Getting Started With Chatbots

Chatbots are among the cutting-edge technologies companies are discussing to implement. They can help your business stepping forward in marketing, sales, customer service, HR, and several other fields by making them a helpful and brilliant experience your customers will interact with. As people are using messenger apps more than social media networks the messenger app is now the new place to be - if you want to make it easy for your customers to get in contact with you.

“Bots are the new apps.”
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella


Use cases like smarter product finders, FAQ or HR-Recruiting are just simple but effective first ideas for many companies – while the inspiration for use cases of all kinds is endless.

Related content:

• How Do AI Chatbots Work?
• 9 Questions to Ask Chatbot Vendors
• AI Chatbots for Insurance: Benefits & Examples
• How AI Chatbots Help the Healthcare Industry

Things to know before selecting a chatbot for your business

Recognizing that chatbots can be a big deal for your business it needs no explanation that you will need a structured approach to realize your first chatbot that serves your business. Here are some important headlines you should deal with and questions you should be able to answer.

1. Objectives and their added value

What is the reason why you want to start a chatbot? Are there processes you need to optimize? Does a chatbot help your customer service team to handle peak times? Will a chatbot save the time of your user? Do you want to establish a 24/7 available service on your website? Whatever the objective of your chatbot is – you should point out the added value for your business or customers.

2. Platforms and touchpoints

Where do you want your audience to engage with your chatbot? A chat on your website? Facebook messenger? Slack? Skype? Or do you want it to publish on a voice assistant like Alexa? Think about what makes sense and how you guide your visitors across your multiple touchpoints.

3. Integration into existing processes

How does the process the chatbot is covering fit into your existing processes? Does it replace processes (for example: visitors doesn’t need to be guided any longer to your websites FAQ page as they now can ask your chatbot on the homepage)? Or will you establish a new process with your chatbot? How does that reflect the work of your teams in customer service, marketing, sales, etc.?

4. Data and customer intelligence

Which kind of data do you need to let your bot learn about the conversation he will cover? Should the bot interact with your user on a detailed individual level what means you need data from different kind of systems making the user experience personalized? Do you have API‘s to realize your plans?

5. Human intervention

Where should the digital assistant hand over to a human? What are the steps within a conversation with your audience a chatbot is responsible for and where do you need to get humans into the process?

6. Technology

How to configure Conversational AIs? Either you have some serious coding skills and time in your backpack or you use platforms like Cognigy.AI which enable you to build them on your own – within minutes and without coding.