Do Website Chatbots Improve Your Conversion Rate?

Olivia Jones April 4, 2023

For businesses operating in today’s technology-driven world, it’s important to recognise the ways that consumers have become more accustomed to having information and support available to them on demand, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In this fast-paced landscape, many different companies have begun employing a range of technologies, processes, tools and solutions as a way to enhance their marketing efforts as well as their customer service experience. One solution that many businesses have started using is website chatbots, alongside other forms of AI generated content. 

Website chatbots are being used across numerous industries, but are now seen as a crucial element when it comes to helping businesses deliver an almost seamless search experience, helping to keep customers engaged and support conversions. 

At Red Cow Media, we’ve found that, when implemented alongside a strong marketing strategy, such as SEO, website chatbots can become essential in influencing conversions and improving customer retention. For lead generation businesses, in particular, installing a website chatbot onto your site’s interface can greatly increase the number of conversions and enquiries you receive.

In our latest blog, we take a look at the ways website chatbots can improve your conversion rate, as well as a guide to tracking and measuring performance on your site. 

What Is A Chatbot and How Do They Work?

A chatbot is essentially a computer program which simulates conversations between your business and your website users. Website chatbots will analyse tasks and queries they are asked, and then respond to them as though they are a real person with answers based on a set of predefined scripts or code. When users ask a question, the chatbot will then reply based on the database of information available which is related to those questions that have been pre-determined by you or your marketing team.

Chatbots can work in a number of different ways. For businesses that may not have a customer service department, a website chatbot can be used to answer and resolve common customer questions and queries without them having to email and wait for a response – it is more instantaneous as it can be live on the website 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Website chatbots can also collect user data, for example, if a user is still searching the site after a certain length of time, the chatbot can pop up and ask if the user needs any further assistance or if the user would like to leave their contact details and someone will be in touch with them. This works well if you are also interested in collecting data for email marketing, as users can opt-in for their data to be used in this way. 

You can set website chatbots up for ecommerce businesses, too. Rather than using a chatbot to collect user data and information, you can use chatbots instead to provide information that visitors to your ecommerce site will want to find out, such as return policies, postage information and stock updates. 

How Do Website Chatbots Improve Conversion Rates? 

When users visit your website, they will likely be looking to find something which either solves a problem or a need. They may use your site search bar to find what they are looking for on your website, or they may find themselves scrolling through page after page of content looking for it. Website chatbots get rid of these steps and can provide an instant answer, saving users time which ultimately means that the conversion can happen much quicker.

Website chatbots work in that they are personal, which is another reason why they can help to improve conversion rates. They can be set up to greet a customer when they land on the site, just like a salesperson would greet a customer who comes into a brick and mortar store. If users feel welcomed, even if through a website chatbot, then they are more likely to make an inquiry. Even if users don’t complete a conversion, they may leave with more information in regard to the query they originally had, which is just as valuable. 

Increase Speed Of Customer Service

Speed is one of the most fundamental factors when it comes to determining the success of an enquiry. Using website chatbots can help to reduce any feelings of frustration that users might have when looking for a resolution to their problems. Whilst content such as consumer reviews or frequently asked questions can help with answering queries or providing further information related to a specific query, a website chatbot can collect further information directly to the user, rather than the user having to search for the problem and source the response themselves. 

Chatbots can then use this gathered information to tailor a response or forward the user to the relevant department. Some website chatbots even allow live agents to join the chat once it has reached a certain point of discussion, which only helps with the customer service experience. This way, customer support teams are free from answering the same monotonous questions, freeing up time to answer users with genuine concerns or questions. 

Interact With Users At Certain Points Of Their Journey

With website chatbots, you can set up triggers so that, when users get to certain points or pages throughout their journey, a chatbot can initiate a conversation. For example, if a user is still browsing through pages after a certain length of time or if they reach a FAQ or Contact page, a chatbot can pop up to provide further support. With website chatbots, you want to ensure that you are conveying information that a user might need, or are asking the user if they require any further support or have any questions. 

You can also set up triggers that send a different message to new users who may be interacting with the site for the first time so that you can welcome them to your site, or re-engage with existing customers. As well as this, if users become inactive during their visit, you can re-engage dormant website users with a pop-up chat asking if they need any further assistance. 

Tracking Conversions With Chatbots

Understandably, you will want to make sure that you are tracking data from users who interact with and use your website chatbot through your analytics or other dashboards. Most, if not all, chatbot functions will come with their own reporting dashboard or app which is where you can also interact with users on your site and see which triggers are being initiated, allowing you to join the conversation if needed, or leave users to browse. 

You will see how many chats have been initiated over the dates you have selected so that you can see the days and times that are the most popular for users to engage with the website chatbot, how many users are on your site at the time of checking as well as how many successful leads have been generated. There are many different points of data which can give you more information about your website users and there are ways in which you can track this within your Google Analytics dashboard so that you can really utilise all the data generated and keep all your information in one place. There are many different types of website chatbots and each provider will be able to provide you with more specific guidance on the best ways in which this data can be tracked. With Universal Analytics set to be sunsetted in July, you may need further support in integrating this with GA4 as this is likely to involve a more complex setup. 

Conclusion

Website chatbots can quickly become part of your website and marketing strategy, and well-maintained and built chatbots can stay relevant and low-maintenance for months, if not years. Website chatbots require some optimisation to ensure the best performance, so if you’re not sure where to start, or if you feel as though a website chatbot would benefit your website conversion rate, our team can help provide further advice on this, alongside our other conversion rate optimisation services. 

Website chatbots need to work and function properly in order to fully improve your conversions, as well as collect data which is actually useful for your business. At Red Cow Media, we believe that no matter if you’re looking to increase the results of your ecommerce website or set up specific funnels, you should always be trying out new techniques and the implementation of a website chatbot could be exactly what you need to increase your website conversion rate. Get in touch with us today for more information on integrating chatbots onto your website.