We are in the midst of a new paradigm shift. Messaging has become the new platform and bots are becoming the new apps. With bots coming into the limelight now in the big bad world of tech , user experiences are poised to shift radically and so are business models from how they advertise to how they monetize.
Once thought of science fiction, bots have become the next big thing sweeping the entire world ever since Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the launch of the Facebook messenger bots at the F8 Conference this year. According to Zuckerberg bots can create a new channel for commerce, customer support, and possibly even media.
Why is the world suddenly going gaga over itMobile is the future of everything. If you look at a smartphone today, it has limited space. It's impossible to have so many different apps on your mobile phone. So, far we are living in the world when every company is trying to convince a user to download its app. If we think from a user's point of view, why does he need to have so many apps to book a taxi or order food or seek nutrition and fitness advice? Can it be done all one platform? And, the answer is yes - chat bots on existing messaging apps is the way to go!
The primary reason behind all the buzz around bots is their potential to open up new channels for brand to interact with their consumers. The core concept on which chats bots function, is artificial intelligence. Chat bots are computer programs that mimic conversation with people and can do whatever they're programmed to do. Anything possible with desktop apps, websites or mobile apps is possible through messaging bots. Chat bots are free to use, easier than training humans and are capable of handling a much wider range of tasks as compared to apps being offered by retailers and consumer business.
With bots brands/companies/business's have the power to have conversations with their consumers through a combination of spoken or typed phrases giving an overall personalized experience as opposed to apps which force users to choose from available options from a drop down menu. With the I-want-it-now culture bots have the ability to cater to the higher expectations of fast and easy service. The fact that bots let you instantly interact with the world around you is what is exciting all the players globally.
Future of BotsChat Bots have the potential to replace individual apps altogether. With bots there will be no need to download a separate app and create a separate account for a one time order or service. Apps take up mobile space as well as lose mind recall quickly amongst consumers. Bots have the potential to create new branding channels for existing companies enabling them to connect with their consumers effectively without the use of an app. In future smarter chat bots will help to decrease human intervention needed in any task.
