What is a chatbot? 2024 guide

Redefine conversations with chatbots in 2024

The evolution of chatbots over the past decade has been remarkable.

Bots have progressed from a luxury only employed by forward-thinking, tech-savvy businesses to an absolute standard in customer engagement for companies of all sizes. Much of the developed world now interacts with chatbots or virtual assistants each day without even considering it, while 74% of users now prefer bots over live agents when seeking answers to routine questions.

Utilizing their advanced machine learning capabilities to continually learn from interactions, chatbots will only continue to grow in both utilization and functionality. If your company hasn’t hopped on the chatbot train yet, now is the time to grab your ticket.

Today, we’ll dive into what chatbots are, how they work, and the best bots currently available to organizations.

What is a chatbot? - How to choose the best chatbot

A chatbot is a computer program that simulates a conversation with human users, typically through text or voice interfaces. It utilizes natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms to respond to user inputs conversationally. Bots can range from simple rule-based systems that follow predefined scripts to more sophisticated AI-powered models capable of understanding context.

How do chatbots work?

To start, chatbot best practices dictate providing them with a robust repository of information from which to pull. From here, they’ll employ machine learning to refine functionality and dynamically adjust continuously.

Here’s a basic breakdown of how bots operate:

Step 1: train for relevant topics

Training a chatbot on pertinent business topics involves employing a knowledge base it can leverage to answer customer queries. Your base should include frequently asked questions (FAQs), product or service details, company policies, and any other information users might inquire about. Be sure to organize this information in a structured format that the chatbot can easily understand, such as a database or a knowledge graph.

Step 2: learn from multi-channels

By analyzing data from various channels such as messaging apps, websites, and social media platforms, chatbots can adapt their approaches over time. These interactions provide valuable insights into user preferences and needs, which can then be used to refine the bot's algorithms and enhance its ability to respond to user queries effectively.

Step 3: predict the next step

Many chatbots can integrate real-time predictive analytics to adjust their interactions based on changing circumstances dynamically. By continuously monitoring user behavior and environmental factors, bots can adapt their responses on-the-go to meet user needs and preferences better. This proactive approach not only promotes increased satisfaction but also enhances efficiency by preemptively addressing potential concerns before they arise. 

What are the benefits of a chatbot?

The benefits that chatbot deployment can offer your business will depend on your organizational needs and how you plan to utilize the bot to address your challenges. Their around-the-clock availability, deflection of routine inquiries, and consistency in responses tend to be their biggest draws.

Bots provide 24/7 accessibility, allowing companies to offer perpetual assistance to their customers without the need for human intervention. By automating routine tasks, chatbots also free human agents to focus on more complex activities, increasing overall productivity.

Moreover, chatbots deliver unmatched consistency in customer interactions. Regardless of the volume of inquiries, bots can handle all routine conversations simultaneously, ensuring uniform experiences across all channels. They can also be trained to adhere to specified brand guidelines, verifying that every interaction reflects an organization's values and standards.

When used optimally, chatbots will increase sales by 67% on average – make sure you’re utilizing the software to the best of its ability to optimize its potential. 

Challenges that can come with using chatbots

As with any system, specific difficulties may present themselves throughout your use of chatbot software. The good news is that most of these issues can be remedied with proper attention and maintenance.

Lack of human touch

While chatbots offer numerous benefits in terms of efficiency, their interactions can sometimes lack the warmth associated with human communication and human conversation. This absence of a human touch and a natural person can lead to impersonal interactions, which may leave users dissatisfied.

To remedy this issue, businesses can design chatbots with personality traits and conversational styles that align with their brand's tone and values. By injecting humor and/or empathy into their responses, bots can create a more engaging and relatable experience for users. 

Security concerns

Security concerns can arise with chatbots, particularly regarding protecting sensitive user data and guarding against malicious activities.

Companies should enact robust safeguarding measures throughout the development, deployment, and operation phases to sufficiently address these concerns. This typically includes encryption of data, implementing access controls, and regularly monitor bot interactions for signs of suspicious activity. 

Glitches

Glitches may manifest as technical errors, such as system crashes, unresponsive interfaces, or incorrect responses, which can undermine the reliability of the chatbot. They can also occur due to limitations in the chatbot's NLP capabilities, resulting in misinterpretations of user inputs.

To reduce these occurrences, organizations should prioritize quality assurance (QA) throughout the development lifecycle. This includes conducting extensive functional testing to identify technical issues and user acceptance testing to evaluate the bot's ability to understand a wide range of inputs.

Traditional chatbots vs. AI powered chatbots

There are two main types of chatbots: rule-based and AI-based. 

