How Chatbots Can Enhance Your Shopify Site

We’re moving into an increasingly conversational age in eCommerce. As online merchants look for new and innovative ways to sell their products, new technology is making it easier and more intuitive than ever for consumers to follow through. Shopify chatbots, in particular, can help to:

• Promote campaigns
• Enhance customer service operations
• Close sales with your site visitors

Of course, implementing chatbots in Shopify websites only makes sense if those bots match your audience and business goals. So let’s explore the nuances of eCommerce chatbots and how they can impact your entire operations. Stick with us to the end for an exploration of how you can implement a Shopify chatbot on your own online store.

What Are eCommerce Chatbots?

Chatbots are virtual assistants that can communicate with online users across multiple channels in a live chat environment. They use AI technology to emulate natural conversations. Their most common use is on websites, via text messaging, and on social media platforms.

Chatbots in Shopify and other eCommerce contexts are especially beneficial because they provide instant interactivity and responses. They’ll answer questions about shipping, pricing, and returns; some can even process transactions. They simplify the buying journey for consumers, who can get any questions answered instantly and even in multiple languages.

How Shopify Chatbots Impact the Entire Customer Journey

At their simplest, chatbots are a conversational tool for your audience. But dig in a little deeper, and it becomes clear that they can be beneficial across the entire eCommerce journey, from first touch all the way to loyal customers on your website:

• For first-time visitors, Shopify chatbots can answer basic questions about pricing, inventory, shipping, and product details.
• As part of the conversation, the tool can collect contact information from visitors for follow-up information and marketing efforts.
• During specific seasonal or promotional campaigns, chatbots can push more direct and focused messaging designed to close sales.
• For shoppers who have already added products to their cart, chatbots can answer specific questions or provide coupons.
• When customers are waiting for their product to arrive, eCommerce chatbots can provide tracking information and delivery estimates.
• For customers who have questions or concerns about their new product, Shopify chatbots can enhance customer service by providing instant answers, offering tutorials, or starting the return process.

Along the way, these tools can serve to make sales operations more efficient and save staff time, all while making the online buying process easier for your audience. Multiple studies bear that out: 65% of consumers feel comfortable handling a sales-related issue without a human agent, while 69% of consumers prefer chatbots over other types of customer support because of their instant responses.

When adding additional features like artificial intelligence or multilingual capabilities, the potential benefits of chatbots in an online store can extend even further.

Popular Features and Integrations of Shopify Chatbots

Not every chatbot is created equal. Some are simple; they look for keywords in a customer question to retrieve a pre-written answer from the database. Others are more complex in their features and functionalities for online stores. Some of the most common advanced features include:

• AI (artificial intelligence), which can help a chatbot learn from its interactions with consumers to provide better, more relevant answers over time
• Multi-language opportunities with built-in translation capabilities that facilitate interactions with customers in different languages to expand the geographic reach
• Cross-channel functionality, creating a live chat environment not just on your website but also via text messaging and on social media
• CRM integration, directly moving any data gathered in a chat with a member of your audience into their audience profile for more relevant insights and follow-ups
• Reporting capabilities, which allow online store owners to gain insights into audience trends, typical sentiments, and common questions asked

Given the popularity of Shopify for hosting online stores, a wide range of chatbot solutions can naturally integrate with the site. Finding the best Shopify chatbot thus depends on the exact features needed along with personal preferences. Some even have free versions, and many offer at least some of the features outlined above.

Tidio, Gobot, Re:amaze, and Gorgias are just some of the most commonly cited chatbot solutions on Shopify stores. All of them integrate naturally with the platform, creating a seamless experience for audiences as well as both store owners and managers alike.

How to Implement a Chatbot on Your Shopify Site

Popular chatbot solutions like Tidio and Gobot tend to be easy to implement on Shopify sites. They’re available on the Shopify App Store, requiring little more than an installation and some initial setup to start working. All chatbots need at least some database of potential questions and answers to start with. But AI-enabled tools can build a more comprehensive database over time.

The alternative method requires a bit of HTML coding. Every chatbot has at least some embed code specifically designed to drop into any desired web page. Experienced Shopify owners can take that embed code and drop it into the right spot of their Shopify theme, enabling it to appear across the entire website for relevant users.

Depending on the chatbot selected, there may be extra setup work. For example, theme colors and fonts may need to align with the online store. Also, the placement of the chat module on the site may need to move depending on the space that can best accommodate it.

That’s where working with an expert partner can come in handy. Contracting through an agency experienced in Shopify can go a long way toward successfully implementing automated live chat.

Future Holidays can be that partner for Shopify owners considering the benefits of a chatbot for their online store. First, we’ll help you weigh the benefits of this solution and which of the many options may make the most sense for your specific situation. From there, we’ll help you set it up to maximize your success and optimize your user experience.

Ready to optimize your online store through chatbots and other tools? Contact us today to get started.