.png)
With 79% of consumers expecting quick responses from brands, chatbots are becoming a must-have for staying connected with your customers. If you’ve been wondering, "how do chatbots work?", and looking into how to create a chatbot for your business, you’re in the right place.
Whether you're looking to build a WhatsApp chatbot or find the best AI-driven chatbot for your website inquiries, this step by step of how to build a chatbot will quickly walk you through it. By the time you’ve finished reading you will be able to create a chatbot that is ready to deliver the seamless, rapid-response service your customers are looking for.
Benefits of using chatbot: reasons to make your own chatbot
Chatbots are a game-changer for businesses looking to connect with their customers on a deeper level with personalised responses, recommendations, and fast questions to answers.
In fact, a survey by Khoros shows that 68% of customers will spend more money with a brand that understands them and treats them like individuals. This is where a chatbot brings you back a great ROI, by offering your business the opportunity to meet and exceed customer expectations to keep them loyal for longer.
1. Be there when your customers need you
One of the major advantages of having a chatbot is its ability to provide support 24/7. Whether it’s guiding a site visitor through their purchase journey or answering late-night queries, a chatbot means that your brand is always online. This constant availability keeps your customers engaged, no matter when they reach out and can stop them from jumping ship to a competitor to find answers.
2. Get to know your customers better
Chatbots can be used as tools for gathering insights that will influence your customer services, sales and marketing, and product development strategies. For example, by analysing the questions customers ask, you can identify gaps in your product offerings or areas where customers might need additional support.
If customers consistently inquire about certain features, it might indicate a demand for new products or enhancements. Additionally, the data collected by your chatbot can help tailor marketing campaigns by mentioning the features and benefits that your customers provide the most positive feedback about.
3. Streamline your workflows
Chatbots can optimise your internal processes. For example, they can handle repetitive tasks like answering FAQs or processing orders, freeing up your team to focus on more complex tasks.
When a query becomes too complex for the chatbot, it can seamlessly hand over the conversation to a human, providing them with all the context and information gathered during the interaction. This ensures that your team is fully equipped to address the customer’s needs without requiring them to repeat themselves.
Types of chatbots: AI chatbot vs chatbot
There are two main types of chatbots you need to know about—regular (or rule based) chatbots and AI chatbots. Here is how each of them work.
1. Rule-based chatbots
Rule-based chatbots stick to a set path. They’re designed to follow specific rules, delivering predetermined responses based on the keywords you type or select. These chatbots are great for handling routine tasks, like answering FAQs or guiding customers through a simple process. However, they can struggle when the conversation goes off-script, as they’re not built to understand context or adapt on the fly.
2. AI-based chatbots
AI chatbots are the smarter, more intuitive cousin of the rule-based chatbot. These bots use machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) to understand and respond to users in a more human way.
Instead of just following a script, AI chatbots learn from every interaction, allowing them to offer personalised and relevant responses. They can handle more complex conversations, adapt to changing situations, and even anticipate what your customers might need next.
Application areas
Both types of chatbots have their strengths. Rule-based chatbots are perfect for tasks where you need consistency and control, like handling high volumes of customer inquiries or managing basic sales questions.
In contrast, AI-based chatbots excel in scenarios where personalised interaction makes the difference. For example for a virtual sales rep or customer support role that requires a deeper understanding of user intent.
Platform variations
Chatbots can be tailored to fit the platforms where your customers are most active. Whether you’re looking to build a WhatsApp chatbot, integrate one into your website, or create a standalone mobile app, both AI and rule-based bots can be used to meet your needs.
For instance, building a chatbot for platforms like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger connects you directly with users in their preferred environments. Meanwhile, integrating a chatbot into your website or mobile app allows customers to get instant support directly within your owned platforms, ensuring a consistent and user-friendly experience and giving you greater control.
Chatbot features
When you build a chatbot for your business, you need to think about what features you want it to have. Here’s a quick guide to the most common chatbot features
1. Cross-channel communication
A seamless, cross-channel bot keeps customers engaged no matter where they interact. It should provide a consistent experience across platforms—whether on your website, mobile app, or WhatsApp.
2. Rich messaging
Your chatbot should go beyond text, offering rich messaging capabilities like sending images, links, and files. This is particularly useful for retail, helping customers find and view products effortlessly, or for sending return requests for faulty items.
3. Integration with systems
You want to be able to integrate your chatbot with your CRM, email marketing tools, or other systems to automate tasks like updating customer info or processing orders. This saves time by reducing manual work.
4. Task automation
Automation is a must for a chatbot as it enables it to perform actions like sending emails, setting reminders, or retrieving past messages, turning it into a proactive assistant rather than just a conversational tool.
5. Human handoff
No matter how good your chatbot is there will always come a situation where a human needs to be involved. In complex scenarios, your chatbot should be able to easily hand off the conversation to a member of your team complete with all the context.
6. Accessibility
No matter the business you're in, you want an accessible chatbot because your customers will have different needs. You can make your chatbot accessible with features like keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility.
How to build your own chatbot in (number) easy steps
Building a chatbot for your business website or app might seem daunting, but it’s easier than you think. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you build your own chatbot without any coding skills.
Step 1: choose the type of chatbot
First, decide which type of chatbot that best suits your needs. Are you looking to build a WhatsApp chatbot that handles customer inquiries, or do you need a more complex AI-driven bot that learns from each interaction?
