Top AI chatbots for your e-commerce business

Across the world, around 2.71 billion people shop online. And one of the biggest influences over their purchasing decisions? Ninety percent say it’s a brand’s customer service.

The fact that there are over 27 million competitors poised to scoop up any dissatisfied customers is reason enough to bolster your store’s level of support. One of the best ways to do exactly that is with an AI chatbot for e-commerce. This sophisticated technology not only answers your customers’ questions as they browse your online store, but it can also help them place orders.

In this article, we’ll introduce you to six of the leading AI chatbots for e-commerce, as well as some industry best practices for using them. But first, let’s get to grips with what an e-commerce chatbot is and the ways it can support your online store.

What is an e-commerce chatbot?

A chatbot is a computer program that enables a human user to have a text-based conversation with the software, simulating a human conversation. Chatbots use artificial intelligence (AI), automated rules, natural language processing, and machine learning to understand human queries and provide responses.

In the e-commerce industry, chatbots play an important role on store websites and social media channels. They can do everything from welcoming visitors and answering their product questions to gathering customer data. Chatbots essentially play a similar role to a sales representative in a brick-and-mortar store.

Say someone browsing your e-commerce site is wondering which size shirt to get. They can ask the chatbot about measurements. After they’ve made their choice and headed to the checkout, they might also ask for clarification on your shipping timelines. There are loads of ways chatbots can be used along the customer journey.

How to use an e-commerce chatbot on your site

If you’re planning on implementing an AI chatbot in your business, it’s important to apply it strategically based on your store’s needs. 

For example, if users regularly abandon their carts, think about the actions your chatbot can take to minimize this behavior. It might help to initiate conversations with customers during the product selection process or when they move to close the website with items still in their cart. You could also use it to offer last-minute discounts at checkout. 

Similarly, if customers tend to have frequent questions about the same aspects of your product or service, your chatbot could make it easy for them to get answers by presenting the FAQs — and providing responses — as they shop.

Here are some of the other ways you can use an AI chatbot for e-commerce to enhance your service: 

• They can help you understand your customers on a deeper level. E-commerce chatbots are an excellent tool for gathering customer data, which you can then use to provide personalized responses and recommendations. For instance, if a returning customer asks about a specific product, you can give them recommendations for related or similar products based on their previous purchase.
• They can create a memorable customer experience. We live in a world of instant access. Customers don’t want to wait hours or days for a response to a simple question. With a chatbot on your e-commerce website or social media channels, customers can have their queries about products, shipping, and more answered in seconds. 
• They can upsell and cross-sell to customers. You can use chatbots to recommend products to customers based on those they’re already buying. For example, if a customer has selected a set of dishware, the chatbot can suggest matching glassware. Similarly, if a customer has chosen a pair of winter boots, the chatbot can recommend a more luxurious pair instead.
• They can gather customer feedback. Right after a customer has made a purchase, the chatbot can ask for feedback on the shopping process. This is a great way to understand customer sentiment — and use the insights to improve your browsing and buying experience.
• Provide logistical support. Customers may have questions about shipping times, delivery status, or the stock level of a hot-ticket item. Chatbots can offer answers to these types of questions with ease.

Now that you know some of the different ways to use e-commerce chatbots, let’s take a look at some leading options for this AI technology. 

6 of the best AI chatbots for e-commerce 

1. Jotform AI Chatbot

Jotform AI Chatbot Builder enable e-commerce businesses to turn forms into conversational experiences — without having to write any code.

Customers can ask the chatbot questions about your online store, and get responses with relevant information based on the training you provide. For example, the Product Order AI Agent is designed to enhance the shopping experience by offering personalized product suggestions through dynamic conversations.

As well as customer-facing processes, Jotform AI Chatbot also support internal processes. Take the Product Quote AI Agent — it can streamline the the process of generating accurate quotes for products or services, enhancing efficiency for businesses in retail and hospitality.

• Best for: E-commerce stores that use online forms
• Key features: Intuitive user interface; variety of pre-built agent templates; access to Jotform ecosystem, including forms, workflows, and apps
• Pros: Easy to train with business documents or websites
• Cons: Free version has 5 AI chatbot limit
• Plans/pricing: Free version; plans start at $34 per month, and a custom enterprise-level option is available
• G2 rating: 4.7/5

2. SnatchBot

SnatchBot is a builder that lets you customize a chatbot for multi-channel messaging without any coding experience. It supports a fully automated chatbot as well as a human-hybrid one. SnatchBot also comes with a robust template store with options that you can use as a foundation for your own chatbot.

