Answering common questions via email can be a big resource drain for smaller companies. If you\u2019ve struggled to keep up with communication demands from customers, or feel like you\u2019re missing engagement opportunities online, you might be wondering if there\u2019s a better way to connect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fortunately, there\u2019s an approachable form of Artificial Intelligence (AI)<\/a> that can help, which is readily available for use with WordPress. A chatbot can provide a powerful service on your website, and help you provide engaging communication options to your customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, we\u2019ll give you a brief overview of chatbots. We\u2019ll also cover two different ways to build them for your website. There\u2019s a lot to chat about, so let\u2019s jump right in! <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n It\u2019s likely that you\u2019ve seen, if not interacted with, a chatbot in your day-to-day life. Perhaps you\u2019ve engaged with automated customer service support, or even completed a transaction through one of those little pop-up boxes on a website:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A chatbot can do many things, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s more, the technology used to create these applications has become even more approachable and user-friendly in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chatbots have a wide variety of uses. From 24\/7 customer support responses to sales information and marketing, you\u2019ll likely be able to find a way chatbots can work for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are several kinds of chatbots to consider as well, including: <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are also chatbots that combine a few of these technologies. You might see a keyword chatbot implement some menu button choices, for example, to help overcome any keyword redundancy issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you like, you can add a chatbot to your WordPress site with a plugin like WP Chatbot<\/a>. Built on the Facebook Messenger application, this tool provides you with access to over 1.3 billion messenger users<\/a> on the most popular social network. Let\u2019s walk through how it works. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your first step will be to navigate to Plugins<\/em> > Add New<\/em> > Search Plugins<\/em> in your WordPress dashboard: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you search for and find the WP Chatbot plugin, you\u2019ll need to install and activate it<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you complete the activation, you\u2019ll have a couple more steps to complete before the chatbot is set up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n First, you\u2019ll need to agree to connect to your Facebook account by clicking Continue As<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, you will need to either accept the terms of usage by clicking OK<\/em>, or select the Choose what you allow<\/em> icon to customize your sharing settings: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Back in your WordPress dashboard, you\u2019ll see a list of Facebook pages associated with your account. You can choose which one this chatbot will use by clicking on Select<\/em> next to the page\u2019s name:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once that\u2019s complete, you\u2019ll begin customizing your bot on the chatbot setup page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this step, you\u2019ll be able to create a welcome message that will appear when your users are greeted:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can customize this message for your users, so they are welcomed with a more personal and engaging greeting. You\u2019ll then be able to scroll down the page to the next option. You can also toggle on the \u2018answering service\u2019 if you wish. This can be customized to collect certain information right away, so you don\u2019t lose anyone\u2019s contact details:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, you have the option to customize the Lead Qualifier<\/em> questions, which can gain you valuable insight into your potential customers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are several other options for customizing your bot. Some of them require upgrading the plugin, but there\u2019s enough functionality in the free version to get you started. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019re done adding questions, you can scroll back to the top of the page and click on Test your Chatbot<\/em> to see if your setup works: <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you set up a keyword option for the answering service, you\u2019ll be able to test it when the chatbot pops up on your screen. For example, if we set a keyword as \u201cprices\u201d and the response as \u201cWe have many plans to suit every budget, including a free option!\u201d, that\u2019s what we should see if we ask the bot about prices: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019re satisfied with your test and settings, you can move on to other tabs in the setup area. You can change your chatbot\u2019s colors, for example, or select certain pages of your website where you don\u2019t want the bot to appear. Additionally, you can see any new leads who have interacted with the chatbot, and decide what your next action will be!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another way to create a chatbot for your website is to use IBM\u2019s Watson Assistant<\/a>. This sophisticated AI is available for free through IBM Cloud. While not as straightforward as the previous tool, Watson is very versatile and learns more with every use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To get started using the IBM Watson AI, you\u2019ll need to visit the Watson Assistant website<\/a> and create an IBM Cloud account: <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can do this for free, or explore some of the other pricing options. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve created and confirmed your account by checking your email for a confirmation link, you can sign in to the IBM Cloud dashboard and click on Create resource<\/em>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n IBM provides many informational resources<\/a> for using its Watson Assistant AI, but its creation interface is also pretty intuitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the next screen, you will see the IBM Cloud catalog. You can use the index on the left side to choose AI<\/em>, or simply scroll down until you see the Watson Assistant option: <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the next screen, you\u2019ll see a new option to Create:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n By default, your Watson Assistant will be set up with a predetermined name. You\u2019ll likely want to change this. You can do so by clicking on the three vertical dots in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. One of your options will be Rename service<\/em>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll receive a pop-up window with a simple command field where you can choose the name of your chatbot. Click on Save<\/em> when you\u2019re done:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now you can move on to programming your Watson Assistant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Back in your dashboard, you\u2019ll see that the name of your chatbot has changed. You can then select Launch Watson Assistant<\/em> to begin developing question and answer sets: <\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll have the option on the next screen to take a tour of this part of the process. There are eight different areas of the page you\u2019ll get more information on as you go through the tour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, you can click on Create your first<\/em> skill to get started: <\/p>\n\n\n\n At this point, you can create a list of examples<\/a> to go with a specific Intent<\/em>. The Intent<\/em><\/a> is how you categorize the chatbot user\u2019s goal. You can use the Watson Assistant catalog<\/a> to come up with some options, or simply create your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019re satisfied with your list of intents and examples, you can select Try it!<\/em> in the upper right-hand corner of the screen to test out your new Watson Assistant chatbot: <\/p>\n\n\n\n This will bring up options for you to test and correct any issues. You\u2019ll see a message now and then which says that Watson is \u2018training\u2019. This means the AI is processing the new information, so it can learn to give even better responses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019re satisfied with how your chatbot is functioning, you can use the Integrations<\/em> menu<\/a> or the Watson Assistant WordPress plugin<\/a> to add the chatbot to your website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re looking for ways to create engaging experiences for your customers, chatbots are a fun way to add something new to your website. As you can see, there are plenty of flexible and easy-to-learn tools that can help you implement this technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We know that you need access to the best resources<\/a> in order to create an incredible digital experience for your site\u2019s visitors. We offer industry leading WordPress hosting<\/a> and a wide variety of pricing options<\/a>, so you can confidently set your website up with all the latest technology it needs!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Answering common questions via email can be a big resource drain for smaller companies. If you\u2019ve struggled to keep up with communication demands from customers, or feel like you\u2019re missing engagement opportunities online, you might be wondering if there\u2019s a better way to connect. Fortunately, there\u2019s an approachable form of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that can…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":146055,"template":"","resource-topic":[904],"resource-role":[896,903,899],"resource-type":[916],"class_list":["post-95164","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nA Brief Overview of Chatbots<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Types of Chatbots<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Building a WordPress Chatbot Using WP Chatbot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 1: Install and Activate WP Chatbot<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 2: Connect WP Chatbot to Your Facebook Account<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 3: Develop Responses<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 4: Test Your Bot<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Building a Chatbot Using IBM Watson Assistant<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 1: Create an IBM Cloud Account<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 2: Create an IBM Cloud Resource<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 3: Launch the Watson Assistant<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 4: Create Your First Skill<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 5: Test Your Bot<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Power Your Site and Your WordPress Chatbot With WP Engine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n