Rule-based, or traditional, bots are typically more fit for environments where inquiries are limited and well-defined, while AI-driven bots may be better suited for businesses seeking greater flexibility, scalability, and adaptability.

Traditional

A rule-based chatbot operates on a set of predefined rules, which determine how they respond to user prompts. These rules usually involve matching keywords in the user's message to specified responses stored in a knowledge base. If the input doesn't match the prespecified criteria, the bot will prompt the user for more information or offer a default response indicating it doesn't understand the query.

Ai-based

Alternatively, AI-based chatbots are more sophisticated, as they’re powered by NLP and machine learning. Unlike rule-based bots, AI-based chatbots are capable of interpreting user input in a more human-like manner. They’re able to analyze context, semantics, and user intent, enabling them to generate more contextually relevant responses.

Choosing the best chatbot for your business

Begin by conducting a comprehensive analysis of your business objectives and operational challenges. Identify the specific use cases and tasks you intend for the chatbot to fulfill, whether providing customer support, automating sales processes, or delivering personalized recommendations. 

Once you’ve identified organizational pain points, seek a chatbot that offers specific features that will help you address them. For instance, if you’re struggling with communicating with a global client base, you’ll want to ensure that a potential software offers robust multilingual capacity. In this case, Freshchat would be an ideal option, as it offers 33+ distinct languages to help cater to diverse customer bases.

Chatbots vs virtual assistants

Chatbots and virtual assistants are both AI technologies designed to interact with users and assist them in various tasks, but they differ in scope, functionality, and level of sophistication. 

Chatbot

Chatbots are typically focused on particular tasks and are often deployed within specific channels, such as messaging apps or websites. They’re programmed to respond to user inputs in a conversational manner, answering user questions or executing predefined actions. Bots rely on rule-based logic or machine learning algorithms to process user queries, but they may lack certain advanced capabilities.

Virtual assistant

On the other hand, virtual assistants are more comprehensive and versatile. Assistants, such as Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, are capable of interpreting user intent and executing complex commands. They can be integrated into various devices, including smartphones, smart speakers, and IoT devices, allowing users to access them seamlessly across different environments.

Chatbots vs livechat

Live chat and chatbots are both AI tools used for customer engagement, but they vary in their underlying chatbot technology, mode of operation, and automation capacity.

Live chat involves real-time communication between a human agent and a user through a messaging interface. It offers the advantage of more human-centric interactions, enabling representatives to provide personalized responses to address customer needs effectively. However, keep in mind that live chat is more resource-intensive and more dependent on the availability of human agents than chatbots are.

Chatbot and live chat satisfaction rates are basically a wash; chatbots boast an 87.58% rate, while live chat sits at 85.8%.

The choice between live chat and chatbots depends on various organisational factors. Live chat is well-suited for situations that require personalized interactions or complex problem-solving, while chatbots are ideal for handling routine inquiries, automating tasks, and providing instant responses. For best results, leverage both synergistically to provide end-users with the option to use either one for specific scenarios.

Do you know how the Freshworks CSS API works?

Freshchat’s application programming interfaces (APIs) can be used to build custom integrations and workflows. APIs help resolve concerns by tailoring existing workflows to specific business structures, connecting bot flows with messaging, syncing data from external systems, and more.

For example, CSS can be integrated with your CRM system via APIs to provide more personalized assistance based on customers’ purchase history, preferences, and interaction data sets. Similarly, using APIs to connect Service Suite with an e-commerce platform enables businesses to automate order processing, track shipments, and provide real-time updates.

Must-have chatbot features

#1. Omni-channel

Chatbots enable companies to extend their presence to new touchpoints, allowing them to meet customers wherever they are. For example, they can deploy bots on messaging apps like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp to engage with users in real-time conversations. Similarly, integration with voice assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant empowers organizations to offer voice-enabled interactions, providing hands-free assistance for on-the-go users.

#2. No code

No-code chatbots generally offer greater flexibility and customization, allowing companies to tailor the bot to align with their unique requirements. With intuitive visual interfaces and drag-and-drop tools, businesses can easily design conversational flows, incorporate multimedia content, and integrate with third-party services without writing a single line of code.

#3. Affordable

Seek out scalable pricing models that allow your organization to pay only for the services it needs, whether based on usage, number of interactions, or specific features. This flexibility enables companies to start small and scale up as their needs grow, avoiding upfront investments that may not align with changing budget restrictions or business objectives.

#4. Teachable

A chatbot software that’s easily teachable is essential for organizations to efficiently manage conversational AI solutions without requiring extensive technical expertise

These software typically features intuitive interfaces and user-friendly documentation that enable non-technical users to customize the chatbot's behavior effectively. This democratization of bot development empowers organizations to adjust strategies quickly without relying on specialized developers or data scientists.

