Since it emerged in 2011 as a simple Facebook messaging app, Facebook Messenger has evolved into something much bigger. These days, not only can the users share messages, play games, and watch videos through it, but they can also reach out to companies, receive and send payments, and much much more!

The numbers don’t lie: more than 1.3 billion users actively use Facebook Messenger every month. This includes about 64% of all Facebook users and 50% of teenagers in the US only. With that being said, using the power and reach of Facebook Messenger is a rather smart move for businesses that are looking to make more money and attract their target market. The app creates amazing growth and engagement opportunities, especially since about 56% of modern-day consumers say that their live chat experience so far has been far from great.

Today’s customers are more demanding because they can access and share information faster and this is a reality that forward-looking businesses and organizations are progressively becoming aware of. As more organizations and businesses embrace self-service approaches that enhance customer satisfaction through answering customer questions in real-time, the technology is also getting more sophisticated. Many customer engagement tools provide customer service agents with several features but we focus mainly on the chatbot element.

5 Steps to Follow to Build Your Own Chatbot

To make the most out of Facebook Messenger and its possibilities, you have to set up a chatbot for your own business. Keep in mind that you should always stick to simple and casual language with rather straightforward instructions; anything too complex and technical could only backfire.

1. Make the best out of Guided Responses

It can be challenging to program open-ended questions. That’s why your best way forward is to use prompts, which will give you automatic response options.

Source: sproutsocial.com

2. Go Easy on the Promotions

If your target audience finds your bot to be too pushy and annoying with constant new offers, promotions, and selling, they may just block it. Just like with everything else in life, moderation is key. So be balanced and you’ll have a successful Facebook Messenger chatbot.

3. Know Your Audience

To have a helpful bot, it needs to offer the right solutions for your audience’s problems. Make sure to always go the extra mile to learn more about your potential customers so that you can build a chatbot that can actually support them.

4. Give Real-Person Support

Source: chatbot.com

Chatbots are definitely an amazing asset in this day and age, but sometimes they might not be able to answer your customer’s questions. In this case, to keep your customer engaged, add a “Contact Support” option that will connect them to a real person who can quickly help them out.

5. Consistent Optimization

Even a great chatbot can always be better. By continuously testing the bot’s performances and customers’ responses to it, you can update and optimize your bot so it meets the market’s needs and wants. 

Fortunately for the businesses out there, there’s no need to build your chatbot from scratch. These days, there’s a plethora of pre-made chatbot templates that you can easily use for your own Facebook Messenger chatbot. Just make sure you choose a template that best matches your business niche and target audience. Of course, you’re free to customize the template here and there to make it even more fitting for your business and customers.

Create a better customer service experience

Aside from the quality of your products/services, there’s only one other thing that can make or break your business and that’s customer service. Of course, your goal is to be as accommodating, helpful, and responsive as possible. The majority of people these days will turn to the company’s social media account hoping to solve a problem or ask more questions. By allowing them to contact you directly and fuss-free through the Facebook Messenger chatbot, you’ll automatically give them both the answer and satisfaction they’ve been looking for. As mentioned before, if the chatbot can’t help them, they can get in touch with a real agent for customer support a lot faster.

Help Your Customers Find what they’re looking for

Another amazing ability of Facebook’s Messenger chatbots is that it allows your existing and potential customers to easily find a product they need without having to go to your e-commerce website. This is super convenient for users who want to learn about the best offers while spending minimum time and effort on searching for them. 

Source: chatfuel.com

Essentially, users can tell the chatbot what they’re looking for, their price range, etc., and the bot will get back to them as soon as they find the items that match their criteria.  What’s more, it’ll remember their interests and recommend similar products later on. It’s a foolproof way to boost e-commerce conversions with messenger chatbots.

Make Order-Making Simple and Easy

If your e-commerce business deals with a set number of products, for example a food menu, you can improve customer experience and bring more interested leads your way simply by incorporating a chatbot that can take orders. The fact that they don’t have to go to the website, phone, or install an additional app to order something quickly is extremely convenient for your customers. Continuing with the example of a food provider, you can have a “Start Order” button on your Facebook page. It will automatically take the user to the bot that will show them a location finder, available stores in the area, and, finally, a menu that they can choose from.

Wrapping Up

The science of chatbots is still evolving and new possibilities are here every day. Aside from the popular chatbot uses that can increase ecommerce conversions, you can also give your clients the option to track their shipment, do customer surveys, offer free stuff and entertainment, and much more. To truly succeed as a contemporary e-commerce business and differentiate yourself from the competition you have to keep up with trends – and chatbots are the next big thing!