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The world has become a global village and to tap into unexplored resources, it is important to be technology driven. 2017 was declared the year of Chatbots and it led to many questions, like what is the future of Chatbots? Is it going to replace the Apps? How will large multinational companies use Chatbots in their favor? Soon enough, Chatbots driven by artificial intelligence may be the next big thing and the giants in the industry don’t wait anymore to incorporate it in their digital marketing strategy.

We live in the era where apps are an integral part of the smartphone infrastructure. For every step of our daily lives, the use of apps has become important. From ordering food online to paying electricity bills, every job is done using apps. Although, apps are of great help, but we need to install loads of apps for several needs. This poses a question on whether apps are really our future. What if they get replaced by Chatbots?

Chatbots vs. Apps

Apps

When Apps were introduced in 2010, it was considered a short-term trend, but now, almost a decade of Apps has made people ditch personal computers. Apps are easily downloaded on Smartphones which made it a revolutionary idea of all time. According to the statics presented byStatista, in 2017 there were 197 billion downloads of apps only on mobile. In 2021 the figure is set to reach by 352.9 billion. But it has certain limitations that make it a less lucrative option in comparison to Chatbots.

• An app uses mobile storage capacity to download and save it.
• All the apps are not free. In fact, many apps downloaded from app store ask for in-app purchases and even direct purchase, at times before download.
• Payment system via the app is not direct.
• There are other issues like sign up, ads popping for monetization purpose, UI acclimation, etc. which leads to downward trend and stagnancy.

Chatbots

When you visit a website, have you ever seen a popup that opens and a question comes on the screen? If not, check the website of LivPure, Adidas, eBay, Pizza Hutto get an idea of Chatbots. The artificial intelligence on the website helps the target audience visiting the website to explore the website properly. To be precise, chatbot acts as a personal assistant that can serve your several needs of smartphone use. It creates conversation using AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP). Earlier people used to visit FAQ section and then used to seek an answer to their questions or used to email or call the concerned authority. 

Chatbots have made online shopping or browsing website easy as it helps the target audience to type in the question and get an answer within seconds any time of the day or night. Being an artificial intelligence, it is unaffected by the physical world scenario and is an interactive interface and upgrades with every interaction. But what makes it a lucrative option?

• It directly works on customer preferences helping the customers by having a conversation with them and resolving their doubts.
• It is cost-effective for a business as it helps the customers to explore the website in-depth, which may help with sales.
• It is a specific and direct medium of interaction that directs the consumer towards the solution which increases the satisfaction level and confidence of the potential buyer.
• A strong step towards conversational marketing, even if a layman visits the website, he can easily interact with the Chatbots and leading to increase in lead generation and conversion rate.
• It also helps to increase footfall on the website from around the globe as it makes the website user-friendly and gives that personal touch which is missing in a virtual medium.

Final Verdict: Chatbots vs. App

When the Apps were introduced, it was predicted that it will kill the website but even now websites are strong and have a role to play. Similarly, when Chatbots was launched, there were many prognoses made that it is the end of the era of Apps. But the fact is Chatbots can be integrated into Apps and websites that will help the companies to make a 3-tier mechanism and eventually, help benefit the end-customers.