A chatbot is one of the most powerful and Intelligent tools currently available, which can make or break your revenue.
Building a chatbot is not an uphill battle. But before building it, you should have a clear and concise understanding of the purpose of building your chatbot. In other words, you should be able to identify the problems you need to resolve using the chatbot you will build.
At the end of the day, the chatbot you are planning to design should provide the desired result in the easiest way possible.
Let’s discuss in detail the common mistakes people make while designing a chatbot:
1. Failure to understand actual goals and objective
The first and biggest mistake people make while building a chatbot is the failure to understand the actual goal and objective.
User engagement and usefulness should always be the goal of a chatbot conversation.
Failure to understand the actual goal and objective will not provide the desired result and may result in losing your prospective customer and diminishing revenue.
2. Incorrect conversational design
The second mistake is an incorrect or confusing conversational design.
A properly planned or designed chatbot conversation should guide the interaction using anticipatory and suggestive questions and answers.
While designing a chatbot, remember that the bot should perform the same function as a human in responding to your user’s query.
3. Confusing or lengthy responses
The third mistake is a lengthy or confusing response.
Providing a lengthy or vague response completely defeats the purpose of having a chatbot.
Most chatbot users prefer chatbots for quick communication, and they do not wish to go through a wall of text in your chat window.
In a normal scenario, a chatbot user expects a specific and clear response. A lengthy or complicated response may deter users from engaging with your product or service.
Hence it’s very important to present clear, concise and quality information to your chatbot user.
4. Absence of visual elements
The fourth one is the absence of visual elements in a chatbot.
We always say, “pictures speak louder than words”.
With a picture or a visual element, you can convey much more information than words, meaning visual elements can convey abstract and complex information.
The brain absorbs and synthesises visual information faster than other stimuli, making visual content an incredibly effective medium.
Most of the currently available chatbots do not have a visual element, resulting in users losing interest in a conversation with your chatbot.
Therefore while building your chatbot, please include visual elements from the usual text messages.
5. No easy exit option
The fifth and most common mistake seen in a chatbot is not allowing an easy exit for the user.
It is equally important to give your chatbot users the option to exit the chatbot anytime, just like keeping them engaged with your content. The lack of an exit option can quickly make your user frustrated.
Not providing an option to exit the chatbot can result in a user not trying your chatbot again or dropping off without the very end to reach. You may also offer the option to go further while also offering the option to end the chat.
A toggle that allows users to easily switch back and forth can also be beneficial.
6. Absence of the option to chat with a human
Sixth is the absence of the option to chat with humans.
As you know, most users prefer to receive a quick response from your AI chatbot,
but there are a few users who always wish to chat with humans. If you are Ignoring these “few users’, you will risk losing your prospective customers.
Therefore, always provide your users with the option to chat with a human if they don’t receive the expected response.
7. Launching a chatbot without proper testing
And the seventh one is launching your chatbot without proper testing.
If you expect your chatbot to function flawlessly and skip the crucial step of testing,
it can cost your company’s revenue to a large extent in the long run.
You must ensure the chatbot is well-tested before it is rolled out.
To conclude, there is no hard and fast rule to be followed to make a chatbot provide the desired results, but structured planning can make all the difference.