How To Choose The Right E-commerce Chatbot For Your Team 

Using chatbots for e-commerce is a fantastic idea. They’re your 24/7 customer support, product promoters, and even shopping assistants. But here’s the catch: finding the ideal solution for your team isn’t as simple as a quick Google search. Your business is unique, so selecting the right chatbot involves considering some essential factors.

Feeling overwhelmed? No need to worry. We’ve got you covered with a step-by-step guide to help you discover the perfect e-commerce chatbot.

Should you go for a rule-based or AI-powered chatbot? Which integration features matter most? How much customization is necessary for your business? We’ll answer these questions and more. Let’s get started. 

E-commerce chatbot: Definition and real-life example 

An e-commerce chatbot is an automated bot that interacts with customers through a chat interface, providing a customer service-like experience. Its purpose is to automate the buying process — interact with online shoppers, address their queries, and offer support.

Many online retailers have effectively embraced chatbot technology. Notable examples include brands like Sephora, Whole Foods, and H&M.

Ready to explore how an e-commerce chatbot can benefit your business? Let’s get to the specifics of selecting the perfect chatbot.

Choose the right e-commerce chatbot in seven easy steps   

When it comes to selecting the ideal e-commerce chatbot for your team, these seven essential steps can guide you:

1. Understanding your specific e-commerce goals
2. Identifying customer needs
3. Choosing where you’ll deploy a chatbot
4. Allocating budget
5. Choosing chatbot type
6. Researching providers with essential features
7. Testing and evaluating  

Keep reading as we explain each step one by one. Grab a notebook, use a note-taking app, or any other method to jot down important details. You’re going to need it.

1. Understand your specific e-commerce goals

Determine the specific role(-s) your chatbot will play. Will it provide pre-sales product assistance, post-sales support, gather customer data, or something else? Write your objectives down. You’ll need them when evaluating potential provider features, e.g., integration options with customer support platforms like Zendesk, or any other suitable alternative for companies.

In this case, recognizing your business pain points and understanding chatbots’ value can help. Some of these challenges (and fixes) include:

2. Identify customer needs and develop personas 

Analyze the needs of your target audience. What questions do they typically have, and what challenges can a chatbot address? These guidelines can help: 

• Looking at support tickets and emails to recognize frequent pre-sales and post-sales queries.
• Creating 2-3 core personas: for example, “Discount Hunter Debbie” who seeks deals, “Quick Checkout Craig” who values speed, and  “Product Researcher Roxy” who needs detailed information.
• Identifying frequent objections, for instance, long shipping times, lack of sizing/fitting options, and difficult returns process.

3. Choose channels 

Determine the platforms where your chatbot will be available. Consider options such as your website, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or others based on the activity of your target customers.

4. Set your budget

Setting a budget involves deciding how you’ll implement your chatbot. You have two main options based on your needs and the desired chatbot complexity: custom development or a third-party solution:

• Custom development can cost from $10,000 per month to over $500,000 for a project. Alternatively, you can outsource to a chatbot agency, typically charging between $10,000 and $50,000 for a basic project.
• Third-party solutions are priced from $0 to $500 per month for small businesses and $1,000 to $10,000 or more per month for enterprises. Many platforms also offer risk-free trials. 

The key is to select the right chatbot type for your business, which we’ll discuss next.

5. Choose your chatbot type

There are three main chatbot types — rule-based, AI-powered, and hybrid. Check them out in detail below and select the one that aligns with your business requirements. 

• Rule-based chatbots work on predetermined rules and responses. While their conversational abilities are limited, they excel at automating common queries. Choose this option if you want to cover specific use cases and need a quick but effective start. 
• AI-powered chatbots use artificial intelligence, including machine learning and natural language processing, to understand conversations and respond intelligently. They offer more advanced capabilities. Opt for this type if your business is an enterprise with substantial customer data in the background.
• Hybrid chatbots combine rules-based scripting with AI technologies for better flexibility. This choice is great if you seek a sophisticated balance between a straightforward rule-based bot, AI technology, and a human touch.

