How to build a Facebook Messenger chatbot for eCommerce

Hello there, ecommerce entrepreneurs! Want to give your consumers the impression that they have a personal shopper at their disposal? Say hello to the AI chatbot for Facebook Messenger!

Similar to Siri or Alexa, but specifically designed for Facebook.  No more browsing through pages of FAQs or waiting on hold for customer service.

Like a retail Yoda, your AI chatbot will assist customers with their purchases and respond quickly and personally.

This is not a "chatbot tutorial" because we won't technically teach you step by step how to create a chatbot in this article, but we will offer you the keys to the Death Star (a.k.a. chatbot platform) and explain why it is so crucial to harness the power of flows to create chatbots.

So grab your lightsabers and prepare to reap the perks of having your own AI personal assistant.

What technology is used in a chatbot?

Let's get technical here. Facebook Messenger chatbots are like a hot fudge sundae, with Natural Language Processing (also known as NLP) as the cherry on top.

Natural Language Processing enables AI chatbots to understand the meaning of a user's message, even if they speak in an unusual manner.

Creating chatbots that are powered by AI is optional though, you can easily start with rule based bots that will do a fantastic job at the beginning.

Machine learning is the fluffy cream on top. With AI, chatbots can improve their responses over time by using machine learning to study and grow from past user interactions.

Just like your mom perfected her mashed potato recipe by trial and error. With machine learning, the more you eat, the better it gets.

Finally, chatbot development platforms may employ APIs as "straws" to ingest data from various platforms and services.

This implies your custom chatbot can access your other systems to present users with customised product recommendations faster than you can say "add to cart".

For example, you could make a chatbot and then create an integration with your email service provider so that, the moment you have a user's attention, you collect their email address through your bot and send it to your ESP to trigger an email welcome series.

Chatbot Benefits: Reasons to Make Your Own Chatbot

Here are some reasons why creating your own Facebook Messenger chatbot is a wise business decision.

A chatbot platform allows clients to have a conversation with your company in a timely manner and without the need to speak to a human representative. Why bother with human beings? They're so last season.

Moreover, chatbots can collect important information about your clients. Consider them to be little spies, but in a positive way.

They are able to gather data from user inputs on their interests, engagement, and preferences, which may then be used to enhance customer interactions and support corporate choices. Just don't use this power for evil, okay?

Last but not least, establishing your own Facebook Messenger chatbot can keep your business current in this crazy digital world we live in.

If you're not giving a 24/7 customer service experience that fulfills the demands and expectations of modern consumers inside of their social media scrolling comfort zone, you're as good as done.

Via social media and smartphone apps, intelligent chatbots can help you stay competitive and even reach out to new audiences. It's like owning a secret weapon, but shhh!

What programming languages do I need to know to build a chatbot?

You don't need any prior programming skills for chatbot development, thanks to chatbot builder programs like Manychat. You may easily develop a simple chatbot with their drag-and-drop capabilities and user-friendly interfaces.

But hey, if you know a little bit about programming, you can step up your chatbot builder game.

Although you don't have to be an expert programmer, having a basic understanding of ideas like loops, variables, and conditional statements might help you when designing the workflows and interactions for your conversational bot.

Building your AI Chatbot from Scratch: What chatbot building platform is the best for you?

There are many fish in the sea of chatbot development platforms, therefore it is critical to select one that suits your requirements. Chatfuel, ManyChat, and Chatmatic are some example chatbot platforms.

They provide drag-and-drop user interfaces that don't require coding expertise. Some  systems, on the other hand, allow you to exercise your coding muscles and build a personalized chatbot from the ground up.

But, while choosing a platform, make sure it has all of the capabilities your ecommerce chatbot needs.

Do you want a platform that allows you to communicate with clients across numerous social media channels? Or perhaps you'd like one that can make your life easier when having to capture and export data to other tools in your tech stack like your SMS or email marketing software?

Manychat, for example, has a solid integration with Klaviyo, so if you're using it as your ESP, you're in luck, as you can leverage a great deal of functionality.

Using a tool like Manychat for your conversational bots is step 1. Step 2 is stacking AI. You can integrate Google's AI, Dialogflow, with Manychat using a tool like Janis.ai and start to train your Facebook Messenger bot to evolve from a simple rule based chatbot to an AI-powered chatbot that understands user's intent and responds within context.

Artificial intelligence platforms often employ a Natural Language Processing (NLP) engine to decipher user input.

