If you visited a website recently, you likely interacted with a chatbot. Whether they’re ‘smart’ (powered by generative AI), ‘simple’ (rule-based), or a mix of both, chatbots are now ubiquitous across all types of websites. And this popularity is going to grow – according to market intelligence company Mordor, the chatbot market will reach $102 billion USD by 2026.
And according to research firm Gartner, by 2027 chatbots will be the main customer service channel for approximately 25% of companies. In a press released issued by Gartner, Uma Challa, Sr. Director Analyst at Gartner, commented: “Chatbots and virtual customer assistants (VCAs) have evolved over the past decade to become a critical technology component of a service organization’s strategy. When designed correctly, chatbots can improve customer experience and drive positive customer emotion at a lower cost than live interactions.”
But for the present, use (and user satisfaction) in many instances is low. Another Gartner survey found that a little less than 10% of customers interacted with a chatbot as part of their most recent experience on a website. And only a quarter of those users said they’d interact with that particular chatbot again if they returned to that website.[i] The dissatisfaction kicks in when the chatbot doesn’t end up helping the user find an answer, or a solution, after they’ve taken the time to describe the issue to the chatbot. Or if after telling the chatbot all of the details, the user just has to wait to connect with a real person on the other side of the chat box.
So in order to boost adoption and satisfaction (and efficiency), it seems that chatbots still have to get better at achieving results.
With the expansion (and improvement) of generative AI, this is going to be more than possible. In a recent HubSpot blogpost, marketing expert Tristen Taylor wrote about the potential of new predictive capabilities and personalization for chatbots[ii]: She said: “Another trend that we are likely to see in AI-powered customer service is enhanced predictive capabilities. As AI becomes more sophisticated, it can predict customer needs and behaviors with greater accuracy, which could improve customer experiences and increase customer satisfaction. For example, AI can determine when a customer will likely make a purchase based on their behavior and purchase history. This information can prompt customer service interaction based on unique needs and solutions, such as offering a discount or a personalized product recommendation at an optimal point of their journey."
At HubSpot, that ability to personalize is already a feature in its new AI tools. When you’re using the HubSpot content creation assistant, for example, to create emails, blogposts, outlines, etc., you can choose the tone you want to use: professional, formal, witty, optimistic or helpful. A good AI chatbot should also be able to choose the tone for each interaction, based on the tone that the user demonstrates, for a conversation that feels more authentic.
What do you need to take into account when adding a generative AI chatbot to your website? Off-the-shelf versions can work if your needs are very simple, but they have a lot of limitations. A customized AI chatbot, on the other hand, can offer high levels of personalization and understanding of your industry.
Most important, it can integrate with your sales and marketing platforms, your support frameworks, CRM, purchasing, inventory management, etc.
At HubSpot’s INBOUND conference, in September 2023, the company launched HubSpot AI, its new set of platform-wide AI-powered products and features, which includes AI Assistants, AI Agents, and ChatSpot. Currently in beta, ChatSpot integrates the abilities of ChatGPT with multiple data sources, such as a HubSpot customer’s Smart CRM.
If you’d like to learn more about adding a generative AI chatbot to your website, or integrating AI tools into your marketing toolkit, we can help. We are a certified HubSpot partner, and can work with you on all aspects of the HubSpot platform.
Contact Anne-Mie Vansteelant
anne-mie.vansteelant@livingstone.eu
+32 (0)55 59 10 07.
REFERENces
1Chatbot Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2023 - 2028), report.
Retrieved from: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/global-chatbot-market
June 15, 2023. ‘Gartner Survey Reveals Only 8% of Customers Used a Chatbot During their Most Recent Customer Service Interaction,’ press release. Retrieved from: https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-06-15-gartner-survey-reveals-only-8-percent-of-customers-used-a-chatbot-during-their-most-recent-customer-service-interaction
July 10, 2023. Tristen Taylor. ‘The Future of AI in Customer Service [Data + Expert-Backed Predictions],’ blogpost. Retrieved from: https://blog.hubspot.com/service/future-of-ai-in-customer-service
