Chatbot Development

A chatbot is a service, powered either by a script or by artificial intelligence, which can simulate a conversation or chat with a user, through websites, mobile apps, messaging services, or by phone.

In a live chat, the customer interacts with a human, whereas a chatbot is a machine that is guided either by a script or by artificial intelligence. A chatbot differs from live chat in a variety of ways. It has shorter response times, it is available 24/7, and it's more cost-effective than a live chat. However, a chatbot lacks the human touch and a lot of queries may go unanswered.

The various types of chatbots include rules-based/button-based chatbots, which have a specific script and provide menu options for customers to click; contextual chatbots, which use artificial intelligence and machine learning to chat with users and learn from the conversations; and voice-enabled chatbots like Siri and Alexa, which accept user inputs through voice and "talk" to the users.

Chatbots provide 24/7 service, regardless of timezones, and they can seamlessly collect feedback and customer details. Additionally, they handle several customers at the same time and eases a customer's purchasing process by handling all operations, from picking a product to the actual purchase, on the bot itself.

Chatbot development costs vary depending on complexity, features, and development approach. Expect to pay between $150 and $800 for a basic chatbot.