It's as if your chatbot is the Sherlock Holmes of dialogue, figuring out user intent even when they don't express it directly.

Remember to take cost into account as well, as certain platforms do not give you unlimited access to their tools, sometimes charging according to the volume of users or interactions.

It is comparable to having to pick between a pricey steak supper and a slice of pizza. Choose carefully!

Connecting your Facebook page to your chatbot builder

Having a fully formed Facebook page before connecting it to a building platform might be advantageous in a variety of ways.

For starters, a well-designed Facebook profile can aid in the establishment of credibility and trust with potential clients.

Also, it can give users more details about your company, such as your goods or services, business hours, and contact details.

The success of your chatbot's social media integration is further aided by having a robust Facebook profile.

Users will be more likely to recognize and interact with your business if your Facebook page and chatbot have a distinct and consistent identity.

If you already have a Facebook page and are interested in learning how simple it is to create and integrate it with a chatbot development platform, consider Manychat as an example.

-Sign in to Manychat and choose "Settings" from the top menu.

-Click "Connect New Page" after selecting "Connected Pages."

-From the list of available pages, choose the Facebook page to which you want to link.

-Once prompted, give Manychat permission to access your Facebook page.

-Once your Facebook page is linked, click save and you can use Manychat's interface to begin creating your chatbot.

See how simple it is? It's worth noting that in order to use Manychat, you must have admin access to the Facebook page you want to link.

You might also need to change the Facebook page's settings to make messaging and chatbot capability available.

Designing Conversational Flows

Creating conversational flows is similar to creating a menu for a finicky eater; keep it basic while still providing a variety that will satiate their needs.

Before doing anything else, you must choose which predefined answers to provide to users, such as "Shop," "FAQ," or "Contact Us."

You must then design the various multiple choice paths depending on the user's answer that they can take while interacting with your chatbot from your main menu.

It's similar to playing a "choose your own adventure" game, only your users can't cheat and look ahead.

For each menu item, you should develop a unique conversation flow, replete with blocks of questions and clever answers.

Keep in mind that the purpose of your bot is to make the user's life simpler inside their favorite messaging platforms, not harder. Therefore keep it straightforward and concise.

Don't be afraid to give your users a personal touch, such as a warm welcome message or a joke.

Even the smartest artificial intelligence chatbots occasionally need a little assistance from their human pals, so be sure to include a fallback option to connect users with a human agent if your chatbot is unable to respond to a query.

How to gather data using your chatbot platform and why it's so useful

Data, data, data! Everyone loves data, right? To enhance your chatbot's functionality and increase client satisfaction, collect data from your Facebook Messenger chatbot.

Manychat and Dialogflow chatbot builders feature analytics dashboards built in that provide rich insights into user engagement, message open rates, and conversion rates.

But why should we stop there? You may get even more data to work with by integrating your chatbot builder with a CRM platform like Salesforce or Hubspot.

This data includes a user's email address, phone number, and past-purchase history.

Once you've gathered all of that wonderful information, it's time to put it to use. Study user interactions and behaviors to reveal their deepest, darkest desires. Alright, maybe not that deep or dark, but you get the picture.

Use this data to tailor marketing campaigns and improve customer experience and the functionality of your chatbot. If customers are raving about a certain good or service, advertise it nonstop.

And if people keep falling out of a chatbot conversation at a given moment, it's time to get out the virtual duct tape and repair the conversational flow.

Testing your chatbot

Testing your chatbot is similar to going to the doctor for a check-up. It's critical to uncover any bugs or technological difficulties and ensure your chatbot provides a nice user experience, just like keeping your health in good shape.

Furthermore, testing helps you to fine-tune your chatbot's conversational flow, similar to how you would fine-tune your diet to become healthier.

Much like going to the gym to build up your muscles, simulating user interactions and assessing the results allows you to optimize your own chatbot interaction to better serve the demands of your target audience and offer users a bot that will always have their backs. So let's get your chatbot in shape!

The Verdict: Is it worth it?

Building artificial intelligence chatbots for Facebook Messenger can feel like stumbling through a maze. Although it's a fantastic investment for your company, it can be intimidating wrestling with the chatbot builder options, especially if you don't know your bits from your bytes.

Don't fret! You can start right now. The first step is to get familiarized with chatbot building platforms. Check out Manychat and their free beginner's course, create a free account, and start playing around.

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