Do people really use chatbots? It’s a question that is worth asking given how much of an impact chatbots can have on customer experiences.

Used correctly, chatbots replicate the types of in-store customer support from traditional retail outlets. In fact, some companies have had tremendous success at improving customer satisfaction, increasing average order value (AOV), and simply boosting conversion rates across the board. In this article, we’ll look at some examples of exceptional chatbot experiences to help you decide how best to incorporate a chatbot into your own website customer journey.

Do people use chatbots?

This is the most important question to answer: do people actually use chatbots? According to the data, the answer is a resounding yes! The Kindly platform alone powers 1 million chatbot messages every month. But let’s look at the wider trend:

Demand for chatbots has been growing year over year, leading to more adoption of chatbot technology from online businesses. By the end of 2020, over 1.4 billion people have or had used chatbots on a fairly regular basis.

People’s opinions of chatbots may not always be the most positive, but they’re willing to engage with them nonetheless. Nearly 70% of online chats between brand and consumer were managed from start to finish by chatbots in 2019. Additionally, 64% of online shoppers say the 24/7 customer support provided by chatbots is their best feature.

All of these statistics indicate that chatbots play a crucial role in helping shoppers navigate through the buying journey with brands.

What is the technology used in chatbots?

Together, AI, NLP, and machine learning technology program the chatbot to engage in real conversations - or digital dialogue - with shoppers as they interact with the website. As the chatbot manages more inbound customer enquiries and support tickets, the algorithm processes those requests and learns how to craft the right message as a response to those probing questions. As a result, the algorithms empower the chatbot as it learns to function as a website digital support representative to guide shoppers through a website buying experience.

What are the industries using chatbots?

Chatbots can theoretically be used on almost any type of website, but there are some industries that benefit the most. The most notable industries include:

• E-commerce
• Travel and hospitality
• Quick serve restaurants
• Financial services
• Fashion and apparel brands
• Delivery services
• Consumer electronics
• Automotive
• HR recruitment

The best chatbot use cases

What are some examples of the best chatbot use cases? These brands have implemented chatbots into their website experiences, and the platforms have helped generate greater audience engagement on each of their websites.

Example 1: Birk Sport

Birk Sport, a Norwegian bike shop chain, offers a helpful chatbot that functions as a shopping guide. Upon your first visit to the website, you can click on the chatbot bubble to activate the bot. It does things like: Helps you navigate the jungle of different bike types for non bike experts. Helps you find the right bike for your budget and use. Helps you make a choice that they're happy with, which in turn reduces returns. Helps you find their bike buying guide. Shows you a list of bike categories you can ask questions about.

Overall, it’s a very helpful resource to welcome shoppers to the site and guide them to what they need.

Example 2: Norwegian Block Exchange

Norwegian Block Exchange is a forward thinking cryptocurrency site that uses a chatbot programmed to answer any customer enquiries in both Norwegian and English. By selecting the appropriate language for your needs, the chatbot then guides you to a list of frequently asked questions to help kick start the conversation. The questions are primarily focused on helping existing customers manage their accounts so that they get the most value out of their crypto experiences - a particularly useful element for new customers.

Example 3: NordicaGolf

NordicaGolf sells everything from golf clubs, grips, balls, shafts, bags, and more items. They have a welcoming chatbot built right into their website experience with helpful guides about shipping costs, order status, and payment options. It also offers guides and recommendations on how to select the best golf gear for any shopper’s unique needs.

Chatbot marketing use cases

Chatbots are a great lead generation and qualification tool to help improve the quality of marketing leads for your business. Many companies use chatbots to attract and convert buyers in the early stages of their shopping journeys, and they help encourage shoppers to go further in their relationship with the brand.

Example 1: Renault

Renault Group is at the forefront of a mobility that is reinventing itself by offering sustainable and innovative solutions to their customers. To deliver the quality of service necessary to help customers make the right vehicular decisions, Renault utilizes an AI-powered chatbot to help customers find the best financing for a range of models, book virtual tours, arrange for test drives, and respond to common questions about range and charging. Unlike standard sales or customer support chatbots, Renault uses their chatbot to support the marketing and lead generation channels, driving potential customers to book an appointment and test out their optimal vehicle.

Example 2: Suomalainen Kirjakauppa

Suomalainen Kirjakauppa is Finland’s largest bookstore chain, and they expanded their products for online consumption in the form of audiobooks and eBooks. To help drive up demand for the digital offerings, they host an AI-powered chatbot on their audiobook and eBook website to help any new customers activate the service, as well as to support existing customers with options to modify their subscriptions. After three months, the chatbot saw a 26% increase in usage rates and regularly interacts with over 5% of total site traffic.

Customer service chatbot use cases

Customer support and engagement are among the most common use cases for AI-powered chatbots. People appreciate the ability to receive 24/7 support whenever they require it, and chatbots are among the best resources brands can use to fulfill that demand from shoppers.

Example 1: Helthjem

Helthjem is a shipping and logistics company that delivers packages, newspapers, and even baked goods to customer doors. They implemented a chatbot to handle inbound customer enquiries regarding common questions like delivery times, order status, payment processing, and other issues. The goal was to maintain quality service while reducing the burden placed on in-house support staff to handle the volume of concerns. The investment proved worthwhile as the chatbot now handles 30% of all tracking follow-up questions asked by shoppers and helped reduce support tickets routed to agents by 10%.

Example 2: Thon Hotels

Thon Hotels is one of the largest hotel chains in Europe and they manage support requests from travellers all across the continent. To help manage all of that volume, they implemented a support chatbot to ease the burden on their support staff while maintaining a high level of service that customers expect. The investment proved worthwhile as the chatbot reduced call centre referrals and emails sent to reps by 30%.

E-commerce chatbot use cases

Finally, chatbots are also very helpful resources to improve conversion optimization rates and increase total purchase value. Using machine learning technology, chatbots can learn the exact type of messaging and recommendations required to drive more shoppers deeper in the buying journey with your brand.

Example: Michael Kors

Beginning in 2018, Michael Kors invested time and resources into an enhanced chatbot to support the needs of their growing audience. The chatbot is programmed to make personalized product offers and recommendations, and it helps guide users towards making the right purchase for their specific needs. It’s also directly connected to Michael Kors’ FAQ page, ensuring that additional support is available for commonly asked questions. If more information is necessary, the chatbot refers customers to a human representative.