#5. Artificial intelligence

AI-powered chatbots leverage advanced technologies such as NLP, machine learning, and deep learning to interpret user queries and generate contextually relevant responses. This allows bots to engage users in more natural conversations, leading to higher levels of satisfaction.

#6. Sentiment analysis

Sentiment analysis enables chatbots to understand the emotional tone of user messages, promoting more empathetic interactions. This tool assists bots in gauging whether users are expressing positive, negative, or neutral sentiments, allowing them to tailor their responses accordingly. Sentiment analysis is particularly important in support scenarios where delicately addressing user emotions can significantly impact the overall experience.

How to add a chatbot to your website

Integrating a chatbot into your website involves several steps to ensure seamless functionality and user experience. The process begins with selecting software that meshes well with your existing operations and ends with its publishing and continuous performance monitoring.

1. Select a chatbot that works best for your business

First, assess the compatibility of potential chatbot solutions with your web platform. Look for bots that offer straightforward integration options, such as plugins or embeddable widgets, that can be easily connected with your site's existing infrastructure. Ensure that the solution supports the technology stack and content management system (CMS) used by your website to avoid synergy issues. 

2. Design conversations that deliver results

Make sure to structure conversation flows logically to guide users through interactions more efficiently. Branching logic and conditional responses can be incorporated to accommodate different user inputs, ensuring that the chatbot can handle a wide range of interactions. Multimedia content, such as images or videos, can also be leveraged to enhance engagement and convey information more effectively.

3. Test and publish your chatbot

Start by thoroughly testing the chatbot's functionality across various devices and browsers. Conduct usability testing to identify any bugs or inconsistencies in the conversation flows or user interface (UI).

After thorough testing, publish the chatbot on your website and monitor its performance closely. Remember to communicate the availability of the bot through prominent placement and clear calls to action (CTAs) on your website. You’ll also want to continually monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as response times, resolution rates, and user satisfaction scores to identify areas for improvement.

Common & creative chatbot use cases

Chatbots offer a wide range of applications across various departments and industries. They’re most commonly utilized to assist with efforts such as customer service, lead generation, content delivery, and more.

Customer support: Chatbots are often used to provide instant customer service, answer FAQs or troubleshoot IT issues. Their round-the-clock availability and capacity to handle an infinite amount of interactions simultaneously free up human agents to focus on more complex tasks.

Lead generation: Bots can be employed to qualify leads by collecting contact information and guiding users through the sales funnel. By asking to qualify questions and offering relevant resources, chatbots can identify potential prospects and nurture them towards conversion.

Content delivery: Personalized content, news updates, or educational resources can also be delivered via chatbots. Bots can recommend content, answer questions, and engage users in interactive customer experiences to keep them informed and entertained.

Many chatbots also offer the flexibility to be employed in more creative ways, providing benefits for niche markets or specialized engagement efforts.

Possible uses include:

Travel planning: Tailored travel suggestions can be recommended based on users' interests, travel dates, and budget constraints. Chatbots can also facilitate bookings, reservations, and ticket purchases to facilitate a more convenient travel planning experience.

Gamification: Interactive storytelling and gamified interactions are often employed through chatbots to entertain, educate, and promote brand awareness. Bots can lead users through choose-your-own-adventure narratives, quizzes, and trivia games, offering rewards and incentives along the way. They can also be leveraged to lead product demos or virtual scavenger hunts.

Virtual event concierge: Chatbots can enhance the attendee experience at virtual events, such as conferences, webinars, or trade shows, by acting as event concierges. They may provide event information, agenda updates, and session reminders, as well as answer attendee questions and assist with networking activities.

Top 20 chatbot platforms in 2024

So you’re ready to employ a chatbot for your business needs – what’s next? You’ll need to choose a provider that offers robust features that address your unique organizational pain points and customer expectations.

To make your decision a little bit easier, we’ve done the heavy lifting by compiling a list of the top ten chatbot software available on the market today. To do this, we examined factors such as natural language capabilities, multilingual capacity, reporting tools, customization potential, affordability, and more.

Take a look to see which chatbot best suits your identified needs:

#1. Freshchat

Freshchat acts as a comprehensive customer engagement solution that combines the ticketing capacity of Freshdesk with the chat capabilities of Freshchat. 

With CSS, chatbots can be deployed on whichever platforms your customers use most, while tools like IntelliAssign and canned responses can enhance live chat capacity.

Furthermore, organizations can utilize Service Suite’s real-time reporting potential to create dynamic dashboards that provide customized analytics on individual agents’ performances and productivity as a whole.

