Choosing a Chatbot Platform

Authored by Matt Lessard

Since 2001, Matt Lessard has started numerous projects, from an E-commerce SaaS to an online store shipping to over 80 countries. Creator of Buster Fetcher®, a technology reducing shipping costs. Passionate about personal development and business growth.

Previously, we discussed how chatbots improve customer service and you know your business would benefit from implementing one. The question is, which platform would suit your needs best? You will find out right here!

There are numerous chatbot platforms to choose from. Some are better suited for Facebook Messenger, others for websites. Some don’t require any coding, others are more complex to set up. It isn’t always easy to make the right choice!

Here is a Top 6 of the most popular and user-friendly chatbot platforms to help you make the best choice.

Chatbots for Messenger

ManyChat is a very popular chatbot platform on Facebook Messenger; it is very simple to set up and easy to use. No wonder so many businesses use it! One of its strong points is its visual builder that allows you to easily build and visualize your chatbot.

ManyChat has a free version with limited features (a customer would see the ManyChat logo when interacting with the bot). If you want your bot to be as personalized as possible, it is better to subscribe. The cost will vary based on the number of subscribers, which gives ManyChat excellent value in terms of price and quality.

If you would like to build a bot for Facebook Messenger, Chatfuel offers one of the most comprehensive solutions on the market. This is an excellent platform to easily build a Facebook chatbot, no coding experience required.

As with ManyChat, its main competitor, Chatfuel has a free version and monthly plans. In the free version, you can access a variety of features that will allow you to really test the platform and you can use it for free until you have 1000 subscribers. Its monthly plans are a little more expensive compared to its competitor, however.

This is another popular Messenger chatbot platform. MobileMonkey supplies tools to build its chatbot for users with no coding skills, much like the tools Chatfuel and ManyChat proposes. MobileMonkey really sets itself apart though by the features it offers to marketing professionals. Moreover, this platform offers a more personalized marketing support, which can be a great advantage.

Chatbots for e-commerce

Octane AI is another excellent chatbot builder. You can configure your bot in a matter of minutes and personalize it. It helps you engage with your target audience on Facebook Messenger. It allows marketing on Messenger so you can advertise your products with personalized messages directly in Messenger. You can even get back in contact with ones who have previously visited your page.

Octane AI is an interesting choice for e-commerce merchants because it helps you retrieve abandoned carts, automatically answer customer questions, send follow-up messages after purchases providing shipping and delivery information, and much more.

For e-commerce merchants, Botsify is another great platform with a simple and easy bot builder for your website or Facebook Messenger. It also has excellent integration capabilities that you won’t find on other platforms. For example, you can integrate Shopify, WordPress, and Alexa. It also allows to create conversion forms directly in the chatbot and pass them on to your staff to continue the conversation.

You can start using Botsify for free or subscribe to one of their plans starting at $50 per month.

This platform developed in Quebec offers a chatbot that also acts as an intelligent virtual assistant. The software works with your sales and customer service teams while giving them super powers, since it helps them deliver an ultra-personalized customer service at every step of the buying process.

If you have an e-commerce, Heyday can be easily integrated to solutions such as Shopify, Lightspeed, Magento, and Salesforce. This platform can, among other things, dramatically improve the quality of customer service, personalize the customer experience with artificial intelligence and increase conversions.

Chatbots can help you engage in a more personalized way with your customers, whether on Facebook or on your website. They allow you to advertise your promotions and other messages easily, and supports your customer service in a significant way. 

All of the above platforms can help you build efficient chatbots for your business. Give it a shot!