• Best for: E-commerce businesses that want to build their own chatbot
• Key features: Text-to-speech and speech-to-text options, enterprise-grade security, lead generation data extraction
• Pros: Comprehensive analytics tools, particularly for cart abandonment
• Cons: Can be complicated to use, despite not needing any coding knowledge
• Plans/pricing: Free version; plans start at $99 per month, and a custom enterprise-level option is available
• G2 rating: 4.7/5

3. Tidio

Tidio is an AI chatbot specifically designed for customer service. It works on any live channel, can communicate in dozens of languages, and claims to be able to handle up to 70 percent of customer inquiries. It leverages Lyro AI technology, using human-like language to provide a natural conversation experience.

• Best for: E-commerce businesses that want to increase efficiency with automation
• Key features: Large chatbot template library, intuitive and highly visual chat builder, bot-to-human functionality
• Pros: Ability to track user behavior and provide personalized responses
• Cons: Mobile app sometimes has issues syncing with the desktop version
• Plans/pricing: Free version; plans start at $59 per month, based on the number of conversations
• G2 rating: 4.7/5

4. HubSpot Chatbot Builder

HubSpot Chatbot Builder enables you to create a chatbot for your website or Facebook Messenger account. It’s a no-code option that can personalize responses based on data pulled from the HubSpot CRM, offering customers a uniquely tailored experience.

• Best for: E-commerce businesses that want to optimize the use of their HubSpot CRM
• Key features: Can qualify leads, book meetings, answer customer support questions, and more; library of chatbot templates; seamless integration with HubSpot CRM
• Pros: Bot-to-live agent functionality is great for escalating issues
• Cons: Free plan doesn’t include many advanced features
• Plans/pricing: Free version; advanced features available with HubSpot’s paid plans for its many sales, marketing, and operations hubs
• G2 rating: N/A

5. ChatBot

ChatBot integrates seamlessly with e-commerce platforms like Shopify. It works on multiple channels such as websites, Facebook Messenger, Slack, and more, providing AI-generated responses to customer queries and offering support. The chatbot can follow your brand’s style to ensure a cohesive experience for your customers.

• Best for: E-commerce businesses that want to offer customer support on multiple channels
• Key features: Highly personalized responses using data collection; library of chatbot templates; in-platform testing tool for chatbot optimization
• Pros: No-code interface makes it easy to tailor chatbots to your brand
• Cons: Sometimes the chatbot can’t fully understand some human phrases
• Plans/pricing: Free version; plans start at $52 per month, and a custom enterprise-level option is available
• G2 rating: 4.4/5

6. Manychat

Manychat is a chatbot designed to drive sales and customer interactions on social media and messaging platforms. It comes with an AI assistant to help create chatbot conversation flows and has a bot-to-human feature to escalate issues that need human intervention. Manychat can also run social media giveaways and contests.

• Best for: E-commerce businesses that want to enhance the customer experience on Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger
• Key features: Information capture for lead generation and nurturing, post-sale support for product returns, comprehensive metrics tracking
• Pros: Can help build email lists by gathering contact details from messages
• Cons: Pricing plan options are limited
• Plans/pricing: Free version; paid plan is $15 per month, and a custom enterprise-level option is available
• G2 rating: 4.6/5

Best practices for using chatbots in e-commerce

To get the most out of whichever chatbot you choose, it’s important to follow a few best practices. If you’re not using it properly, its interactions with customers may end up doing more harm than good.

• Have a chatbot strategy in place. Identify the role you want the chatbot to play in your business. For example, do you want it to provide answers to common questions, focus on cart abandonment, or offer post-sales support? Select one or two goals instead of trying to accomplish too much at once.
• Personalize customer interactions. Chatbots can gather insights about interests, likes, and dislikes from customer interactions. Put that data to good use by personalizing your communications with customers. Train your chatbot to use the information to promote products and offer upsells and cross-sells.
• Pinpoint the channels to focus on. Your website, social media channels, or messaging platforms — where do customers ask their questions the most? You may want to prioritize certain channels over others to maximize the chatbot’s impact on the customer experience.
• Keep it natural. Some chatbots can sound, well, robotic! Wherever possible, work on customizing your bot to sound human, using a casual conversational style. A humanized bot can put customers at ease and make them feel like they’re talking to a real sales rep.
• Integrate the chatbot with other business solutions. Your CRM and email marketing systems are two business solutions that could benefit from a chatbot integration. For example, it can send customer email addresses and names to your CRM, and personalization data to your email marketing platform.
• Update your chatbot regularly. Implementing a chatbot isn’t a one-and-done project — it requires maintenance and updates for optimal performance. Don’t forget to use customer feedback about the chatbot to improve its interactions.

Which e-commerce chatbot will you choose?

Remember, customers love having conversations with your business, and 88 percent of users have had at least one with a chatbot. But before you make the leap with a paid plan, take advantage of all the free trials and versions first. Test out the chatbots and see how they work with your business processes.

Ready to get started? Check out how Jotform AI Chatbot can enhance your customer interactions, and get in touch if you have any questions about use cases for your particular e-commerce business.

Photo by: Nappy.co