Chatbot Automation: the Key Chatbot Workflows
Tags: webdev, programming, tutorial, api
Published: 2022-09-13 13:51:02

Providing high-quality chatbot automation services is critical to the success of chatbot companies. Expanding your potential customers and developing your chatbot software is imperative, especially as competition is becoming increasingly challenging every day.

[Experts predict](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/03/26/2199940/0/en/The-global-Chatbot-market-size-to-grow-from-USD-2-9-billion-in-2020-to-USD-10-5-billion-by-2026-at-a-Compound-Annual-Growth-Rate-CAGR-of-23-5.html) that the size of the chatbots market will grow by 23,5% annually, from $2,9 billion in 2020 to more than $10,5 billion in 2026. Interestingly, this growth concerns not only large B2B companies that invest heavily in chatbot automation software, but also owners of small eCommerce stores that use these innovative technology to better communicate with visitors to the website, sell more products to customers, and respond to customer inquiries.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the basic functions and workflow of an eCommerce chatbot, as well as the integration of a chatbot with different eCommerce platforms.

## The Key Features of eCommerce Chatbots

A chatbot is a computer application that emulates a human conversation through text or voice interaction. Chatbots are used by companies in both B2B and B2C environments to solve simple tasks. For example, chatbots help customers find products, contact customer service representatives, and purchase products directly from websites.

E-stores that really want to benefit from the power of chatbots are looking for specific features or functions in the chatbot software. Although each individual chatbot software provider offers its own particular features, customers are looking for some certain features.

Chatbots can have different functions. Here are some of the numerous useful features that an eCommerce chatbot can have:

- A/B testing: Mandatory for marketing purposes;
- Send e-mails to e-shop visitors with personalized offers;
- Automatic qualification of potential clients: A pleasant function that saves time;
- Provide recommendations on products to clients of an online shop;
- Create an order;
- Talk triggers: A stunning feature that significantly improves conversion rates on the site;
- Multilingual communication: Ideal for stores selling around the world;
- Analytics: It's always a great feature;
- Recovery of abandoned carts

## The Primary Types of Chatbot Workflows
Chatbots can be integrated into an actual eCommerce store to provide specific features and functions. Below we will go into four main types of chatbot workflows processes that store owners can use.

**Workflow #1**: Chatbots can provide the visitors of the e-shop with information about the product.

This workflow is quite simple and clear. Usually, the visitor comes to the site and clicks the chatbot window (or the window opens itself). Then the bot says something like: "Welcome, Mr/Mrs. I'm here to help you find the right product for you." (Browse) (Search) (Discounts). 

Then the client selects his own variant from the above three, and then the chatbot says: "Tell me what you are looking for". Finally, the client can record a specific product, then the bot shows a list of products or discounts based on what the client has chosen.

In the end, the client can choose the product and will be redirected to the website.

**Workflow #2**: Chatbots can create orders

Chatbots can create orders. The bot can communicate with users and help them choose the right product for their needs, as well as gather the information of visitors of the online shop necessary for fulfillment of the order. In addition, great chatbots can help customers track their orders.

![chatbot automation](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ntd8ta8mk1pn4yjkv9wh.png)

**Workflow #3**: Chatbots can help recover abandoned carts

A chatbot can get a list of the abandoned orders, and then remind those who left the carts about the products they were going to buy.

**Workflow #4**: Chatbots can provide online store owners with valuable information about their customers' buying patterns

Chatbots can easily track various indicators, such as engagement, conversion rate, converted abandoned business, order status requests, and the list can be continued. Online store owners can use these metrics to create personalized reports, such as page interaction reports, back-up reports, or user feedback reports.

## Importance of eCommerce Integration for Chatbot Automation

The development of chatbots for eCommerce, which would allow sellers to increase their profits, requires building reliable connection between chatbot systems and various shopping platforms.

For chatbot software vendors, e-shops are a valuable asset because merchants store product information there. At the code and transaction level, data from stores provides most of the features and processes that cover each eCommerce chatbot system.

After integration, the chatbot gets unlimited access to product catalogs, tracking information, customer data, inventory and other similar information.

Integrating eCommerce is difficult because you need to connect your chatbot software to several shopping platforms to offer your services to the extended market.

However, the good news is that you do not need to integrate with each separate eCommerce platform manually. Instead, you can use the third-party solution features to integrate your chatbot with multiple platforms at the same time. In addition, you don’t have to worry about updating or maintaining connections, because this system does it for you.

## How Chatbots Can Be Connected to Multiple eCommerce Platforms Easily

Using a third-party integration solution, you can utilize the REST API power to securely [integrate your chatbot software with more than 40 eCommerce platforms and marketplaces](https://api2cart.com/use-cases/chatbots-api-integration/?utm_source=dev.to&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=chatbotautomationv.k).

With the integration solution, your chatbot will be able to perform the following operations:

- Get customer information to identify new customers easily
- Get product catalogs with descriptions, images, variants, categories, or attributes
- Provide order tracking numbers
- Get lists of abandoned orders
- Get the opportunity to remind customers of abandoned products
- Update your product quantities and information in real-time
- Access customer sales history

Such a solution offers a wide range of chat software providers. In addition, it provides API methods that allow you to easily manage all information related to e-store products, orders, customers, shipments, etc.

Methods such as _[product.list](https://docs.api2cart.com/post/interactive-docs?version=v1.1#/product/ProductList?utm_source=dev.to&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=chatbotautomationv.k)_, _[product.find](https://docs.api2cart.com/post/interactive-docs?version=v1.1#/product/ProductFind?utm_source=dev.to&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=chatbotautomationv.k)_ will help you manage product information, and _[product.update](https://docs.api2cart.com/post/interactive-docs?version=v1.1#/product/ProductUpdate?utm_source=dev.to&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=chatbotautomationv.k)_ method allows your system to update products in the stock easily.

Your chatbot software can create an order in a store from chat using the _[order.add](https://docs.api2cart.com/post/interactive-docs?version=v1.1#/order/OrderAddd?utm_source=dev.to&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=chatbotautomationv.k)_ and _[order.update](https://docs.api2cart.com/post/interactive-docs?version=v1.1#/order/OrderUpdate?utm_source=dev.to&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=chatbotautomationv.k)_ methods. After placing an order in the chat, your system can automatically update your inventory using the _[product.update](https://docs.api2cart.com/post/interactive-docs?version=v1.1#/product/ProductUpdate?utm_source=dev.to&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=chatbotautomationv.k)_ method. In addition, you can use the method _[basket.item.add](https://docs.api2cart.com/post/interactive-docs?version=v1.1#/basket/BasketItemAdd?utm_source=dev.to&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=chatbotautomationv.k)_ to allow visitors to store products in a cart directly from the chat room.

In addition, your chatbot can get a list of remaining orders using the _[order.abandoned.list](https://docs.api2cart.com/post/interactive-docs?version=v1.1#/order/OrderAbandonedList?utm_source=dev.to&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=chatbotautomationv.k)_ method and remind those who left the cart about what they wanted to buy.

If you want to learn more about how an integration solution can help you reduce costs by automating and expanding your market share, don't hesitate to [contact us](https://api2cart.com/booking//?utm_source=dev.to&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=chatbotautomationv.k).