With Trengo, you can choose between a standard chatbot, which responds to open-ended questions, or a flowbot that guides users through predefined steps. The choice depends on what you want your chatbot to achieve—whether it's answering FAQs, generating leads, or supporting your sales or customer service team.
Step 2: pick the right platform
Next, decide where your customers will interact with your chatbot. Will it be on your website, within a mobile app, or across multiple channels like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger?
When you build a chatbot, it’s important to make sure it's present on the platforms your customer actually uses. Trengo makes it easy to deploy your chatbot across multiple platforms, including WhatsApp, Telegram and Messenger which will help to provide a consistent experience for your customers wherever they contact you.
Step 3: design the conversation flow
Once you’ve chosen the type and platform, it’s time to start designing. You can start with specific conversations. Think about what your bot will talk to your customers about.
For example, you could use a bot on your homepage to let your website visitors know about your best products or current offers. On a pricing page it could answer questions about delivery times or return policies.
It's always a good idea to also include a clear call-to-action (CTA), such as add to cart or visit product pages. Remember, the goal is to make the flow through your sales funnel as smooth as possible by providing support and guidance to your customers when they are looking for it.
Step 4: build and launch your bot
Now you’re ready to start building. With Trengo, you don’t need any coding knowledge—just follow the straightforward steps in our Help Center to get your bot up and running.
Customise the bot’s responses, integrate it with your existing tools, and you’re good to go.
Step 5: test and optimise
After launch you will want to keep an eye on your chatbot's performance. Track metrics such as the number of conversations, how many leads generated, and time to resolve issues.
If you notice low engagement or high drop-off rates you will probably want to take another look at your chatbots flow or responses. Continuous testing and optimization will help you to spot any issues with your chatbot or opportunities to improve it.
How to create a chatbot using Trengo
Creating a chatbot with Trengo is quick and easy—no coding required.
1. Sign up and access chatbot builder
- Start by signing up for Trengo.
- Navigate to the chatbot builder within the platform.
2. Choose your chatbot type
- Chose which type of chatbot you want to create
- Standard Chatbot: Responds to open-ended questions using predefined answers—great for handling FAQs.
- Flowbot: Guides users through interactive conversations with multiple-choice questions—ideal for lead generation and creating conversational journeys.
3. Define placement and visibility
- Decide where your chatbot will appear (e.g., homepage, support page).
- Set triggers for when and how the bot engages users, such as pop-ups or timed appearances.
4. Design the conversation flow
- Start writing your conversations
- Create relevant questions and responses that will meet your customers' needs.
- Keep it transparent by introducing the bot clearly at the start of the conversation.
5. Test and launch
- Preview your chatbot to make sure your interaction goes smoothly and your chatbot delivers the correct responses.
- Launch your chatbot and monitor its performance through Trengo's analytics.
- Continuously optimise the conversation flow based on user engagement and feedback.
With Trengo's user-friendly platform, you can quickly build a chatbot that improves customer support, boosts engagement, and streamlines your business processes.
Dos and don’ts of building a chatbot
Here are some essential dos and don’ts to guide you in building your own chatbot.
Do: keep the conversation simple and focused
When you build your own chatbot, keep the conversations straightforward. A clear, concise dialogue will help your customers get the information they need quickly, without confusion. Avoid overcomplicating the conversation flow—focus on delivering value in as few steps as possible.
Don’t: try to mimic a human too closely
While it might be tempting to make your chatbot sound human, it’s important to set clear expectations. Being upfront that users are interacting with a bot helps avoid frustration. Transparency is key—consider starting the conversation with a friendly disclaimer like, “Hi! I’m [insert chatbot name], your virtual assistant here to help.”
Do: offer a smooth handoff to a human agent
No chatbot can handle every possible situation and sometimes one of your customer service or sales team will need to get involved. Ensure your chatbot can seamlessly transfer a conversation to a human agent when necessary – for example when a person says “let me speak to a human”.
Don’t: overwhelm users with too many options
Avoid bombarding users with too many choices at once. A well-designed chatbot should guide the user naturally through the conversation, presenting options at the right time. Too many choices can confuse users and make it unclear which option it is that they actually want to choose.
Do: continuously monitor and improve
Once your chatbot is live, regularly monitor its performance. Use the data you collect to make improvements to your conversation, refining its flow and improve responses based on real-world interactions.
Don’t: neglect accessibility
Ensure your chatbot is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Implement features like keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and text zooming.
Do: prioritise security and privacy
When you build a chatbot, make security a top priority. Ensure that your chatbot complies with data protection regulations like GDPR and uses secure methods for handling sensitive information. This builds trust and protects both your business and your customers.
Don’t: ignore user feedback
User feedback is invaluable for improving your chatbot. Encourage users to share their experiences once their problem is resolved or the interaction complete. This feedback can help you find areas for improvement that you might not have noticed and enhance the overall user experience.
Ready to put a chatbot onto your website?
Building a chatbot is a smart move for any business looking to improve customer service and engagement. Trengo makes it easy to build your own chatbot without needing any coding skills.
Our platform gives you everything you need to create a chatbot that fits your business perfectly, whether you're looking to streamline support, boost sales, or centralise customer interactions across multiple channels.
Ready to start building your own chatbot with Trengo?
