What You Need to Know About Chatbot Integrations
When you unlock your phone, what’s the first thing you click? Chances are it’s not the calculator or clock (although they have their place) but rather one of the many apps you’ve downloaded.
In this instance, your phone serves as the central hub with each app, allowing it to perform a new action —? whether that's scrolling on Instagram, checking your banking information, or watching your favorite team play.?
Like downloading different apps for your phone, connecting different integrations optimizes your chatbot’s capabilities, making it more efficient and effective.?
This article explores how chatbot integrations work, their top benefits, and the five types of integrations every chatbot should have.
What are chatbot integrations?
Chatbot integrations connect your chatbot to your existing tech stack. They allow it to access data, perform actions, and interact with users across different channels. Now, whether a customer wants to check their order status, talk to a human agent, or add an item to qualify for free shipping, integrations allow this to happen seamlessly through your chatbot.?
To connect to each system, a chatbot uses something called an application programming interface, commonly known as an API. APIs allow the two systems to communicate while setting the rules regarding what information can be shared and what actions can be taken. For more information on how APIs work, check out this video from MuleSoft, which compares an API to the waiter at your favorite restaurant.??
For this piece, it’s important to know that you will need an API to establish an integration, and your chatbot provider will be able to give you this.?
Why are chatbot integrations important??
Chatbot integrations are important because they offer businesses personalized responses, improved automation rates, unified data, and new support channels — all of which improve the customer experience.?
Personalized responses?
The more integrations your chatbot has, the more specific and effective it becomes. For example, by adding an integration to your ecommerce platform, your chatbot can let customers know exactly when their package will arrive and even provide a tracking URL. Without it, the chatbot can’t access specific orders and will only be able to offer a generic statement on your shipping policy.
Personalization is especially useful for chatbots that are powered by artificial intelligence (AI). AI chatbots can understand a conversation’s wider context, so integrations help them deliver custom messages tailored to each customer’s specific needs.
Improved automation rates?
This one builds off the point above. An effective chatbot can offer accurate, personalized responses to common questions. And it’s not just FAQs on order status or other repetitive tasks. Integrations allow a chatbot to compare products, update carts, and even identify website visitors who might be stuck on your checkout page. Through integrations, conversational AI can fully automate 70% of customer queries, clearing your ticket queue and allowing your support team to focus on those high-value interactions.?
Unified data
By connecting your chatbot platform to your knowledge base and existing tech stack, you can gather all product and customer data in one place. This helps the chatbot do its job and allows your service team to instantly access everything in a single, convenient location. By eliminating the need to switch between different programs, agents can be more productive and efficient every day.?
New support channels?
Chatbot integrations elevate the customer experience by letting businesses offer omnichannel support. Embedding your chat widget across all your channels means you can answer questions instantly whether customers reach out via your website, social media, or SMS. Since users can even switch channels mid-conversation without starting over, integrations are an effective way to boost customer satisfaction as well.
4 must-have chatbot integration categories?
#1 Customer support platform integration?
To start, you need to connect your chatbot to your existing customer support platform. By doing so, you’ve transformed it from a tool to an effective team member. Now, you can seamlessly handle incoming tickets, provide timely assistance, and streamline your communication.?
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Some things that require a customer support platform include:?
It's also important to know that your chatbot provider can be different from your customer support platform provider. Furthermore, if you switch support platforms, all of your chatbot settings and data can go with you – ensuring you don’t lose what you’ve built.
#2 Chat channel integration?
Chat channel integrations allow you to put your chatbot everywhere your customers are. Deliver seamless, 24/7 support whether shoppers reach out via the chat widget on your website, your app, or any of your social media sites. Moreover, utilizing these integrations allows customers to move effortlessly from one channel to another without restarting their conversation.?
#2.5 Social media channel integration??
We’re giving this a special call-out as delivering effective customer service via social media is becoming an increasingly important source of customer engagement. In 2023, nearly 5 billion people used social media, with the average person signing into seven platforms every month!?
Today, customers are leveraging these platforms as customer support channels. A recent Sprout Social survey found that 69% of users expect a response to their question that same day, and 63% noted that brand loyalty is tied closely to the quality of service they receive on social media.?
Where should you be? Facebook Messenger has the most active monthly users, but channels including Instagram, X, and LinkedIn are all important platforms on which you should integrate your chatbot software.?
#3 Ecommerce platform integration??
Connecting your chatbot to your ecommerce platform gives it access to your entire catalog, order updates, and shipping information. Whether it's Shopify or a bespoke marketplace system, connecting your chatbot lets you give real-time information. Users can get an exact tracking link, compare products and pricing, or even update their cart via the chatbot. With Zowie's turn-key setup, ecommerce brands can instantly automate 30% of customer questions.?
An ecommerce platform integration also allows you to identify and automate revenue-generating opportunities such as:?
With an ecommerce integration, your chatbot can function not just as your leading customer service rep but also as your top salesperson.?
#4 Data source integration?
The final step is to connect your chatbot with your remaining ecommerce tech stack. By tapping into platforms like Salesforce, Zapier or HubSpot, your chatbot gains access to a treasure trove of customer data. This means it can tailor responses and services to each individual, making interactions feel more human and relevant.?
Greet customers by name, pull up past tickets and orders or customize the experience based on their persona. All of this is now possible!
By connecting your customer information, you can offer personalized experiences at scale.
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