Key features

• Automatic solution suggestions can be triggered to pop up based on where a user is at in their customer journey

• Multilingual support empowers businesses to choose from 33+ languages to customize messenger in the language of their choice

• Conversation APIs enable homegrown bots to connect with messenger and team inbox

• Agent handover transfers conversations to live-agents seamlessly, with just a single click

• Web widgets promote real-time communication with website visitors by providing a pop-up window that prompts them to engage

• The Freshchat SDK allows organizations to embed live-chat support and chatbot-driven self-service into mobile apps 

Pros

• Omnichannel messaging is supported through email, chat, social media, website, messenger, and more

• Chatbot, help widget, knowledge base, and more offer wide-ranging self-service capabilities for customers to resolve issues autonomously

• Small talk and natural language capabilities helps to engage customers by enhancing naturalness and avoiding robotic answers

• Manage change without code-level corrections – simply click, update, and save to refine your bot flows

• Offers a plethora of automated notifications for both agents and end-users

Why customers love Freshchat 

Clients love Freshchat’s vast automation potential that serves to resolve issues quickly when applicable while directing conversations to relevant representatives when escalation is required. Additionally, its multilingual and live translation capacity makes it an ideal choice for large organizations or those catering to multicultural customer bases.

Satisfied client, Pearl R., lauds CSS’s ease-of-use and in-depth insights, saying, “The interface is so simple that even agents with no experience using chat support tools can use it. It's very easy to use, it's fast, and all information about the customer is there. It lets you know which page the customer is chatting from, the product they are interested in, their location, and even the device they are using which is very important especially when handling tech-related issues.

#2. Drift chatbot

Drift provides a highly customizable chatbot, allowing organizations to specify communications for unique users visiting specific areas of their websites. It’s often used to qualify leads and nurture them down sales funnels, ensuring that live agents only spend time and resources interacting with high-quality prospects.

Pricing

$2,500 per month for its Premium plan, while you’ll need to contact Drift directly for a custom quote on its Enterprise package

Key features

• GPT-suggested replies automatically generate potential responses based on marketing materials or the context of specific conversations

• AI engagement scores provide an intent rating based on a prospective account’s engagement activities

• AI playbook templates come ready to use, with pre-built conversation paths

Pros

• Trained on 100+ million B2B sales and marketing conversations

• Multilingual capacity allows both bots and agents to converse with users in their preferred dialect

• Strong natural language features enable chatbots to respond to open-ended questions and complex prompts

Cons

• A bit pricey when compared to similar software with comparable features

• Bot creation can be clunky, creating challenges in tailoring it to specific business needs

#3. Intercom

Intercom’s Fin chatbot utilizes sophisticated AI language models to resolve customer issues with conversational answers based solely on specified support content. Fin can also triage complex problems and intelligently route them to human support teams when it’s unable to answer a question.

Pricing

Starts at $39 per user per month for its Essential plan, up to $139 per user per month for its Expert package

Key features

• Content targeting enables Fin to pull from Intercom articles, public URLs, and PDFs to better support customers

• Custom answers allow businesses to create bespoke answers that incorporate rich media, external data, and custom actions 

• Content targeting displays the right content to the right audience at the right time by segmenting customers based on their plan, location, or persona

Pros

• Efficient in conducting human-like conversations, with ability to ask clarifying questions and answer nuanced queries

• Clients report that Fin is able to resolve 50% of customer issues without any manual intervention

• Intelligently hands off conversations to live agents with retained context when escalation is required 

Cons

• User reviews mention poor customer support experiences

• Customer segmentation can be complex, resulting in difficulties with personalizing messages

#4. Chatfuel

Chatfuel offers code-free chatbot software aimed at enhancing communication on Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and websites. It delivers extensive lead management capacity, as well as the ability to send automated messages for abandoned carts, re-engagement efforts, and upselling opportunities.

Pricing

Begins at $14.39 per month for its Business plan, up to $300 per month for its Enterprise package

Key features

• Drip campaigns target customers based on specific conditions like inactivity or cancellations

• Chatfuel API can integrate data from your store, CRM, or CDP, helping to identify and track user behavior

• Extensive segmentation capacity empowers companies to send targeted and personalized messages that resonate with customers

Pros

• Comes with ChatGPT built-in

• Deployable on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, websites, and more

• Automatically sends messages for abandoned carts and identifies cross-selling or upselling opportunities

Cons

• Challenges in translating different languages might be a deal-breaker for organizations catering to global audiences

• Users are unable to duplicate chatbot flows across different channels

#5. Landbot.io

Landbot.io’s chatbot is another no-code option that features a drag-and-drop creator to tailor conversational flows to your organizational preferences. It’s commonly leveraged to distribute feedback surveys, recommend products, and facilitate event signups.

