Build your first chatbot for lead generation
Build your first chatbot for lead generation
1. Collect all the information needed for deploying your chatbot on your website, such as the chatbot service you will use, the pages you will display the chatbot on, and the email service you will use for collecting leads.
If you use WordPress, choose a chatbot plugin that allows you to select custom URLs for deployment and can collect leads within the chatbot to save to your email service. A few examples include Drift, Tidio, and Intercom.
2. Create a test page on your website to implement a test version of the chatbot before deploying it live.
3. Create the first conversation flow in a text document to outline any possible dialogues you may have with your visitors.
Alternatively, you can use Google Slides or other similar tools if you can’t create your mock conversation flow within the chatbot service you chose. Create a flow chart with up to 3 levels and all possible answers for each of these levels. Ask permission to collect user details, such as their name and email address, before offering to connect them to a rep. Save a Follow-up to the questions, and connect it to your email/CRM platform. Add questions to qualify your lead further and record the inputs. Set up the goodbye message, and save the chatbot conversation flow.
4. Configure the chatbot settings, customized branding, and the specific pages where you want to deploy the chatbot.
Customized branding may include your brand logo, headline, and some text before the users begin interacting with the chatbot. The selection of URLs will be based on the level of importance each page has in your customer journey, and how important you consider a chatbot will be to help your customers make a decision. Generally, it is advisable to use it at least on the pricing and product pages. Some other settings may include the initial display size and time delay before popping up the chat icon.
5. Connect the chatbot system with your email service or CRM to collect user data.
User data includes any custom tags and information you may want to collect, such as the page where the chat originated. Major chatbot providers like Drift and Intercom include native integrations to collect and export user information as it’s being entered into the chatbot. Refer to your CRM and chatbot product manuals to ensure this feature is supported and find out how to set it up.
6. Test the chatbot implementation and check whether the conversations are following the right flow before deploying it live.
Enter the details requested by the chatbot and check your CRM to make sure that the data is being recorded.
7. Deploy your chatbot live on the selected page URLs.
Depending on the chatbot you use, you can set your chatbot to go live directly from its dashboard. See your product documentation for more information.