Nicole Blanckenberg — April 3, 2017 A year since Facebook first launched its Messenger platform, there have been over 34k chatbots written to simulate and automate chat and messaging with users. Since they were first launched, they have come leaps and bounds, and have become a key eCommerce 2017 trend.
Why are they such a big deal for eCommerce Facebook marketing? Because they allow merchants to automate their customer engagements and interactions to make sure you’re reaching more of your shoppers and potential customers. Ultimately minimizing the gap between stores and their customers.
Chatbots can:
- Help potential shoppers make a purchase decision
- Handle any objections personally
- Upsell or cross-sell other products
- Offer discount codes
- Answer questions about “out of stock” products and notify customers when they’re available again
- Get customer feedback
- Deliver shipping notifications
In other words, any eCommerce store using chatbots is able to provide continuous messaging, in real-time, while gathering valuable customer insights: data that can be used to increase sales further. Plus, with over a billion Facebook Messenger users, it’s an unprecedented reach.
So how do you get onto this Facebook Messenger chatbot bandwagon? There are two ways: Build your own or install one onto your platform.
Build Your Own Chatbot
DIY platforms such as ChatterOn and Personify.ai allow you to easily build your own chatbots without any coding skills. In fact, it’s simpler than you think and you can tailor it specifically to your business.
Train and Use Ready-Made Chatbots
Tools such as Live Chat 24/7 provide a full chatbot platform that integrates with platforms such as Shopify and WordPress where you can provide 24/7 support and train the bot to handle your customer queries.
Here are 9 Facebook Messenger chatbots for eCommerce inspiration.
1. Burberry
Top-end retailers are also getting their bot on. Burberry’s chatbot helps you find images of their latest collections straight off the runways, gives helpful shopping advice and provides links.
2. Fify
One of India’s largest online shopping apps, Fynd, created their own chatbot, Fify, which gives real-time product information to shoppers. With Fify, which they describe as their intelligent fashion discovery and transaction bot, shoppers can discuss trends or know when new stock is in. Want to see what Fifty did for Fynd’s revenue? Check out their blog where they take you through their process and data.
3. ShopBot by eBay
eBay’s ShopBot helps shoppers search, compare, and buy items through the messenger platform. The awesome thing about their bot is that the more the user engages, the more it learns from their choices, enabling it to give future product suggests based on personal buying history.
4. Kayak
Kayak’s chatbot is super helpful. Users can find flights, hotels, cars, and things to do. Additionally, it will keep you updated with travel plans when you book, and upsell shoppers directly from messenger.
5. IQ
Japanese big retailer Uniqlo’s chatbot, IQ, lets their customers search for products by emoji to swipe through hundreds of stock options.
6. KLM Airlines
KLM’s chatbot is aimed at after-sale customer experience. Once a shopper has booked a KLM flight, they are able to check and receive booking confirmations, flight status and even do check-in, straight from messenger. It’s estimated that KLM has over 15k social conversation a week; their chatbot allows their over 200 social CRM personnel to concentrate on the big things, while it deals with the small queries.
7. HealthTap Chatbot
HealthTap is an online platform that enables patients to learn more, get help, and take action from the comfort of their home. It does this by providing health answers from over 100k US doctors by providing personalised doctor-created content through their chatbots.
8. 1-800-Flowers
1-800-Flowers chatbot acts as customer support and sales person, meaning customers don’t ever have to dial 1-800-Flowers again (or so says Mark Zuckerberg). When you’re ready to order, their chatbot integrates well with their sales teams when the human touch is needed.
9. Bly
For people looking to buy, sell or rent online, Bly is super smart. This chatbot acts like your friend or neighbor who says, “Oh, you’re looking for a new laptop? So-and-so is selling one, isn’t he?” No, really, Bly is super friendly. Ask him his opinion on a rental and he will give it to you straight.
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Keep chatting!
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