6. Start researching chatbot platform providers 

Now, things get more detailed. Based on the type of chatbot you’ve decided to go with, you need to choose a chatbot platform provider. Many options exist for each type, for example:

• Rule-based: HelpCrunch, Tidio
• AI-powered: Flow XO, Chatfuel
• Hybrid: Ada, Pandorabots

As you research your options, keep an eye on the following key features:

• Analytics and reporting. In-depth analytics on chatbot usage, its impact on sales, and customer engagement. Look for metrics like conversion rates, response times, and user satisfaction.
• No-code setup to get started quickly. A no-code workflow builder to customize bot interactions without relying on developers, making it easy to test and optimize conversations.
• Integration features. Seamless integration with your existing systems, like customer relationship management (CRM) platform, e-commerce platform, or payment gateway (Stripe, PayPal).  
• Customization level. The platform’s ability to tailor the chatbot to align with your brand’s voice, tone, and personality. Pay attention to features like a conversational builder, design flexibility (bot avatar, colors, fonts), and user profiling (using customer names and purchase history).
• Scalability. The chatbot’s ability to scale up, accommodating more users, complex interactions, and transactions.
• Pricing. Compare monthly costs. Seek options like free trials and live demos to test the product. 
• Support. 24/7 technical support and access to resources like documentation, community forums, and training.
• Reviews. Check third-party reviews on Google, G2, and Capterra for unbiased feedback on features and support.

7. Test and evaluate

Now, say you picked a chatbot provider: it’s time to put it to the test. The best way to determine if it’ll work for your business is by building a test chatbot on the platform.

If your chosen provider offers a free trial or the option to book a demo, take full advantage of it. Test the chatbot thoroughly before buying. Ensure it can handle common queries and assess its performance using critical metrics like response time and user satisfaction. You can also build a sample chatbot flow based on your objectives. Here’s an example: 

If, for any reason, the chatbot provider falls short of your business needs, don’t hesitate to explore other options until you find the perfect match.

You’ve got this!

Get the most of your e-commerce chatbot with these 4 tips 

With a chatbot in business, you’re all set to make the most of it. Here are some tips to kickstart your chatbot journey. 

1. Make chatbot a personal assistant

You can easily transform your chatbot into a dedicated shopping assistant for your customers. This includes: 

• Collecting user details, purchase history, and preferences for customized recommendations.
• Sending proactive alerts about new arrivals, inventory changes, shipments, and more.
• Making chatbot conversations more human-like via branding and a conversational tone.

2. Use chatbots in various capacities : sales, marketing, and support

E-commerce chatbots are versatile. They can handle sales queries, promote products, and provide support. So why not use this versatility? 

Consider using a chatbot for: 

• Sales: Helps customers select products by offering detailed information.
• Marketing: Sends personalized offers, cross-sell suggestions, and discounts to boost engagement.
• Support: Instantly addresses order, delivery, return, and payment issues without the need for human agents to intervene.

3. Integrate a knowledge base into the chatbot

A searchable knowledge base allows customers to access information quickly. Your e-commerce chatbot can: 

• Decrease the number of repetitive questions managed by human agents.
• Enhance the knowledge base with new products, categories, FAQs, and user manuals.
• Enable users to quickly search for information using keywords or complete questions.

4. Collect customer feedback

Use chatbots for quick post-purchase surveys regarding product satisfaction. Make it effortless for customers to submit reviews, ratings, testimonials, and suggestions. Analyze feedback patterns to uncover pain points and growth opportunities.

Bottom line

Choosing the right e-commerce chatbot doesn’t have to be daunting. Start with well-defined business goals, pinpoint where a chatbot can help, and pick a provider that suits your needs best. Refer to our guide for help and research your options. 

May the perfect chatbot be with you!