Pricing

Free plan offered for a single user, while its Business package will run businesses $450 per month

Key features

• Reusable bricks and templates make building multiple chatbots and complex flows a painless process

• No-code builder enables companies to design sophisticated flows with conditional logic, formulas, and rich media, with a visual drag-and-drop interface

• Can be used as a scheduling assistant, asking customized questions and syncing with business calendars to allow leads to choose available dates and times for appointments

Pros

• Flexible embedding lets organizations choose the best format for integrating a chatbot in their website while providing the option to share it as a full-page conversational experience

• Provides significant benefits for marketing teams with its wide-ranging capacity to generate qualified leads and move them further down the sales funnel

• Easily set goals, view reports, and analyze drop-offs in conversations with robust chatbot analytics

Cons

• No mobile app available, meaning it can only be accessed through a browser

• Restricted customization that can limit branding potential

H3: #6. Customers.ai

Customers.ai’s OmniChat technology allows its users to write a single chatbot funnel that works seamlessly across multiple messaging platforms. The chatbot translates to Facebook Messenger, native web chat, and SMS messaging for enhanced cohesion across all channels.

Pricing

Starter plan begins at $199 per month, while its Advanced package is $799 per month

Key features

• Advanced chatbot builder generates bots that work in SMS, web chat, Facebook Messenger, and more

• Q&A triggers can be used to program bots to respond to customers based on keywords

• OmniChat technology serves to automatically qualify, nurture, and convert leads with multi-channel chatbot tools

Pros

• Chatbot analytics utilize chat-based forms to track conversions completed in the chat

• No coding required to use chatbot builder, making it an ideal choice for non-technical teams

• Add images, attachments, videos, or GIFs with 12+ rich-media content widgets

Cons

• Data syncing when integrated with existing systems can be hit-or-miss, leading to incomplete information and missed opportunities

• Several user reviews mention poor customer support when issues arise

#7. Pandorabots

Pandorabots’ chatbots are focused on B2C communication while emphasizing more conversational interactions with features like speaking avatars and small talk. They can be developed either using code or with no code, and offer text-to-speech (TTS) and multilingual capabilities.

Pricing

Sandbox plan starts at $0, while you’ll need to contact Pandorabots directly for a custom quote on its Enterprise package

Key features

• Speaking avatars aim to customize the user experience (UX) by providing animated characters that can add personality to your brand

• Small talk libraries offer the top 10,000 chit-chat inputs to assist in humanizing interactions

• Voice enablement enables speech-to-text and text-to-speech for enhanced convenience and inclusivity

Pros

• Multilingual capacity empowers companies to write AIML scripts in any natural language

• Enhanced context-awareness allows bot to break free of traditional decision trees and respond to more nuanced inquiries

• Vast cross-channel potential to leverage bots on messaging and/or voice channels

Cons

• Organizations will need to integrate with an external database to store contact information

• No automation available to escalate to a live agent when a bot can’t resolve an issue

#8. Tidio

Tidio’s chatbots place an increased emphasis on the e-commerce and retail sectors, providing capable software for organizations in these spaces. These bots possess exceptional proactive capabilities, as they’re able to track late orders, expedite shipping, and automatically offer replacements and refunds.

Pricing

Free plan available, while its Tidio+ plan is $499 per month

Key features

• One-second handoffs when customers wish to speak to a real person, helping to create a frictionless experience

• Robust knowledge base that can be leveraged to adjust a bot’s behavior based on brand guidelines

• Multiplatform and multilingual capabilities allow organizations to engage with users on various channels in seven distinct languages

Pros

• Supervisors can oversee their chatbot’s conversations in real-time, enabling them to jump in on their own when needed

• Bot provides answers solely based on your unique support content, minimizing the likelihood of incorrect or misleading responses

• Provides extensive real-time insights into how audiences are interacting with your chatbot, allowing you to tailor it to better meet user expectations

Cons

• Relatively limited in its ability to answer open-ended or complex inquiries; often requires escalation to live representatives

• Restricted testing capabilities may result in the deployment of bots that aren’t yet ready for use in a live environment

#9. Aivo

Aivo’s AgentBot is a robust software that’s widely employed by banking institutions. It’s designed to easily handle common finance-related activities like credit card activations, fraud detection, identity authentication, and more. It also offers hyper-realistic avatars to personalize interactions in any industry.

