Proactive Lead Generation Starts with Chatbots

Whereas static websites create passive lead generation opportunities, chatbots proactively engage visitors throughout the sales funnel.

In addition to responding to inquiries, chatbots ask questions and deliver surveys to identify user needs. They also segment audiences to ensure recommendations make sense for each person. By using data points such as age, gender, who the purchase is for, and other factors, the chatbot narrows down which products fit the situation.

Qualifying Leads with Chatbots

Learning about users allows a chatbot to determine if they’re actually in the market to buy, or are casually browsing. A student doing research for a class is a lower priority than a shopper looking for a specific item. Both require a fair amount of discovery, but only one will result in a sale. Understanding user intent is part of a chatbot’s job.

Using dynamic conversation flow, chatbots are able to qualify leads in a way that feels natural for users. Just as human conversants take turns asking questions, so do chatbots.

Below are a few lead qualification questions:

• What are you looking for?

• What’s your budget?

• When do you need this by?

• Is there anything you don’t want?

These questions gauge the seriousness of the buyer and help the bot find the best possible product fit. And because chatbots integrate with CRM systems, they are able to convert leads and close deals seamlessly.

Educating Prospects with Conversational AI

As a chatbot tailors its recommendations for each user, it can also share specific product details. People don’t just want a bot to tell them what to buy; they want to know why they should buy it.

Hyundai’s messaging bot provides information about its vehicles and answers questions about different models. Potential customers can find the car that meets their needs without having to scroll through different pages for each vehicle.

Other brands use chatbots to share special offers and sales, video content, and other information to aid decision making.

A More Mobile-Friendly Experience

With 60% of online searches happening on mobile devices, most businesses understand the need for a responsive site. But having a site that’s navigable on mobile doesn’t mean it’s optimized for usability.

Detailed product pages, how-to’s, and informational posts are difficult to read on a small screen. It’s also challenging to find the right pages with limited menu options. Chatbots fill that gap.

People are already used to messaging on their smartphones; they do it all day. Being able to have the exact information they need, delivered in an easy-to-follow messaging format provides all the benefits of a mobile experience in a more user-friendly way. Responses are also direct and to-the-point, eliminating the need to scroll through paragraphs to find the right information.

Adding a Chatbot to the Lead Generation Toolkit

Before incorporating a chatbot into lead generation efforts, brands must answer the following questions:

• What are the chatbot’s goals?

• What information does it need access to?

A professional chatbot developer helps teams define the types of information the bot needs in the backend, and the voice that fits the brand. There are many factors that go into setup, which is why it's important to work with an experienced chatbot vendor.