Let’s talk about chatbots. You know, the stuff you occasionally text on different apps or websites. Simply put, a chatbot is software that interacts with a human through a messaging application.
We see these chatbots being used in desktop or mobile apps, social media platforms and even websites. These bots communicate with humans using a conversational or “chat” interface. Sounds simple, right? Wrong.
Let’s break down the basics of chatbots and how you can benefit from them.
The basics of bots
You’ve probably heard of the looser term, “bots.” Are they the same thing as chat bots? Not really.
A bot is a general term for a computer program that creates tasks. The term “bot” actually comes from the word “robot”. So it stands to reason that it is a computer program. Regardless, bots aren’t new. Search engines like Google have relied on bots for years to help analyze content and index the web. In this case, bots can make it easier to track and organize information, often moving at a faster pace than any human is actually capable of.
Defining Chatbots
If a bot is an automated tool designed to perform a specific software-based task, a chatbot is the same, just focusing on conversations. These bots are made to talk to people. In the age of customer experience, they make it easy for companies to provide 24/7 service to even the most demanding customer.
Think of them as little guides that help consumers find their way through information on your social media platforms or website. They are like digital assistants. But how exactly do they work?
How do chat bots work?
Drawing on artificial intelligence (AI), automated rules, natural language processing (NLP), and machine learning (ML), these bots process data to answer all kinds of queries. You don’t need to know what it means, don’t worry. I will do my best to destroy it.
There are two types of chatbots: task-based and data-based. Task-based chatbots are single-purpose programs that focus on performing a single task. Using rules, NLP and very little ML, they generate automated yet conversational responses to user queries.
Data-driven chatbots are much more sophisticated, interactive and personalized than task-based ones. These programs are context aware and use NLP and ML during learning. Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa are examples of consumer-oriented, data-driven, predictive bots.
So the real question is should you use one?
Chatbots for business
Chatbots make things simple. He may not be able to pull a rabbit out of a hat, but they sure do feel like magic for your client without the need to have any difficult tricks or tricks up your sleeve. They can answer questions efficiently and quickly. So if you don’t have a lot of time in the day to answer your customers, a little digital assistant can be great for you.