Pricing

You’ll need to contact Aivo directly for custom quotes on its various packages

Key features

• Video Conversational AI provides a hyper-realistic avatar that chats naturally and resolves queries instantly through video chat

• Satisfaction scores measure customer satisfaction and identify interactions with the most significant impact to detect areas for improvement

• Conversational engine boasts 90% accuracy in conversations by leveraging multiple languages, naturalness, and open dialogues

Pros

• Ability to combine AgentBot’s conversational power with Engage, an automated tool to proactively start conversations on WhatsApp Business Platform

• Companies enjoy the potential to explore customers' unresolved queries to discover new content, vocabulary, and ways to improve chatbot functionality

• Plug-ins and personalized ads provide the ability to generate custom ads and add embedded maps, videos, buttons, PDFs, and more

Cons

• Restricted customization of the dictionary used in AgentBot’s conversational motor

• Steep learning curve that may prove challenging for non-technical agents

#10. ManyChat

ManyChat’s chatbot is a marketing-focused software that can be deployed on social platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. It’s most useful when employed to enhance lead management strategies, as it can automatically capture email addresses and phone numbers for up to 80% of your prospects.

Pricing

Free plan available, while you’ll need to contact ManyChat directly for a custom quote on its Premium package

Key features

• AI Assistant and plug-and-play templates promote easier chatbot implementation for beginners

• Can deliver deals and coupon codes directly to users’ Instagram DMs all while you’re interacting ‘live’

• Ability to automatically ‘like’ and respond to every social media comment, while sending more information, such as links to purchase, via DMs

Pros

• Ideal for integration with social media channels, offering easy connection with Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and more

• Chatbot can capture email addresses and phone numbers for up to 80% of leads, automatically adding them to your database

• Extensive follow-up and re-engagement capabilities ensure that leads are continuously nurtured and every opportunity is capitalized upon

Cons

• No conversational AI capabilities, as it operates solely on keyword recognition

• Difficult to engage in multiple languages, narrowing potential audiences

#11. Salesforce Einstein

Salesforce Einstein is an AI technology that uses machine learning, natural language processing, and predictive analytics to analyze data, uncover insights, and automate tasks. It can be leveraged to power multi-channel, multilingual bots that integrate with Salesforce data.

Pricing

Starts at $75 per user per month

Key features

• Enhanced bots can be connected to messaging channels, third-party apps, or Einstein bots API for a more secure and personalized conversational experience

• Bot blocks allow businesses to add prebuilt functionality to chatbots without cloning or building a new one

• Bot response delays enable companies to program shorter delays to expedite interactions, or longer delays to provide customers with more time to read

Pros

• Two types of bots can be built from the Guided Setup Flow: templates and bots from scratch

• Seamless handoff to live agents or other bots when escalation is required

• Highly refined bot dialogues which empower them to understand and respond to variations in user input

Cons

• Limitations in versions per bot, utterances per bot, and active bots may be restrictive for some organizations

• The AI and analytics features of Einstein require an entirely separate database, creating challenges in accurately tracking customer activities

#12. WP-Chatbot

WP-Chatbot is the most popular bot in the WordPress ecosystem, powering tens of thousands of websites with live chat and web chat capabilities. It’s designed to help businesses engage with website visitors using their own Facebook Messenger.

Pricing

Begins at $14.25 per user per month

Key features

• Omnitchat technology allows WordPress site owners to chat with customers in the messaging apps they already use

• Chat blasts enable the distribution of messages to entire chat mailing lists

• Drip campaigns send users a series of messages, helping to amass hundreds of conversions in a few minutes on messaging platforms

Pros

• One-click installation for WordPress

• Ability to translate chatbot conversations to native web chat if it detects a website visitor is not signed into Facebook Messenger

• Provides a single, unified inbox for website chats, Facebook page chats, or other entry points

Cons

• Only operable on WordPress websites

• Limited customization can restrict branding options and personalization efforts

#13. LivePerson

LivePerson's conversational AI offers end-to-end orchestration of B2C interactions from a single place using AI tools and automation. It provides a rich data set and safety tools designed to unlock the full potential of generative AI and large language models.

Pricing

You’ll need to contact LivePerson directly for a custom quote for your specific business needs

Key features

• Open platform empowers businesses to connect LivePerson’s AI to CRM, marketing, and data systems to personalize and streamline communication

• Bot Human Tango allows for the seamless handoff from one type of agent to the other, while all can be managed in one workspace

• Conversation builder enables companies to create automated flows with no code through a point-and-click interface with a guided assistant

Pros

• Conversational cloud powered by generative AI, conversational AI, and voice AI

• Live agents can easily oversee chatbots throughout the customer engagement process and even label misunderstood intents

• Easily convert webpages, PDFs, and FAQs into interactive AI chatbot experiences that use natural human language

Cons

• Limited exporting options for chat transcripts

• Lack of intuitiveness; relies heavily on pre-written responses to converse with users

#14. Genesys DX

Genesys Cloud is designed to help organizations promote a more unified CX by leveraging a powerful chatbot software that's already integrated and ready to use. It’s well-known for features like engagement history and NLP, allowing its bots to seamlessly interact with customers while helping companies understand how their software is performing.

