Artificial Intelligence seems to be taking over the techniverse. You’ve seen it. Chatbots, programmatic advertising, automated email, and website notifications. Dollar-for-dollar, when it comes to analyzing raw data – there is no competing with AI. Not even close. Businesses using modern AI will not only gain a leg up on the competition, but they will also save money and experience growth. Does that mean that AI is the great conclusion? The Omega?
Chat Bot Thoughts
Chatbots use AI generated instant messaging to chat in real-time. As of now there are 1.4 billion – with a b – people interacting with chatbots annually, and that number is expected to rise. It is said that upwards of 85% of mid-to-large companies will be using chatbots by the end of 2022. 80%!!!!
Lets look at pros artificial intelligence…
- Availability 24-7 availability means you are there for your customers always.
- Speed The reaction time of a chatbot as opposed to a real person is infinitely better.
- Intelligence A chatbots’ “memory” and ability to accurately answer questions is becoming harder and harder to compete with.
- Recall Chatbots will never get impatient or rude with someone.
- Money No need to pay a person, or team of people to answer questions.
- Time Save users time waiting for a real person or looking up answers on a FAQ page.
- Money If used correctly, the setup costs will be eaten alive by ROI.
Now, the cons…
- Cost Chatbots cost between $3,500 and $40,000 to setup.
- Preferences Many people would rather deal with a human than AI.
- Bugs Software is almost never bug free – so there is the risk that a bot will be out of service – which would mean you need a backup plan.
- Communication Chatbots can be annoying. When you come to a site it is entirely possible that you do not want to have to close a chatbot and a request to show notifications.
So, Should You Use A Chat Bot?
I would say that if you are even asking yourself this question, then the answer is ‘if you can afford it’. I would tell you to take advantage of any technology if it will benefit you, and you can afford it.
Should I Set Up Automated Email?
You should only set up some form of automatic email if you like to enjoy the benefits of returning customers. So, yes, set up an email list and reach out to your connections. And quit asking silly questions.
The real question here is, how often? How often do you want to reach out to your customer? This varies from business to business. For example, if you have a sandwich shop, you may want to send out a list once a week with daily specials. But if you are a dentist, you probably do not need to send an email once a week.
So, get to it. Start compiling client contacts. Create email lists (e.g. current customers/previous customers). Put in that work. Lots of work. Or hire a marketing company to do it for you…😎
Website Notifications
Notifications are like a super invasive form of automated email. In my opinion most companies should be using automated email while very few companies should be using notifications.
You only need to reach out to the people in your email lists as often as you have pertinent information for them. One example would be that you have an online store and are running a very time-sensitive promotion. Most businesses need to reach out once or twice a month. Whether your requirements warrant the use of notifications or not is something you have to consider closely.
Let’s Wrap It Up
In general when making considerations for any technical updates, like launching a chat bot or setting up automated email, ask yourself these two questions: Will it help me? Can I afford it?
