What is a Chatbot?

A chatbot is a computer program with which it is possible to have a conversation, whether we want to ask you for some information or to carry out an action.

This video will help explain:

For example, nowadays if you want to buy shoes through Asos you have to access their website, find what you are looking for and buy it. But what if Asos had a bot? You would only need to write a message to the brand through Facebook and tell them what you want. And even if we had doubts about the size measurements we could consult him in a moment about our problem.

One of the great advantages of chatbots is that, unlike applications, they do not download, do not need to be updated and do not take up space in the phone's memory. Another is that we can have several bots integrated into the same chat. In this way we would avoid jumping from one app to another according to what we need at any given time. The main consequences? More enjoyable user experiences and faster and easier interactions with customer service.

How do chatbots work?

Chatbots incorporate artificial intelligence systems. Therefore, they have the possibility of learning about our tastes and preferences over time. Siri or Cortana, for example, work thanks to this system (although they still have a lot of room for improvement). Other places where they have been in operation in recent years have been in chats such as Facebook Messenger or in instant messaging applications such as Telegram or Slack. In the latter, chatbots were incorporated as if they were just another contact.

How to build your own chatbot

Even if you have no knowledge of code or artificial language, you can develop one yourself with tools like ManyChat, Landbot.io, Api.ai, Wit.ai or Smooch. Some of these allow you to create simple conversational chats without writing a single line of code.