Pricing

From $40 per user per month, up to $90 per user per month for the Genesys Cloud EX package

Key features

• Digital bot flows is a native implementation that allows chatbots to interact conversationally with customers

• Intent Miner automatically surfaces intent from conversations, providing insights that bot authors can apply to improve native or third-party bots

• Meeting scheduler understands lead intent and determines the best possible moment to offer a meeting

Pros

• Supports digital menus, images, and videos to give digital conversations a visual impact

• Easy to create smart bots using a drag-and-drop flow builder, equipped with built-in dialogue management and NLP features

• For companies that already have a bot in production, Genesys Bot Connector makes it easy to integrate your chatbot into Genesys Cloud

Cons

• Abundance of features may be overwhelming and unnecessary for some organizations, particularly considering the higher price point

• Steep learning curve may require specialized training for businesses to unlock the software’s full potential

#15. Lyro

Lyro is a conversational AI chatbot that aims to automate customer support for small- and mid-sized companies. It’s capable of deflecting up to 70% of common customer questions, freeing up human agents to focus on more nuanced issues.

Pricing

Starts at $0 for up to 50 conversations, while its top-tier package is $499 per month

Key features

• Website URL option provides links to specific pages, enabling Lyro to use that content as a data source

• Playground empowers companies to check Lyro's knowledge in a test environment by typing in custom queries or selecting provided example questions

• Tasks allows for the creation of static flows, letting businesses manually generate responses for specific questions; Lyro will then use these responses instead of its own data sources

Pros

• Vast customization, such as disabling or enabling emojis, available to ensure bots are tailored to your unique brand identity

• Polyglot capabilities enable Lyro to communicate in seven distinct languages including English, Spanish, and French

• ‘Create answer’ button allows teams to manually input new answers whenever Lyro can’t resolve an issue

Cons

• Conversational AI is an add-on in most of its plans, resulting in additional costs

• Human-like interactions are limited based on dialogue flows programmed by administrators

#16. Jasper Chat

Jasper is a text-based chatbot that emphasizes NLP to create more human-like communication, helping businesses generate marketing copy, meeting summaries, product briefs, and more. 

Pricing

Creator plan starts at $39 per user per month, while you’ll need to contact Jasper directly for a custom quote on its Business package

Key features

• Conversational interface is adept at emulating human-like conversations to enhance personalization and build stronger relationships with users

• Capable of interacting in 30+ languages so that users can utilize their preferred dialect, with the software responding in that same language

• Plagiarism checker ensures that you’re creating completely original content by verifying that text in a document hasn’t be used elsewhere online

Pros

• Can be integrated with Google Docs to adapt content to different audiences, formats, and languages without losing your brand voice

• Responses aren’t pulled from any one source, but rather aggregated from a billion data points to come up with more original and natural replies

• Excellent at following storylines and referencing information from earlier in a chat

Cons

• Limited recent information to pull from, as it’s trained through Google and not updated in real-time

• Great at writing rough drafts, but typically requires significant refinement from a human for final copies

#17. ChatSpot

ChatSpot is an AI-powered assistant that combines ChatGPT with unique data sources to help businesses expedite and refine their processes. It’s free to use and can understand prompts and pre-defined templates to deliver relevant information.

Pricing

ChatSpot is free to use

Key features

• Prospecting templates quickly identify key opportunities for outreach, freeing up time for live sales agents

• CRM summaries instantly condense CRM data, delivering an easily accessible birds-eye view of contact information

• AI image generator can instantly create images for your business, saving time and speeding up workflows

Pros

• CRM assistant, analyzer, and optimizer assist in enhancing CRM operations by providing in-depth insights and expediting routine processes

• Comprehensive in scope, supporting use in content generation, document editing, message summarizations, and more

• Great competitor analysis capabilities; simply input the URL of the company you wish to analyze and ChatSpot will produce a list of the ten most relevant competitors

Cons

• Doesn’t integrate directly with third-party applications

• Restricted customization for use in specific industries and niche markets

#18. DialogFlow

Dialogflow is an all-in-one solution for building chatbots, voice bots, and virtual agents using natural language understanding (NLU) and Google AI. It’s capable of translating end-user text or audio into structured data that your apps and services can understand.

