2022 is a bright year for chatbots. Every year we witness several trends in technology and innovation, and it will be no different for chatbots in 2022. This year, chatbots will stay on the rise and will be able to help businesses save over 8 billion dollars. Chatbots are a guaranteed long-term investment for companies, and the market is predicted to make $454.8 million in revenue by 2027.
Still, organisations must keep an eye open for trends in consumer behaviour to make the best use of chatbots. This article will list the chatbot trends that will dominate 2022 to help you prepare for the year ahead.
More Payments Via Chatbots
FlowXO, and other chatbot platforms, already have a payment service available. Organisations can receive and request payments with FlowXO in a safe and PCI-compliant space.
Yet, in 2022 these payment services will evolve to provide an integrated and mobile-friendly experience. In addition, the forecast of the value of the mobile payment is $12,407.5 billion by the end of 2025, so companies will need to improve their mobile experience and streamline digital payments via chatbots.
The rise of mobile payments will accelerate the advance of digital currencies. Even with controversial opinions, specialists predict an optimistic future for digital assets. Consequently, bots will integrate with digital wallets, cryptocurrencies and NFTs. Further, the privacy and security of digital payments will be more advanced to deliver a more secure customer journey. Next year, data privacy and regulations are also relevant issues so that chatbots will offer encrypted payment transactions.
More Participation in the Customer Experience
Chatbots transformed the customer experience as we know it, and they will continue to do so in 2022. Today, people don’t look for just a product or service; they become loyal to companies based on their purchase experience and value.
The advance of chatbots was a game-changer to companies; bots are proven to be responsible for growth in customer satisfaction, lead generation and sales conversions.
A report by Business Insider points out that chatbots will see the highest growth in retail and eCommerce, as they help businesses provide an omnichannel customer experience. Retailers will also use chatbots to improve customer communication and virtually deliver a more advanced experience.
Personalisation is another trend that will impact chatbots. Chatbots are likely to go smarter, talk more humanly, be more attentive to customer needs, and act more proactively in all steps of the customer experience, from start to post-purchase. If you are looking to scale, personalising the chatbot experience with something as simple as different languages can make a huge difference for customers and multiply your reach. It is important to remember that customer data and lead generation efforts are crucial to a successful personalised experience.
Omnichannel Chatbots
More than multichannel, consumers are now looking for an omnichannel experience.
But what is omnichannel? And what is the difference between omni and multichannel?
Most people today have multiple channels, and customers can engage with them via different platforms. Still, many of these platforms are not synchronised and don’t offer equal communication. Customers have different channel preferences and, most times, can’t enjoy a consistent and optimised experience across platforms.
According to HubSpot, the omnichannel experience is when organisations have integrated communication and deliver the same experience in multiple channels, such as marketing, sales and customer service. Unlike multiple channels, omnichannel includes all channels and both desktop and mobile devices. Therefore, when interacting with an omnichannel organisation, the customer will have the same seamless experience in all channels available, such as website, WhatsApp, Messenger, etc.
Omnichannel experience leads to a boost in customer satisfaction, retention and reach. For this reason, companies will prioritise omnichannel chatbots that can help them provide omnichannel experience across all platforms. This way, people will communicate and combine conversations they are having with the same bot in multiple channels with equal quality of the experience.
Conclusion
This article provides a brief overview of some trends that will guide the chatbot’s market this year. With the online environment changing constantly and rapidly, companies need to adapt and implement changes to optimise their experience and customer engagement. Chatbots are one of the best things you can do for your business in 2022. The value of chatbots is exponentially growing: bots are proven to boost customer satisfaction by 80% while helping companies save $11 billion every year.
However, companies must invest in a chatbot on top of relevant market trends and act proactively to market changes.
If you are ready to take your company to the next level, visit this page to learn more about the benefits that Flow XO can bring to your business and get your bot ready to thrive in 2022!