Funnel Chatbots
Funnel Bots
This bot type is named "Funnel Bot" because the automated steps in the bot flow reflect the sales funnel. Site visitors progress through the steps of the bot flow in the same way that they progress through the sales funnel, qualifying (or disqualifying) themselves as they answer the questions we set up in the bot flow.
For best results however, you'll want to balance out the automation with human interaction. Studies have shown that although chatbots tend to perform better at basic information collection than live chat agents, live agents book more meetings. Additionally, MQL's tend to convert to SQL's at a much higher rate when agents are involved in the qualifying process.
Thus, the most effective chatbots involve live agents early, using agent alerts, but then continue to collect information. This allows agents to enter the chat, interrupting the bot flow, when automated conversations stall out and pick up where the automation left off.
Best Practices
A great funnel bot includes the following:
- A Strong CTA: The first message sent by the bot should be a compelling call to action. For chatbots, this is usually a question that offers button response options. When seeking to increase engagement with your chatbots, this is the first thing to test.
- Live Agent Involvement: As mentioned above, live chat agents book more meetings, and those meetings tend to be more productive. Whenever possible, involve agents in chat conversations.
- Clear, Concise Qualifying Questions: Use a simple question with 2-3 button response options to filter out business to consumer traffic. Then ask additional qualifying questions to your desired audience only after giving them a reason to want to answer. In exchange for their continued engagement, offer a demo, live chat, or access to content.
For help configuring funnel bots, see Bot Skills Overview, Bot Builder Tools, and How to Build a Bot.
