefit.

Why should I trust something so new?
What you are doing may be working but this is an improved way of achieving your goals more effectively. A chatbot can give users/customers what they need on the spot and gives them less reason to get distracted by other elements of communication.

My old ways work fine at this point in time.
It’s great to see good businesses do well, especially if they have innovative offerings. Just don’t get stuck in a loop of innovating with old standards and don’t ignore streams of communication that others are using.

Have thought of an awesome way to improve your business with a chatbot or conversational interface? We would love to hear your ideas.
Are you still debating whether you should use a chatbot or not? we love to talk about them so have a read 🙂 or just talk to use directly.

You can also find us on Medium.