Pricing

Dialogflow CX agent starts at $0.007 per text request and $0.001 per second of audio input or output

Key features

• Visual flow builder reduces development time with interactive visualizations that allow builders to quickly understand, edit, and share their work

• Prebuilt agents accelerate time to production with a library of bots prepared for common-use cases 

• Supplemental questions expertly handle deviations in conversations, then naturally return them to the main flow

Pros

• Omnichannel potential supports use in web, mobile, messenger, and with telephony partners

• Multi-turn simulator and test cases allow for thorough testing before introduction into live environments

• Advanced dashboards, data exporting, and state-based visualizations provide robust insights into agent performance and customer engagement

Cons

• Can’t collect user information; you’ll need to integrate with an external database to store customer data

• No live chat integration, creating difficulties in escalating interactions to live agents

#19. Ada

Ada is an AI-powered customer service automation platform designed to improve CX for end-users. It’s extremely user-friendly, making it an ideal option for non-technical CX teams aiming to personalize interactions by utilizing a codeless platform.

Pricing

You’ll need to contact Ada directly for a custom quote for your specific organizational needs

Key features

• Easily measure your AI Agent’s accuracy, relevancy, and safety with Ada’s automated resolution measurement system

• Offers both a scripted bot and AI Agent to ensure that your software aligns with your company’s requirements and budget

• Runs each response through safety filters powered by Ada’s Customer Service LLM to verify that they’re safe, accurate, and relevant

Pros

• Great for serving global or multi-cultural customer bases with 50+ language options

• AI Agent draws on existing knowledge sources and data from third-party tools to reason through each situation, rather than relying on scripts

• Extensive coaching capacity helps refine tone, language, and procedures to deliver an experience that aligns with your company’s values 

Cons

• Lack of transparency in pricing

• Reporting tools are difficult to utilize, limiting ability to refine performance over time

#20. Paradox

Paradox acts as a conversational recruiting software that drives automation with a human touch. Its conversational assistant, Olivia, can streamline tasks like screening and interview scheduling through fast, easy, and mobile-first interactions. 

Pricing

You’ll need to contact Paradox directly for a custom quote on its various packages

Key features

• Conversational scheduling offers automated scheduling built for hiring teams to reduce administrative burden

• Traitify assessments reduce bias while identifying candidates' strengths, reducing short-term turnover and build high-performing teams

• Collects feedback from candidates throughout the entire hiring process to identify areas for improvement and measure the efficiency of strategies

Pros

• Supports images, video, and files to help answer candidate questions with any kind of content

• Can utilize a candidate’s resume or prompt them with preference questions to provide them with the best-fitting open jobs

• Applicants can start the application process through SMS, WhatsApp, or Facebook Messenger, and can resume it later if something comes up

Cons

• Specifically focused on the hiring process, limiting its cost-effectiveness for companies seeking assistance in customer service, content creation, or elsewhere

• If hiring needs and processes aren’t overwhelming, small businesses may be better suited looking elsewhere for free or lower-priced options

Here's how you can get the best out of chatbots

While the framework of chatbot software will provide a solid foundation to build on, it’ll be up to you to maximize its capabilities and customize it to fit your specific needs. It’s paramount to use bots synergistically with live agents for best results while providing it with sufficient training to engage in human-like conversations.

Don't expect too much from a chatbot

Employing both live agents and chatbots in business operations is essential for delivering a balanced CX from beginning to end. While bots offer scalability and 24/7 availability, live agents bring human empathy, expertise, and problem-solving capabilities to customer interactions. By combining the strengths of both, organizations can deliver an expedited and personalized CX that maximizes efficiency and satisfaction.

Ease the fear of talking to a robot

Start by clearly communicating the capabilities of the chatbot to users, emphasizing its purpose in providing quick support, answering common inquiries, and facilitating self-service options. Assure individuals that the bot is there to assist them and that live agents are available if they prefer to speak with a human. Providing clear expectations upfront can help build trust in the chatbot as a helpful tool rather than a replacement for human support.

Create a personality for your bot

Crafting a human-like personality for your bot involves carefully crafting its tone, language, and behavior to emulate the qualities of real-world communication. Begin by defining the chatbot's persona, considering factors such as its role and target audience. Determine whether the bot should have a formal or informal tone and if it should be friendly or authoritative. Additionally, verify that the chatbot is aligned with the brand's voice to ensure consistency and coherence in its communication style across all channels.

Why use the chatbot feature from Freshworks CSS?

Our clients love Freshchat due to its wealth of features, omni-channel potential, and polyglot capacity. 

Tools like journeys can send targeted, proactive messages to users, tailored to wherever they’re at in the sales funnel, while small-talk capabilities can humanize interactions, rather than just providing cookie-cutter responses. Additionally, if our bots can’t sufficiently resolve an issue, conversations can easily be transferred to a live agent with retained context.

Businesses can also meet their customers wherever they are in whichever language they speak, as CSS easily connects with platforms like web, mobile, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Apple Business Chat, and more, while it’s also able to interact in 33+ dialects. 

Freshchat is simply a must for businesses that want the whole package and nothing less; sign up for a free trial to experience the CSS advantage for yourself today!