Prior to the appearance of automatic messaging services, companies had a difficult time connecting to their visitors on a regular basis. The year 2017 saw revolutionary changes in the automated messaging services. With the development of chatbots, there was a definite surge in the way people connected to different people in the world.
Chatbots defined
Chatbots, also referred to as bots or talk bots, are artificial intelligence services designed to simulate conversations with humans, especially over the internet. Created to imitate human language, these bots can be hosted on websites, messaging platforms or apps.
Remember the days when you had to go through a five step process just to connect with a customer care service number? Chatbots helped eliminate these multiple steps and made life easier. While the definition seems simple enough, chatbots fall under two broad categories. Despite looking similar to a user and having the same front end functionality, chatbots have several categories to their name.
Chatbot and human languages
On the face of things, chatbots look like a normal app, but in reality, they are a lot more complex. The thin line of difference between an app and a chatbot is that the user interface is non existent and is replaced with a chatting interface. The huge rise in chatbot popularity can be traced back to early 2016, a time when Facebook announced it was providing tools for developers to create new, unique chatbot functions inside Facebook Messenger.
Chatbots have become popular over the years because of the following reasons:
- The responses are immediate and conversations can be had round the clock.
- A relationship between the user and the provider can be developed, thereby ensuring a future based on trust.
- The information provided helps in establishing the kind products/services/opportunities available in the market.
With Facebook providing such a big platform for chatbots to grow and develop, it comes as no surprise that today, these are the most preferred tools of communication! According to reports, chatbots are going to take over an entire sector and turn every online communication process into a seamless affair.