Customer chatbots are without a doubt one of the fastest-growing components of the rapidly emerging automation trend\u2026 and yet they\u2019re rarely discussed outside of the boundaries of customer service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sure, chatbots and customer service go together like cheese and wine, and this innovative form of technology has certainly revolutionized how businesses communicate and build and maintain relationships with their customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But by failing to further explore and examine how chatbots could integrate with other areas of business, organizations are depriving themselves of a unique opportunity to drive operational efficiency and derive greater value from their marketing efforts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One area where the benefits of chatbots are commonly overlooked is lead generation. Could chatbots actually help businesses to identify potential customers? Absolutely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And not only that, but chatbots could also help to improve the experience of qualified leads, and effectively manage leads that need a little extra push in the right direction. They\u2019re actually one of the most creative ways to generate leads in today\u2019s market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Data\nCapture<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s start with the basics, and with one of the biggest obstacles standing in the way of generating traffic and leads today: data capture. Data capture is the spark igniting all new lead gen activity, but we all know that data capture forms have become a tricky area to navigate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At a time when online safety and security awareness is rising, willingness to complete online forms is naturally declining. In fact, research shows that 81% of people have abandoned an online form<\/a> after starting to fill it out. This is resulting in one very prominent shared goal across many businesses: get more business leads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Enter chatbots.\nLead generation bots give a much-needed human touch and conversational feel to\nthe more traditional and generic data capture forms, which are fast becoming a\nthing of the past. These innovative website chatbots make visitors want <\/em>to share their details, and they\nwork to remove that initial obstacle to lead generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But what do\nchatbots do <\/em>with this information\u2026?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Streamlining\nProcesses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Data capture isn\u2019t for nothing. This is used to enable chatbots to streamline operational processes and route conversations efficiently through the right channels, towards the right people, at the right time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve ever had a situation where your sales staff has accidentally got tied up in the midst of a support query, you\u2019ll understand exactly why effective lead routing is so vitally important. So\u2026 how do chatbots manage to do it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s all based on artificial intelligence \u2014 AI \u2014 technology. The bot is programmed to pick up on keywords and phrases so that they can direct conversations before they even reach your staff. The result? Accuracy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Chatbots put the right people in the right places to provide sales teams with more opportunities to engage with qualified leads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And with lead gen being one of the biggest goals for today\u2019s marketers and sales teams, having an additional layer of analysis and support is always welcomed! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lead\nAnalysis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n So as we briefly touched on above, the way that chatbots can route users to the right department or the right team is through an automated collection of data; the bot collects data from the user\u2019s initial inquiry, and analyses this to determine the best course of action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So this leads us straight into an important question: If a chatbot can collect this sort of initial data, surely it\u2019s capable of collecting more advanced data?<\/p>\n\n\n\n And it can. Not only can it do it, it can do it well. After all, there\u2019s no \u2018off the rack\u2019 solution for chatbots. Each is built specifically for individual business needs, with the ability to input characteristics and criteria that your business uses to assess lead quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By asking strategic automated questions, and understanding what to do with the answers, chatbots can auto-qualify leads to ensure that sales and marketing teams are being passed only those who are in a position to convert. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And those that aren\u2019t? Once again, chatbots can handle it. Those that aren\u2019t ready to convert can be redirected to another action. This could be further informational or educational resources on your site. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, chatbots are a way to automatically connect high quality leads with your team, and easily provide additional information or resources for lower quality leads to ensure that a positive user experience is offered for every single visitor to the website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Always\nOn<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Chatbots can even capture data from users before they\u2019ve ever even interacted with the bot, which can work to generate tailored, personalized experiences which place users at the right part of the conversion funnel, separating sales qualified leads and marketing qualified leads from leads that require more attention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s the online equivalent of \u2018press 1 to speak to…\u2019, basing its approach on where users have been directed from \u2014 for example, PPC ads, organic search results, or backlinks \u2014 to assess the quality of the lead and handle the lead appropriately on behalf of the team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps best of\nall, chatbots can do this even when your sales or marketing team can\u2019t.\nCustomer behaviour is evolving, and today\u2019s audiences expect much more from the\nbusinesses they choose to partner with. They\u2019re looking for an \u2018always on\u2019\nexperience, and with a chatbot, you can be there for your customers, even when\nyou\u2019re not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chatbots form an \u2018always on\u2019 data capturing\nsource to be there when your potential leads are, whenever that may be. And\nthey\u2019re capable of handling multiple conversations at once, getting even more\nqualified leads through to your sales team. And if no one\u2019s available? No\nworries. Chatbots can schedule call backs easily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Supporting\nExisting Processes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, chatbots aren\u2019t intended to replace sales or marketing staff in their lead generation efforts, but instead support businesses as they work to derive more value from their human resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Chatbots are good, but they\u2019re not human; they can\u2019t ask the more in depth and complex questions that are sometimes needed to encourage action. Your sales and marketing teams can\u2026 but they need the time to do so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Chatbots handle\nthe more predictable and mundane aspects of lead generation, leaving your staff\nwith more time to focus on those users deemed most likely to convert, helping\nto boost sales and profits. Of course, chatbots are also the ideal solution for\nlow cost, efficient, and effective lead nurturing, too\u2026 but that\u2019s a topic for\nanother time! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Next year, 80% of all businesses are expected to use chatbots in one form or another, according to Chatbot Magazine\u2019s 2019 Global Trends<\/a> and Analysis report. But just how many of them will think to incorporate chatbots into their lead generation strategy? <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re keen to derive the most value from the technology available, get in touch with our team today at support@convertobot.com<\/a> to learn more about how chatbots can help your business thrive in an ever-changing, hectic, and competitive market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ConvertoBot is a leading chatbot website<\/a> and social media bots platform. Set up a free account<\/a> today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Articles you may also like:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Customer chatbots are without a doubt one of the fastest-growing components of the rapidly emerging automation trend\u2026 and yet they\u2019re rarely discussed outside of the boundaries of customer service. Sure, chatbots and customer service go together like cheese and wine, and this innovative form of technology has certainly revolutionized how businesses communicate and build and…<\/span><\/p>\n
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